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

Chapter 182: SC. IX. eai
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. IX. eai

Enter two keepers with bow and arrowes.
Keeper. Come, lets take our stands vpon this hill,
And by and by the deere will come this waie.
But staie, heere comes a man, lets listen him a while.
Enter king Henrie disguisde.
Hen. From Scotland am I stolne euen of pure loue,
5 And thus disguisde to greet my natiue land.
No, Henrie no, It is no land of thine,
No bending knee will call thee Cæsar now,
No humble suters sues to thee for right,
For how canst thou helpe them and not thy selfe?
10 Keeper. I marrie sir, here is a deere, his skin is a
Keepers fee. Sirra stand close, for as I thinke,
This is the king, king Edward hath deposde.
♦ Hen. My Queene and sonne poore soules are gone to
France, and as I heare the great commanding Warwike,
15 To intreat a marriage with the ladie Bona,
If this be true, poore Queene and sonne,
Your labour is but spent in vaine,
♦ For Lewis is a prince soone wun with words,
And Warwike is a subtill Orator.
He laughes and saies, his Edward is instalde,
She weepes, and saies her Henry is deposde,
He on his right hand asking a wife for Edward,
She on his left side crauing aid for Henry.
♦ Keeper. What art thou that talkes of kings and queens?
25 Hen. More then I seeme, for lesse I should not be.
A man at least, and more I cannot be,
And men maie talke of kings, and why not I?
♦ Keeper. I but thou talkest as if thou wert a king thy selfe.
♦ Hen. Why so I am in mind though not in shew.
30 Keeper. And if thou be a king where is thy crowne?
Hen. My crowne is in my hart, not on my head.
♦ My crowne is calde content, a crown that
Kings doe seldome times enioy.
Keeper. And if thou be a king crownd with content,
35 Your crowne content and you, must be content
To go with vs vnto the officer, for as we thinke
♦ You are our quondam king, K. Edward hath deposde,
And therefore we charge you in Gods name & the kings
To go along with vs vnto the officers.
40 Hen. Gods name be fulfild, your kings name be
Obaide, and be you kings, command and Ile obay. Exeunt Omnes.