The Third Part Of King Henry The Sixth

1 Enter Richard (Duke of Gloucester), George (Duke of Clarence), Somerset
2 and Montague.
3 RICHARD.
4 Now tell me, brother Clarence, what think you
5 Of this new marriage with the Lady Grey?
6 Hath not our brother made a worthy choice?
7 GEORGE.
8 Alas, you know ’tis far from hence to France!
9 How could he stay till Warwick made return?
10 SOMERSET.
11 My lords, forbear this talk; here comes the King.
12 Flourish. Enter King Edward, attended; Lady Grey as Queen Elizabeth;
13 Pembroke, Stafford, Hastings and others. Four stand on one side, and
14 four on the other.
15 RICHARD.
16 And his well-chosen bride.
17 GEORGE.
18 I mind to tell him plainly what I think.
19 KING EDWARD.
20 Now, brother of Clarence, how like you our choice,
21 That you stand pensive as half malcontent?
22 GEORGE.
23 As well as Lewis of France or the Earl of Warwick,
24 Which are so weak of courage and in judgment
25 That they’ll take no offence at our abuse.
26 KING EDWARD.
27 Suppose they take offence without a cause,
28 They are but Lewis and Warwick; I am Edward,
29 Your King and Warwick’s, and must have my will.
30 RICHARD.
31 And shall have your will, because our King.
32 Yet hasty marriage seldom proveth well.
33 KING EDWARD.
34 Yea, brother Richard, are you offended too?
35 RICHARD.
36 Not I.
37 No, God forbid that I should wish them severed
38 Whom God hath joined together. Ay, and ’twere pity
39 To sunder them that yoke so well together.
40 KING EDWARD.
41 Setting your scorns and your mislike aside,
42 Tell me some reason why the Lady Grey
43 Should not become my wife and England’s queen.
44 And you too, Somerset and Montague,
45 Speak freely what you think.
46 GEORGE.
47 Then this is mine opinion: that King Lewis
48 Becomes your enemy for mocking him
49 About the marriage of the Lady Bona.
50 RICHARD.
51 And Warwick, doing what you gave in charge,
52 Is now dishonoured by this new marriage.
53 KING EDWARD.
54 What if both Lewis and Warwick be appeased
55 By such invention as I can devise?
56 MONTAGUE.
57 Yet to have joined with France in such alliance
58 Would more have strengthened this our commonwealth
59 ’Gainst foreign storms than any home-bred marriage.
60 HASTINGS.
61 Why, knows not Montague that of itself
62 England is safe, if true within itself?
63 MONTAGUE.
64 But the safer when ’tis backed with France.
65 HASTINGS.
66 ’Tis better using France than trusting France.
67 Let us be backed with God and with the seas
68 Which He hath giv’n for fence impregnable,
69 And with their helps only defend ourselves.
70 In them and in ourselves our safety lies.
71 GEORGE.
72 For this one speech Lord Hastings well deserves
73 To have the heir of the Lord Hungerford.
74 KING EDWARD.
75 Ay, what of that? It was my will and grant;
76 And for this once my will shall stand for law.
77 RICHARD.
78 And yet, methinks, your Grace hath not done well
79 To give the heir and daughter of Lord Scales
80 Unto the brother of your loving bride.
81 She better would have fitted me or Clarence;
82 But in your bride you bury brotherhood.
83 GEORGE.
84 Or else you would not have bestowed the heir
85 Of the Lord Bonville on your new wife’s son,
86 And leave your brothers to go speed elsewhere.
87 KING EDWARD.
88 Alas, poor Clarence, is it for a wife
89 That thou art malcontent? I will provide thee.
90 GEORGE.
91 In choosing for yourself you showed your judgment,
92 Which being shallow, you shall give me leave
93 To play the broker in mine own behalf;
94 And to that end I shortly mind to leave you.
95 KING EDWARD.
96 Leave me or tarry, Edward will be king,
97 And not be tied unto his brother’s will.
98 QUEEN ELIZABETH.
99 My lords, before it pleased his Majesty
100 To raise my state to title of a queen,
101 Do me but right, and you must all confess
102 That I was not ignoble of descent,
103 And meaner than myself have had like fortune.
104 But as this title honours me and mine,
105 So your dislikes, to whom I would be pleasing,
106 Doth cloud my joys with danger and with sorrow.
107 KING EDWARD.
108 My love, forbear to fawn upon their frowns.
109 What danger or what sorrow can befall thee
110 So long as Edward is thy constant friend
111 And their true sovereign, whom they must obey?
112 Nay, whom they shall obey, and love thee too,
113 Unless they seek for hatred at my hands;
114 Which if they do, yet will I keep thee safe,
115 And they shall feel the vengeance of my wrath.
116 RICHARD.
117 [_Aside_.] I hear, yet say not much, but think the more.
118 Enter a Post.
119 KING EDWARD.
120 Now, messenger, what letters or what news
121 From France?
122 POST.
123 My sovereign liege, no letters, and few words,
124 But such as I, without your special pardon,
125 Dare not relate.
126 KING EDWARD.
127 Go to, we pardon thee. Therefore, in brief,
128 Tell me their words as near as thou canst guess them.
129 What answer makes King Lewis unto our letters?
130 POST.
131 At my depart these were his very words:
132 “Go tell false Edward, thy supposed king,
133 That Lewis of France is sending over maskers
134 To revel it with him and his new bride.”
135 KING EDWARD.
136 Is Lewis so brave? Belike he thinks me Henry.
137 But what said Lady Bona to my marriage?
138 POST.
139 These were her words, uttered with mild disdain:
140 “Tell him, in hope he’ll prove a widower shortly,
141 I’ll wear the willow garland for his sake.”
142 KING EDWARD.
143 I blame not her; she could say little less;
144 She had the wrong. But what said Henry’s queen?
145 For I have heard that she was there in place.
146 POST.
147 “Tell him,” quoth she “my mourning weeds are done,
148 And I am ready to put armour on.”
149 KING EDWARD.
150 Belike she minds to play the Amazon.
151 But what said Warwick to these injuries?
152 POST.
153 He, more incensed against your Majesty
154 Than all the rest, discharged me with these words:
155 “Tell him from me that he hath done me wrong,
156 And therefore I’ll uncrown him ere ’t be long.”
157 KING EDWARD.
158 Ha! Durst the traitor breathe out so proud words?
159 Well, I will arm me, being thus forewarned.
160 They shall have wars and pay for their presumption.
161 But say, is Warwick friends with Margaret?
162 POST.
163 Ay, gracious sovereign, they are so linked in friendship
164 That young Prince Edward marries Warwick’s daughter.
165 GEORGE.
166 Belike the elder; Clarence will have the younger.
167 Now, brother king, farewell, and sit you fast,
168 For I will hence to Warwick’s other daughter;
169 That, though I want a kingdom, yet in marriage
170 I may not prove inferior to yourself.
171 You that love me and Warwick, follow me.
172 [_Exit George and Somerset follows._]
173 RICHARD.
174 [_Aside_.] Not I. My thoughts aim at a further matter;
175 I stay not for the love of Edward, but the crown.
176 KING EDWARD.
177 Clarence and Somerset both gone to Warwick!
178 Yet am I armed against the worst can happen,
179 And haste is needful in this desperate case.
180 Pembroke and Stafford, you in our behalf
181 Go levy men and make prepare for war;
182 They are already, or quickly will be, landed.
183 Myself in person will straight follow you.
184 [_Exeunt Pembroke and Stafford._]
185 But, ere I go, Hastings and Montague,
186 Resolve my doubt. You twain, of all the rest,
187 Are near to Warwick by blood and by alliance.
188 Tell me if you love Warwick more than me.
189 If it be so, then both depart to him.
190 I rather wish you foes than hollow friends.
191 But if you mind to hold your true obedience,
192 Give me assurance with some friendly vow,
193 That I may never have you in suspect.
194 MONTAGUE.
195 So God help Montague as he proves true!
196 HASTINGS.
197 And Hastings as he favours Edward’s cause!
198 KING EDWARD.
199 Now, brother Richard, will you stand by us?
200 RICHARD.
201 Ay, in despite of all that shall withstand you.
202 KING EDWARD.
203 Why, so! Then am I sure of victory.
204 Now, therefore, let us hence, and lose no hour
205 Till we meet Warwick with his foreign power.
206 [_Exeunt._]