And am I guerdon'ds at the last with shame? *Shame on himself! for my desert 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 servitor; I will revenge his wrong to lady Bona, And replant Henry in his former state.

Q. Mar. Warwick, these words have turn'd my hate to love;

And I forgive and quite forget old faults, 'And joy that thou becom'st king Henry's friend. War. So much his friend, ay, his unfeigned

friend,

That, if king Lewis vouchsafe to furnish us
With some few bands 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 from him;

* For matching more for wanton lust than honour,
* Or than for strength and safety of our country.
* Bona. Dear brother, how shall Bona be reveng'd,
*But by thy help to this distressed queen?

* Q. Mar. Renowned prince, how shall poor Henry live,

* Unless thou rescue him from foul despair?

* Bona. My quarrel, and this English's 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 resolv'd,

You shall have aid.

guerdon'd-] i. e. rewarded.

* Q. Mar. Let me give humble thanks for all at once. K. Lew. Then England's messenger, return in post; And tell false Edward, thy supposed king,That Lewis of France is sending over maskers, To revel it with him and his new bride:

* Thou seest what's past, go fear thy king withal. Bona. Tell him, In hope he'll prove a widower shortly,

I'll wear the willow garland for his sake.

Q. Mar. Tell him, My mourning weeds are laid

aside,

And I am ready to put armour on.'

War. Tell him from me, That he hath done me

wrong;

And therefore I'll uncrown him, ere't be long.

There's thy reward; be gone.

K. Lew.

[Exit Mess.

But, Warwick, thou, And Oxford, with five thousand men,

Shall cross the seas, and bid false Edward battle: *And, as occasion serves, this noble queen * And prince shall follow with a fresh supply. Yet, ere thou go, but answer me one doubt;"What pledge have we of thy firm loyalty?

War. This shall assure my constant loyalty :-
That if our queen and this young prince agree,
I'll join mine eldest daughter, and my joy,
To him forthwith in holy wedlock bands.

'Q. Mar. Yes, I agree, and thank you for your

motion :

go fear thy king-] That is, fright thy king.

to put armour on.] It was once no unusual thing for queens themselves to appear in armour at the head of their forces. The suit which Elizabeth wore, when she rode through the lines at Tilbury to encourage the troops, on the approach of the armada, may be still seen in the Tower.

2

thy reward;] Here we are to suppose that, according to ancient custom, Warwick makes a present to the Herald or Messenger, whom the original copies call-a Post.

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. 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. 'K. Lew. Why stay we now? These soldiers shall be levied,

And thou, lord Bourbon, our high admiral, 'Shall waft them over with our royal fleet.'I long, till Edward fall by war's mischance, 'For mocking marriage with a dame of France. Exeunt all but WARWICK.

War. I came from Edward as embassador,
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 stale,3 but me?
Then none but I shall turn his jest to sorrow.
I was the chief that rais'd 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 IV.

SCENE I. London. A Room in the Palace.

Enter GLOSTER, CLARENCE, SOMERSET, MONTAGUE, and Others.

"Glo. Now tell me, brother Clarence, what think you "Of this new marriage with the lady Grey?

3 to make a stale,-] i. e. stalking-horse, pretence.

* Hath not our brother made a worthy choice? * Clar. Alas, you know, 'tis far from hence to France;

* How could he stay till Warwick made return? * Som. My lords, forbear this talk; here comes the king.

Flourish. Enter King EDWARD, attended; Lady GREY, as Queen; PEMBROKE, STAFFORD, HASTINGS, and Others.

*Glo. And his well-chosen bride.

* Clar. I mind to tell him plainly what I think. 'K. Edw. Now, brother of Clarence, how like you our choice,

'That you stand pensive, as half malcontent?

'Clar. 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.

K. Edw. 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 will. 'Glo. And you shall have your will, because our king:

'Yet hasty marriage seldom proveth well.

K. Edw. Yea, brother Richard, are you offended too?

Glo. Not I:

'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.

'K. Edw. Setting your scorns, and your mislike, 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.

Clar. Then this is my opinion,-that king Lewis 'Becomes your enemy, for mocking him About the marriage of the lady Bona.

Glo. And Warwick, doing what you gave in charge,

Is now dishonoured by this new marriage.

'K. Edw. What, if both Lewis and Warwick be appeas'd,

6 By such invention as I can devise?

Mont. Yet to have join'd with France in such al

liance,

Would more have strengthen'd this our common

wealth

''Gainst foreign storms, than any home-bred mar

riage.

Hast. Why, knows not Montague, that of itself 'England is safe, if true within itself?

Mont. Yes; but the safer, when it is back'd with France.

*Hast. '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;
* In them, and in ourselves, our safety lies.

Clar. For this one speech, lord Hastings well deserves

To have the heir of the lord Hungerford.

Why, knows not Montague, that of itself

England is safe, if true within itself?] Neither the lapse of two centuries, nor any circumstance which has occurred during that eventful period, has in any degree shook the credit of this observation, or impaired the confidence of the publick in the truth of it. England is and will be still safe, if true within itself." 5. with the seas,] This has been the advice of every man who in any age understood and favoured the interest of England.