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The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 5 of 9]

Chapter 150: SC. VI. daf
By William Shakespeare
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About This Book

The volume presents a connected sequence of historical dramas that dramatize the disintegration of centralized power and the violent struggle among rival claimants for the crown. Through scenes of political intrigue, popular unrest, pitched battles, and calculated betrayals, it shows how shifting alliances and personal ambition accelerate dynastic collapse and reshape leadership. The plays interweave public spectacle with intimate moments of downfall and remorse, exploring themes of legitimacy, governance, and the human cost of civil war. Scholarly apparatus accompanies the texts, offering prefatory and editorial commentary, variant readings, and notes on publication history.

SC. VI. daf

Enter the Duke of Yorke, and the Earles of Salsbury and Warwicke.
♦ Yorke. My Lords our simple supper ended, thus,
Let me reueale vnto your honours here,
The right and title of the house of Yorke,
To Englands Crowne by liniall desent.
5 War. Then Yorke begin, and if thy claime be good,
The Neuils are thy subiects to command.
Yorke. Then thus my Lords.
Edward the third had seuen sonnes,
The first was Edward the blacke Prince,
10 Prince of Wales.
♦ The second was Edmund of Langly,
Duke of Yorke.
The third was Lyonell Duke of Clarence.
The fourth was Iohn of Gaunt,
15 The Duke of Lancaster.
The fifth was Roger Mortemor, Earle of March.
The sixt was sir Thomas of Woodstocke,
William of Winsore was the seuenth and last.
Now, Edward the blacke Prince he died before his father, and left 20 the behinde him Richard, that afterwards was King, Crownde by name of Richard the second, and he died without an heire. Edmund of Langly Duke of Yorke died, and left behind him two daughters, Anne and Elinor.
Lyonell Duke of Clarence died, and left behinde Alice, Anne, and 25 Elinor, that was after married to my father, and by her I claime the Crowne, as the true heire to Lyonell Duke ♦ of Clarence, the third sonne to Edward the third. Now sir. In the ♦ time of Richards raigne, Henry of Bullingbrooke, sonne and heire to Iohn of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster fourth sonne to Edward 30 the third, he claimde the Crowne, deposde the Merthfull King, and ♦ as both you know, in Pomphret Castle harmlesse Richard was shamefully murthered, and so by Richards death came the house of Lancaster vnto the Crowne.
Sals. Sauing your tale my Lord, as I haue heard, in the raigne 35 of Bullenbrooke, the Duke of Yorke did claime the Crowne, and ♦ but for Owin Glendor, had bene King.
Yorke. True. But so it fortuned then, by meanes of that monstrous rebel Glendor, the noble Duke of York was done to death, and so euer since the heires of Iohn of Gaunt haue possessed the 40 Crowne. But if the issue of the elder should sucseed before the issue of the yonger, then am I lawfull heire vnto the kingdome.
♦ Warwicke. What plaine proceedings can be more plaine, hee claimes it from Lyonel Duke of Clarence, the third sonne to Edward the third, and Henry from Iohn of Gaunt the fourth sonne. 45 So that till Lyonels issue failes, his should not raigne. It failes not yet, but florisheth in thee & in thy sons, braue slips of such a stock. Then noble father, kneele we both togither, and in this priuate place, be we the first to honor him with birthright to the Crown.
Both. Long liue Richard Englands royall King.
50 Yorke. I thanke you both. But Lords I am not your King, vntil this sword be sheathed euen in the hart blood of the house of Lancaster.
War. Then Yorke aduise thy selfe and take thy time,
Claime thou the Crowne, and set thy standard vp,
55 And in the same aduance the milke-white Rose,
♦ And then to gard it, will I rouse the Beare,
Inuiron’d with ten thousand Ragged-staues
To aide and helpe thee for to win thy right,
♦ Maugre the proudest Lord of Henries blood,
60 That dares deny the right and claime of Yorke,
♦ For why my minde presageth I shall liue
To see the noble Duke of Yorke to be a King.
Yorke. Thanks noble Warwicke, and Yorke doth hope to see, The Earl of Warwicke liue, to be the greatest man in England, 65 but the King. Come lets goe. Exet omnes.