ACT I



SCENE I      London. d Parliament-house.


[Alarum. Enter YORK, EDWARD, RICHARD, NORFOLK,
MONTAGUE, WARWICK, & Soldiers]

WARWICK      I wonder how d king escaped r h&s.

YORK      While we pursued d horsemen of d north,
He slily stole away & left his men:
wrat d gr8 Lord of Northumberl&,
Whose warlike ears cud never brook retreat,
Cheer'd up d drooping army; & himself,
Lord Clif4d & Lord Staf4d, all abreast,
Charged r main battlez front, & breaking in
Were by d swords of common soldiers slain.

EDWARD      Lord Staf4dz father, Duke of Buckingham,
Is either slain / wounded dangerously;
I cleft his beaver wiv a downright blow:
That this is true, father, behold his blud.

MONTAGUE      &, brother, herez d Earl of Wiltshirez blud,
Whom I encounter'd as d battles join'd.

RICHARD      Speak thou 4 me & tell them wot I did.

[Throwing down sumRSETz head]

YORK      Richard hath best deserved of all my sons.
bt is Ur grace dead, my Lord of sumrset?

NORFOLK      Such hope hv all d line of John of Gaunt!

RICHARD      Thus do I hope 2 shake King Henryz head.

WARWICK      & so do I. Victorious Prince of York,
Be4e I C thee seated in th@ throne
Which now d house of Lancaster usurps,
I vow by heaven these eyes shl never close.
This is d palace of d fearful king,
& this d regal seat: possess it, York;
4 this is thine & nt King Henryz heirs'

YORK      Assist me, then, sweet Warwick, & I will;
4 hither we hv broken in by 4ce.

NORFOLK      We'll all assist U; he th@ flies shl die.

YORK      Thanks, gentle Norfolk: stay by me, my lords;
&, soldiers, stay & lodge by me this night.

[They go up]

WARWICK      & when d king comes, offer no violence,
Unless he Ck 2 thrust U out per4ce.

YORK      d queen this day here holds her parliament,
bt little thinks we shl b of her council:
By words / blows here let us win r right.

RICHARD      Arm'd as we are, letz stay within this house.

WARWICK      d bludy parliament shl this b call'd,
Unless Plantagenet, Duke of York, b king,
& bashful Henry deposed, whose cowardice
Hath made us by-words 2 r enemies.

YORK      Then leave me not, my lords; b resolute;
I mean 2 take possession of my right.

WARWICK      Neither d king, nor he th@ luvs him best,
The proudest he th@ holds up Lancaster,
Dares stir a wing, if Warwick shake his bells.
I'll plant Plantagenet, root him up who dares:
Resolve thee, Richard; claim d English crown.

[Flourish. Enter KING HENRY VI, CLIF4D,
NORTHUMBERL&, WESTMOREL&, EXETER, & d rest]

KING HENRY VI      My lords, look wr d sturdy rebel sits,
Even in d chair of state: belike he means,
Back'd by d power of Warwick, th@ false peer,
To aspire unto d crown & reign as king.
Earl of Northumberl&, he slew thy father.
& thine, Lord Clif4d; & U both hv vow'd revenge
On him, his sons, his favourites & his friends.

NORTHUMBERL&      If I b not, heavens b revenged on me!

CLIF4D      d hope throf makes Clif4d mourn in steel.

WESTMOREL&      wot, shl we suffer this? letz pluck him down:
My heart 4 anger burns; I cannot brook it.

KING HENRY VI      b patient, gentle Earl of Westmorel&.