Unless abroad they purchase great alliance?
Το prove him tyrant this reafon my fuffice,
That Henry liveth ftill; but were he dead,
Yet here Prince Edward ftands, King Henry's fon.
Look therefore, Lewis, 'by this league and marriage
Thou draw not on thy danger and difhonour:
For tho' ufurpers fway the rule a while,

I

Yet heav'ns are juft, and time fuppreffeth wrongs.
War. Injurious Margaret!

Prince. And why not Queen?

War. Because thy father Henry did ufurp,
And thou no more art Prince than fhe is Queen.
Oxf. Then Warwick difannuls great John of Gaunt,
Which did fubdue the greatest part of Spain;
And after John of Gaunt, Henry the fourth,
Whose wisdom was a mirror to the wifeft;
And after that wife Prince, Henry the fifth,
Who by his prowefs conquered all France:
From these our Henry lineally defcends.

War. Oxford, how haps it in this fmooth discourse,
You told not how Henry the fixth hath loft

All that which Henry the fifth had gotten?

Methinks thefe Peers of France fhould fmile at that.

But for the reft; you tell a pedigree

Of threescore and two years, a filly time

To make prefcription for a kingdom's worth.

Oxf. Why, Warwick, can't thou fpeak against thy Liege Whom thou obeyedft thirty and fix years,

And not bewray thy treafon with a blush?

War. Can Oxford, that did ever fence the right,
Now buckler falfhood with a pedigree?
For fhame leave Henry, and call Edward King.
Oxf. Call him my King, by whofe injurious doom
My elder brother, the Lord Aubrey Vere,
Was done to death? and more than fo, my father,
Even in the downfal of his mellow'd years,
When nature brought him to the door of death?

1 that by

No,

No, Warwick, no; while life upholds this arm,
This arm upholds the house of Lancaster.
War. And I the houfe of York.

K. Lewis. Queen Margaret, Prince Edward, 2 and
Lord Oxford,

Vouchfafe at our request to stand aside,

While I ufe farther conference with Warwick.

[They stand aloof.

Q. Mar. Heav'ns grant that Warwick's words bewitch him not!

[fcience, K. Lewis. Now, Warwick, tell me even upon thy conIs Edward your true King? for I were loth To link with him that were not lawful chofen.

War. Thereon I pawn my credit and mine honour. K. Lewis. But is he gracious in the people's eyes? War. The more that Henry was unfortunate. K. Lewis. Then further; all diffembling fet afide, Tell me for truth the measure of his love Unto our fifter Bona.

War. Such it seems

As may befeem a Monarch like himfelf:
My felf have often heard him fay and swear
That this his love was a perennial plant,
Whereof the root was fix'd in virtue's ground,
The leaves and fruit maintain'd with beauty's fun,
Exempt from envy, but not from difdain,
Unless the Lady Bona quit his pain.

K. Lewis. Now, fifter, let us hear your firm refolve.
Bona. Your grant or your denial fhall be mine.

Yet I confefs, that often ere this day,

[Speaks to Warwick. When I have heard your King's defert recounted,

Mine ear hath tempted judgment to defire.

[ward's.

K. Lewis. Then, Warwick, this: our fifter fhall be EdAnd now forthwith fhall articles be drawn

Touching the jointure that your King must make,
Which with her dowry fhall be counterpois'd.

Draw near, Queen Margaret, and be a witness
That Bona fhall be wife to th' English King.
Prince. To Edward, but not to the English King.
Q. Mar. Deceitful Warwick, it was thy device
By this alliance to make void my fuit;

Before thy coming Lewis was Henry's friend.

K. Lewis. And still is friend to him and Margaret But if your title to the crown be weak,

7

As may appear by Edward's good fuccefs;
Then 'tis but reason that I be releas'd
From giving aid, which late I promised.
Yet fhall you have all kindness at my hand,
That your estate requires and mine can yield.
War. Henry now lives in Scotland at his ease,
Where having nothing, nothing can he lofe.
And as for you your felf, our quondam Queen,
You have a father able to maintain you,
And better 'twere you troubled him than France.
Q. Mar. Peace, impudent and fhameless Warwick, peace,
Proud fetter-up and puller-down of Kings!
I will not hence, 'till with my talk and tears
(Both full of truth) I make King Lewis behold
Thy fly conveyance, a and thy Lord's falfe love,

[Poft blowing a born within. For both of you are birds of felf-fame feather. K. Lewis. Warwick, this is fome poft to us or thee.

Poft. My Lord ambaffador, these letters are for

you; [To Warwick.

Sent from your brother, Marquifs Montague.

Thefe from our King unto your Majefty. [To K. Lewis. And, Madam, thefe for you, from whom I know not. [To 2. Margaret. They all read their Letters.

Q3

Oxf

(a) By Conveyance is here meant the Art of a Jugler, Tricks of Legerdemain.

Oxf. I like it well, that our fair Queen and mistress Smiles at her news, while Warwick frowns at his.

Prince. Nay, mark how Lewis ftamps as he were nettled. I hope all's for the best.

[Queen?

K. Lewis. Warwick, what are thy news? and yours, fair
Q. Mar. Mine fuch as fills my heart with unhop'd joys.
War. Mine full of forrow and heart's discontent.
K. Lewis. What! has your King marry'd the Lady Gray?
And now, to footh your forgery and his,

Sends me a paper to perfwade me patience?
Is this th' alliance that he feeks with France?
Dare he prefume to fcorn us in this manner?
Q Mar. I told your Majefty as much before;
This proveth Edward's love and Warwick's honefty.
War. King Lewis, I here proteft in fight of heav'n,
And by the hope I have of heav'nly blifs,

That I am clear from this misdeed of Edward's:
No more my King; for he dishonours me,.
But most himself, if he could fee his fhame.
Did I forget that by the houfe of York
My father came untimely to his death?
Did I let pafs th' abuse done to my niece?
Did I impale him with the regal crown?
Did I put Henry from his native right?
And am I guerdon'd at the laft with fhame?
Shame on himself, for my defert is honour!
And to repair my honour loft for him,
I here renounce him, and return to Henry.
My noble Queen, let former grudges pass,
And henceforth I am thy true fervitor:
I will revenge his wrong to Lady Bona,
And replant Henry in his former state.

[to love,

Q. Mar. Warwick, thefe words have turn'd my hate

And I forgive and quite forget old faults,

And joy that thou becom'ft King Henry's friend.
War. So much his friend, ay, his unfeigned friend,
That if King Lewis vouchsafe to furnish us

With fome few bands of chofen foldiers,

I'll undertake to land them on our coaft,
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?

Q.Mar. Renowned Prince, how fhall poor Henry livė, Unless thou rescue him from foul defpair?

Bona. My quarrel and this English Queen's are one. War. And mine, fair Lady Bona, joins with yours. K. Lewis. And mine with hers, and thine, and MarTherefore at last I firmly am refolv'd [garet's.

You fhall have aid.

Q. Mar. Let me give humble thanks for all at once. K. Lewis. Then, England's meffenger, return in poft, 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 fhortly, I wear the willow garland for his fake.

Q. Mar. Tell him, my mourning weeds are laid aside, 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.

'thou

[Exit Poft.

K. Lewis. But, Warwick,
Thy felf and Oxford with five thousand men
Shall cross the feas, and bid false Edward battel:
And as occafion ferves, this noble Queen
And Prince fhall follow with a fresh supply.
Yet ere thou go, but answer me one doubt:
What pledge have we of thy firm loyalty?
War. This fhall affure my conftant loyalty,

Q4

That