Page:Henry VI Part 3 (1923) Yale.djvu/18

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Wherein my grandsire and my father sat?

No: first shall war unpeople this my realm;

Ay, and their colours, often borne in France,

And now in England to our heart's great sorrow,

Shall be my winding-sheet. Why faint you, lords?

My title's good, and better far than his.

War. Prove it, Henry, and thou shalt be king.

Henry. Henry the Fourth by conquest got the crown.

York. 'Twas by rebellion against his king.

Henry. [Aside.] I know not what to say: my title's weak.

[Aloud.] Tell me, may not a king adopt an heir?

York. What then?

Henry. An if he may, then am I lawful king;

For Richard, in the view of many lords,

Resign'd the crown to Henry the Fourth,

Whose heir my father was, and I am his.

York. He rose against him, being his sovereign,

And made him to resign his crown perforce.

War. Suppose, my lords, he did it unconstrain'd,

Think you 'twere prejudicial to his crown?

Exe. No; for he could not so resign his crown

But that the next heir should succeed and reign.

Henry. Art thou against us, Duke of Exeter?

Exe. His is the right, and therefore pardon me.

York. Why whisper you, my lords, and answer not?

Exe. My conscience tells me he is lawful king.

Henry. [Aside.| All will revolt from me, and turn to him.

North. Plantagenet, for all the claim thou lay'st,

Think not that Henry shall be so depos'd.

War. Depos'd he shall be in despite of all.

 144 crown: legal claim to the crown

