Henry VI, Part III

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? Warwick

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.

Queen Margaret

Yes, I agree, and thank you for your motion.
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.

King Lewis

Why stay we now? These soldiers shall be levied,
And thou, Lord Bourbon, our high admiral,
Shalt 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.

Warwick

I came from Edward as ambassador,
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 but me?
Then none but I shall turn his jest to sorrow.
I was the chief that raised 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. The palace.

	Enter Gloucester, Clarence, Somerset, and Montague.
Gloucester	Now tell me, brother Clarence, what think you Of this new marriage with the Lady Grey? Hath not our brother made a worthy choice?
Clarence	Alas, you know, ’tis far from hence to France; How could he stay till Warwick made return?
Somerset	My lords, forbear this talk; here comes the king.
Gloucester	And his well-chosen bride.
Clarence	I mind to tell him plainly what I think.
	Flourish. Enter King Edward, attended; Lady Grey, as Queen; Pembroke, Stafford, Hastings, and others.
King Edward	Now, brother of Clarence, how like you our choice, That you stand pensive, as half malcontent?
Clarence	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.
King Edward	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.
Gloucester	And shall have your will, because our king: Yet hasty marriage seldom proveth well.
King Edward	Yea, brother Richard, are you offended too?
Gloucester	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.
King Edward	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.
Clarence	Then this is mine opinion: that King Lewis Becomes your enemy, for mocking him About the marriage of the Lady Bona.
Gloucester	And Warwick, doing what you gave in charge, Is now dishonoured by this new marriage.
King Edward	What if both Lewis and Warwick be appeased By such invention as I can devise?
Montague	Yet, to have join’d with France in such alliance Would more have strengthen’d this our commonwealth ’Gainst foreign storms than any home-bred marriage.
Hastings	Why, knows not Montague that of itself England is safe, if true within itself?
Montague	But the safer when ’tis back’d with France.
Hastings	’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.
Clarence	For this one speech Lord Hastings well deserves To have the heir of the Lord Hungerford.
King Edward	Ay, what of that? it was my will and grant; And for this once my will shall stand for law.
Gloucester	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.
Clarence	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.
King Edward	Alas, poor Clarence! is it for a wife That thou art malcontent? I will provide thee.
Clarence	In choosing for yourself, you show’d your judgment, Which being shallow, you give me leave To play the broker in mine own behalf; And to that end I shortly mind to leave you.
King Edward	Leave me, or tarry, Edward will be king, And not be tied unto his brother’s will.
Queen Elizabeth	My lords, before it pleased 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; And meaner than myself have had like fortune. But as this title honours me and mine, So your dislike, to whom I would be pleasing, Doth cloud my joys with danger and with sorrow.
King Edward	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.
Gloucester	I hear, yet say not much, but think the more. Aside.
	Enter a Post.
King Edward	Now, messenger, what letters or what news From France?
Post	My sovereign liege, no letters; and few words, But such as I, without your special pardon, Dare not relate.
King Edward	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?
Post