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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 rife,
For this is he that moves both Wind and Tide.
War. From worthy Edward, King of Albion,
My Lord and Sovereign, and thy vowed Friend,
I come (in Kindness and unfeigned Love)
First to do greetings to thy Royal Perfon,
And then to crave a League of Amity;
And lastly, to confirm that Amity

With Nuptial Knot, if thou vouchsafe to grant
That virtuous Lady Bona, thy fair Sifter,

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 kiss your Hand, and with my Tongue
To tell the paffion of my Sovereign's Heart;
Where Fame, late entring at his heedful Ears,
Hath plac'd thy Beauty's Image, and thy Virtue.

Queen. King Lewis, and Lady Bona, hear me speak,
Before you answer Warwick. His demand

Springs not from. Edward's well-meant honest Love,
But from Deceit, bred by Neceffity:

For how can Tyrants fafely govern home,
Unless abroad they purchafe great Alliance?
To prove him Tyrant, this reafon may fuffice,
That Henry liveth ftill; but were he dead,

Yet here Prince Edward stands, King Henry's Son.

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 Heavens are juft, and Time fuppreffeth Wrongs.
War. Injurious Margaret.

Prince. And why not Queen.

War. Because thy Father Henry did usurp,

And

And thou no more art Prince than she is Queen.
Oxf. Then Warwick disanuls great John of Gaunt,
Which did fubdue the greatest part of Spain;
And after John of Gaunt, Henry the Fourth,
Whofe Wisdom was a Mirror to the wisest;
And after that wife Prince, Henry the Fifth,
Who by his Prowefs conquered all France:
From thele our Henry lineally defcends.

War. Oxford, how haps it in this smooth Difcourfe,
You told not, how Henry the Sixth hath 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 threescore and two Years, a filly time

To make prescription for a Kingdom's worth.

Oxf. Why Warwick, canft thou fpeak against thy Liege Whom thou obey'dft thirty and fix Years,

And not bewray thy Treafon with a blush?

War. Can Oxford, that did ever fence the right,
Now buckler falfhood with a Pedigree?
For fhame leave Henry, and call Edward King.

Oxf. Call him my King, by whofe injurious doom
My elder Brother, the Lord Aubrey Vere

Was done to Death? and more than so, 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 Houfe of Lancaster.

War. And I the House of York.

K. Lew. Queen Margaret, Prince Edward, and OxfordVouchsafe at our request, to ftand afide,

While I ufe farther Conference with Warwick.

[They stand aloof. Queen. Heavens grant that Warwick's Words, bewitch

him not.

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.

R 5

K. Lew.

K. Law. But is he gracious in the People's Eyes?
War. The more, that Henry was unfortunate.
K. Lew. Then further; all diffembling set aside,
Tell me for truth, the measure of his love
Unto our Sifter Bona.

War. Such it feems,

As may befeem a Monarch like himself:
My felf have often heard him say and swear,
That this his Love was an external Plant,
Whereof the Root was fix'd in Virtue's ground,
The Leaves and Fruit maintain'd with Beauty's Sun,
Exempt from Envy, but not from Disdain,
Unless the Lady Bona quit his pain.

K. Lew. Now Sifter, let us hear your firm refolve.
Bona. Your grant, or your denial, fhall be mine.
Yet I confefs, that often ere this Day,

A

[Speaks to Warwick, When I have heard your King's defert recounted, Mine Ear hath tempted Judgment to defire.

K. Lew. Then Warwick, this:

Our Sifter fhall be Edward's.

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And now forthwith fhall Articles be drawn,
Touching the Jointure that your King muft make,
Which with her Dowry fhall be counterpois'd,
Draw near, Queen Margaret, and be a witness,
That Bona fhall be Wife to the 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 Suit;
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 Succefs;
Then 'tis but reafon that I be releas'd

you

From giving Aid, which late I promised.
Yet Mall have all kindness at my Hand,
That your Eftate requires, and mine can yield:
War. Henry now lives in Scotland at his ease,
Where having nothing, nothing can he lofe.

And

And as for you your felf, our quondam Queen,
You have a Father able to maintain you,

And better it were you troubled him, than France.
Queen. Peace impudent and fhameless Warwick, peace,
Proud fetter up and puller down of Kings,
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 Horn within.

For both of you are Birds of felf-fame Feather.
K. Lew. Warwick, this is fome Poft to us, or thee.

Enter a Poft.

Poft. My Lord Ambaffador,

Thefe Letters are for you;

[To Warwick.

[To K. Lew

Sent from your Brother, Marquefs Montague.
These from our King unto your Majesty.
And Madam, these for you,

From whom I know not.

[To the Queen,

[They all read their Letters.

Oxf. I 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 nettled.

I hope all's for the best.

K. Lew. Warwick, what are thy News?

And yours, fair Queen?

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Queen Mine fuch as fills my Heart with unhop'd Joys.

War. Mine full of Sorrow, and Heart's Difcontent.
K. Lew. What! has your King Married the Lady Gray?
And now, to footh your Forgery and his,

Sends me a Paper to perfwade me Patience?
Is this Alliance that he feeks with France?

Dare he prefume to fcorn us in this manner?

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Queen. I told your Majefty as much before;

This proveth Edward's Love, and Warwick's Honefty.
War. King Lewis, I here proteft in fight of Heav'n,
And by the hope I have of Heav'nly Blits,

That

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 Shame.
Did I forget, that by the Houfe of York
My Father came untimely to his Death?
Did I let pafs th' abuse 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 Shame?
Shame on himfelf, for my Defert is Honour.
And to repair my Honour loft for him,
1 here renounce him, and return to Henry..
My Noble Queen, let former grudges pass,
And henceforth I am thy true Servitor:
I will revenge his wrong to Lady Bona,
And replant Henry in his former state.
Queen. Warwick,

Thele Words have turn'd my Hate to Love,
And I forgive, and quite forget old Faults,

And Joy that thou becom'ft King Henry's Friend.

War. So much his Friend, ay, his unfeigned Friend, That if King Lewis vouchfafe to furnish us With fome few Bands of chofen 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 fhall fuccour him: And as for Clarence, as my Letters tell me, He's very likely now to fall from him, For matching more for wanton Luft than Honour, Or than for ftrength and safety of our Country.

Bona Dear Brother, how fhall Bona be reveng'd, But by thy help to this diftreffed Queen?

Queen. Renowned Prince, how fhall poor Henry live, Unless thou rescue him from foul despair?

Bona. My quarrel, and this English Queen's are one. War. And mine, fair Lady Bona, joins with yours. K Lew. And mine, with hers, and thine, and Margaret's. Therefore at last, I firmly am refolv'd ..

You fhall have Aid.

Queen'

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