| ACT III SCENE I | A forest in the north of England. | |
| [Enter two Keepers, with cross-bows in their hands] |
| First Keeper | Under this thick-grown brake we'll shroud ourselves; |
| For through this laund anon the deer will come; |
| And in this covert will we make our stand, |
| Culling the principal of all the deer. |
| Second Keeper | I'll stay above the hill, so both may shoot. | 5 |
| First Keeper | That cannot be; the noise of thy cross-bow |
| Will scare the herd, and so my shoot is lost. |
| Here stand we both, and aim we at the best: |
| And, for the time shall not seem tedious, |
| I'll tell thee what befell me on a day | 10 |
| In this self-place where now we mean to stand. |
| Second Keeper | Here comes a man; let's stay till he be past. |
| [Enter KING HENRY VI, disguised, with a prayerbook] |
| KING HENRY VI | From Scotland am I stol'n, even of pure love, |
| To greet mine own land with my wishful sight. |
| No, Harry, Harry, 'tis no land of thine; | 15 |
| Thy place is fill'd, thy sceptre wrung from thee, |
| Thy balm wash'd off wherewith thou wast anointed: |
| No bending knee will call thee Caesar now, |
| No humble suitors press to speak for right, |
| No, not a man comes for redress of thee; | 20 |
| For how can I help them, and not myself? |
| First Keeper | Ay, here's a deer whose skin's a keeper's fee: |
| This is the quondam king; let's seize upon him. |
| KING HENRY VI | Let me embrace thee, sour adversity, |
| For wise men say it is the wisest course. | 25 |
| Second Keeper | Why linger we? let us lay hands upon him. |
| First Keeper | Forbear awhile; we'll hear a little more. |
| KING HENRY VI | My queen and son are gone to France for aid; |
| And, as I hear, the great commanding Warwick |
| Is thither gone, to crave the French king's sister | 30 |
| To wife for Edward: if this news be true, |
| Poor queen and son, your labour is but lost; |
| For Warwick is a subtle orator, |
| And Lewis a prince soon won with moving words. |
| By this account then Margaret may win him; | 35 |
| For she's a woman to be pitied much: |
| Her sighs will make a battery in his breast; |
| Her tears will pierce into a marble heart; |
| The tiger will be mild whiles she doth mourn; |
| And Nero will be tainted with remorse, | 40 |
| To hear and see her plaints, her brinish tears. |
| Ay, but she's come to beg, Warwick to give; |
| She, on his left side, craving aid for Henry, |
| He, on his right, asking a wife for Edward. |
| She weeps, and says her Henry is deposed; | 45 |
| He smiles, and says his Edward is install'd; |
| That she, poor wretch, for grief can speak no more; |
| Whiles Warwick tells his title, smooths the wrong, |
| Inferreth arguments of mighty strength, |
| And in conclusion wins the king from her, | 50 |
| With promise of his sister, and what else, |
| To strengthen and support King Edward's place. |
| O Margaret, thus 'twill be; and thou, poor soul, |
| Art then forsaken, as thou went'st forlorn! |
| Second Keeper | Say, what art thou that talk'st of kings and queens? | 55 |
| KING HENRY VI | More than I seem, and less than I was born to: |
| A man at least, for less I should not be; |
| And men may talk of kings, and why not I? |
| Second Keeper | Ay, but thou talk'st as if thou wert a king. |
| KING HENRY VI | Why, so I am, in mind; and that's enough. | 60 |
| Second Keeper | But, if thou be a king, where is thy crown? |
| KING HENRY VI | My crown is in my heart, not on my head; |
| Not decked with diamonds and Indian stones, |
| Nor to be seen: my crown is called content: |
| A crown it is that seldom kings enjoy. | 65 |
| Second Keeper | Well, if you be a king crown'd with content, |
| Your crown content and you must be contented
|
| To go along with us; for as we think, |
| You are the king King Edward hath deposed; |
| And we his subjects sworn in all allegiance | 70 |
| Will apprehend you as his enemy. |
| KING HENRY VI | But did you never swear, and break an oath? |
| Second Keeper | No, never such an oath; nor will not now. |
| KING HENRY VI | Where did you dwell when I was King of England? |
| Second Keeper | Here in this country, where we now remain. | 75 |
| KING HENRY VI | I was anointed king at nine months old; |
| My father and my grandfather were kings, |
| And you were sworn true subjects unto me: |
| And tell me, then, have you not broke your oaths? |
| First Keeper | No; | 80 |
| For we were subjects but while you were king. |
| KING HENRY VI | Why, am I dead? do I not breathe a man? |
| Ah, simple men, you know not what you swear! |
| Look, as I blow this feather from my face, |
| And as the air blows it to me again, | 85 |
| Obeying with my wind when I do blow, |
| And yielding to another when it blows, |
| Commanded always by the greater gust; |
| Such is the lightness of you common men. |
| But do not break your oaths; for of that sin | 90 |
| My mild entreaty shall not make you guilty. |
| Go where you will, the king shall be commanded; |
| And be you kings, command, and I'll obey. |
| First Keeper | We are true subjects to the king, King Edward. |
| KING HENRY VI | So would you be again to Henry, | 95 |
| If he were seated as King Edward is. |
| First Keeper | We charge you, in God's name, and the king's, |
| To go with us unto the officers. |
| KING HENRY VI | In God's name, lead; your king's name be obey'd: |
| And what God will, that let your king perform; | 100 |
| And what he will, I humbly yield unto. |
[Exeunt] |
The Essential Student History Quiz (with answers and illustrations)