KING HENRY.Master Lieutenant,now that God and friends Have shaken Edward from the regal seat And turn'd my captive state to liberty,My fear to hope,my sorrows unto joys,At our enlargement what are thy due fees?LIEUTENANT.Subjects may challenge nothing of their sov'reigns;But if an humble prayer may prevail,I then crave pardon of your Majesty.KING HENRY.For what,Lieutenant?For well using me?Nay,be thou sure I'll well requite thy kindness,For that it made my imprisonment a pleasure;Ay,such a pleasure as incaged birds Conceive when,after many moody thoughts,At last by notes of household harmony They quite forget their loss of liberty.But,Warwick,after God,thou set'st me free,And chiefly therefore I thank God and thee;He was the author,thou the instrument.Therefore,that I may conquer fortune's spite By living low where fortune cannot hurt me,And that the people of this blessed land May not be punish'd with my thwarting stars,Warwick,although my head still wear the crown,I here resign my government to thee,For thou art fortunate in all thy deeds.WARWICK.Your Grace hath still been fam'd for virtuous,And now may seem as wise as virtuous By spying and avoiding fortune's malice,For few men rightly temper with the stars;Yet in this one thing let me blame your Grace,For choosing me when Clarence is in place.CLARENCE.No,Warwick,thou art worthy of the sway,To whom the heav'ns in thy nativity Adjudg'd an olive branch and laurel crown,As likely to be blest in peace and war;And therefore I yield thee my free consent.WARWICK.And I choose Clarence only for Protector.KING HENRY.Warwick and Clarence,give me both your hands.Now join your hands,and with your hands your hearts,That no dissension hinder government.I make you both Protectors of this land,While I myself will lead a private life And in devotion spend my latter days,To sin's rebuke and my Creator's praise.WARWICK.What answers Clarence to his sovereign's will?CLARENCE.That he consents,if Warwick yield consent,For on thy fortune I repose myself.WARWICK.Why,then,though loath,yet must I be content.We'll yoke together,like a double shadow To Henry's body,and supply his place;I mean,in bearing weight of government,While he enjoys the honour and his ease.And,Clarence,now then it is more than needful Forthwith that Edward be pronounc'd a traitor,And all his lands and goods confiscated.CLARENCE.What else?And that succession be determin'd.WARWICK.Ay,therein Clarence shall not want his part.KING HENRY.But,with the first of all your chief affairs,Let me entreat-for I command no more-That Margaret your Queen and my son Edward Be sent for to return from France with speed;For till I see them here,by doubtful fear My joy of liberty is half eclips'd.CLARENCE.It shall be done,my sovereign,with all speed.KING HENRY.My Lord of Somerset,what youth is that,Of whom you seem to have so tender care?SOMERSET.My liege,it is young Henry,Earl of Richmond.KING HENRY.Come hither,England's hope.[Lays his hand on his head]If secret powers Suggest but truth to my divining thoughts,This pretty lad will prove our country's bliss.His looks are full of peaceful majesty;His head by nature fram'd to wear a crown,His hand to wield a sceptre;and himself Likely in time to bless a regal throne.Make much of him,my lords;for this is he Must help you more than you are hurt by me.
Enter a POST
WARWICK.What news,my friend?POST.That Edward is escaped from your brother And fled,as he hears since,to Burgundy.WARWICK.Unsavoury news!But how made he escape?POST.He was convey'd by Richard Duke of Gloucester And the Lord Hastings,who attended him In secret ambush on the forest side And from the Bishop's huntsmen rescu'd him;For hunting was his daily exercise.WARWICK.My brother was too careless of his charge.But let us hence,my sovereign,to provide A salve for any sore that may betide.Exeunt all but SOMERSET,RICHMOND,and OXFORD SOMERSET.My lord,I like not of this flight of Edward's;For doubtless Burgundy will yield him help,And we shall have more wars befor't be long.As Henry's late presaging prophecy Did glad my heart with hope of this young Richmond,So doth my heart misgive me,in these
conflicts,What may befall him to his harm and ours.Therefore,Lord Oxford,to prevent the worst,Forthwith we'll send him hence to Brittany,Till storms be past of civil enmity.OXFORD.Ay,for if Edward repossess the crown,'Tis like that Richmond with the rest shall down.SOMERSET.It shall be so;he shall to Brittany.Come therefore,let's about it speedily.Exeunt
SCENE VII.Before York
Flourish.Enter KING EDWARD,GLOUCESTER,HASTINGS,and soldiers
KING EDWARD.Now,brother Richard,Lord Hastings,and the rest,Yet thus far fortune maketh us amends,And says that once more I shall interchange My waned state for Henry's regal crown.Well have we pass'd and now repass'd the seas,And brought desired help from Burgundy;What then remains,we being thus arriv'd From Ravenspurgh haven before the gates of York,But that we enter,as into our dukedom?GLOUCESTER.The gates made fast!Brother,I like not this;For many men that stumble at the threshold Are well foretold that danger lurks within.KING EDWARD.Tush,man,abodements must not now affright us.By fair or foul means we must enter in,For hither will our friends repair to us.HASTINGS.My liege,I'll knock once more to summon them.