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ACT IV. SCENE I.

Enter Gloucester, Clarence, Somerset and Montague.

Glo. of this new Marriage with the Lady Gray? OW tell me, Brother Clarence, what think you

Hath not our Brother made a worthy Choice?

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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, Lady Gray as Queen, Pem brook, Stafford, and Haftings: Four ftand on one fide and four on the other.

Glo. And his well-chofen Bride.

Clar. I mind to tell him plainly what I think.
K. Edw. Now, Brother of Clarence,

How like you our Choice,

That you ftand penfive as half Malecontent?
Clar. As well as Lewis of France,

Or the 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 Caufe:
They are but Lewis and Warwick, 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. Yes, Brother Richard, are you offended too? Glo. Not I; no:

God forbid that I fhould wish them fever'd

Whom God hath join'd together.

Ay, and 'twere pity to funder them,

That yoak fo well together.

K. Edw. Setting your Scorns, and your Mislike afide, Tell me fome Reafon, why the Lady Gray

Should not become my Wife, and England's Queen?

And

'And you too, Somerfet and Mountague,
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.

Glo. And Warwick, doing what you gave in charge;
Is now difhonoured by this new Marriage.

K. Edw. What, if both Lewis and Warwick be ap peas'd,

By fuch invention as I can devife?"

Mont. Yet to have join'd with France in fuch Alliance,

Would more have ftrength'ned this our Commonwealth, Gainst foreign Storms, than any home-bred Marriage.

Haft. Why, knows not Montague that of it felf England is fafe, if true within it felf?

Mont. Yes, but the safer, when 'tis back'd with
France.

Haft. 'Tis better ufing 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 our felves:
In them, and in our felves, 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 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 beftow'd the Heir
Of the Lord Bonvill on your new Wife's Son,
And leave your Brothers to go fpeed 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

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You fhew'd your Judgment;

Which being fhallow, you fhall 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.

L. Gray. My Lords, before it pleas'd his Majefty
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 my felf 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 Sorrow.
K.Ed. My Love, forbear to fawn upon their Frowns;.
What Danger, or what Sorrow can befall thee,
So long as Edward is thy conftant Friend,

And their true Soveraign, 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 fhall feel the Vengeance of my Wrath.
Glo. I hear, yet fay not much, but think the more.
Enter a Poft.

K. Edw. Now Meffenger, 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 too, we pardon thee:
Therefore, in brief, tell their Words
As near as thou canft guess them.

What answer makes King Lewis unto 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.Edm. Is Lewis fo brave? belike he thinks me Henry,

But

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 fhortly,
I'll wear the Willow Garland for his fake.

K. Edw. I blame not her, fhe could fay little lefs;
She had the wrong. But what faid Henry's Queen?
For fo I heard that fhe was there in place..
Poft. Tell him (quoth she)
My mourning Weeds are done,

And I am ready to put Armour on.

K. Edw. Belike fhe minds to play the Amazon. But what faid Warwick to these Injuries?

Poft. He, more incens'd against your Majefty Than all the reft, difcharg'd me with thefe Words ; Tell him from me that he hath done me wrong, And therefore I'll uncrown him e'er't be long.

K. Edw. Ha? durft the Traitor breath out fo proud Words?

Well, I will arm me, being thus fore-warn'd:

They fhall have Wars, and pay for their Presumption,
But fay, is Warwick Friends with Margaret ?

Poft. Ay, gracious Sovereign,

They are fo link'd in Friendship,

The young Prince Edward marries Warwick's Daughter.
Clar. Belike the elder;

Clarence will have the younger.

Now Brother King farewel, and fit you fast,
For I will hence to Warwick's other Daughter,
That though I want a Kingdom, yet in Marriage
may not prove inferior to your self.

I

You that love me, and Warwick, follow me.

Glo. Not I:

[Exit Clarence, and Somerset follows.

My Thoughts aim at a further Matter:

I ftay not for the love of Edward, but the Crown. [Afide. K. Edw. Clarence and Somerfet both gone to Warwick? Yet am I arm'd against the worft can happen;

And hafte is needful in this defp'rate Cafe!

Pembrook

.

Pembrook and Stafford, you in our behalf

Go levy Men, and make prepare for War;
They are already, or quickly will be landed:
My felf in Perfon will ftraight follow you.

[Ex. Pembrook and Stafford.

But ere I go, Hastings and Montague
Refolve my doubt, you
twain of all the reft
Are near to Warwick, by Blood and by Alliance:
Tell me, if you love Warwick more than me;
If it be fo, then both depart to him:

I rather wish you Foes than hollow Friends.
But if you mind to hold your true Obedience,
Give me Affurance with fome friendly Vow,
That I may never have you in fuspect.

true.

Mon. So God help Montague, as he proves Haft. And Haftings, as he favours Edward's Caufe. K.Edw. Now, Brother Richard, will you ftand by us? Glo. Ay, in defpight of all that fhall withstand you. K. Edw. Why fo, then am I fure of Victory. Now therefore let us hence, and lofe no hour, Till we meet Warwick, with his Foreign Power.

[Exe

Enter Warwick and Oxford in England, with French

Soldiers.

War. Truft me, my Lord, all hitherto goes well, The common People by numbers fwarm to us.

Enter Clarence and Somerfet.

But fee where Somerfet and Clarence come;
Speak fuddenly, my Lords, are we all Friends?
Clar. Fear not that, my Lord.

War. Then gentle Clarence, welcome unto Warwick,
And welcome Somerset: I hold it Cowardize,
To reft mistrustful, where a Noble Heart
Hath pawn'd an open Hand in fign of Love:
Elfe might I think, that Clarence, Edward's Brother,
Were but a feigned Friend to our Proceedings,

But welcome fweet Clarence, my Daughter shall be thine And now, what refts? but in Night's Coverture,

Thy

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