Act 4, Scene 8 — Henry VI, Part 3

The argument Warwick dispatches his allies to raise armies while Henry waits in London, but Edward's forces arrive and retake Henry prisoner before any defense can be mounted.

Flourish. Enter King Henry, Warwick, Montague, George (Duke of

Clarence), Oxford and Exeter.

WARWICK ≋ verse resolute

What counsel, lords? Edward from Belgia,

With hasty Germans and blunt Hollanders,

Hath passed in safety through the Narrow Seas,

And with his troops doth march amain to London;

And many giddy people flock to him.

What counsel, lords? Edward from Belgia, With hasty Germans and blunt Hollanders, has passed in safety through the Narrow Seas, And with his troops does march amain to London; And many giddy people flock to him.

war blood death everything is chaos

KING HENRY resolute

Let’s levy men and beat him back again.

GEORGE ≋ verse resolute

A little fire is quickly trodden out,

Which, being suffered, rivers cannot quench.

A little fire is quickly trodden out, Which, being suffered, rivers cannot quench.

WARWICK ≋ verse resolute

In Warwickshire I have true-hearted friends,

Not mutinous in peace, yet bold in war.

Those will I muster up; and thou, son Clarence,

Shalt stir up in Suffolk, Norfolk, and in Kent

The knights and gentlemen to come with thee.

Thou, brother Montague, in Buckingham,

Northampton, and in Leicestershire shalt find

Men well inclined to hear what thou command’st.

And thou, brave Oxford, wondrous well beloved,

In Oxfordshire shalt muster up thy friends.

My sovereign, with the loving citizens,

Like to his island girt in with the ocean,

Or modest Dian circled with her nymphs,

Shall rest in London till we come to him.

Fair lords, take leave and stand not to reply.

Farewell, my sovereign.

In Warwickshire I have true-hearted friends, Not mutinous in peace, yet bold in war. Those will I muster up; and you, son Clarence, shall stir up in Suffolk, Norfolk, and in Kent The knights and gentlemen to come with you. you, brother Montague, in Buckingham, Northampton, and in Leicestershire shall find Men well inclined to hear what you command’st. And you, brave Oxford, wondrous well beloved, In Oxfordshire shall muster up your friends. My sovereign, with the loving citizens, Like to his island girt in with the ocean, Or modest Dian circled with her nymphs, Shall rest in London till we come to him. Fair lords, take leave and stand not to reply. Farewell, my sovereign.

war blood death everything is chaos

"modest Dian circled with her nymphs" Diana, goddess of the hunt — always depicted surrounded by her attendant nymphs. Warwick is comparing Henry to a virgin goddess, which is either a tribute to his purity or an inadvertent comment on his ineffectiveness as a warrior.

KING HENRY resolute

Farewell, my Hector, and my Troy’s true hope.

GEORGE resolute

In sign of truth, I kiss your Highness’ hand.

KING HENRY resolute

Well-minded Clarence, be thou fortunate.

Well-minded Clarence, be you fortunate.

MONTAGUE resolute

Comfort, my lord; and so I take my leave.

OXFORD resolute

And thus [_kissing Henry’s hand_] I seal my truth, and bid adieu.

KING HENRY ≋ verse resolute

Sweet Oxford, and my loving Montague,

And all at once, once more a happy farewell.

Sweet Oxford, and my loving Montague, And all at once, once more a happy farewell.

WARWICK resolute

Farewell, sweet lords; let’s meet at Coventry.

[_Exeunt all but King Henry and Exeter._]

KING HENRY ≋ verse resolute

Here at the palace will I rest a while.

Cousin of Exeter, what thinks your lordship?

Methinks the power that Edward hath in field

Should not be able to encounter mine.

Here at the palace will I rest a while. Cousin of Exeter, what thinks your lordship? I think the power that Edward has in field Should not be able to encounter mine.

yeah brutal

First appearance

EXETER

Exeter is Henry's loyal companion in the scene's quiet second half — he speaks in careful, measured doubts, the voice of a sensible man who sees clearly without being cynical. Watch for how he voices the fears Henry refuses to acknowledge.

EXETER resolute

The doubt is that he will seduce the rest.

KING HENRY ≋ verse worried, anxious

That’s not my fear; my meed hath got me fame.

I have not stopped mine ears to their demands,

Nor posted off their suits with slow delays;

My pity hath been balm to heal their wounds,

My mildness hath allayed their swelling griefs,

My mercy dried their water-flowing tears.

I have not been desirous of their wealth

Nor much oppressed them with great subsidies,

Nor forward of revenge, though they much erred.

Then why should they love Edward more than me?

No, Exeter, these graces challenge grace;

And when the lion fawns upon the lamb,

The lamb will never cease to follow him.

That’s not my fear; my meed has got me fame. I have not stopped mine ears to their demands, Nor posted off their suits with slow delays; My pity has been balm to heal their wounds, My mildness has allayed their swelling griefs, My mercy dried their water-flowing tears. I have not been desirous of their wealth Nor much oppressed them with great subsidies, Nor forward of revenge, though they much erred. Then why should they love Edward more than me? No, Exeter, these graces challenge grace; And when the lion fawns upon the lamb, The lamb will never cease to follow him.

That’s not my fear; my meed has got me fame. I have not stopped mine ears to their demands, Nor posted off their suits with slow delays; My pity 's been balm to heal their wounds, My mildness has allayed their swelling griefs, My mercy dried their water-flowing tears. I have not been desirous of their wealth Nor much oppressed them with great subsidies, Nor forward of revenge, though they much erred. Then why should they love Edward more than me? No, Exeter, these graces challenge grace; And when the lion fawns upon the lamb, The lamb will never cease to follow him.

war blood death everything is chaos

"when the lion fawns upon the lamb, / The lamb will never cease to follow him" Henry's simile is both touching and ironic — a lion that fawns on lambs is not acting like a king. The very gentleness he praises is what has made him politically ineffective. The image inverts the natural order in the same way Henry's reign has.

Why it matters Henry's speech here is his most complete self-portrait — genuinely virtuous, genuinely incompetent. He is right that he has these qualities. He is wrong that they're sufficient.

🎭 Dramatic irony Henry's speech about the gentle lion and the lamb runs straight into the battle-cry 'A York!' — the audience hears the irony immediately: gentle virtue does not protect you from men with swords.

[_Shout within “A York! A York!”_]

EXETER resolute

Hark, hark, my lord, what shouts are these?

Enter King Edward, Richard (Duke of Gloucester) and Soldiers.

KING EDWARD ≋ verse resolute

Seize on the shame-faced Henry, bear him hence,

And once again proclaim us King of England.

You are the fount that makes small brooks to flow.

Now stops thy spring; my sea shall suck them dry

And swell so much the higher by their ebb.

Hence with him to the Tower. Let him not speak.

Seize on the shame-faced Henry, bear him hence, And once again proclaim us King of England. You are the fount that makes small brooks to flow. Now stops your spring; my sea shall suck them dry And swell so much the higher by their ebb. Hence with him to the Tower. Let him not speak.

war blood death everything is chaos

[_Exeunt some with King Henry._]

And, lords, towards Coventry bend we our course,

Where peremptory Warwick now remains.

The sun shines hot, and, if we use delay,

Cold biting winter mars our hoped-for hay.

RICHARD ≋ verse frustrated, angry

Away betimes, before his forces join,

And take the great-grown traitor unawares.

Brave warriors, march amain towards Coventry.

Away betimes, before his forces join, And take the great-grown traitor unawares. Brave warriors, march amain towards Coventry.

yeah brutal

[_Exeunt._]

The Reckoning

The scene that shows the structural weakness of Henry's restored kingship: the king is left in London with a single lord while Warwick does all the actual governing. Henry gives a speech about why the people love him — and then the shout of 'A York! A York!' comes through the walls and Edward walks in and takes him. Henry's speech is answered not with loyalty but with the enemy's battle cry. The cruelty is that Henry isn't wrong about his personal qualities; he's just wrong that personal qualities are enough.

If this happened today…

A reinstated CEO is left holding the office while all the activist investors go out to raise capital and rally the board. He gives a speech to his assistant about how his employees like him because he listened to them, never imposed big restructuring fees, always answered their emails. Then there's a commotion in the lobby, the doors open, and the hostile takeover team walks in. They say: 'Seize him. We're announcing the new leadership immediately.'

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