And, having France thy friend, thou shalt not dread The scatter'd foe that hopes to rise again; For on thy shoulder do I build my seat, For Gloster's dukedom is too ominous. War. Tut! that's a foolish observation : Richard, be duke of Gloster. Now to London, To see these honours in possession. [Exeunt. K. Hen. From Scotland am I stol'n, even of pure love, [sight. To greet mine own land with my wishful No, Harry, Harry, 'tis no land of thine; Thy place is fill'd, thy sceptre wrung from thee, [anointed Thy balm wash'd off wherewith thou wast No bending knee will call thee Cæsar now, No humble suitors press to speak for right, No, not a man comes for redress of thee; For how can I help them, and not myself? 1 Keep. Ay, here's a deer whose skin's a keeper's fee: [him. This is the quondam king; let's seize upon K. Hen. Let me embrace these sour adversities; For wise men say it is the wisest course. 2 Keep. Why linger we? let us lay hands upon him. [more. 1 Keep. Forbear a while; we'll hear a little K. Hen. My queen and son are gone to France for aid; [wick And, as I hear, the great commanding WarIs thither gone, to crave the French king's sister To wife for Edward: if this news be true, more; She, on his left side, craving aid for Henry; He, on his right, asking a wife for Edward. She weeps, and says-her Henry is depos'd; He smiles, and says-his Edward is install'd; That she, poor wretch, for grief can speak no Whiles Warwick tells his title, smooths the [wrong, Inferreth arguments of mighty strength, And in conclusion wins the king from her, With promise of his sister, and what else, To strengthen and support King Edward's place. [soul, O Margaret, thus 'twill be; and thou, poor Art then forsaken, as thou went'st forlorn! 2 Keep. Say, what art thou, that talk'st of kings and queens? K. Hen. More than I seem, and less than I was born to: A man at least, for less I should not be; And men may talk of kings, and why not I? 2 Keep. Ay, but thou talk'st as if thou wert a king. [that's enough. K. Hen. Why, so I am, in mind; and 2 Keep. But, if thou be a king, where is thy [my head; crown? K. Hen. My crown is in my heart, not on Not deck'd with diamonds and Indian stones, Nor to be seen: my crown is call'd content, A crown it is, that seldom kings enjoy. 2 Keep. Well, if you be a king crown'd with content, [tented Your crown content, and you, must be conTo go along with us; for, as we think, You are the king, king Edward hath depos'd; And we his subjects, sworn in all allegiance, Will apprehend you as his enemy. K. Hen. But did you never swear, and break an oath? [not now. 2 Keep. No, never such an oath; nor will K. Hen. Where did you dwell when I was king of England? 2 Keep. Here in this country, where we now remain. K. Hen. I was anointed king at nine months Fight closer, or, good faith, you'll catch a blow. old; My father and my grandfather were kings; For we were subjects but while you were king. Ah, simple men, you know not what you swear. And be you kings, command, and I'll obey. K. Hen. So would you be again to Henry, 1 Keep. We charge you, in God's name, and K. Edw. Brother of Gloster, at St. Albans' Glo. Your highness shall do well to grant a pause. Glo. [Aside to Clar.] Yea: is it so? [suit; K. Edw. Widow, we will consider of your And come some other time to know our mind. L. Grey. Right gracious lord, I cannot brook delay: [now; May it please your highness to resolve me 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. [Aside. I fear her not, unless she chance to fall. [vantages. Glo. [Aside.] God forbid that, for he'll take K. Edw. How many children hast thou, widow? tell me. Clar. [Aside. I think, he means to beg a child of her. Glo. [Aside.] Nay, whip me, then; he'll L. Grey. Three, my most gracious lord. K. Edw. Twere pity, they should lose Glo. Ay, good leave have you; for you [Retiring with Clarence. Till youth take leave, and leave you to the crutch. K. Edw. Now, tell me, madam, do you L. Grey. Ay, full as dearly as I love myself. do them good? L. Grey. To do them good, I would sustain K. Edw. Then get your husband's lands to L. Grey. So shall you bind me to your high- K. Edw. What service wilt thou do me, if L. Grey. What you command, that rests in me to do. K. Edw. But you will take exceptions to my L. Grey. No, gracious lord, except I cannot [to ask. do it. K. Edw. Ay, but thou canst do what I mean L. Grey. Why then, I will do what your grace commands. Glo. Aside.] He plies her hard; and much rain wears the marble. Clar. [Aside.] As red as fire! nay then, her wax must melt. L. Grey. Why stops my lord? shall not I hear my task? [king. K. Edw. An easy task: 'tis but to love a L. Grey. That's soon perform'd, because I am a subject. K. Edw. Why then, thy husband's lands I freely give thee. L. Grey. I take my leave with many thousand thanks. Glo. [Aside.] The match is made: she seals it with a court'sy. K. Edw. But stay thee; 'tis the fruits of love I mean. L. Grey. The fruits of love I moan, my Have other some: why, 'tis a happy thing loving liege. [sense. To be the father unto many sons. K. Edw. Ay, but, I fear me, in another Answer no more, for thou shalt be my queen. What love, think'st thou, I sue so much to Glo. [Aside.] The ghostly father now ha h done his shrift. get? L. Grey. My love till death, my humble thanks, my prayers; That love which virtue begs, and virtue grants. K. Edw. No, by my troth, I did not mean such love. L. Grey. Why, then you mean not as I thought you did. K. Edw. But now you partly may perceive my mind. [perceive L. Grey. My mind will never grant what I Your highness aims at, if I aim aright. K. Edw. To tell thee plain, I aim to lie with thee. [in prison. L. Grey. To tell you plain, I had rather lie K. Edw. Why then, thou shalt not have thy husdand's lands. L. Grey. Why then, mine honesty shall be my dower; For by that loss I will not purchase them. K. Edw. Therein thou wrong'st thy children mightily. L. Grey. Herein your highness wrongs both them and me. But, mighty lord, this merry inclination 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 at end. Glo. [Aside to Clar.] The widow likes him not, she knits her brows. Clar. [Aside to Glo.] He is the bluntest wooer in Christendom. K. Edw. [Aside.] Her looks do argue her replete with modesty; Her words do show her wit incomparable; All her perfections challenge sovereignty : One way or other, she is for a king; And she shall be my love, or else my queen. Say, that king Edward take thee for his queen? L. Grey. "Tis better said than done, my graI am a subject fit to jest withal, [cious lord: But far unfit to be a sovereign. [to thee, K. Edw. Sweet widow, by my state I swear I speak no more than what my soul intends; And that is, to enjoy thee for my love. L. Grey. And that is more than I will yield I know I am too mean to be your queen, [unto: 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 sons should call you father. K. Edw. No more, than when my daughters call thee mother. And go we, brothers, to the man that took him, [Exeunt King Edward, Lady Grey, Clarence, and Noblemen. Glo. Ay, Edward will use women honour. ably. fall, 'Would he were wasted, marrow, bones, and That from his loins no hopeful branch may spring, To cross me from the golden time I look for! Is Clarence, Henry, and his son young Edward, Saying he'll lade it dry to have his way: [much, What other pleasure can the world afford? I'll make my heaven in a lady's lap, [ren; And deck my body in gay ornaments, [looks. Thou art a widow, and thou hast some child- And witch sweet ladies with my words and And, by God's mother, I, being but a bachelor, O miserable thought! and more unlikely, Than to accomplish twenty golden crowns! Seeking a way, and straying from the way; And wet my cheeks with artificial tears, Sit down with us: it ill befits thy state Q. Mar. No, mighty king of France: now Must strike her sail, and learn awhile to serve, But now mischance hath trod my title down, Q. Mar. From such a cause as fills mine thyself, And sit thee by our side: [Seats her by him.] To fortune's yoke, but let thy dauntless mind Q. Mar. Those gracious words revive my And give my tongue-tied sorrows leave to speak. K. Lew. Renowned queen, with patience While we bethink a means to break it off. K. Lew. The more I stay, the more I'll Q. Mar. O, but impatience waiteth on true 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, Q. Mar. If that go forward, Henry's hope is done. War. [To Bona.] And, gracious madam, in our king's behalf, virtue. I am commanded, with your leave and favour, Humbly to kiss your hand, and with my tongue To tell the passion of my sov'reign's heart; Where fame, late ent'ring at his heedful ears, Hath plac'd thy beauty's image, and thy [me speak, Q. Mar. King Lewis, and lady Bona, hear Before you answer Warwick. His demand Springs not from Edward's well-meant honest But from deceit, bred by necessity; [love, 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 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 conquerèd all France : From these our Henry lineally descends. War. Oxford, how haps it, in this smooth You told not how Henry the sixth hath lost But for the rest, you tell a pedigree Whom thou obeyed'st thirty and six years, Now buckler falsehood with a pedigree? For shame! leave Henry, and call Edward king. [doom Oxf. Call him my king, by whose injurious 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. |