King Henry VI, Part III

King Henry VI, Part III

ACT IV SCENE VI	London. The Tower.
	Flourish. Enter KING HENRY VI, CLARENCE, WARWICK,SOMERSET, HENRY OF RICHMOND, OXFORD, MONTAGUE, andLieutenant of the Tower
KING HENRY VI	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,	5
	At our enlargement what are thy due fees?
Lieutenant	Subjects may challenge nothing of their sovereigns;
	But if an humble prayer may prevail,
	I then crave pardon of your majesty.
KING HENRY VI	For what, lieutenant? for well using me?	10
	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	15
	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	20
	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,	25
	For thou art fortunate in all thy deeds.
WARWICK	Your grace hath still been famed 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:	30
	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 heavens in thy nativity
	Adjudged an olive branch and laurel crown,	35
	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 VI	Warwick and Clarence give me both your hands:
	Now join your hands, and with your hands your hearts,	40
	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.	45
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	50
	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 pronounced a traitor,	55
	And all his lands and goods be confiscate.
CLARENCE	What else? and that succession be determined.
WARWICK	Ay, therein Clarence shall not want his part.
KING HENRY VI	But, with the first of all your chief affairs,
	Let me entreat, for I command no more,	60
	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 eclipsed.
CLARENCE	It shall be done, my sovereign, with all speed.	65
KING HENRY VI	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 VI	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 framed 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.
	Enter a Post
WARWICK	What news, my friend?
Post	That Edward is escaped from your brother,	80
	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	85
	And from the bishop's huntsmen rescued 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.	90
	Exeunt all but SOMERSET, HENRY OF 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 before 't be long.
	As Henry's late presaging prophecy
	Did glad my heart with hope of this young Richmond,	95
	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.	100
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