Her suit is granted for her husband's lands.

Enter a Nobleman.

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.
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Widow, go you along. Lords, use her honourably.
Exeunt all but GLOUCESTER.
Glou. 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,
And all the unlook'd for issue of their bodies,
To take their rooms, ere I can place myself: 132
A cold premeditation for my purpose!
Why then, I do but dream on sovereignty;
Like one that stands upon a promontory,
And spies a far-off shore where he would tread,
Wishing his foot were equal with his eye;
And chides the sea that sunders him from thence,
Saying, he'll lade it dry to have his way:
So do I wish the crown, being so far off,
And so I chide the means that keeps me from it,
And so I say, I'll cut the causes off,
Flattering me with impossibilities.

140

151

My eye's too quick, my heart o'erweens too much,
Unless my hand and strength could equal them.
Well, say there is no kingdom then for Richard;
What other pleasure can the world afford?
I'll make my heaven in a lady's lap,
And deck my body in gay ornaments,
And witch sweet ladies with my words and looks.
O miserable thought! and more unlikely
Than to accomplish twenty golden crowns.
Why, love forswore me in my mother's womb:
And, for I should not deal in her soft laws,
She did corrupt frail nature with some bribe,
To shrink mine arm up like a wither'd shrub;
To make an envious mountain on my back,
Where sits deformity to mock my body;
To shape my legs of an unequal size;
To disproportion me in every part,
Like to a chaos, or an unlick'd bear-whelp
That carries no impression like the dam.
And am I then a man to be belov'd?

And cry Content' to that which grieves my heart,

And wet my cheeks with artificial tears,
And frame my face to all occasions.
I'll drown more sailors than the mermaid shall;
I'll slay more gazers than the basilisk;
I'll play the orator as well as Nestor,
Deceive more slily than Ulysses could,
And, like a Sinon, take another Troy.
I can add colours to the chameleon,
Change shapes with Proteus for advantages,
And set the murd'rous Machiavel to school.
Can I do this, and cannot get a crown?
Tut! were it further off, I'll pluck it down.

190

K. Lew. Fair Queen of England, worthy Margaret,

Sit down with us: it ill befits thy state And birth that thou should'st stand while Lewis doth sit.

Q. Mar. No, mighty King of France; now
Margaret

Must strike her sail, and learn awhile to serve
Where kings command. I was, I must confess,
Great Albion's queen in former golden days;
But now mischance hath trod my title down,
And with dishonour laid me on the ground,
Where I must take like seat unto my fortune, 10
And to my humble seat conform myself.
K. Lew. Why, say, fair queen, whence springs
this deep despair?

Q. Mar. From such a cause as fills mine eyes with tears

And stops my tongue, while heart is drown'd in

cares.

171

O monstrous fault! to harbour such a thought.
Then, since this earth affords no joy to me
But to command, to check, to o'erbear such
As are of better person than myself,
I'll make my heaven to dream upon the crown;
And, whiles I live, to account this world but hell,
Until my misshap'd trunk that bears this head
Be round impaled with a glorious crown.
And yet I know not how to get the crown,
For many lives stand between me and home:
And I, like one lost in a thorny wood,
That rends the thorns and is rent with the thorns,
Seeking a way and straying from the way;
Not knowing how to find the open air,
But toiling desperately to find it out,
Torment myself to catch the English crown:
And from that torment I will free myself,
Or hew my way out with a bloody axe.

180

Q. Mar. Those gracious words revive my droop ing thoughts,

And give my tongue-tied sorrows leave to speak.
Now, therefore, be it known to noble Lewis,
That Henry, sole possessor of my love,
Is of a king become a banish'd man,
And forc'd to live in Scotland a forlorn;
While proud ambitious Edward Duke of York
Usurps the regal title and the seat
Of England's true-anointed lawful king.
This is the cause that I, poor Margaret,
With this my son, Prince Edward, Henry's
heir,

Am come to crave thy just and lawful aid;
And if thou fail us, all our hope is done.
Scotland hath will to help, but cannot help;
Our people and our peers are both misled,
Our treasure seiz'd, our soldiers put to flight,
And, as thou seest, ourselves in heavy plight.

20

While we bethink a means to break it off.

Q. Mar. The more we stay, the stronger grows our foe.

40

K. Lew. The more I stay, the more I'll succour thee.

Q. Mar. O but impatience waiteth on true

sorrow:

And see where comes the breeder of my sorrow.

Enter WARWICK, attended.

K. Lew. What's he approacheth boldly to our presence?

Q. Mar. Our Earl of Warwick, Edward's greatest friend.

K. Lew. Welcome, brave Warwick! What brings thee to France?

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,
My lord and sovereign, and thy vowed friend, 5ɔ
I come, in kindness and unfeigned love,
First to do greetings to thy royal person;
And then to crave a league of amity;
And lastly to confirm that amity

With nuptial knot, if thou vouchsafe to grant
That virtuous Lady Boua, thy fair sister,
To England's king in lawful marriage.

Q. Mar. If that go forward, Henry's hope is done.

War. To BONA. And, gracious madam, in our king's behalf,

I am commanded, with your leave and favour, co Humbly to kiss your hand, and with my tongue To tell the passion of my sovereign's heart; Where fame, late entering at his heedful ears, Hath plac'd thy beauty's image and thy virtue. Q. Mar. King Lewis and Lady Bona, hear me speak,

Before you answer Warwick. His demand Springs not from Edward's well-meant honest love,

70

But from deceit bred by necessity;
For how can tyrants safely govern home,
Unless abroad they purchase great alliance?
To prove him tyrant this reason may suffice,
That Henry liveth still; but were he dead,
Yet here Prince Edward stands, King Henry's son.
Look, therefore, Lewis, that by this league and
marriage

Thou draw not on thy danger and dishonour;
For though usurpers sway the rule awhile,
Yet heavensare just, and timesuppresseth wrongs.
War. Injurious Margaret!
Prince.

And why not queen? War. Because thy father Henry did usurp, And thou no more art prince than she is queen. Orf. Then Warwick disannuls great John of Gaunt,

Which did subdue the greatest part of Spain; And, after John of Gaunt, Henry the Fourth, Whose wisdom was a mirror to the wisest ; And after that wise prince, Henry the Fifth, Who by his prowess conquered all France: From these our Henry lineally descends.

81

War. Oxford, how haps it, in this smooth dis

course,

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.
Oxf. Why, Warwick, canst thou speak against
thy liege,

Whom thou obeyedst thirty and six years,
And not bewray thy treason with a blush?

99

War. Can Oxford, that did ever fence the right, Now buckler falsehood with a pedigree? For shame! leave Henry, and call Edward king. Oxf. Call him my king, by whose injurious doom 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. Lew. Queen Margaret, Prince Edward, and Oxford,

110

Vouchsafe at our request to stand aside,
While I use further conference with Warwick.
They stand aloof.

Q. Mar. Heavens grant that Warwick's words bewitch him not!

K. Lew. Now, Warwick, tell me, even upon thy conscience,

Is Edward your true king? for I were loath
To link with him that were not lawful chosen.
War. Thereon I pawn my credit and mine
honour.

K. Lew. But is he gracious in the people's eye?
War. The more that Henry was unfortunate.
K. Lew. Then further, all dissembling set aside,
Tell me for truth the measure of his love
Unto our sister Bona.

Such it seems

120

War. As may beseem a monarch like himself. Myself have often heard him say and swear That this his love was an eternal plant, Whereof the root was fix'd in virtue's ground, The leaves and fruit maintain'd with beauty's sun, Exempt from envy, but not from disdain, Unless the Lady Bona quit his pain.

K. Lew. Now, sister, let us hear your firm resolve.

Bona. Your grant, or your denial, shall be mine. To WARWICK. Yet I confess that often ere this day,

131

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 Touching the jointure that your king must make Which with her dowry shall be counterpois'd. Draw near, Queen Margaret, and be a witness That Bona shall be wife to the English king. Prince. To Edward, but not to the English king.

140

Q. Mar. Deceitful Warwick! it was thy device By this alliance to make void my suit: Before thy coming Lewis was Henry's friend.

K. Lew. And still is friend to him and Margaret: But if your title to the crown be weak, As may appear by Edward's good success,

SCENE I.-London. A Room in the Palace. Enter GLOUCESTER, CLARENCE, SOMERSET, and MONTAGUE.

Glou. 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.

Glou. And his well-chosen bride.

Clar. I mind to tell him plainly what I think. Flourish. Enter King EDWARD, attended; Lady GREY, as Queen; PEMBROKE, STAFFORD, and HASTINGS.

K. Edw. Now, brother of Clarence, how like you our choice,

That you stand pensive as half malecontent? 10 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 kingand Warwick's, and must have my will. Glou. And you shall have your will, because our king:

Yet hasty marriage seldom proveth well.

K. Edw. Yea, brother Richard, are you offended too?

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?

40

Mont. Yes; but the safer when 'tis back'd with France.

Hust. '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 we 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. Glou. 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.

51

Clar. Or else you would not have bestow'd

70

Q. Eliz. My lords, before it pleas'd his majesty
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.
Glou. Aside. I hear, yet say not much, but
think the more.

Enter a Post.

80

K. Edw. Now, messenger, what letters or what

news

From France?

Post. 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.

90

What answer makes King Lewis unto our letters?
Post. At my depart these were his very words:
'Go tell false Edward, thy supposed king,
That Lewis of France is sending over masquers
To revel it with him and his new bride.'

K. Edw. Is Lewis so brave? belike he thinks me Henry.

But what said Lady Bona to my marriage?

Post. These were her words, utter'd with mild disdain :

'Tell him, in hope he 'il prove a widower shortly, I'll wear the willow garland for his sake.'

100

K. Ed. Iblame 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.

Post. Tell him,' quoth she, my mourning weeds are done,

And I am ready to put armour on.'

K. Edw. Belike she minds to play the Amazon. But what said Warwick to these injuries?

Post. He, more incens'd against your majesty Than all the rest, discharg'd 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?

112

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? Post. 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,
For I will hence to Warwick's other daughter;
That, though I want a kingdom, yet in marriage
I may not prove inferior to yourself.
122
You that love me and Warwick follow me.
Exit CLARENCE, and SOMERSET follows.
G'ou. Aside. Not I:

My thoughts aim at a further matter; I
Stay not for the love of Edward, but the crown.
K. Edw. Clarence and Somerset both gone to
Warwick!

130

Yet am I arm'd against the worst can happen,
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.

141

Mont. So God help Montague as he proves true! Hast. And Hastings as he favours Edward's canse!

K. Edw. Now, brother Richard, will you stand by us?

Glou. 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. Exeunt.

SCENE II-A Plain in Warwickshire.

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 rest mistrustful where a noble heart
Hath pawn'd an open hand in sign of love;
Else might I think, that Clarence, Edward's
brother,

10

Were but a feigned friend to our proceedings: But welcome, sweet Clarence; my daughter shall be thine.

And now what rests, but in night's coverture,
Thy brother being carelessly encamp'd,
His soldiers lurking in the towns about,
And but attended by a simple guard,
We may surprise and take him at our pleasure?
Our scouts have found the adventure very easy:
That as Ulysses and stout Diomede
With sleight and manhood stole to Rhesus' tents.
And brought from thence the Thracian fatal
steeds,

Exeunt.