Clar. He knows the game; How true he keeps the wind! Glo. Silence! [Aside. [Aside. K. Edw. Widow, we will consider of your suit; And come some other time, to know our mind. L. Grey. Right gracious lord, I cannot brook deMay it please your highness to resolve me now ; [lay: And what your pleasure is, shall satisfy me. Glo. [Aside.] Ay, widow? then I'll warrant you all your lands, An if what pleases him, shall pleasure you. Clar I think, he means to beg a child of her. [Aside. [Aside. L. Grey. Three, my most gracious lord. Glo. You shall have four, if you'll be rul'd by him. [Aside. K. Edw. Twere pity, they should lose their father's land. wit. L. Grey. Be pitiful, dread lord, and grant it then. K. Edw. Lords, give us leave; I'll try this widow's [leave, Glo. Ay, good leave have you; for you will have Till youth take leave, and leave you to the crutch. [GLOSTER and CLARENCE retire to the other side. K. Edw. Now tell me, madam, do you love your children? L. Grey. Ay, full as dearly as I love myself. K. Edw. And would you not do much, to do them good? [harm. L. Grey. To do them good, I would sustain some K. Edw. Then get your husband's lands, to do them good. L. Grey. Therefore I came unto your majesty. service. [Aside. Clar. As red as fire! nay, then her wax must melt. L. Grey. Why stops my lord? shall I not hear my task? K. Edw. An easy task; 'tis but to love a king. L. Grey. That's soon perform'd, because I am a subject. [give thee. K. Edw. Why then, thy husband's lands I freely That love, which virtue begs, and virtue grants. K Edw. But now you partly may perceive my mind. L. Grey. My mind will never grant what I perceive Your highness aims at, if I aim aright. K. Edw. To tell thee plain, I aim to lie with thee. L. Grey. To tell you plain, I had rather lie in [band's lands. prison. K. Edw. Why, then thou shalt not have thy husL. Grey. Why, then mine honesty shall be my For by that loss I will not purchase them. [dower; K. Edw.Therein thouwrong'st thychildren mightily. L. Grey. Herein your highness wrongs both them But, mighty lord, this merry inclination [and me. Accords not with the sadness of my suit; Please you dismiss me, either with ay, or no. K. Edw. Ay; if thou wilt say ay, to my request: No; if thou dost say no, to my demand. L. Grey. Then, no, my lord. My suit is at an end. Glo. The widow likes him not, she knits her brows. [Aside. K. Edw. [Aside.] Her looks do argue her replete with modesty ; Her words do shew her wit incomparable. K. Edw. Sweet widow, by my state I swear to thee, L. Grey. And that is more than I will yield unto: I know, I am too mean to be your queen: And yet too good to be your concubine. K. Edw. You cavil, widow; I did mean, my queen. L. Grey. Twill grieve your grace, my son should call you-father. K. Edw. No more, than when thy daughters call thee mother. Thou art a widow, and thou hast some children : Glo. The ghostly father now hath done his shrift. [Aside. Clar. When he was made a shriver, 'twas for shift. [Aside. K. Edw. Brothers, you muse what chat we two have had. Glo. The widow likes it not, for she looks sad. [her. Nob. My gracious lord, Henry your foe is taken, And brought your prisoner to your palace gate. K. Edw. See, that he be convey'd unto the Tower:And go we, brothers, to the man that took him, To question of his apprehension.Widow, go you along ;-Lords, use her honourable [Exeunt KING EDWARD, Lady GREY CLARENCE, and Lord. Glo. Ay, Edward will use women honourably. 'Would he were wasted, marrow, bones, and all, That from his loins no hopeful branch may spring, To cross me from the golden time I look for! And yet, between my soul's desire, and me, (The lustful Edward's title buried,) Is Clarence, Henry, and his son young Edward, My eye's too quick, my heart o'erweens too much, O, monstrous fault, to harbour such a thought! I'll make my heaven-to dream upon the crown; That rents the thorns, and is rent with the thorns; I'll drown more sailors than the mermaid shall; [Rising. [sit Sit down with us; it ill befits thy state, [Seats her by him. Q. Mar. Those gracious words revive my drooping thoughts, And give my tongue-tied sorrows leave to speak. Is, of a king, become a banish'd man, Of England's true-anointed lawful king. Q. Mar. The more we stay, the stronger grows our foe. [Descending from his state. QUEEN MARGARET rises. Q. Mar. Ay, now begins a second storm to rise; For this is he, that moves both wind and tide. War. From worthy Edward, king of Albion, With nuptial knot, if thou vouchsafe to grant [Exit. That virtuous lady Bona, thy fair sister, To England's king, in lawful marriage. Q. Mar. If that go forward, Henry's hope is done. War. And, gracious madam, [to BONA.] in our king's behalf, I am commanded, with your leave and favour, Q. Mar. King Lewis,-and lady Bona, hear me Before you answer Warwick. His demand [speak, Springs not from Edward's well-meant honest love, But from deceit, bred by necessity; For how can tyrants safely govern home, And why not queen? War. Oxford, how haps it, in this smooth discourse, You told not, how Henry the Sixth hath lost All that which Henry the Fifth had gotten? Methink, these peers of France should smile at that.But for the rest,--You tell a pedigree Of threescore and two years; a silly time To make prescription for a kingdom's worth. Orf. Why, Warwick, canst thou speak against thy Whom thou obey'dst thirty and six years, And not bewray thy treason with a blush? [liege, War. Can Oxford, that did ever fence the right, Now buckler falsehood with a pedigree? For shame, leave Henry, and call Edward king. Of. Call him my king, by whose injurious doorn My elder brother, the lord Aubrey Vere, Was done to death? and more than so, my father, 'Even in the downfall of his mellow'd years, When nature brought him to the door of death? No, Warwick, no, while life upholds this arm, This arm upholds the house of Lancaster. War. And I the house of York. K. Lev. Queen Margaret, prince Edward, and OxVouchsafe, at our request, to stand aside, [ford, While I use further conference with Warwick. Q. Mar. Heaven grant, that Warwick's words bewitch him not! [Retiring with the PRINCE and OXFORD. K. Lew. Now, Warwick, tell me, even upon thy conscience, Is Edward your true king? for I were loath, War. Myself have often heard him say, and swear,- K. Lew. Now, sister, let us hear your firm resolve. Bona. Your grant, or your denial shall be mine :Yet I confess, [to WAR.] that often ere this day, When I have heard your king's desert recounted, Mine ear hath tempted judgment to desire. K. Lew. Then, Warwick, thus,-Our sister shall be Edward's; And now forthwith shall articles be drawn K. Lew. And still is friend to him and Margaret: War. Henry now lives in Scotland, at his ease; Where having nothing, nothing he can lose. And as for you yourself, our quondam queen,You have a father able to maintain you; And better 'twere, you troubled him than France. Q. Mar. Peace, impudent and shameless Warwick, Proud setter-up and puller-down of kings! [peace; I will not hence, till with my talk and tears, Both full of truth, I make king Lewis behold Thy sly conveyance, and thy lord's false love; For both of you are birds of self-same feather. [A horn sounded within. K. Lew. Warwick, this is some post to us, or thee. Enter a Messenger. Mess. My lord ambassador, these letters are for you; Sent from your brother, marquis Montague. These from our king unto your majesty.And, madam, these for you; from whom, I know not. [To MARGARET. They all read their letters. Of. I like it well, that our fair queen and mistress Smiles at her news, while Warwick frowns at his. Prince. Nay, mark, how Lewis stamps as he were I hope, all's for the best. [nettled: [joys. K. Lew. Warwick, what are thy news? and yours, fair queen? Q. Mar. Mine, such as fill my heart with unhop'd War. Mine, full of sorrow and heart's discontent. K. Lew. What! has your king married the lady And now, to sooth your forgery and his, [Grey? Sends me a paper to persuade me patience? Is this the alliance that he seeks with France ? Dare he presume to scorn us in this manner? Q. Mar. I told your majesty as much before: This proveth Edward's love, and Warwick's honesty. War. King Lewis, I here protest,-in sight of heaAnd by the hope I have of heavenly bliss,- [ven, That I am clear from this misdeed of Edward's; No more my king, for he dishonours me; But most himself, if he could see his shame.Did I forget, that by the house of York My father came untimely to his death? Did I let pass the abuse done to my niece? Did I impale him with the regal crown? I here renounce him, and return to Henry : Q. Mar. Warwick, these words have turned my hate And I forgive and quite forget old faults, [to love; And joy that thou becom'st king Henry's friend. War. So much his friend, ay, his unfeigned friend, That, if king Lewis vouchsafe to furnish us With some few bands of chosen soldiers, I'll undertake to land them on our coast, And force the tyrant from his seat by war. 'Tis not his new-made bride shall succour him: And as for Clarence, -as my letters tell me, He's very likely now to fall from him; For matching more for wanton lust than honour, Or than for strength and safety of our country. Bona. Dear brother, how shall Bona be reveng'd, But by thy help to this distressed queen? Q. Mar. Renowned prince, how shall poor Henry Unless thou rescue him from foul despair? [live, Bonu. My quarrel and this English queen's are one. War. And mine, fair lady Bona, joins with yours. K. Lew. And mine with hers, and thine, and MarTherefore, at last, I firmly am resolv'd, [garet's. You shall have aid. Q. Mar. Let me give humble thanks for all at once. K.Lew. Then England's messenger, return in post; And tell false Edward, thy supposed king,That Lewis of France is sending over maskers, To revel it with him and his new bride: Thou seest what's past, go fear thy king withal. Bona. Tell him, In hope he'll prove a widower, I'll wear the willow garland for his sake. [shortly, Q. Mur. Tell him, My mourning weeds are laid And I am ready to put armour on. [aside, War. Tell him from me, That he hath done me wrong; And therefore I'll uncrown him, ere't be long. There's thy reward; be gone. [Exit Mess. K. Lew. But, Warwick, thou, And Oxford, with five thousand men, Shall cross the seas, and bid false Edward battle: And, as occasion serves, this noble queen And prince shall follow with a fresh supply. Yet, ere thou go, but answer me one doubt ;What pledge have we of thy firm loyalty? War. This shall assure my constant loyalty:That if our queen and this young prince agree, I'll join mine eldest daughter and my joy, To him forthwith in holy wedlock bands. Q. Mar. Yes, I agree, and thank you for your moSon Edward, she is fair and virtuous, [tion:Therefore delay not, give thy hand to Warwick; And, with thy hand, thy faith irrevocable, That only Warwick's daughter shall be thine. Prince. Yes, I accept her, for she well deserves it; And here, to pledge iny vow, I give my hand. [He gives his hand to WARWICK. K.Lew. Why stay we now? These soldiers shall be And thou, lord Bourbon, our high admiral, [levied, Shall waft them over with our royal fleet.I long, till Edward fall by war's mischance, For mocking marriage with a dame of France. [Exeunt all but WARWICK. War. I came from Edward as embassador, SCENE I.-London. A Room in the Palace. Enter GLOSTER, CLARENCE, SOMERSET, MONTAGUE, and others. Glo. Now, tell me, brother Clarence, what think you Of this new marriage with the lady Grey? Hath not our brother made a worthy choice? Clar. Alas, you know, 'tis far from hence to France; How could he stay till Warwick made return? Som. My lords, forbear this talk; here comes the king. Flourish. Enter KING EDWARD, attended; LADY GREY, as Queen; PEMBROKE, STAFFORD HASTINGS, and others. Glo. And his well-chosen bride. Clar. I mind to tell him plainly what I think That you stand pensive, as half malcontent? Which are so weak of courage, and in judgment, K.Edw. Suppose they take offence without a cause, They are but Lewis and Warwick; I am Edward, Your king and Warwick's, and must have my will. Glo. And you shall have your will, because our Yet hasty marriage seldom proveth well. [king: K. Edw. Yea, brother Richard, are you offended Glo. Not I. [too? No; God forbid that I should wish them sever'd Whom God hath join'd together; ay, and 'twere pity, To sunder them that yoke so well together. K. Edw. Setting your scorns, and your mislike, Tell me some reason why the lady Grey [aside, Should not become my wife, and England's queen :And you too, Somerset, and Montague, Speak freely what you think. Clar. Then this is my opinion,-that king Lewis Becomes your enemy for inocking him About the marriage of the lady Bona. Glo. And Warwick, doing what you gave in charge, Is now dishonoured by this new marriage. K. Edw. What, if both Lewis and Warwick be apBy such invention as I can devise? [peas'd, liance, [wealth Would more have strengthen'd this our common'Gainst foreign storms, than any home-bred marriage Mont. Yet to have joined with France in such al Hast. Why knows not Montague, that of itself, England is safe, if true within itself? [France Mont. Yes; but the safer, when it is back'd with Hast. 'Tis better using France, than trusting France: Let us be back'd with God, and with the seas, [serves |