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 keeper's fee: This is the quondam king; let's seize upon him. K. Hen. Let me embrace these our adversities; For wise men say, it is the wisest course. 2 Keep. Why linger we? Let us lay hands upon him. 1 Keep. Forbear awhile; we'll hear a little more. K. Hen. My queen, and son, are gone to And, as I hear, the great commanding War- more: K. Hen. More than I seem, and less than I was born to: A man at least, for less I should 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, [tented Your crown content, and yon, must be conTo 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 remain. a man? Ah, simple men, you know not what you swear And be you kings; command, and I'll obey. 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 in the king's, To go with us unto the officers. K. Hen. In God's name, lead; your king's And what God will, then let your king pername be obey'd: [form; And what he will, I humbly yield unto. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-London.-A Room in the Palace. Enter King EDWARD, GLOSTER, CLARENCE, und Lady GREY. K. Edw. Brother of Gloster, at Saint Albans' field The lady's husband, Sir John Grey, was slain; It were dishonour, to deny it her. K. Edw. It were no less; but yet I'll make I see, the lady hath a thing to grant, [Aside. Aside. K. Edw. Widow, we will consider of your suit, And come some other time to know our mind. L. Grey. Right gracious lord, I cannot brook delay: [now; May it please your highness to resolve me 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. I fear her not, unless she chance to fall. [Aside. Glo. God forbid that! for he'll take 'vanta[Aside. ges. K. Edw. How many children hast thou, widow? Tell me. Clar. I think he means to beg a child of her. [Aside. Glo. Nay, whip me then; he'll rather give her two. [Aside. L. Grey. Three, my most gracious lord. Glo. You shall have four, if you'll be rul'd by him. [Aside. K. Edw. "Twere pity, they should lose their father's land. L. Grey. Be pitiful, dread lord, and grant it then. K. Edw. Lords, give us leave; I'll try this widow's wit. Glo. Ay, good leave* have you; for you will have leave, [crutch. Till youth take leave, and leave you to the [GLOSTER and CLARENCE retire to the other side. K. Edw. Now tell me, madam, do you love your children? L. Grey. Ay, full as dearly as I love myself. K. Edw. And would you not do much to do them good? L. Grey. To do them good, I would sustain some harm. K. Edw. Then get your husband's land, to do them good. L. Grey. Therefore I came unto your majesty. K. Edw. I'll tell you how these lands are to be got. L. Grey. So shall you bind me to your high K. Edw. But you will take exceptions to my boon. L. Grey. No, gracious lord, except I cannot do it. K. Edw. Ay, but thou canst do what I mean to ask. L. Grey. Why, then I will do what your grace commands. Glo. He plies her hard; and much rain wears the marble. [Aside. Clar. As red as fire! Nay, then her wax must melt. [Aside. L. Grey. Why stops my lord? Shall I not hear my task? K. Edw. An easy task; 'tis but to love a king. L. Grey. That's soon perform'd, because I am a subject. K. Edw. Why then, thy husband's lands I freely give thee. L. Grey. I take my leave, with many thousand thanks. Glo. The match is made; she seals it with a curt'sy. [Aside. K. Edw. But stay thee, 'tis the fruits of love I mean. L. Grey. The fruits of love I mean, my loving liege. K. Edw. Ay, but, I fear me, in another sense. What love, think'st thou, I sue so much to get? L. Grey. My love till death, my humble thanks, my prayers; That love, which virtue begs, and virtue grants. K. Edw. No, by my troth, I did not mean such love. L. Grey. Why, then you mean not as I thought you did. K. Edw. But now you partly may perceive my mind. This phrase implies readiness of assent. L. Grey. My mind will never grant what I perceive Your highness aims at, if I aim aright. thee. L. Grey. To tell you plain, I had rather lie in prison. K. Edw. Why, then thou shalt not have thy husband's lands. L. Grey. Why, then mine honesty shall be my dower; For by that loss I will not purchase them. K. Edw. Therein thou wrong'st thy children mightily. L. Grey. Herein your highness wrongs both them and me. But, mighty lord, this merry inclination, No; if thou dost say no, to my demand. an end. Glo. The widow likes him not, she knits her brows. [Aside. Clar. He is the bluntest wooer in Christendom. K. Edw. [Aside.] Her looks do argue her replete with modesty ; Her words do show her wit incomparable; cious lord: K. Edw. Well, jest on, brothers: I can tell you both, der suit is granted for her husband's lands. Enter a NOBLEMAN. Nob. My gracious lord, Henry your foe is taken, And brought your prisoner to your palace gate. And go we, brothers, to the man that took him, [Exeunt King EDWARD, Lady GREY, CLA- Glo. Ay, Edward will use women honourably. [all, Would he were wasted, marrow, bones, and That from his loins no hopeful branch may spring, To cross me from the golden time I look for! Wishing his foot were equal with his eye; And chides the sea that sunders him from thence, Saying-he'll lade it dry to have his way: * Encircled. | Seeking a way, and straying from the way; And wet my cheeks with artificial tears, [Exit, SCENE III.-France.-A Room in the Palace. Sit down with us; it ill befits thy state, Q. Mar. No, mighty king of France; now K. Lew. Why, say, fair queen, whence springs this deep despair? Q. Mar. From such a cause as fills mine eyes with tears, And stops my tongue, while heart is drown'd in cares. K. Lew. Whate'er it be, be thou still like thyself, And sit thee by our side: yield not thy neck Q. Mar. Those gracious words revive my drooping thoughts, [speak. And give my tongue-tied sorrows leave to Now, therefore, be it known to noble Lewis,—That Henry, sole possessor of my love, Is, of a king, become a banish'd man, And forc'd to live in Scotland a forlorn; While proud ambitious Edward, duke of Usurps the regal title, and the seat [York, Of England's true-anointed lawful king. This is the cause, that I, poor Margaret,With this my son, prince Edward, Henry's heir, Am come to crave thy just and lawful aid; And, if thou fail us, all our hope is done: Scotland hath will to help, but cannot help; Our people and our peers are both misled, Our treasure seiz'd, our soldiers put to flight, And, as thou see'st, ourselves in heavy plight. calm the storm, While we bethink a means to break it off. K. Lew. Renowned queen, with patience | But for the rest,-You tell a pedigree Q. Mar. The more we stay, the stronger grows our foe. K. Lew. The more I stay, the more I'll succour thee. sorrow: Q. Mar. O, but impatience waiteth on true [row. And see, where comes the breeder of my sor Enter WARWICK, attended. K. Lew. What's he, approacheth boldly to our presence? Q. Mar. Our earl of Warwick, Edward's greatest friend. K. Lew. Welcome, brave Warwick! What brings thee to France? [Descending from his State, Queen MARGARET rises. Q. Mur. Ay, now begins a second storm to rise; For this is he, that moves both wind and tide. Q. Mur. If that go forward, Henry's hope is done. War. And, gracious madam, [To BONA.] in our king's behalf, I am commanded, with your leave and favour, Humbly to kiss your hand, and with my tongue To tell the passion of my sovereign's heart; Where fame, late entering at his heedful ears, Hath plac'd thy beauty's image, and thy virtue. Q. Mar. King Lewis,-and lady Bona,hear me speak, Before you answer Warwick. His demand Springs not from Edward's well-meant honest But from deceit, bred by necessity; [love, For how ean tyrants safely govern home, Unless abroad they purchase great alliance? To prove him tyrant, this reason may suffice, That Henry liveth still but were he dead, Yet here prince Edward stands, king Henry's [marriage Look therefore, Lewis, that by this league and Thou draw not on thy danger and dishonour: For though usurpers sway the rule a while, Yet heavens are just, and time suppresseth son. wrongs. War. Injurious Margaret! War. Because thy father Henry did usurp; And thou no more art prince, than she is queen. Oxf. Then Warwick disannuls great John of Gaunt, Which did subdue the greatest part of Spain; And, after John of Gaunt, Henry the fourth, Whose wisdom was a mirror to the wisest; And, after that wise prince, Henry the fifth, Who by his prowess conquered all France; From these our Henry lineally descends. War. Oxford, how haps it, in this smooth discourse, You told not, how Henry the sixth hath lost All that which Henry the fifth had gotten? Methinks, these peers of France should smile) at that. Whom thou obey'd'st thirty and six years, And not bewray thy treason with a blush? War. Can Oxford, that did ever fence the right, Now buckler falsehood with a pedigree? For shame, leave Henry, and call Edward king. Oxf. Call him my king, by whose injurious doom My elder brother, the lord Aubrey Vere, Was done to death? and more than so, my father, Even in the downfall of his mellow'd years, [Retiring with the PRINCE and OXFORD. K. Lew. Now, Warwick, tell me, even upor thy conscience, Is Edward your true king? for I were loath, To link with him that were not lawful chosen. War. Thereon I pawn my credit and mine But if your title to the crown be weak,- Where having nothing, nothing he can lose. Q. Mar. Peace, impudent and shameless Proud setter-up and puller-down of kings! Enter a MESSENGER. Mess. My lord ambassador, these letters are for you; Sent from your brother, marquis Montague. These from our king unto your majesty.And, madam, these for you; from whom, I know not. To MARGARET. They all read their Letters. Oxf. I like it well, that our fair queen and mistress [his. Smiles at her news, while Warwick frowns at Prince. Nay, mark, how Lewis stamps as he were nettled: I hope, all's for the best. K. Lew. Warwick, what are thy news? and, yours, fair queen? Q. Mur. Mine, such as fill my heart with unhop'd joys. War. Mine, full of sorrow and heart's dis content. K. Lew. What! has your king married the lady Grey? And now, to sooth your forgery and his, Sends me a paper to persuade me patience? Is this the alliance that he seeks with France? Dare he presume to scorn us in this manner? Q. Mar. I told your majesty as much before: This proveth Edward's love, and Warwick's honesty. War. King Lewis, I here protest,-in sight of heaven, And by the hope I have of heavenly bliss,- Q. Mar. Warwick, these words have turn'd my hate to love; And I forgive and quite forget old faults, |