| ACT II 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. | 5 |
| 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: | 10 |
| 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; | 15 |
| 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; | 20 |
| 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, | 25 |
| 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; | 30 |
| 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, | 35 |
| 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; | 40 |
| 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 | 45 |
| 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, | 50 |
| 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, | 55 |
| 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; | 60 |
| 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 | 65 |
| 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: | 70 |
| 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: | 75 |
| '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. | 80 |
| 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. |
| [Exeunt] |
The Essential Student History Quiz (with answers and illustrations)