HENRY THE SIXTH PART 3

Act 4 Scene 1

(Enter Richard Duke of Gloucester, George Duke of Clarence, the Duke of Somerset, and the Marquis of Montague)
l1l	Richard Of Gloucester	 Now tell me, brother Clarence, what think you
l2l		Of this new marriage with the Lady Gray?
l3l		Hath not our brother made a worthy choice?
l4l	George Of Clarence	Alas, you know ’tis far from hence to France#
l5l		How could he stay till Warwick made return?
l6l	Somerset	My lords, forbear this talk—here comes the King.
		( 6 Flourish. Enter King Edward, the Lady Gray his Queen, the Earl of Pembroke, and the Lords Stafford and Hastings. Four stand on one side of the King, and four on the other)
l7l	Richard Of Gloucester	 And his well-chosen bride.
l8l	George Of Clarence	I mind to tell him plainly what I think.
l9l	King Edward	Now, brother of Clarence, how like you our choice,
l10l		That you stand pensive, as half-malcontent?
l11l	George Of Clarence	As well as Louis of France, or the Earl of Warwick,
l12l		Which are so weak of courage and in judgement
l13l		That they’ll take no offence at our abuse.
l14l	King Edward	Suppose they take offence without a cause—
l15l		They are but Louis and Warwick# I am Edward,
l16l		Your king and Warwick’s, and must have my will.
l17l	Richard Of Gloucester	And you shall have your will, because our king.
l18l		Yet hasty marriage seldom proveth well.
l19l	King Edward	Yea, brother Richard, are you offended too?
l20l	Richard Of Gloucester	Not I, no—God forbid that I should wish them severed
l21l		Whom God hath joined together. Ay, and ’twere pity
l22l		To sunder them that yoke so well together.
l23l	King Edward	Setting your scorns and your mislike aside,
l24l		Tell me some reason why the Lady Gray
l25l		Should not become my wife and England’s queen.
l26l		And you too, Somerset and Montague,
l27l		Speak freely what you think.
l28l	George Of Clarence	Then this is my opinion: that King Louis
l29l		Becomes your enemy for mocking him
l30l		About the marriage of the Lady Bona.
l31l	Richard Of Gloucester	And Warwick, doing what you gave in charge,
l32l		Is now dishonourèd by this new marriage.
l33l	King Edward	What if both Louis and Warwick be appeased
l34l		By such invention as I can devise?
l35l	Montague	Yet, to have joined with France in such alliance
l36l		Would more have strengthened this our commonwealth
l37l		’Gainst foreign storms than any home-bred marriage.
l38l	Hastings	Why, knows not Montague that of itself
l39l		England is safe, if true within itself?
l40l	Montague	But the safer when ’tis backed with France.
l41l	Hastings	’Tis better using France than trusting France.
l42l		Let us be backed with God and with the seas
l43l		Which he hath giv’n for fence impregnable,
l44l		And with their helps only defend ourselves.
l45l		In them and in ourselves our safety lies.
l46l	George Of Clarence	For this one speech Lord Hastings well deserves
l47l		To have the heir of the Lord Hungerford.
l48l	King Edward	Ay, what of that? It was my will and grant—
l49l		And for this once my will shall stand for law.
l50l	Richard Of Gloucester	And yet, methinks, your grace hath not done well
l51l		To give the heir and daughter of Lord Scales
l52l		Unto the brother of your loving bride.
l53l		She better would have fitted me or Clarence,
l54l		But in your bride you bury brotherhood.
l55l	George Of Clarence	Or else you would not have bestowed the heir
l56l		Of the Lord Bonville on your new wife’s son,
l57l		And leave your brothers to go speed elsewhere.
l58l	King Edward	Alas, poor Clarence, is it for a wife
l59l		That thou art malcontent? I will provide thee.
l60l	George Of Clarence	In choosing for yourself you showed your judgement,
l61l		Which being shallow, you shall give me leave
l62l		To play the broker in mine own behalf,
l63l		And to that end I shortly mind to leave you.
l64l	King Edward	Leave me, or tarry. Edward will be king,
l65l		And not be tied unto his brother’s will.
l66l	Lady Gray	My lords, before it pleased his majesty
l67l		To raise my state to title of a queen,
l68l		Do me but right, and you must all confess
l69l		That I was not ignoble of descent—
l70l		And meaner than myself have had like fortune.
l71l		But as this title honours me and mine,
l72l		So your dislikes, to whom I would be pleasing,
l73l		Doth cloud my joys with danger and with sorrow.
l74l	King Edward	My love, forbear to fawn upon their frowns.
l75l		What danger or what sorrow can befall thee
l76l		So long as Edward is thy constant friend,
l77l		And their true sovereign, whom they must obey?
l78l		Nay, whom they shall obey, and love thee too—
l79l		Unless they seek for hatred at my hands,
l80l		Which if they do, yet will I keep thee safe,
l81l		And they shall feel the vengeance of my wrath.
l82l	Richard Of Gloucester	(aside)
		 I hear, yet say not much, but think the more.
		(Enter the Post from France)
l83l	King Edward	 Now, messenger, what letters or what news from France?
l84l	Post	My sovereign liege, no letters and few words,
l85l		But such as I, without your special pardon,
l86l		Dare not relate.
l87l	King Edward	Go to, we pardon thee. Therefore, in brief,
l88l		Tell me their words as near as thou canst guess them.
l89l		What answer makes King Louis unto our letters?
l90l	Post	At my depart these were his very words:
l91l		“Go tell false Edward, thy supposèd king,
l92l		That Louis of France is sending over masquers
l93l		To revel it with him and his new bride.”
l94l	King Edward	Is Louis so brave? Belike he thinks me Henry.
l95l		But what said Lady Bona to my marriage?
l96l	Post	These were her words, uttered with mild disdain:
l97l		“Tell him in hope he’ll prove a widower shortly,
l98l		I’ll wear the willow garland for his sake.”
l99l	King Edward	I blame not her, she could say little less#
l100l		She had the wrong. But what said Henry’s queen?
l101l		For I have heard that she was there in place.
l102l	Post	“Tell him”, quoth she, “my mourning weeds are done,
l103l		And I am ready to put armour on.”
l104l	King Edward	Belike she minds to play the Amazon.
l105l		But what said Warwick to these injuries?
l106l	Post	He, more incensed against your majesty
l107l		Than all the rest, discharged me with these words:
l108l		“Tell him from me that he hath done me wrong,
l109l		And therefore I’ll uncrown him ere ’t be long.”
l110l	King Edward	Ha! Durst the traitor breathe out so proud words?
l111l		Well, I will arm me, being thus forewarned.
l112l		They shall have wars and pay for their presumption.
l113l		But say, is Warwick friends with Margaret?
l114l	Post	Ay, gracious sovereign, they are so linked in friendship
l115l		That young Prince Edward marries Warwick’s daughter.
l116l	George Of Clarence	Belike the elder# Clarence will have the younger.
l117l		Now, brother King, farewell, and sit you fast,
l118l		For I will hence to Warwick’s other daughter,
l119l		That, though I want a kingdom, yet in marriage
l120l		I may not prove inferior to yourself.
l121l		You that love me and Warwick, follow me.
		(Exit Clarence, and Somerset follows)
l122l	Richard Of Gloucester	 Not I—
		(aside)
		 my thoughts aim at a further matter.
l123l		I stay not for the love of Edward, but the crown.
l124l	King Edward	Clarence and Somerset both gone to Warwick?
l125l		Yet am I armed against the worst can happen,
l126l		And haste is needful in this desp’rate case.
l127l		Pembroke and Stafford, you in our behalf
l128l		Go levy men and make prepare for war.
l129l		They are already, or quickly will be, landed.
l130l		Myself in person will straight follow you.
		(Exeunt Pembroke and Stafford)
l131l		But ere I go, Hastings and Montague,
l132l		Resolve my doubt. You twain, of all the rest,
l133l		Are near’st to Warwick by blood and by alliance.
l134l		Tell me if you love Warwick more than me.
l135l		If it be so, then both depart to him—
l136l		I rather wish you foes than hollow friends.
l137l		But if you mind to hold your true obedience,
l138l		Give me assurance with some friendly vow
l139l		That I may never have you in suspect.
l140l	Montague	So God help Montague as he proves true.
l141l	Hastings	And Hastings as he favours Edward’s cause.
l142l	King Edward	Now, brother Richard, will you stand by us?
l143l	Richard Of Gloucester	Ay, in despite of all that shall withstand you.
l144l	King Edward	Why, so. Then am I sure of victory.
l145l		Now, therefore, let us hence and lose no hour
l146l		Till we meet Warwick with his foreign power.
		(Exeunt)