With fome few bands of chofen foldiers,
I'll undertake to land them on our coast,
And force the tyrant from his feat by war.
'Tis not his new-made bride fhall fuccour him,
And, as for Clarence, as my letters tell me,
He's very likely now to fall from him,
For matching more for wanton luft than honour,
Or than for ftrength and fafety of our Country.
Bona. Dear brother, how fhall Bona be reveng'd,
But by thy help to this diftreffed Queen ?

Queen. Renowned Prince, how fhall 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 Mar-
garet's.

Therefore at laft I firmly am refolv'd

You fhall fhave aid.

Queen. Let me give humble thanks for all at once. K. Lew. Then, England's meffenger, return in post, And tell falfe Edward, thy fuppofed King,

That Lewis of France is fending over maskers,

To revel it with him and his new bride.

Thou feeft what's paft, go fear thy King withal.

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

Queen. Tell him, my mourning weeds are laid afide; 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,

Thyfelf and Oxford with five thousand men

[Exit Poft.

Shall cross the feas, and bid falfe Edward battle:
And, as occafion ferves, this noble Queen
And prince fhall follow with a fresh supply.
Yet ere thou go, but anfwer me one doubt:
What pledge have we of thy firm loyalty?

War. This fhall affure my conftant loyalty,
That if our Queen and this young Prince agree,

I'll join my younger daughter and my joy (6)
To him forthwith, in holy wedlock bands.

Queen. Yes, I agree, and thank you for your motion. Son Edward, fhe is fair and virtuous;

Therefore delay not, give thy hand to Warwick,
And, with thy hand, thy faith irrevocable,
That only Warwick's daughter fhall be thine.
Prince. Yes, I accept her, for fhe well deferves it:
And here to pledge my vow, I give my hand.

[He gives his hand to Warwick. K. Lew. Why ftay we now; these foldiers fhall be levy'd,

And thou, lord, Bourbon, our High Admiral,
Shalt 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.

Manet Warwick.
War. I came from Edward as ambassador,
But I return his fworn and mortal foe:
Matter of marriage was the Charge he gave me,
But dreadful war fhall anfwer his demand.
Had he none elfe to make a Stale, but me?
Then none but I fhall turn his jeft to forrow.
I was the chief that rais'd him to the Crown,
And I'll be chief to bring him down again:
Not that I pity Henry's mifery,

But feek revenge on Edward's mockery.

(6) I'll join my eldest Daughter and my Joy,

[Exit.

To bim forthwith,] Surely, this is a Miftake of the Copyifts. Hall, in the 9th Year of K. Edward IV. fays, Edward, Prince of Wales, wedded Anne SECOND Daughter to the Earl of Warwick. And the Duke of Clarence was in Love with the ELDER, the Lady Ifabel; and in Reality was married to her five Years before Prince Edward took the Lady Anne to Wife.

And in K. Richard 3d, Gloucefter, who married this Lady Anne when a Widow, fays.

For then I'll marry Warwick's YOUNGEST Daughter.
What tho' I kill'd her Husband and her Father?

i. e. Prince Edward, and K. Henry VI. her Father in Law. See likewife Holingshead in his Chronicle; p, 671 and 674.

ACT

SCENE, the Palace in England.

Enter Gloucefter, Clarence, Somerfet and Montague.

N

GLOUCESTER.

OW tell me, brother Clarence, what think you Of this new marriage with the lady Gray? Hath not our brother made a worthy choice? Clar. Alas, you know, 'tis far from hence to France: How could he ftay till Warwick made Return?

Som. My lords, forbear this talk: here comes the King. Flourish. Enter King Edward, Lady Gray as Queen, Pembroke, Stafford, and Haftings. Four stand on one fide, and four on the other.

Glo. And his well chosen bride.

Clar. I mind to tell him plainly what I think.

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

That

you ftand penfive, as half malecontent?

Clar. As well as Lewis of France, or th' Earl of
Warwick,

Which are fo weak of courage, and in judgment,
That they'll take no offence at our abuse.

K. Edw. Suppofe, they take offence without a cause. They are but Lewis and Warwick, and I am Edward, Your King and Warwick's, and must have my will.

Glo. And you fhall have your will, because our King. Yet hafty marriage feldom proveth well.

K. Edw. Yea, brother Richard, are you offended too? Glo. Not I; no: God forbid, that I should wish Them fevered whom God hath join'd together:

Pity to funder them, that yoak fo well.

K. Ed. Setting your fcorns and your miflike afide, Tell me fome reafon, why the lady Gray

Should not become my wife, and England's Queen ?
And you too, Somerfet and Montague,

Speak freely what you think.

Clar. Then this is my opinion; that King Lerwis 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 andWarwick be appeas'd, By fuch invention as I can devife?

Mont. Yet to have join'd with France in such alliance, Would more have ftrengthen'd this our Commonwealth 'Gainft foreign ftorms, than any home-bred marriage. Haft. Why, knows not Montague, that of itself England is fafe, if true within itself?

Mont. Yes; but the fafer, when 'tis back'd with France. Haft. 'Tis better ufing France, than trufting France. Let us be back'd with God, and with the feas, Which he hath given for fence impregnable, And with their helps alone defend ourselves: In them, and in ourselves, our safety lyes.

Clar. For this one speech, lord Haftings well deferves 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 fhall ftand 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 elfe you would not have bestow'd the heir
Of the lord Bonvill on your new wife's fon,
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 chufing for your felf, you fhew'd your
judgment;

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

K. Edw. Leave me, or tarry, Edward will be King, And not be ty'd unto his brother's will.

Queen. 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 confefs
That I was not ignoble of Defcent;

And meaner than myself have had like fortune.
But as this Title honours me and mine,

So your diflikes, to whom I would be pleafing,
Do cloud my joys with danger and with forrow.
K. Edw. My Love, forbear to fawn upon their frowns;
What danger, or what forrow, can befal thee,
So long as Edward is thy conftant friend,

And their true Sov'reign, whom they must obey?
Nay, whom they fhall obey, and love thee too,
Unless they feek for hatred at my hands:
Which if they do, yet will I keep thee fafe;
And they shall feel the vengeance of my wrath.
Glo. I hear, yet say not much, but think the more.

Enter a Poft.

K. Edw. Now, Messenger, what letters or what news from France?

Poft. My Sovereign Liege, no letters, and few words; But fuch as I (without your special pardon)

Dare not relate.

K. Edw. Go to, we pardon thee:

So tell their words, as near as thou canft guess them.
What answer makes King Lewis to our letters?
Poft. At my Depart, these were his very words;
Go tell falfe Edward, thy fuppofed King,
That Lewis of France is fending over maskers
To revel it with him and his new bride.

K. Edw. Is Lewis fo brave? belike, he thinks me Henry. But what faid lady Bona to my Marriage?

Poft. These were her words, utter'd with mild difdain : Tell him, in hope he'll prove a widower shortly,