SCENE II. London. YORK'S garden. The Second part of King Henry the Sixth  Shakespeare homepage  |  Henry VI, part 2  | Act 2, Scene 2 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE II. London. YORK'S garden. 

 Enter YORK, SALISBURY, and WARWICK  YORK  Now, my good Lords of Salisbury and Warwick, 

 Our simple supper ended, give me leave 

 In this close walk to satisfy myself, 

 In craving your opinion of my title, 

 Which is infallible, to England's crown. 

 SALISBURY  My lord, I long to hear it at full. 

 WARWICK  Sweet York, begin: and if thy claim be good, 

 The Nevils are thy subjects to command. 

 YORK  Then thus: 

 Edward the Third, my lords, had seven sons: 

 The first, Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales; 

 The second, William of Hatfield, and the third, 

 Lionel Duke of Clarence: next to whom 

 Was John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster; 

 The fifth was Edmund Langley, Duke of York; 

 The sixth was Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester; 

 William of Windsor was the seventh and last. 

 Edward the Black Prince died before his father 

 And left behind him Richard, his only son, 

 Who after Edward the Third's death reign'd as king; 

 Till Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster, 

 The eldest son and heir of John of Gaunt, 

 Crown'd by the name of Henry the Fourth, 

 Seized on the realm, deposed the rightful king, 

 Sent his poor queen to France, from whence she came, 

 And him to Pomfret; where, as all you know, 

 Harmless Richard was murder'd traitorously. 

 WARWICK  Father, the duke hath told the truth: 

 Thus got the house of Lancaster the crown. 

 YORK  Which now they hold by force and not by right; 

 For Richard, the first son's heir, being dead, 

 The issue of the next son should have reign'd. 

 SALISBURY  But William of Hatfield died without an heir. 

 YORK  The third son, Duke of Clarence, from whose line 

 I claimed the crown, had issue, Philippe, a daughter, 

 Who married Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March: 

 Edmund had issue, Roger Earl of March; 

 Roger had issue, Edmund, Anne and Eleanor. 

 SALISBURY  This Edmund, in the reign of Bolingbroke, 

 As I have read, laid claim unto the crown; 

 And, but for Owen Glendower, had been king, 

 Who kept him in captivity till he died. 

 But to the rest. 

 YORK  His eldest sister, Anne, 

 My mother, being heir unto the crown 

 Married Richard Earl of Cambridge; who was son 

 To Edmund Langley, Edward the Third's fifth son. 

 By her I claim the kingdom: she was heir 

 To Roger Earl of March, who was the son 

 Of Edmund Mortimer, who married Philippe, 

 Sole daughter unto Lionel Duke of Clarence: 

 So, if the issue of the elder son 

 Succeed before the younger, I am king. 

 WARWICK  What plain proceeding is more plain than this? 

 Henry doth claim the crown from John of Gaunt, 

 The fourth son; York claims it from the third. 

 Till Lionel's issue fails, his should not reign: 

 It fails not yet, but flourishes in thee 

 And in thy sons, fair slips of such a stock. 

 Then, father Salisbury, kneel we together; 

 And in this private plot be we the first 

 That shall salute our rightful sovereign 

 With honour of his birthright to the crown. 

 BOTH  Long live our sovereign Richard, England's king! 

 YORK  We thank you, lords. But I am not your king 

 Till I be crown'd and that my sword be stain'd 

 With heart-blood of the house of Lancaster; 

 And that's not suddenly to be perform'd, 

 But with advice and silent secrecy. 

 Do you as I do in these dangerous days: 

 Wink at the Duke of Suffolk's insolence, 

 At Beaufort's pride, at Somerset's ambition, 

 At Buckingham and all the crew of them, 

 Till they have snared the shepherd of the flock, 

 That virtuous prince, the good Duke Humphrey: 

 'Tis that they seek, and they in seeking that 

 Shall find their deaths, if York can prophesy. 

 SALISBURY  My lord, break we off; we know your mind at full. 

 WARWICK  My heart assures me that the Earl of Warwick 

 Shall one day make the Duke of York a king. 

 YORK  And, Nevil, this I do assure myself: 

 Richard shall live to make the Earl of Warwick 

 The greatest man in England but the king. 



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