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 :- Clar. Then this is my opinion,-that king Lewis 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 : Clar. Or else you would not have bestow'd the heir And not be tied unto his brother's will. Q. Eliz. My lords, before it pleas'd his majesty Do me but right, and you must all confess And meaner than myself have had like fortune. 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 ? 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. 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; 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 ; K.Edw. Ha! durst the traitor breathe out so proud Well, I will art me, being thus forewarn'd: Mess. Ay, gracious sovereign; they are so link'd in That young prince Edward marriesWarwick's daughter. [Exit CLARENCE,and SOMERSET follows. Glo. Not I: My thoughts aim at a further matter; I [Aside. K.Edw.Clarence and Somerset both gone to Warwick! Yet am I arm'd against the worst can happen; [Exeunt PEMBROKE and STAFFORD. But, ere I go, Hastings, -and Montague,- I rather wish you foes, than hollow friends; Mont. So God help Montague, as he proves true! Now therefore let us hence; and lose no hour. 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 ;- War. Then, gentle Clarence, welcome unto Warwick; Hath pawn'd an open hand in sign of love; Else might I think, that Clarence, Edward's brother, But welcome, Clarence; my daughter shall be thine. His soldiers lurking in the towns about, And but attended by a simple guard, We may surprize and take him at our pleasure? With sleight and manhood stole to Rhesus' tents, You, that will follow me to this attempt, [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. |