William Shakespeare: King Henry VI, Second Part

ACT V. 1. SCENE I. Fields between Dartford and Blackheath. (continued)

QUEEN.
Call hither Clifford; bid him come amain,
To say if that the bastard boys of York
Shall be the surety for their traitor father.

[Exit Buckingham.]

YORK.
O blood-bespotted Neapolitan,
Outcast of Naples, England's bloody scourge!
The sons of York, thy betters in their birth,
Shall be their father's bail; and bane to those
That for my surety will refuse the boys!

[Enter EDWARD and RICHARD.]

See where they come; I'll warrant they'll make it good.

[Enter old CLIFFORD and his SON.]

QUEEN.
And here comes Clifford to deny their bail.

CLIFFORD.
Health and all happiness to my lord the king!

[Kneels.]

YORK.
I thank thee, Clifford; say, what news with thee?
Nay, do not fright us with an angry look.
We are thy sovereign, Clifford, kneel again;
For thy mistaking so, we pardon thee.

CLIFFORD.
This is my king, York, I do not mistake;
But thou mistakes me much to think I do.--
To Bedlam with him! is the man grown mad?

KING.
Ay, Clifford; a bedlam and ambitious humour
Makes him oppose himself against his king.

CLIFFORD.
He is a traitor; let him to the Tower,
And chop away that factious pate of his.

QUEEN.
He is arrested, but will not obey;
His sons, he says, shall give their words for him.

YORK.
Will you not, sons?

EDWARD.
Ay, noble father, if our words will serve.

RICHARD.
And if words will not, then our weapons shall.

CLIFFORD.
Why, what a brood of traitors have we here!