WARWICK    Henry now lives in Scotland at his ease,

  Where having nothing, nothing can he lose.

  And as for you yourself, our quondam155 queen,

  You have a father able to maintain you,

  And better ’twere you troubled him than France.

  QUEEN MARGARET    Peace, impudent and shameless Warwick,

  Proud setter-up and puller-down of kings.

  I will not hence160, till with my talk and tears —

  Both full of truth — I make King Lewis behold

  Thy sly conveyance162 and thy lord’s false love,

  Post. blowing a horn within

  For both of you are birds of selfsame feather.

  KING LEWIS    Warwick, this is some post to us or thee.

  Enter the Post

  POST    My lord ambassador, these letters are for you,

  Speaks to Warwick

  Sent from your brother, Marquis Montague.—

  To Lewis

  These from our king unto your majesty.—

  To Margaret

  And, madam, these for you, from whom I know not.

  They all read their letters

  OXFORD    I like it well that our fair queen and mistress

  Smiles at her news, while Warwick frowns at his.

  PRINCE EDWARD    Nay, mark how Lewis stamps, as171 he were nettled.

  I hope all’s for the best.

  KING LEWIS    Warwick, what are thy news?— And yours, fair queen?

  QUEEN MARGARET    Mine, such as fill my heart with unhoped174 joys.

  WARWICK    Mine, full of sorrow and heart’s discontent.

  KING LEWIS    What? Has your king married the Lady Grey?

  And now, to soothe your forgery177 and his,

  Sends me a paper to persuade me patience?

  Is this th’alliance that he seeks with France?

  Dare he presume to scorn180 us in this manner?

  QUEEN MARGARET    I told your majesty as much before:

  This proveth Edward’s love and Warwick’s honesty.

  WARWICK    King Lewis, I here protest, in sight of heaven

  And by the hope I have of heavenly bliss,

  That I am clear from185 this misdeed of Edward’s,

  No more my king, for he dishonours me,

  But most himself, if he could see his shame.

  Did I forget that by the house of York

  My father came untimely to his death?189

  Did I let pass th’abuse done to my niece190?

  Did I impale him191 with the regal crown?

  Did I put192 Henry from his native right?

  And am I guerdoned193 at the last with shame?

  Shame on himself, for my desert194 is honour.

  And to repair my honour lost for him,

  I here renounce him and return to Henry.—

  My noble queen, let former grudges pass,

  And henceforth I am thy true servitor198.

  I will revenge his wrong to Lady Bona,

  And replant Henry in his former state.

  QUEEN MARGARET    Warwick, these words have turned my hate to love,

  And I forgive and quite forget old faults,

  And joy203 that thou becom’st King Henry’s friend.

  WARWICK    So much his friend, ay, his unfeignèd204 friend,

  That, if King Lewis vouchsafe to furnish205 us

  With some few bands206 of chosen soldiers,

  I’ll undertake to land them on our coast

  And force the tyrant from his seat by war.

  ’Tis not his new-made bride shall succour him.

  And as for Clarence, as my letters tell me,

  He’s very likely now to fall from211 him

  For matching212 more for wanton lust than honour,

  Or than for strength and safety of our country.

  BONA    Dear brother, how shall Bona be revenged

  But by thy help to this distressèd queen?

  QUEEN MARGARET    Renownèd prince, how shall poor Henry live,

  Unless thou rescue him from foul despair?

  BONA    My quarrel and this English queen’s are one.

  WARWICK    And mine, fair Lady Bona, joins with yours.

  KING LEWIS    And mine with hers, and thine, and Margaret’s.

  Therefore at last I firmly am resolved

  You shall have aid.

  QUEEN MARGARET    Let me give humble thanks for all at once.

  KING LEWIS    Then, England’s messenger, return in post224

  And tell false Edward, thy supposèd king,

  That Lewis of France is sending over masquers226

  To revel it with him and his new bride.

  Thou see’st what’s passed, go fear thy king withal228.

  BONA    Tell him, in hope he’ll prove a widower shortly,

  I’ll wear the willow garland230 for his sake.

  QUEEN MARGARET    Tell him, my mourning weeds231 are laid aside,

  And I am ready to put armour on.

  WARWICK    Tell him from me that he hath done me wrong,

  And therefore I’ll uncrown him ere’t be234 long.

  Gives money

  There’s thy reward235. Be gone.

  Exit Post

  KING LEWIS    But, Warwick,

  Thou and Oxford, with five thousand men

  Shall cross the seas, and bid238 false Edward battle.

  And, as occasion239 serves, this noble queen

  And prince shall follow with a fresh supply240.

  Yet, ere thou go, but answer me one doubt:

  What pledge have we of thy firm loyalty?

  WARWICK    This shall assure my constant loyalty,

  That if our queen and this young prince agree,

  I’ll join mine eldest daughter245 and my joy

  To him forthwith in holy wedlock bands246.

  QUEEN MARGARET    Yes, I agree, and thank you for your motion247.—

  Son Edward, she is fair and virtuous:

  Therefore delay not, give thy hand to Warwick,

  And, with thy hand, thy faith irrevocable,

  That only Warwick’s daughter shall be thine.

  PRINCE EDWARD    Yes, I accept her, for she well deserves it.

  And here, to pledge my vow, I give my hand.

  He gives his hand to Warwick

  KING LEWIS    Why stay we now? These soldiers shall be levied.—

  And thou, Lord Bourbon, our High Admiral,

  Shall waft256 them over with our royal fleet.

  I long till Edward fall by war’s mischance,

  For mocking marriage with a dame of France.

  Exeunt, Warwick remains

  WARWICK    I came from Edward as ambassador,

  But I return his sworn and mortal foe:

  Matter of marriage was the charge he gave me,

  But dreadful war shall answer his demand.

  Had he none else to make a stale263 but me?

  Then none but I shall turn his jest to sorrow.

  I was the chief that raised him to the crown,

  And I’ll be chief to bring him down again,

  Not that I pity Henry’s misery,

  But seek revenge on Edward’s mockery.

  Exit

  [Act 4 Scene 1]

  running scene 9

  Enter Richard [of 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 stay5 till Warwick made return?

  SOMERSET    My lords, forbear this talk: here comes the king.

  GLOUCESTER    And his well-chosen bride.

  CLARENCE    I mind8 to tell him plainly what I think.

  Flourish. Enter King Edward, Lady Grey [now Queen Elizabeth], Pembroke, Stafford, Hastings: four stand on one side and four on the other

  KING EDWARD IV    Now, brother of Clarence, how like you our choice,

  That you stand pensive, as half malcontent10?

  CLARENCE    As well as Lewis of France, or the Earl of Warwick,

  Which12 are so weak of courage and in judgement

  That they’ll take no offence at our abuse13.

  KING EDWARD IV    Suppose they take offence without a cause:

  They are but Lewis and Warwick. I am Edward,

  Your king and Warwick’s, and must have my will16.

  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, no:

  God forbid that I should wish them severed

  Whom God hath joined together. Ay, and ’twere pity

  To sunder them that yoke23 so well together.

  KING EDWARD IV    Setting your scorns and your mislike24 aside,

  Tell me some reason why the lady Grey

  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

  About the marriage of the lady Bona.

  GLOUCESTER    And Warwick, doing what you gave in charge32,

  Is now dishonoured by this new marriage.

  KING EDWARD IV    What if both Lewis and Warwick be appeased

  By such invention35 as I can devise?

  MONTAGUE    Yet, to have joined with France in such alliance

  Would more have strengthened this our commonwealth

  Gainst foreign storms than any home-bred marriage.

  HASTINGS    Why, knows not Montague that of itself

  England is safe, if true40 within itself?

  MONTAGUE    But the safer when ’tis backed with France.

  HASTINGS    ’Tis better using France than trusting France.

  Let us be backed with God and with the seas

  Which he hath given for fence44 impregnable,

  And with their helps only45 defend ourselves.

  In them, and in ourselves, our safety lies.

  CLARENCE    For this one speech, Lord Hastings well deserves

  To have the heir of the lord Hungerford48.

  KING EDWARD IV    Ay, what of that? It was my will and grant,

  And for this once my will shall stand for law.

  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;53

  She better would have fitted me or Clarence,

  But in your bride you bury55 brotherhood.

  CLARENCE    Or else you would not have bestowed the heir

  Of the lord Bonville on your new wife’s son57,

  And leave your brothers to go speed58 elsewhere.

  KING EDWARD IV    Alas, poor Clarence, is it for a wife

  That thou art malcontent? I will provide thee.

  CLARENCE    In choosing for yourself, you showed your judgement,

  Which being shallow, you shall give me leave

  To play the broker63 in mine own behalf.

  And to that end, I shortly mind64 to leave you.

  KING EDWARD IV    Leave me, or tarry65, Edward will be king,

  And not be tied unto his brother’s will.

  LADY GREY    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,

  And meaner71 than myself have had like fortune.

  But as this title honours me and mine,

  So your dislikes, to whom I would73 be pleasing,

  Doth cloud my joys with danger74 and with sorrow.

  KING EDWARD IV    My love, forbear to fawn upon their frowns75.

  What danger or what sorrow can befall thee,

  So long as Edward is thy constant friend77,

  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,

  Which if they do, yet will I keep thee safe,

  And they shall feel the vengeance of my wrath.

  Aside

  GLOUCESTER    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?

  POST    My sovereign liege, no letters, and few words,

  But such as I, without your special pardon,

  Dare not relate.

  KING EDWARD IV    Go to89, we pardon thee: therefore, in brief,

  Tell me their words as near as thou canst guess90 them.

  What answer makes King Lewis unto our letters?

  POST    At my depart, these were his very words:

  ‘Go tell false Edward, thy supposèd king,

  That Lewis of France is sending over masquers

  To revel it with him and his new bride.’

  KING EDWARD IV    Is Lewis so brave96? Belike he thinks me Henry.

  But what said Lady Bona to my marriage?

  POST    These were her words, uttered with mild disdain:

  ‘Tell him, in hope he’ll prove a widower shortly,

  I’ll wear the willow garland for his sake.’

  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 place103.

  POST    ‘Tell him’, quoth she, ‘my mourning weeds are done104,

  And I am ready to put armour on.’

  KING EDWARD IV    Belike she minds to play the Amazon106.

  But what said Warwick to these injuries107?

  POST    He, more incensed against your majesty

  Than all the rest, discharged109 me with these words:

  ‘Tell him from me that he hath done me wrong,

  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 forewarned.

  They shall have wars and pay for their presumption.—

  But say, is Warwick friends with Margaret?

  POST    Ay, gracious sovereign, they are so linked in friendship

  That young Prince Edward marries Warwick’s daughter.

  Aside

  CLARENCE    Belike118 the elder; Clarence will have the younger.—

  Now, brother king, farewell, and sit you fast119,

  For I will hence to Warwick’s other daughter,

  That, though I want121 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

  Aside

  GLOUCESTER    Not I.

  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 armed against the worst can happen,

  And haste is needful129 in this desp’rate case.—

  Pembroke and Stafford, you in our behalf

  Go levy men, and make prepare131 for war;

  They are already, or quickly will be landed.

  Myself in person will straight133 follow you.

  Exeunt Pembroke and Stafford

  But, ere I go, Hastings and Montague,

  Resolve my doubt. You twain135, 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 hollow139 friends.

  But if you mind to hold your true obedience,

  Give me assurance with some friendly vow,

  That I may never have you in suspect142.

  MONTAGUE    So God help Montague as he proves true.

  HASTINGS    And Hastings as he favours Edward’s cause.