K. Edw. Ay, what of that? it was my will, and

grant;

* And, for this once, my will shall stand for law.
'Glo. 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.

'Clar. 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. K. Edw. Alas, poor Clarence! is it for a wife, "That thou art malcontent? I will provide thee. • Clar. In choosing for yourself, you show'd your judgment;

"Which being shallow, you shall give me leave 'To play the broker in mine own behalf;

'And, to that end, I shortly mind to leave you. 'K. Edw. Leave me, or tarry, Edward will be king,

'And not be tied unto his brother's will.

Q. Eliz. My lords, before it pleas'd 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,'

— you would not have bestow'd the heir-] It must be remembered, that till the Restoration, the heiresses of great estates were in the wardship of the King, who in their minority gave them up to plunder, and afterwards matched them to his favourites. I know not when liberty gained more than by the abolition of the court of wards. JOHNSON.

7 I was not ignoble of descent,] Her father was Sir Richard Widville, Knight, afterwards Earl of Rivers; her mother, Jaqueline, Duchess Dowager of Bedford, who was daughter to Peter of Luxemburgh, Earl of Saint Paul, and widow of John Duke of Bedford, brother to King Henry V.

* And meaner than myself have had like fortune. * But as this title honours me and mine,

* So your dislikes, to whom I would be pleasing, * Do cloud my joys with danger and with sorrow. 'K. Edw. My love, forbear to fawn upon their frowns:

'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:

• Which if they do, yet will I keep thee safe, • And they shall feel the vengeance of my wrath. * Glo. I hear, yet say not much, but think the [Aside.

more.

Enter a Messenger.

'K. Edw. Now, messenger, what letters, or what

news,

From France?

Mess. My sovereign liege, no letters; and few words,

But such as I, without your special pardon, Dare not relate.

K. Edw. Go to, we pardon thee: therefore, in

brief,

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

'What answer makes king Lewis unto our letters?
Mess. At my depart, these were his very words;
Go tell false Edward, thy supposed king,—
That Lewis of France is sending over maskers,
To revel it with him and his new bride.

K. Edw. Is Lewis so brave? belike, he thinks me
Henry.

• But what said lady Bona to my marriage?

Mess. These were her words, utter'd with mild

disdain;

Tell him, in hope he'll prove a widower shortly,
I'll wear the willow garland for his sake.

8

K. Edw. 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. Mess. Tell him, quoth she, my mourning weeds are done,

And I am ready to put armour on.

'K. Edw. Belike, she minds to play the Amazon. But what said Warwick to these injuries?

Mess. He, more incens'd against your majesty Than all the rest, discharg'd me with these words; Tell him from me, that he hath done me wrong, And therefore I'll uncrown him, ere't be long.

K. Edw. 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 presump

tion.

• But say, is Warwick friends with Margaret? Mess. Ay, gracious sovereign; they are so link'd in friendship,

That young prince Edward marries Warwick's daughter.

Clar. Belike, the elder; Clarence will have the younger.

*Now, brother king, farewell, and sit you fast, * 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.—

® —— she was there in place.] This expression, signifying, she was there present, occurs frequently in old English writers. En place, a Gallicism.

9

are done,] i. e. are consumed, thrown off. The word is often used in this sense by the writers of our author's age.

You, that love me and Warwick, follow me.

[Exit CLARENCE, and SOMERSET follows. *Glo. Not I:

* My thoughts aim at a further matter; I
Stay not for love of Edward, but the crown.

[Aside. K. Edw. 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.-
'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,'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;
'But if you mind to hold your true obedience,
'Give me assurance with some friendly vow,
"That I may never have you in suspect.

Mont. So God help Montague, as he proves true!
Hast. And Hastings, as he favours Edward's cause!
K. Edw. Now, brother Richard, will you stand
by us?

Glo. Ay, in despite of all that shall withstand you. K. Hen. 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.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

A Plain in Warwickshire.

Enter WARWICK and OXFORD, with French and other Forces.

War. Trust me, my lord, all hitherto goes well; The common people by numbers swarm to us.

Enter CLARENCE and SOMERSET.

But, see, where Somerset and Clarence come;-
Speak suddenly, my lords, are we all friends?
Clar. Fear not that, my lord.

War. Then, gentle Clarence, welcome unto Warwick;

And welcome, Somerset :-I hold it cowardice,
To rest mistrustful where a noble heart

Hath pawn'd an open hand in sign of love;

Else might I think, that Clarence, Edward's brother,
Were but a feigned friend to our proceedings:
But welcome, Clarence; my daughter shall be thine.
And now what rests, but, in night's coverture,
Thy brother being carelessly encamp'd,
His soldiers lurking in the towns about,
And but attended by a simple guard,

We may surprize and take him at our pleasure?
Our scouts have found the adventure very easy:
* That as Ulysses, and stout Diomede,

* With sleight and manhood stole to Rhesus' tents, * And brought from thence the Thracian fatal steeds;'

* So we, well cover'd with the night's black mantle,

1 - the Thracian fatal steeds;] We are told by some of the writers on the Trojan story, that the capture of these horses was one of the necessary preliminaries to the fate of Troy.