K. Lew. Why, fay, fair Queen, whence fprings this deep defpair?

Queen. From fuch a cause as fills mine eyes with tears, And ftops my tongue, while my heart's drown'd in cares. K. Lew. Whate'er it be, be thou still like thyfelf, And fit thee by our file. Yield not thy neck

[Seats her by him.

-To Fortune's yoke, but let thy dauntless mind
Still ride in triumph over all mifchance.

Be plain, Queen Margaret, and tell thy grief;
It thall be eas'd, if France can yield relief.

Queen. Thofe gracious words revive my drooping thoughts,

And give my tongue-ty'd forrows leave to fpeak,
Now therefore be it known to Noble Lewis,
That Henry, fole poffeffor 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 York,
Ufurps the regal title and the feat

Of England's true anointed lawful King.
This is the cause that I, poor Margaret,
With this my fon Prince Edward, Henry's heir,
Am come to crave thy juft 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 feiz'd, our foldiers put to flight,
And, as thou feeft, ourselves, in heavy plight.

K. Lew. Renowned Queen, with patience calm the ftorm,

While we bethink a means to break it off.

Queen. The more we stay, the stronger grows our foe. K. Lew. The more I ftay, the more I ll fuccour thee. Queen. O, but impatience waiting, rues to morrow; And fee where comes the breeder of my forrow.

SCENE V. Enter Warwick,

K. Lew. What's he approacheth boldly to our prefence?

Queen. Our Earl of Warwick, Edward's greatest friend.

K. Lew. Welcome, brave Warwick: what brings
thee to France? [He defcends. She arifeth.
Queen. Ay, now begins a fecond storm to rile;
For this is he that moves both wind and tide.
War. From worthy Edward, King of Albion,
My Lord and Sov'reign, and thy vowed friend,
I come (in kindness and unfeigned love)
First to do greetings to thy royal person;
And then to crave a league of amity;
And, lastly, to confirm that amity

With nuptial knot, if, thou vouchfafe to grant
That virtuous Lady Bona, thy fair fifler,
To England's King in lawful marriage.

Queen. If that go forward, Henry's hope is done!
War. And, gracious Madam, in our King's behalf,
[Speaking to Bona.
I am commanded, with your leave and favour,
Humbly to kifs your hand; and with my tongue
To tell the paffion of my Sov'reign's heart;
Where fame late ent'ring at his heedful ears,
Hath plac'd thy beauty's image and thy virtue's.
Queen. King Lewis, and Lady Bona, hear me speak,
Before you answer Warwick. His demand
Springs not from Edward's well-meant honeft love,
But from deceit bred by neceffity:

For how can tyrants fafely govern home,
Unless abroad they purchase great alliance?
To prove him tyrant, this reafon may fuffice,
That Henry liveth ftill; but were he dead,
Yet here Prince Edward ftands, King Henry's fon.
Look therefore, Lewis, that by this league and marriage
Thou draw not on thy danger and dishonour:

For tho' ufurpers fway the rule a while,
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 she 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 wildom was a mirrour to the wifeft;

And after that wife prince, Henry the Fifth,
Who by his prowess conquered all France.
From these our Henry lineally defcends.

War. Oxford, how haps it, in this smooth discourse, You told not, how Henry the Sixth bath 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 threefcore and two years, a filly time

To make prescription for a kingdom's worth.

[Liege,

Oxf. Why, Warwick, canft thou speak against thy Whom thou obeyed ft thirty and fix years, And not bewray thy treafon with a blufh? War. Can Oxford that did ever fence the right, Now buckler falfehood with a pedigree?

For fhame, 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 fo, my father,
Even in the downfal of his mellow'd years,
When nature brought him to the door of death?
No, Warwick, no; while life upholds this arm,
This arm upholds the house of Lancaster.

War. And I the houfe of York.

K. Lew. Queen Margaret, Prince Edward, and Lord Vouchsafe at our request to ftand afide, [Oxford, While I use farther conference with Warwick.

him not!

Queen. Heav'ns grant that Warwick's words bewitch [They stand aloof. K. Lew. Now, Warwick, tell me even upon thy confcience,

Is 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. Lew. But is he gracious in the people's eyes?
War. The more that Henry was unfortunate.
K. Lew. 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 himself.

Myfelf have often heard him say and swear,

That this his love was an eternal 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. Lew. Now, fifter, let us hear your firm resolve. Bona. Your grant, or your denial, shall be mine. Yet I confefs, that often ere this day, [Speaks to War. When I have heard your King's defert recounted, Mine ear hath tempted judgment to defire.

K. Lew. Then, Warwick, this: Our fifter fhall be And now forthwith fhall articles be drawn [Edward's. 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. Queen. Deceitful Warwick, it was thy device By this alliance to make void my fuit; Before thy coming, Lewis was Henry's friend. K. Lew. And ftill is friend to him and Margaret,, But if your title to the crown be weak, As may appear by Edward's good fuccefs,, Then 'tis but reafon, that I be releas'd From giving aid, which late I promised. Yet fhall you have all kindness at my hand, That your ellate requires, and mine can yield. War. Henry now lives in Scotland at his ease,. Where having nothing, nothing can he loofe. And as for you yourself, our quondam Queen, You have a father able to maintain you;

And better 'twere you troubled him than France.

Queen. Peace, impudent and fhameless Warwick, Proud fetter up and puller down of Kings! [peace !. I will not hence, till with my talk and tears (Both full of truth) I make King Lewis behold Thy fly conveyance *, and thy Lord's falfe love.

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

· By conveyance is here meant the art of a juggler, tricks of legerdemain.

SCENE

VI. Enter a Poft.

Peft. My Lord Ambassador, these letters are for you,

[To Warwick.

Sent from your brother, Marquis Montague.
Thefe from our King unto your Majesty.

[To King Lewis. And, Madam, these for you; from whom I know not. [To the Queen. They all read their letters. Oxf. 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 I hope all's for the belt. [nettled. K. Lew Warwick, what are thy news? and your's, fair Queen?

[Gray?

Queen. Mine fuch as fills my heart with unhop'd joys. War. Mine full of forrow and heart's difcontent. K. Lew. What! has your King marry'd the Lady And now, to footh your forgery and his, Sends me a paper to perfuade me patience? Is this th'alliance that he feeks with France? Dare he prefume to fcorn us in this manner?

Queen. I told your Majefly as much before.
This proveth Edward's, love and Warwick's honefly.
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 mifdeed of Edward's :
No more my King; for he difhonours me;
But most himself, if he could fee his flame.
Did I forget, that by the Houfe of York
My father came untimely to his death?
Did I let pass th' abufe 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 himfelf, 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 pais,
And henceforth I am thy true fervitor:

* Whom King Edward attempted in the Earl of Warwick's house,

Holing fhed.