Three times today I holp him to his horse;

Three times bestrid him; thrice I led him off,

Persuaded him from any further act;

But still where danger was, still there I met him,

And like rich hangings in a homely house,

So was his will in his old feeble body.

Enter the Earls of Salisbury and Warwick

EDWARD (to York)

See, noble father, where they both do come—

The only props unto the house of York!

SALISBURY

Now, by my sword, well hast thou fought today;

By th’ mass, so did we all. I thank you, Richard.

God knows how long it is I have to live,

And it hath pleased him that three times today

You have defended me from imminent death.

Well, lords, we have not got that which we have—

’Tis not enough our foes are this time fled,

Being opposites of such repairing nature.

YORK

I know our safety is to follow them,

For, as I hear, the King is fled to London,

To call a present court of Parliament.

Let us pursue him ere the writs go forth.

What says Lord Warwick, shall we after them?

WARWICK

After them? Nay, before them if we can!

Now by my hand, lords, ’twas a glorious day!

Saint Albans battle won by famous York

Shall be eternized in all age to come.

Sound drums and trumpets, and to London all,

And more such days as these to us befall!

⌈Flourish.⌉ Exeunt

ADDITIONAL PASSAGES

A. We adopt the 1594 Quarto version of the Queen’s initial speech, 1.1.24—9; the Folio version, which follows, is probably the author’s original draft.

QUEEN MARGARET

Great King of England, and my gracious lord,

The mutual conference that my mind hath had—

By day, by night; waking, and in my dreams;

In courtly company, or at my beads—

With you, mine alder liefest sovereign,

Makes me the bolder to salute my king

With ruder terms, such as my wit affords

And overjoy of heart doth minister.

B. For 1.4.39―40.2 the Quarto substitutes the following; it may report a revision made in rehearsal to cover the Spirit’s descent.

The Spirit sinks down again

BOLINGBROKE

Then down, I say, unto the damned pool

Where Pluto in his fiery wagon sits

Riding, amidst the singed and parched smokes,

The road of Ditis by the River Styx.

There howl and burn for ever in those flames.

Rise, Jordan, rise, and stay thy charming spells—

Zounds, we are betrayed!

C. The entire debate on Duke Humphrey’s death in 3. 1

is handled differently by the Quarto from the Folio. We

retain the Folio version of the debate, but the Quarto

version may represent authorial revision. The following

Q lines, roughly corresponding to 3.1.310―30.1, are of

particular interest because they supply Buckingham with

speeches for this latter part of the scene.

[YORK]

Let me have some bands of chosen soldiers,

And York shall try his fortune ‘gainst those kerns.

QUEEN MARGARET

York, thou shalt. My lord of Buckingham,

Let it be your charge to muster up such soldiers

As shall suffice him in these needful wars.

BUCKINGHAM

Madam, I will, and levy such a band

As soon shall overcome those Irish rebels.

But, York, where shall those soldiers stay for thee?

YORK

At Bristol I will expect them ten days hence.

BUCKINCHAM

Then thither shall they come, and so farewell.

Exit

YORK

Adieu, my lord of Buckingham.

QUEEN MARGARET

Suffolk, remember what you have to do—

And you, Lord Cardinat—concerning Duke Humphrey.

‘Twere good that you did see to it in time.

Come, let us go, that it may be performed.

Exeunt all but York

D. We adopt the Quarto version of the confrontation between Clifford and York at 5.3.20—30; the Folio version, an edited text of which follows, is probably the author’s original draft.

CLIFFORD

What seest thou in me, York? Why dost thou pause?

YORK

With thy brave bearing should I be in love,

But that thou art so fast mine enemy.

CLIFFORD

Nor should thy prowess want praise and esteem,

But that ’tis shown ignobly and in treason.

YORK

So let it help me now against thy sword,

As I in justice and true right express it.

CLIFFORD

My soul and body on the action, both.

YORK

A dreadful lay. Address thee instantly.

CLIFFORD

La fin couronne les oeuvres.

Alarms. They fight. York kills Clifford

YORK

Thus war hath given thee peace, for thou art still.

Peace with his soul, heaven, if it be thy will. Exit

RICHARD DUKE OF YORK

(3 HENRY VI)

THE play printed in the 1623 Folio as The Third Part of Henry the Sixth, with the Death of the Duke of York was described on the title-page of its first, unauthoritative publication in 1595 as The True Tragedy of Richard, Duke of York, and the Death of Good King Henry the Sixth, with the whole Contention between the two houses Lancaster and York. It is clearly a continuation of The First Part of the Contention, taking up the story where that play had ended, with the aspirations of Richard, Duke of York to the English throne, and was probably composed immediately afterwards.

The final scenes of The First Part of the Contention briefly introduce two of York’s sons, Edward (the eldest) and Richard (already described as a ‘foul, indigested lump, | As crooked in . . . manners as [in] shape’). They, along with their brothers Edmund, Earl of Rutland, and George (later Duke of Clarence), figure more prominently in Richard Duke of York. The first scenes show York apparently fulfilling his ambition, as Henry VI weakly cedes his rights to the throne after his death; but Queen Margaret leads an army against York, and, when he is captured, personally taunts him with news of the murder of his youngest son, stabs York to death, and commands that his head be ‘set on York gates’. (This powerful scene includes the line ‘O tiger’s heart wrapped in a woman’s hide’, paraphrased by Robert Greene before September 1592, which establishes the upward limit of the play’s date.)