Back to main page
Henry VI, Part 2 - Act 2, scene 2
Cite
Download Henry VI, Part 2
Last updated: Fri, Jul 31, 2015
- PDF Download as PDF
- DOC (for MS Word, Apple Pages, Open Office, etc.) without line numbers Download as DOC (for MS Word, Apple Pages, Open Office, etc.) without line numbers
- DOC (for MS Word, Apple Pages, Open Office, etc.) with line numbers Download as DOC (for MS Word, Apple Pages, Open Office, etc.) with line numbers
- HTML Download as HTML
- TXT Download as TXT
- XML Download as XML
- TEISimple XML (annotated with MorphAdorner for part-of-speech analysis) Download as TEISimple XML (annotated with MorphAdorner for part-of-speech analysis)
Navigate this work
Henry VI, Part 2 - Act 2, scene 2Act 2, scene 2
⌜Scene 2⌝
Synopsis:
York persuades Salisbury and Warwick of the validity of his claim to the throne.
Enter York, Salisbury, and Warwick.YORK
0913 Now, my good lords of Salisbury and Warwick,
0914 Our simple supper ended, give me leave,
0915 In this close walk, to satisfy myself
0916 In craving your opinion of my title,
0917 5 Which is infallible, to England’s crown.
SALISBURY
0918 My lord, I long to hear it at full.
WARWICK
0919 Sweet York, begin; and if thy claim be good,
0920 The Nevilles are thy subjects to command.
YORK 0921 Then thus:
0922 10 Edward the Third, my lords, had seven sons:
p.
77
0923
The first, Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales;0924 The second, William of Hatfield; and the third,
0925 Lionel, Duke of Clarence; next to whom
0926 Was John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster;
0927 15 The fifth was Edmund Langley, Duke of York;
0928 The sixth was Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of
0929 Gloucester;
0930 William of Windsor was the seventh and last.
0931 Edward the Black Prince died before his father
0932 20 And left behind him Richard, his only son,
0933 Who, after Edward the Third’s death, reigned as
0934 king
0935 Till Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster,
0936 The eldest son and heir of John of Gaunt,
0937 25 Crowned by the name of Henry the Fourth,
0938 Seized on the realm, deposed the rightful king,
0939 Sent his poor queen to France, from whence she
0940 came,
0941 And him to Pomfret; where, as all you know,
0942 30 Harmless Richard was murdered traitorously.
WARWICK 0943 Father, the Duke hath told the truth.
0944 Thus got the house of Lancaster the crown.
YORK
0945 Which now they hold by force and not by right;
0946 For Richard, the first son’s heir, being dead,
0947 35 The issue of the next son should have reigned.
SALISBURY
0948 But William of Hatfield died without an heir.
YORK
0949 The third son, Duke of Clarence, from whose line
0950 I claim the crown, had issue, Philippa, a daughter,
0951 Who married Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March.
0952 40 Edmund had issue, Roger, Earl of March;
0953 Roger had issue: Edmund, Anne, and Eleanor.
SALISBURY
0954 This Edmund, in the reign of Bolingbroke,
p.
79
0955
As I have read, laid claim unto the crown0956 And, but for Owen Glendower, had been king,
0957 45 Who kept him in captivity till he died.
0958 But to the rest.
YORK 0959 His eldest sister, Anne,
0960 My mother, being heir unto the crown,
0961 Married Richard, Earl of Cambridge, who was ⌜son⌝
0962 50 To Edmund Langley, Edward the Third’s fifth son.
0963 By her I claim the kingdom. She was heir
0964 To Roger, Earl of March, who was the son
0965 Of Edmund Mortimer, who married Philippa,
0966 Sole daughter unto Lionel, Duke of Clarence.
0967 55 So, if the issue of the elder son
0968 Succeed before the younger, I am king.
WARWICK
0969 What plain proceedings is more plain than this?
0970 Henry doth claim the crown from John of Gaunt,
0971 The fourth son; York claims it from the third.
0972 60 Till Lionel’s issue fails, his should not reign.
0973 It fails not yet, but flourishes in thee
0974 And in thy sons, fair slips of such a stock.
0975 Then, father Salisbury, kneel we together,
0976 And in this private plot be we the first
0977 65 That shall salute our rightful sovereign
0978 With honor of his birthright to the crown.
SALISBURY, WARWICK, ⌜kneeling⌝
0979 Long live our sovereign Richard, England’s king!
YORK
0980 We thank you, lords. ⌜They rise.⌝ But I am not your
0981 king
0982 70 Till I be crowned, and that my sword be stained
0983 With heart-blood of the house of Lancaster;
0984 And that’s not suddenly to be performed,
0985 But with advice and silent secrecy.
0986 Do you as I do in these dangerous days:
0987 75 Wink at the Duke of Suffolk’s insolence,
p.
81
0988
At Beaufort’s pride, at Somerset’s ambition,0989 At Buckingham, and all the crew of them,
0990 Till they have snared the shepherd of the flock,
0991 That virtuous prince, the good Duke Humphrey.
0992 80 ’Tis that they seek; and they, in seeking that,
0993 Shall find their deaths, if York can prophesy.
SALISBURY
0994 My lord, break we off. We know your mind at full.
WARWICK
0995 My heart assures me that the Earl of Warwick
0996 Shall one day make the Duke of York a king.
YORK
0997 85 And, Neville, this I do assure myself:
0998 Richard shall live to make the Earl of Warwick
0999 The greatest man in England but the King.
They exit.