SCENE I.

ACT III.

- A Chase in the North of England.

Enter two Keepers, with cross-bows in their hands.

1 KEEPER.

NDER this thick-grown brake we'll shroud ourselves;

UNDER

For through this laund anon the deer will come;
And in this covert will we make our stand,
Culling the principal of all the deer.

2 Keep. I'll stay above the hill, so both may shoot. 1 Keep. That cannot be; the noise of thy cross-bow Will scare the herd, and so my shoot is lost. Here stand we both, and aim we at the best: And, for the time shall not seem tedious,

I'll tell thee what befell me on a day

In this self-place where now we mean to stand. 2 Keep. Here comes a man; let's stay till he be ' past.

Enter King HENRY, disguised, with a prayer-book.
K. Hen. From Scotland am I stol'n, even of pure ]
love,

To greet mine own land with my wishful sight.
No, Harry, Harry, 'tis no land of thine;

Thy place is fill'd, thy sceptre wrung from thee,
Thy balm wash'd off wherewith thou wast anointed:
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 keep-]

er's fee.

This is the quondam King: let's seize upon him.

K. Hen. Let me embrace thee, sour adversity; For wise men say it is the wisest course.

2 Keep. Why linger we? let us lay hands upon him. 1 Keep. Forbear a while; we'll hear a little more. K. Hen. My Queen and son are gone to France

for aid;

And, as I hear, the great commanding Warwick
Is thither gone, to crave the French King's sister
To wife for Edward. If this news be true,
Poor Queen and son, your labour is but lost;
For Warwick is a subtle orator,

And Louis a prince soon won with moving words.
By this account, then, Margaret may win him,
For she's a woman to be pitied much :
Her sighs will make a batt'ry in his breast,
Her tears will pierce into a marble heart;
The tiger will be mild whiles she doth mourn,
And Nero will be tainted with remorse
To hear and see her plaints, her brinish tears.
Ay, but she's come to beg; Warwick, to give :
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 more,
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.
O Margaret, thus 'twill be! and thou, poor soul,
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 could 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.

K. Hen. Why, so I am, in mind; and that's

enough.

2 Keep. But, if thou be a king, where is thy crown?

K. Hen. My crown is in my heart, not on my

head;

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,

Your crown content and you must be contented
To 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?

2 Keep. No, never such an oath; nor will not now. K. Hen. Where did you dwell when I was King

of England?

2 Keep. Here in this country, where we now re

main.

K. Hen. I was anointed King at nine months' old, My father and my grandfather were kings,

And you were sworn true subjects unto me;

And tell me, then, have you not broke your oaths?

1 Keep. No;

For we were subjects but while you were King.

K. Hen. Why, am I dead? do I not breathe, a man? Ah, simple men! you know not what you swear. Look, as I blow this feather from my face, And as the air blows it to me again, Obeying with my wind when I do blow, And yielding to another when it blows, Commanded always by the greater gust, Such is the lightness of you common men. But do not break your oaths; for of that sin My mild entreaty shall not make you guilty. Go where you will, the King shall be commanded: And be you kings; command, and I'll obey.

1 Keep. We are true subjects to the King, — King Edward.

K. Hen. So would you be again to Henry

If he were seated as King Edward is.

1 Keep. We charge you, in God's name, and the

King's,

To go with us unto the officers.

K. Hen. In God's name lead; your King's name,

be obey'd:

And what God will, that let your King perform;
And what he will, I humbly yield unto.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

London. A Room in the Palace.

Enter King EDWARD, GLOSTER, CLARENCE, and Lady GREY.

King Edward. Brother of Gloster, at Saint Al-,

ban's field

This lady's husband, Sir John Grey, was slain,
His lands then seiz'd on by the conqueror :
Her suit is now to repossess those lands,
Which we in justice cannot well deny,
Because in quarrel of the House of York
The worthy gentleman did lose his life.

Glo. Your Highness shall do well to grant her '

suit;

It were dishonour to deny it her.

K. Edw.

pause.

It were no less; but yet I'll make a

Glo. [Aside.] Yea; is it so?

I see the lady hath a thing to grant,

Before the King will grant her humble suit.

Clar. [Aside.] He knows the game: how true he keeps the wind!

Glo. [Aside.] Silence!

K. Edw. Widow, we will consider of your suit, And come some other time to know our mind.

Lady Grey. Right gracious lord, I cannot brook' delay:

May it please your Highness to resolve me now,
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.
Fight closer, or, good faith, you'll catch a blow.
Clar. [Aside.] I fear her not, unless she chance

to fall.

Glo. [Aside.] God forbid that, for he'll take ' vantages.

K. Edw. How many children hast thou, widow? › tell me.

Clar. [Aside.] I think he means to beg a child ]

of her.