The First Web Folio Edition of Shakespeare's Works
London. The palace. |
[Enter GLOUCESTER, CLARENCE, SOMERSET, and MONTAGUE] |
GLOUCESTER | Now tell me, brother Clarence, what think you | ||
Of this new marriage with the Lady Grey? | |||
Hath not our brother made a worthy choice? |
CLARENCE | Alas, you know, 'tis far from hence to France; | ||
How could he stay till Warwick made return? | 5 |
SOMERSET | My lords, forbear this talk; here comes the king. |
GLOUCESTER | And his well-chosen bride. |
CLARENCE | I mind to tell him plainly what I think. | ||
[Flourish. Enter KING EDWARD IV, attended; QUEEN | |||
ELIZABETH, PEMBROKE, STAFFORD, HASTINGS, and others] |
KING EDWARD IV | Now, brother of Clarence, how like you our choice, | ||
That you stand pensive, as half malcontent? | 10 |
CLARENCE | 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. |
KING EDWARD IV | Suppose they take offence without a cause, | ||
They are but Lewis and Warwick: I am Edward, | 15 | ||
Your king and Warwick's, and must have my will. |
GLOUCESTER | And shall have your will, because our king: | ||
Yet hasty marriage seldom proveth well. |
KING EDWARD IV | Yea, brother Richard, are you offended too? |
GLOUCESTER | Not I: | 20 | |
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. |
KING EDWARD IV | Setting your scorns and your mislike aside, | ||
Tell me some reason why the Lady Grey | 25 | ||
Should not become my wife and England's queen. | |||
And you too, Somerset and Montague, | |||
Speak freely what you think. |
CLARENCE | Then this is mine opinion: that King Lewis | ||
Becomes your enemy, for mocking him | 30 | ||
About the marriage of the Lady Bona. |
GLOUCESTER | And Warwick, doing what you gave in charge, | ||
Is now dishonoured by this new marriage. |
KING EDWARD IV | What if both Lewis and Warwick be appeased | ||
By such invention as I can devise? | 35 |
MONTAGUE | Yet, to have join'd with France in such alliance | ||
Would more have strengthen'd this our commonwealth | |||
'Gainst foreign storms than any home-bred marriage. |
HASTINGS | Why, knows not Montague that of itself | ||
England is safe, if true within itself? | 40 |
MONTAGUE | But the safer when 'tis back'd with France. |
HASTINGS | '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; | 45 | ||
In them and in ourselves our safety lies. |
CLARENCE | For this one speech Lord Hastings well deserves | ||
To have the heir of the Lord Hungerford. |
KING EDWARD IV | Ay, what of that? it was my will and grant; | ||
And for this once my will shall stand for law. | 50 |
GLOUCESTER | 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. | 55 |
CLARENCE | 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. |
KING EDWARD IV | Alas, poor Clarence! is it for a wife | ||
That thou art malcontent? I will provide thee. | 60 |
CLARENCE | In choosing for yourself, you show'd your judgment, | ||
Which being shallow, you give me leave | |||
To play the broker in mine own behalf; | |||
And to that end I shortly mind to leave you. |
KING EDWARD IV | Leave me, or tarry, Edward will be king, | 65 | |
And not be tied unto his brother's will. |
QUEEN ELIZABETH | My lords, before it pleased 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; | 70 | ||
And meaner than myself have had like fortune. | |||
But as this title honours me and mine, | |||
So your dislike, to whom I would be pleasing, | |||
Doth cloud my joys with danger and with sorrow. |
KING EDWARD IV | My love, forbear to fawn upon their frowns: | 75 | |
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; | 80 | ||
Which if they do, yet will I keep thee safe, | |||
And they shall feel the vengeance of my wrath. |
GLOUCESTER | [Aside] I hear, yet say not much, but think the more. | ||
[Enter a Post] |
KING EDWARD IV | Now, messenger, what letters or what news | ||
From France? | 85 |
Post | My sovereign liege, no letters; and few words, | ||
But such as I, without your special pardon, | |||
Dare not relate. |
KING EDWARD IV | Go to, we pardon thee: therefore, in brief, | ||
Tell me their words as near as thou canst guess them. | 90 | ||
What answer makes King Lewis unto our letters? |
Post | At my depart, these were his very words: | ||
'Go tell false Edward, thy supposed king, | |||
That Lewis of France is sending over masquers | |||
To revel it with him and his new bride.' | 95 |
KING EDWARD IV | Is Lewis so brave? belike he thinks me Henry. | ||
But what said Lady Bona to my marriage? |
Post | These were her words, utter'd with mad disdain: | ||
'Tell him, in hope he'll prove a widower shortly, | |||
I'll wear the willow garland for his sake.' | 100 |
KING EDWARD IV | I blame not her, she could say little less; | ||
She had the wrong. But what said Henry's queen? | |||
For I have heard that she was there in place. |
Post | 'Tell him,' quoth she, 'my mourning weeds are done, | ||
And I am ready to put armour on.' | 105 |
KING EDWARD IV | Belike she minds to play the Amazon. | ||
But what said Warwick to these injuries? |
Post | He, more incensed against your majesty | ||
Than all the rest, discharged me with these words: | |||
'Tell him from me that he hath done me wrong, | 110 | ||
And therefore I'll uncrown him ere't be long.' |
KING EDWARD IV | Ha! durst the traitor breathe out so proud words? | ||
Well I will arm me, being thus forewarn'd: | |||
They shall have wars and pay for their presumption. | |||
But say, is Warwick friends with Margaret? | 115 |
Post | Ay, gracious sovereign; they are so link'd in | ||
friendship | |||
That young Prince Edward marries Warwick's daughter. |
CLARENCE | Belike the elder; Clarence will have the younger. | ||
Now, brother king, farewell, and sit you fast, | 120 | ||
For I will hence to Warwick's other daughter; | |||
That, though I want a kingdom, yet in marriage | |||
I may not prove inferior to yourself. | |||
You that love me and Warwick, follow me. | |||
[Exit CLARENCE, and SOMERSET follows] |
GLOUCESTER | [Aside] Not I: | 125 | |
My thoughts aim at a further matter; I | |||
Stay not for the love of Edward, but the crown. |
KING EDWARD IV | Clarence and Somerset both gone to Warwick! | ||
Yet am I arm'd against the worst can happen; | |||
And haste is needful in this desperate case. | 130 | ||
Pembroke and Stafford, you in our behalf | |||
Go levy men, and make prepare for war; | |||
They are already, or quickly will be landed: | |||
Myself in person will straight follow you. | |||
[Exeunt PEMBROKE and STAFFORD] | |||
But, ere I go, Hastings and Montague, | 135 | ||
Resolve my doubt. You twain, of all the rest, | |||
Are near to Warwick by blood and by alliance: | |||
Tell me if you love Warwick more than me? | |||
If it be so, then both depart to him; | |||
I rather wish you foes than hollow friends: | 140 | ||
But if you mind to hold your true obedience, | |||
Give me assurance with some friendly vow, | |||
That I may never have you in suspect. |
MONTAGUE | So God help Montague as he proves true! |
HASTINGS | And Hastings as he favours Edward's cause! | 145 |
KING EDWARD IV | Now, brother Richard, will you stand by us? |
GLOUCESTER | Ay, in despite of all that shall withstand you. |
KING EDWARD IV | Why, so! then am I sure of victory. | ||
Now therefore let us hence; and lose no hour, | |||
Till we meet Warwick with his foreign power. | 150 | ||
[Exeunt] |
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