Son Edward, she is fair and virtuous, 'Therefore delay not, give thy hand to Warwick; And, with thy hand, thy faith irrevocable, 'That only Warwick's daughter shall be thine. * Prince. Yes, I accept her, for she well deserves it; * And here, to pledge my vow, I give my hand.

[He gives his hand to WARWICK. 'K. Lew. Why stay we now? These soldiers shall be levied,

And thou, lord Bourbon, our high admiral, 'Shall 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 all but WARWICK.

War. I came from Edward as embassador,
But I return his sworn and mortal foe:
Matter of marriage was the charge he gave me,
But dreadful war shall answer his demand.
Had he none else to make a stale, but me?
Then none but I shall turn his jest to sorrow.
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 misery,

But seek revenge on Edward's mockery.

[Exit.

ACT IV.

SCENE I. London. A Room in the Palace.

Enter GLOSTER, CLARENCE, SOMERSET, MONTAGUE, and Others.

'Glo. Now tell me, brother Clarence,what think you "Of this new marriage with the lady Grey?

3 to make a stale,-] i. e. stalking-horse, pretence.

* 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.

Flourish. Enter King EDWARD, attended; Lady
GREY, as Queen; PEMBROKE, STAFFORD, HAS-
TINGS, and Others.

Glo. And his well-chosen bride.

* Clar. I mind to tell him plainly what I think.
'K. Edw. Now, brother of 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 :

1

6

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.

6

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 invention as I can devise?

Mont. Yet to have join'd with France in such al

liance,

Would more have strengthen'd this our common

wealth

"'Gainst foreign storms, than any home-bred mår

riage.

'Hast. Why, knows not Montague, that of itself 'England is safe, if true within itself?"

*Mont. Yes; but the safer, when it is back'd with France.

* Hast. '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 well deserves

To have the heir of the lord Hungerford.

• Why, knows not Montague, that of itself

England is safe, if true within itself?] Neither the lapse of two centuries, nor any circumstance which has occurred during that eventful period, has in any degree shook the credit of this observation, or impaired the confidence of the publick in the truth of it." England is and will be still safe, if true within itself."

5 with the seas,] This has been the advice of every man who in any age understood and favoured the interest of England.

'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. 'Clar. 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,7

— you would not have bestow'd the heir-] 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. JOHNSON.

7 — I was not ignoble of descent,] Her father was Sir Richard Widville, Knight, afterwards Earl of Rivers; her mother, Jaqueline, Duchess Dowager of Bedford, who was daughter to Peter of Luxemburgh, Earl of Saint Paul, and widow of John Duke of Bedford, brother to King Henry V.

* 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 [Aside.

more.

Enter a Messenger.

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

news,

From France?

'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?