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.Ed. Now, brother Clarence, how like you our choice, That you stand pensive, as half malcontent?

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. 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, and '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 appeas'd, By such inventions 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,9 Which he hath given for fence impregnable, And with their helps only defend ourselves; . In them, and in ourselves, our safety lies.

[9] This has been the advice of every man who in any age understood and favoured the interest of England. JOHNS.

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 malcontent? I will provide thee.
Cla. 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 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, 2

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. [Aside.
Enter a Messenger.

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

[1] It must be remembered, that till the Restoration the heiresses of great estates were in the wardship of the king, who in their minority gave them up to plunder, and afterwards matched them to his favourites. I know not when liberty gained more than by the abolition of the court of wards. JOH. [2] Her father was Sir Richard Widville, Knight, afterwards Earl of Rivers; her mother, Duchess Dowager of Bedford, widow of John Duke of Bedford, brother to King Henry V. MALONE.

22*

VOL. V.

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.

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,

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 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?

Well, I will art me, being thus forewarn'd:
They shall have wars, and pay for their presumption.
But say, is Warwick friends with Margaret ?

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

That young prince Edward marriesWarwick'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.-
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.

[Aside.

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

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.

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.Hen. 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. [Exe.

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 :-) 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,
Were but a feigned friend to our proceedings:

But welcome, 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 surprize and take him at our pleasure?
Our scouts have found the adventure very easy :
That as Ulysses, and stout Diomede, 3

With sleight and manhood stole to Rhesus' tents,
And brought from thence the Thracian fatal steeds;
So we, well cover'd with the night's black mantle,
At unawares may beat down Edward's guard,
And seize himself; I say not-slaughter him,
For I intend only to surprize him.—

You, that will follow me to this attempt,
Applaud the name of Henry, with your leader.

[They all cry, Henry! Why, then, let's on our way in silent sort: For Warwick and his friends, God and Saint George ! [Exeunt.

SCENE III.

EDWARD'S Camp, near Warwick. Enter certain Watchmen to guard the King's tent.

1 Watch. Come on,my masters,each man take his stand; The king, by this, is set him down to sleep.

2 Watch. What, will he not to-bed?

1 Watch. Why, no: for he hath made a solemn vow Never to lie and take his natural rest,

Till Warwick, or himself, be quite supprest.

2 Watch. To-morrow then, belike, shall be the day, If Warwick be so near as men report.

3 Watch. But say, I pray, what nobleman is that, That with the king here resteth in his tent?

1Wat. 'Tis the lord Hastings, the king's chiefest friend. 3 Watch. O, is it so? But why commands the king, That his chief followers lodge in towns about him, While he himself keepeth in the cold field?

2 Watch.'Tis the more honour,because more dangerous. 3 Watch. Ay; but give me worship and quietness,

I like it better than a dangerous honour.

If Warwick knew in what estate he stands,

'Tis to be doubted, he would waken him.

1 Watch. Unless our halberds did shut up his passage. 2 Watch. Ay, wherefore else guard we his royal tent, But to defend his person from night-foes?

[3] See the tenth book of the Iliad. These circumstances, however, were accessible, without reference to Homer in the original.

STEEV.