| ACT I SCENE II | Sandal Castle. | |
| [Enter RICHARD, EDWARD, and MONTAGUE] |
| RICHARD | Brother, though I be youngest, give me leave. |
| EDWARD | No, I can better play the orator. |
| MONTAGUE | But I have reasons strong and forcible. |
| [Enter YORK] |
| YORK | Why, how now, sons and brother! at a strife? |
| What is your quarrel? how began it first? | 5 |
| EDWARD | No quarrel, but a slight contention. |
| YORK | About what? |
| RICHARD | About that which concerns your grace and us; |
| The crown of England, father, which is yours. |
| YORK | Mine boy? not till King Henry be dead. | 10 |
| RICHARD | Your right depends not on his life or death. |
| EDWARD | Now you are heir, therefore enjoy it now: |
| By giving the house of Lancaster leave to breathe, |
| It will outrun you, father, in the end. |
| YORK | I took an oath that he should quietly reign. | 15 |
| EDWARD | But for a kingdom any oath may be broken: |
| I would break a thousand oaths to reign one year. |
| RICHARD | No; God forbid your grace should be forsworn. |
| YORK | I shall be, if I claim by open war. |
| RICHARD | I'll prove the contrary, if you'll hear me speak. | 20 |
| YORK | Thou canst not, son; it is impossible. |
| RICHARD | An oath is of no moment, being not took |
| Before a true and lawful magistrate, |
| That hath authority over him that swears: |
| Henry had none, but did usurp the place; | 25 |
| Then, seeing 'twas he that made you to depose, |
| Your oath, my lord, is vain and frivolous. |
| Therefore, to arms! And, father, do but think |
| How sweet a thing it is to wear a crown; |
| Within whose circuit is Elysium | 30 |
| And all that poets feign of bliss and joy. |
| Why do we finger thus? I cannot rest |
| Until the white rose that I wear be dyed |
| Even in the lukewarm blood of Henry's heart. |
| YORK | Richard, enough; I will be king, or die. | 35 |
| Brother, thou shalt to London presently, |
| And whet on Warwick to this enterprise. |
| Thou, Richard, shalt to the Duke of Norfolk, |
| And tell him privily of our intent. |
| You Edward, shall unto my Lord Cobham, | 40 |
| With whom the Kentishmen will willingly rise: |
| In them I trust; for they are soldiers, |
| Witty, courteous, liberal, full of spirit. |
| While you are thus employ'd, what resteth more, |
| But that I seek occasion how to rise, | 45 |
| And yet the king not privy to my drift, |
| Nor any of the house of Lancaster? |
[Enter a Messenger] |
| But, stay: what news? Why comest thou in such post?
|
| Messenger | The queen with all the northern earls and lords |
| Intend here to besiege you in your castle: | 50 |
| She is hard by with twenty thousand men; |
| And therefore fortify your hold, my lord. |
| YORK | Ay, with my sword. What! think'st thou that we fear them? |
| Edward and Richard, you shall stay with me; |
| My brother Montague shall post to London: | 55 |
| Let noble Warwick, Cobham, and the rest, |
| Whom we have left protectors of the king, |
| With powerful policy strengthen themselves, |
| And trust not simple Henry nor his oaths. |
| MONTAGUE | Brother, I go; I'll win them, fear it not: | 60 |
| And thus most humbly I do take my leave. |
[Exit] |
[Enter JOHN MORTIMER and HUGH MORTIMER] |
| Sir John and Sir Hugh Mortimer, mine uncles, |
| You are come to Sandal in a happy hour; |
| The army of the queen mean to besiege us. |
| JOHN MORTIMER | She shall not need; we'll meet her in the field. | 65 |
| YORK | What, with five thousand men? |
| RICHARD | Ay, with five hundred, father, for a need: |
| A woman's general; what should we fear? |
| [A march afar off] |
| EDWARD | I hear their drums: let's set our men in order, |
| And issue forth and bid them battle straight. | 70 |
| YORK | Five men to twenty! though the odds be great, |
| I doubt not, uncle, of our victory. |
| Many a battle have I won in France, |
| When as the enemy hath been ten to one: |
| Why should I not now have the like success? | 75 |
[Alarum. Exeunt] |
The Essential Student History Quiz (with answers and illustrations)