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And I forgive and quite forget old faults,
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 revenged,
But by thy help to this distressed queen?

Q. Mar. Renowned prince, how shall poor Henry live,
Unless thou rescue him from foul despair?

Bona. 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 Margaret's.

Therefore, at last, I firmly am resolved,

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 shortly, I'll wear the willow garland for his sake.

Q. Mar. Tell him, my mourning weeds are laid aside,

And I am ready to put armour on.

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.

K. Lew. But, Warwick, thou,

And Oxford, with five thousand men,

[Exit MESSENGER.

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 motion :

Son Edward, she is fair and virtuous,
Therefore delay not, give thy hand to Warwick;
And, with thy hand, thy faith irrevocable,

That only Warwick's daughter shall be thine.

* Affright.

Prince. Yes, I accept her, for she well deserves it; And here, to pledge my vow, I give my hand.

[He gives his hand to WARWICK.

K. Lew. Why stay we now? These soldiers shall be levied, And thou, lord Bourbon, our high admiral, 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 ambassador,
But I return his sworn and mortal foe:
Matter of marriage was the charge he gave me,
But dreadful war shall answer his demand.
Had he none else to make a stale,* but me?
Then none but I shall turn his jest to sorrow.
I was the chief that raised him to the crown,
And I'll be chief to bring him down again:
Not that I pity Henry's misery,
But seek revenge on Edward's mockery.

Exit.

ACT IV.

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. K. Edw. Now brother of Clarence, how like you our choice, That you stand pensive, as half malecontent?

Clar. As well as Lewis of France, or the earl of Warwick; Which are so weak of courage, and in judgment, That they'll take no offence at our abuse.

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.

* A stalking-horse.

Glo. And you shall have your will, because our king:
Yet hasty marriage seldom proveth well.

K. Edw. Yea, brother Richard, are you offended too?
Glo. Not I:

No; God forbid, that I should wish them sever'd
Whom God hath join'd together: ay, an 'twere pity,
To sunder them that yoke so well together.

K. Edw. Setting your scorns, and your mislike aside,
Tell me some reason, why the lady Grey
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 mocking 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 appeased, By such invention as I can devise?

Mont. Yet to have join'd with France in such alliance,
Would more have strengthen'd this our commonwealth
'Gainst foreign storms, than any home-bred marriage.
Hast. Why, knows not Montague, that of itself

England is safe, if true within itself?

Mont. Yes; but the safer, when 'tis back'd with France. Hast. "Tis better using France, than trusting France: Let us be back'd with God, and with the seas, Which he hath given for fence impregnable, And with their helps only defend ourselves; In them, and in ourselves, our safety lies.

Clar. For this one speech, lord Hastings well deserves To have the heir of the lord Hungerford.

K. Edw. Ay, what of that; it was my will, and grant; And, for this once, my will shall stand for law.

Glo. And yet, methinks, your grace hath not done well,
To give the heir and daughter of lord Scales
Unto the brother of your loving bride;
She better would have fitted me, or Clarence:
But in your bride you bury brotherhood.

Clar. Or else you would not have bestow'd the heir*
Of the lord Bonville on your new wife's son,
And leave your brothers to go speed elsewhere.
K. Edw. Alas, poor Clarence, is it for a wife
'That thou art malecontent? I will provide thee.

Clar. In choosing for yourself you show'd your judgment;

Which being shallow, you shall give me leave
To play the broker in mine own behalf;
And, to that end, I shortly mind to leave you.

K. Edw. Leave me, or tarry, Edward will be king,

And not be tied unto his brother's will.

Q. Eliz. My lords, before it pleased his majesty

* Heiress.

To raise my state to title of a queen,
Do me but right, and you must all confess

That I was not ignoble of descent,
And meaner than myself have had like fortune.

But as this title honours me and mine,

So your dislikes, to whom I would be pleasing,
Do cloud my joys with danger and with sorrow.

K. Edw. My love, forbear to fawn upon their frowns:

What danger, or what sorrow can befall thee,
So long as Edward is thy constant friend,
And their true sovereign, whom they must obey ?
Nay, whom they shall obey, and love thee too,
Unless they seek for hatred at my hands:
Which if they do, yet will I keep thee safe,
And they shall feel the vengeance of my wrath.
Glo. I hear, yet say not much, but think the more.

Enter a MESSENGER.

K. Edw. Now, messenger, what letters, or what news,
From France?

Mess. My sovereign liege, no letters; and few words,
But such as I, without your special pardon,
Dare not relate.

K. Edw. Go to, we pardon thee: therefore, in brief,
Tell me their words as near as thou canst guess them.
What answer makes king Lewis unto our letters?
Mess. At my depart, these were his very words:
Go tell false Edward, thy supposed king,-
That Lewis of France is sending over maskers,
To revel it with him and his new bride.

[Aside.

K. Edw. Is Lewis so brave? belike, he thinks me Henry.
But what said lady Bona to my marriage?

Mess. These were her words, utter'd with mild disdain:
Tell him, in hope he'll prove a widower shortly,
I'll wear the willow garland for his sake.

K. Edw. I blame not her, she could say little less;
She had the wrong. But what said Henry's queen?
For I have heard, that she was there in place.*

Mess. Tell him, quoth she, my mourning weeds are done,t And I am ready to put armour on.

K. Edw. Belike, she minds to play the Amazon.

But what said Warwick to these injuries?

Mess. He, more incensed against your majesty Than all the rest, discharged me with these words: Tell him from me, that he hath done me wrong, And therefore I'll uncrown him, ere't be long.

K. Edw. Ha! durst the traitor breathe out so proud words? Well, I will arm me, being thus forewarn'd: They shall have wars, and pay for their presumption.

But say, is Warwick friends with Margaret?

* Present.

VOL. IIL

R

Thrown off.

For 1 will hence to Warwick's other daughter;

Mess. Ay, gracious sovereign; they are so link'd in friendship,

That young prince Edward marries Warwick's daughter.

Clar. Belike, the elder; Clarence will have the younger.

Now, brother king, farewell, and sit you fast,

That, though I want a kingdom, yet in marriage

I may not prove inferior to yourself.

You, that love me and Warwick, follow me.

[Exit CLARENCE, and SOMERSET follows.

Glo. Not I:

My thoughts aim at a further matter; I

Stay not for love of Edward, but the crown.

K. Edw. Clarence and Somerset both gone to Warwick!

Yet am I arm'd against the worst can happen;

[Aside.

And haste is needful in this desperate case.-
Pembroke, and Stafford, you in our behalf
Go levy men, and make prepare for war;
They are already, or quickly will be landed:

Myself in person will straight follow you.

[Exeunt PEMBROKE and STAFFORD.

But, ere I go, Hastings, and Montague, -
Resolve my doubt. You twain, of all the rest,
Are near to Warwick, by blood, and by alliance:
Tell me, if you love Warwick more than me?
If it be so, then both depart to him;
I rather wish you foes, than hollow friends;
But if you mind to hold your true obedience,
Give me assurance with some friendly vow,
That I may never have you in suspect.

Mont. So God help Montague, as he proves true!
Hast. And Hastings, as he favours Edward's cause!
K. Edw. Now, brother Richard, will you stand by us?
Glo. Ay, in despite of all that shall withstand you.
K. Edw. Why so; then am I sure of victory.
Now therefore let us hence; and lose no hour,
Till we meet Warwick with his foreign power.

SCENE II.-A Plain in Warwickshire.

[Exeunt.

Enter WARWICK and OXFORD, with French and other Forces.

War. Trust me, my lord, all hitherto goes well;

The common people by numbers swarm to us.

Enter CLARENCE and SOMERSET.

But, see, where Somerset and Clarence come;-
Speak suddenly, my lords, are we all friends?

Clar. Fear not that, my lord.

War. Then, gentle Clarence, welcome unto Warwick;

And welcome, Somerset:-I hold it cowardice,

To rèst mistrustful where a noble heart

Hath pawn'd an open hand in sign of love;

Else might I think, that Clarence, Edward's brother,

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