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A Room in the Tower. | |
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Enter KING HENRY, CLARENCE, WARWICK, SOMERSET, young RICHMOND, OXFORD, MONTAGUE, Lieutenant of the Tower, and Attendants. | |
| K. Hen. Master lieutenant, now that God and friends | |
| Have shaken Edward from the regal seat, | |
| And turn’d my captive state to liberty, | 5 |
| My fear to hope, my sorrows unto joys, | |
| At our enlargement what are thy due fees? | |
| Lieu. Subjects may challenge nothing of their sovereigns; | |
| But if a humble prayer may prevail, | |
| I then crave pardon of your majesty. | 10 |
| K. Hen. 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 encaged birds | |
| Conceive, when, after many moody thoughts | 15 |
| 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. | 20 |
| 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, | 25 |
| I here resign my government to thee, | |
| For thou art fortunate in all thy deeds. | |
| War. Your Grace hath still been fam’d for virtuous; | |
| And now may seem as wise as virtuous, | |
| By spying and avoiding Fortune’s malice; | 30 |
| 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. | |
| Clar. No, Warwick, thou art worthy of the sway, | |
| To whom the heavens, in thy nativity | 35 |
| 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. | |
| War. And I choose Clarence only for protector. | |
| K. Hen Warwick and Clarence, give me both your hands: | 40 |
| 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, | 45 |
| To sin’s rebuke and my Creator’s praise. | |
| War. What answers Clarence to his sovereign’s will? | |
| Clar. That he consents, if Warwick yield consent; | |
| For on thy fortune I repose myself. | |
| War. Why then, though loath, yet must I be content: | 50 |
| 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 | 55 |
| Forthwith that Edward be pronounc’d a traitor, | |
| And all his lands and goods be confiscate. | |
| Clar. What else? and that succession be determin’d. | |
| War. Ay, therein Clarence shall not want his part. | |
| K. Hen. But, with the first of all your chief affairs, | 60 |
| 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. | 65 |
| Clar. It shall be done, my sov’reign, with all speed. | |
| K. Hen. My Lord of Somerset, what youth is that | |
| Of whom you seem to have so tender care? | |
| Som. My liege, it is young Henry, Earl of Richmond. | |
| K. Hen. Come hither, England’s hope: [Lays his hand on his head.] If secret powers | 70 |
| 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 | 75 |
| 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. | |
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Enter a Post. | |
| War. What news, my friend? | 80 |
| Mess. That Edward is escaped from your brother, | |
| And fled, as he hears since, to Burgundy. | |
| War. Unsavoury news! but how made he escape? | |
| Mess. He was convey’d by Richard Duke of Gloucester, | |
| And the Lord Hastings, who attended him | 85 |
| In secret ambush on the forest side, | |
| And from the bishop’s huntsmen rescu’d him: | |
| For hunting was his daily exercise. | |
| War. My brother was too careless of his charge. | |
| But let us hence, my sovereign, to provide | 90 |
| A salve for any sore that may betide. [Exeunt KING HENRY, WARWICK, CLARENCE, Lieutenant, and Attendant. | |
| Som. My lord, I like not of this flight of Edward’s; | |
| For doubtless Burgundy will yield him help, | |
| And we shall have more wars before ’t be long. | |
| As Henry’s late presaging prophecy | 95 |
| 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, | 100 |
| Till storms be past of civil enmity. | |
| Oxf. Ay, for if Edward repossess the crown, | |
| ’Tis like that Richmond with the rest shall down. | |
| Som. It shall be so; he shall to Brittany. | |
| Come, therefore, let’s about it speedily. [Exeunt. | 105 |
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