William Shakespeare: King Henry VI, Third Part

ACT II. 2. SCENE II. Before York (continued)

[March. Enter EDWARD, GEORGE, RICHARD, WARWICK,
NORFOLK, MONTAGUE, and Soldiers.]

EDWARD.
Now, perjur'd Henry, wilt thou kneel for grace
And set thy diadem upon my head,
Or bide the mortal fortune of the field?

QUEEN MARGARET.
Go, rate thy minions, proud insulting boy!
Becomes it thee to be thus bold in terms
Before thy sovereign and thy lawful king?

EDWARD.
I am his king, and he should bow his knee.
I was adopted heir by his consent;
Since when, his oath is broke; for, as I hear,
You, that are king, though he do wear the crown,
Have caus'd him by new act of parliament
To blot out me and put his own son in.

CLIFFORD.
And reason, too;
Who should succeed the father but the son?

RICHARD.
Are you there, butcher?--O, I cannot speak!

CLIFFORD.
Ay, crook-back; here I stand, to answer thee,
Or any he the proudest of thy sort.

RICHARD.
'T was you that kill'd young Rutland, was it not?

CLIFFORD.
Ay, and old York, and yet not satisfied.

RICHARD.
For God's sake, lords, give signal to the fight.

WARWICK.
What say'st thou, Henry, wilt thou yield the crown?

QUEEN MARGARET.
Why, how now, long-tongued Warwick! dare you speak?
When you and I met at Saint Alban's last,
Your legs did better service than your hands.

WARWICK.
Then 't was my turn to fly, and now 't is thine.

CLIFFORD.
You said so much before, and yet you fled.

WARWICK.
'T was not your valour, Clifford, drove me thence.

NORTHUMBERLAND.
No, nor your manhood that durst make you stay.