York. (kneeling)
In all submission and humility,
York doth present himself unto your highness.

King.
Cousin! what means this armed force you bring?
Say—doth it aim at our anointed head?

York.
No—for defence of thine anointed head
Against audacious treason, gracious lord!
And, Somerset removed, it asks no more. Enter Queen Margaret and Somerset.

Queen.
For thousand Yorks, he shall not hide his head,
But boldly stand, and front him face to face.

York.
How now! is Somerset at liberty?
Then, York, unloose thy long imprison'd thoughts,
And let thy tongue be equal to thine heart.
Shall I endure the sight of Somerset?
False king—why hast thou broken faith with me,
Knowing how hardly I can bear abuse?
That head of thine doth not become a crown;
That hand is made to grasp a palmer's staff,
And not to grace an awful princely sceptre.
Here is a hand to hold a sceptre up!
Give place—By heaven's king thou shalt rule no more
O'er him whom heaven created to rule thee.

Som.
Oh monstrous traitor! I arrest thee, York.
Yield thee, proud rebel, yield, and sue for grace.

York.
Wouldst have me kneel? First let me ask of these,
If they can brook I bend the knee to man. [Pointing to his Officers.

O. Cliff.
Why, what a nest of traitors have we here?

York.
Look in a glass, and call thine image so.
I am the 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.
—Salisbury and Warwick! Richard calls for you.

Enter Salisbury and Warwick.

Queen.
Are these thy bears? We'll bait thy bears to death,
And manacle the bear-ward in their chains,
If thou dare bring them to a baiting place.

King.
Why, Warwick, hath thy knee forgot to bow?
Old Salisbury!—Shame on thy silver hair.
Thou mad misleader of thy brain-sick son,
What, wilt thou on thy death-bed, play the ruffian?
Oh where is faith? Oh where is loyalty?
If it be banish'd from the frosty head,
Where shall it find a resting place on earth?
Wilt thou go dig a grave to find out war,
And shame thine honourable age with blood?
For shame! in duty bend thy knee to me.
Hast thou not sworn allegiance to thy king?

Sal.
It is great sin to keep a sinful oath,
Who can be bound by any solemn vow
To lie, to rob, to do a murderous deed,
To force a spotless virgin's chastity?
To rob the orphan of his patrimony,
To wring the widow of her custom'd right?

Queen.
A subtle traitor needs no sophister.

King.
Call Buckingham, and bind him arm himself.

York.
Call Buckingham, and all the friends thou hast—
I am resolv'd for death or dignity.

O. Cliff.
The first, I warrant thee; if dreams prove, true.

War.
You were best go to bed, and dream again
To keep thee from the tempest of the field.

O. Cliff.
I am resolv'd to bear a greater storm

Than any thou canst conjure up to-day:
And that I'll write upon thy Burgonet,
Might I but know thee by thy house's badge.

War.
Now by my father's badge, old Nevill's crest,—
The rampant bear chain'd to a ragged staff,—
This day I'll wear aloft my burgonet,
(As on a mountain top the cedar shows,
That keeps his leaves in spite of any storm,)
Even to affright thee with the view thereof. [Exeunt. The two parties severally.

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