Original Text |
Translated Text |
| Source: Folger Shakespeare Library |
|
Enter York, wearing the white rose, and his army of
Irish, with Attendants, Drum and Colors. YORK
From Ireland thus comes York to claim his right
And pluck the crown from feeble Henry’s head.
Ring, bells, aloud! Burn, bonfires, clear and bright
To entertain great England’s lawful king!
Ah, sancta maiestas, who would not buy thee dear? 5
Let them obey that knows not how to rule.
This hand was made to handle naught but gold.
I cannot give due action to my words
Except a sword or scepter balance it.
A scepter shall it have, have I a soul, 10
On which I’ll toss the fleur-de-luce of France. Enter Buckingham, wearing the red rose. Aside. Whom have we here? Buckingham, to
disturb me?
The King hath sent him, sure. I must dissemble. | York enters with his army and talks about plucking the crown from
Henry's head. When he sees Buckingham in the distance, he tells us he'll
lie to him and say that he's been sent from the king. |
BUCKINGHAM
York, if thou meanest well, I greet thee well. 15 YORK
Humphrey of Buckingham, I accept thy greeting.
Art thou a messenger, or come of pleasure? BUCKINGHAM
A messenger from Henry, our dread liege,
To know the reason of these arms in peace;
Or why thou, being a subject as I am, 20
Against thy oath and true allegiance sworn,
Should raise so great a power without his leave,
Or dare to bring thy force so near the court. | York and Buckingham are all, "Hey, how's it goin'"—before Buckingham asks York what he's really doing there. |
YORK, aside
Scarce can I speak, my choler is so great.
O, I could hew up rocks and fight with flint, 25
I am so angry at these abject terms!
And now, like Ajax Telamonius,
On sheep or oxen could I spend my fury.
I am far better born than is the King,
More like a king, more kingly in my thoughts. 30
But I must make fair weather yet awhile,
Till Henry be more weak and I more strong.—
Buckingham, I prithee, pardon me,
That I have given no answer all this while.
My mind was troubled with deep melancholy. 35
The cause why I have brought this army hither
Is to remove proud Somerset from the King,
Seditious to his Grace and to the state. | York pretends to be all tired and worn out from his time in Ireland,
where he was fighting on the king's behalf. Then he tells Buckingham
he's got a problem with Somerset and plans to take it up with the duke
directly. |
BUCKINGHAM
That is too much presumption on thy part.
But if thy arms be to no other end, 40
The King hath yielded unto thy demand:
The Duke of Somerset is in the Tower. YORK
Upon thine honor, is he prisoner? BUCKINGHAM
Upon mine honor, he is prisoner. YORK
Then, Buckingham, I do dismiss my powers.— 45
Soldiers, I thank you all. Disperse yourselves.
Meet me tomorrow in Saint George’s field;
You shall have pay and everything you wish. Soldiers exit. And let my sovereign, virtuous Henry,
Command my eldest son, nay, all my sons, 50
As pledges of my fealty and love;
I’ll send them all as willing as I live.
Lands, goods, horse, armor, anything I have
Is his to use, so Somerset may die. BUCKINGHAM
York, I commend this kind submission. 55
We twain will go into his Highness’ tent. They walk arm in arm. | Not to worry, then, Buckingham says, because Somerset is already in the Tower as a prisoner. Awesome. York sends all his troops home after hearing this. He tells them to meet him tomorrow at St. George's Field to get paid. To seal the deal, York tells Buckingham that he loves Henry. Buckingham tells York to tell the king himself, because here he is. |
Enter King Henry and Attendants. KING HENRY
Buckingham, doth York intend no harm to us
That thus he marcheth with thee arm in arm? YORK
In all submission and humility
York doth present himself unto your Highness. 60 KING HENRY
Then what intends these forces thou dost bring? YORK
To heave the traitor Somerset from hence
And fight against that monstrous rebel Cade,
Who since I heard to be discomfited. | Henry arrives and asks York what's going on with his troops. York repeats that he's just after Somerset and Cade. |
Enter Iden, with Cade’s head. IDEN
If one so rude and of so mean condition 65
May pass into the presence of a king,
Lo, I present your Grace a traitor’s head,
The head of Cade, whom I in combat slew. KING HENRY
The head of Cade? Great God, how just art Thou!
O, let me view his visage, being dead, 70
That living wrought me such exceeding trouble.
Tell me, my friend, art thou the man that slew him? IDEN I was, an ’t like your Majesty. KING HENRY
How art thou called? And what is thy degree? IDEN
Alexander Iden, that’s my name, 75
A poor esquire of Kent that loves his king. BUCKINGHAM
So please it you, my lord, ’twere not amiss
He were created knight for his good service. KING HENRY
Iden, kneel down. He kneels. Rise up a knight. He
rises.
We give thee for reward a thousand marks, 80
And will that thou henceforth attend on us. IDEN
May Iden live to merit such a bounty,
And never live but true unto his liege! | Luckily, Iden enters with Cade's head. (There are a lot of heads flying around in this play.) Henry is relieved. He thanks God for his justice, and he makes Iden a knight for killing his enemy. |
Enter Queen Margaret and Somerset,
wearing the red rose. KING HENRY, aside to Buckingham
See, Buckingham, Somerset comes with th’ Queen.
Go bid her hide him quickly from the Duke. 85
Buckingham whispers to the Queen. QUEEN MARGARET
For thousand Yorks he shall not hide his head,
But boldly stand and front him to his face. YORK, aside
How now? Is Somerset at liberty?
Then, York, unloose thy long-imprisoned thoughts,
And let thy tongue be equal with thy heart. 90
Shall I endure the sight of Somerset?—
False king, why hast thou broken faith with me,
Knowing how hardly I can brook abuse?
“King” did I call thee? No, thou art not king,
Not fit to govern and rule multitudes, 95
Which dar’st not—no, nor canst not—rule a traitor.
That head of thine doth not become a crown;
Thy hand is made to grasp a palmer’s staff,
And not to grace an awful princely scepter.
That gold must round engirt these brows of mine, 100
Whose smile and frown, like to Achilles’ spear,
Is able with the change to kill and cure.
Here is a hand to hold a scepter up
And with the same to act controlling laws.
Give place. By heaven, thou shalt rule no more 105
O’er him whom heaven created for thy ruler. | Henry instructs Buckingham to go greet Somerset and Margaret, who are on their way. Huh? York is confused: how can a prisoner who is in the Tower travel around with the queen? Livid, York tells Henry that he's not a fit king and that he doesn't even deserve the crown on his head. |
SOMERSET
O monstrous traitor! I arrest thee, York,
Of capital treason ’gainst the King and crown.
Obey, audacious traitor. Kneel for grace. YORK
Wouldst have me kneel? First let me ask of these 110
If they can brook I bow a knee to man.
To an Attendant. Sirrah, call in my sons to be my
bail. Attendant exits.
I know, ere they will have me go to ward,
They’ll pawn their swords for my enfranchisement. 115 | Somerset calls York a traitor, Margaret calls in backup (Clifford), and York summons his sons to speak on his behalf. |
QUEEN MARGARET, to Buckingham
Call hither Clifford; bid him come amain,
To say if that the bastard boys of York
Shall be the surety for their traitor father.
Buckingham exits. YORK, to Queen Margaret
O, blood-bespotted Neapolitan,
Outcast of Naples, England’s bloody scourge! 120
The sons of York, thy betters in their birth,
Shall be their father’s bail, and bane to those
That for my surety will refuse the boys. Enter York’s sons Edward and Richard,
wearing the white rose. See where they come; I’ll warrant they’ll make it
good. 125 Enter old Clifford and his Son, wearing the red rose. QUEEN MARGARET
And here comes Clifford to deny their bail. CLIFFORD, kneeling before King Henry
Health and all happiness to my lord the King.
He rises. YORK
I thank thee, Clifford. Say, what news with thee?
Nay, do not fright us with an angry look.
We are thy sovereign, Clifford; kneel again. 130
For thy mistaking so, we pardon thee. CLIFFORD
This is my king, York; I do not mistake,
But thou mistakes me much to think I do.—
To Bedlam with him! Is the man grown mad? KING HENRY
Ay, Clifford, a bedlam and ambitious humor 135
Makes him oppose himself against his king. CLIFFORD
He is a traitor. Let him to the Tower,
And chop away that factious pate of his. QUEEN MARGARET
He is arrested, but will not obey.
His sons, he says, shall give their words for him. 140 YORK Will you not, sons? EDWARD
Ay, noble father, if our words will serve. RICHARD
And if words will not, then our weapons shall. CLIFFORD
Why, what a brood of traitors have we here! YORK
Look in a glass, and call thy image so. 145
I am thy king and thou a false-heart traitor.
Call hither to the stake my two brave bears,
That, with the very shaking of their chains,
They may astonish these fell-lurking curs.
To an Attendant. Bid Salisbury and Warwick come 150
to me. Attendant exits. Enter the Earls of Warwick and Salisbury, wearing the
white rose. | Clifford wants to arrest York and take him to the Tower, but York will not obey. York calls himself king and gets Warwick and Salisbury to come in and support him. |
CLIFFORD
Are these thy bears? We’ll bait thy bears to death
And manacle the bearherd in their chains,
If thou dar’st bring them to the baiting place. RICHARD
Oft have I seen a hot o’erweening cur 155
Run back and bite because he was withheld,
Who, being suffered with the bear’s fell paw,
Hath clapped his tail between his legs and cried;
And such a piece of service will you do
If you oppose yourselves to match Lord Warwick. 160 CLIFFORD
Hence, heap of wrath, foul indigested lump,
As crooked in thy manners as thy shape! YORK
Nay, we shall heat you thoroughly anon. CLIFFORD
Take heed, lest by your heat you burn yourselves. KING HENRY
Why, Warwick, hath thy knee forgot to bow?— 165
Old Salisbury, shame to thy silver hair,
Thou mad misleader of thy brainsick son!
What, wilt thou on thy deathbed play the ruffian
And seek for sorrow with thy spectacles?
O, where is faith? O, where is loyalty? 170
If it be banished from the frosty head,
Where shall it find a harbor in the earth?
Wilt thou go dig a grave to find out war,
And shame thine honorable age with blood?
Why art thou old and want’st experience? 175
Or wherefore dost abuse it, if thou hast it?
For shame! In duty bend thy knee to me
That bows unto the grave with mickle age. SALISBURY
My lord, I have considered with myself
The title of this most renownèd duke, 180
And in my conscience do repute his Grace
The rightful heir to England’s royal seat. KING HENRY
Hast thou not sworn allegiance unto me? SALISBURY I have. KING HENRY
Canst thou dispense with heaven for such an oath? 185 SALISBURY
It is great sin to swear unto a sin,
But greater sin to keep a sinful oath.
Who can be bound by any solemn vow
To do a murd’rous deed, to rob a man,
To force a spotless virgin’s chastity, 190
To reave the orphan of his patrimony,
To wring the widow from her customed right,
And have no other reason for this wrong
But that he was bound by a solemn oath? QUEEN MARGARET
A subtle traitor needs no sophister. 195 KING HENRY, to an Attendant
Call Buckingham, and bid him arm himself.
Attendant exits. YORK, to King Henry
Call Buckingham and all the friends thou hast,
I am resolved for death or dignity. | When Henry asks Warwick and Salisbury why they won't bow to him,
Salisbury says he can't in good conscience serve anyone else after
hearing York's claim to the throne. York promises to fight over the
crown. |
CLIFFORD
The first, I warrant thee, if dreams prove true. WARWICK
You were best to go to bed and dream again, 200
To keep thee from the tempest of the field. CLIFFORD
I am resolved to bear a greater storm
Than any thou canst conjure up today;
And that I’ll write upon thy burgonet,
Might I but know thee by thy house’s badge. 205 WARWICK
Now, by my father’s badge, old Neville’s crest,
The rampant bear chained to the ragged staff,
This day I’ll wear aloft my burgonet—
As on a mountaintop the cedar shows
That keeps his leaves in spite of any storm— 210
Even to affright thee with the view thereof. CLIFFORD
And from thy burgonet I’ll rend thy bear
And tread it under foot with all contempt,
Despite the bearherd that protects the bear. YOUNG CLIFFORD
And so to arms, victorious father, 215
To quell the rebels and their complices. RICHARD
Fie! Charity, for shame! Speak not in spite,
For you shall sup with Jesu Christ tonight. YOUNG CLIFFORD
Foul stigmatic, that’s more than thou canst tell! RICHARD
If not in heaven, you’ll surely sup in hell. 220 They exit separately. | There's no better time for name-calling and insult–throwing than right now, so that's exactly what Warwick and Clifford do. Then Clifford's son (imaginatively named Clifford) and York's sons, Richard and Edward, join in on the fun. We are treated to lots of "My dad's better than your dad," and "You'll be in hell by the end of the day." Translation: it's on. |