King.

And otherwise will Henry ne'er pre

sume.

Therefore, my lord protector, give consent
That Margaret may be England's royal queen.
Glou. So should I give consent to flatter

sin.

You know, my lord, your highness is betroth'd
Unto another lady of esteem.

How shall we then dispense with that contract,
And not deface your honour with reproach?

Suf. As doth a ruler with unlawful oaths;
Or one that, at a triumph having vow'd
To try his strength, forsaketh yet the lists
By reason of his adversary's odds.

A poor earl's daughter is unequal odds,
And therefore may be broke without offence.

Glou.

25

30

35

Why, what, I pray, is Margaret more
than that?

Her father is no better than an earl,
Although in glorious titles he excel.

Suf. Yes, my lord, her father is a king,

The King of Naples and Jerusalem,
And of such great authority in France

40

As his alliance will confirm our peace

And keep the Frenchmen in allegiance.

Glou. And so the Earl of Armagnac may do,

Because he is near kinsman unto Charles.

4.5

Exe. Beside, his wealth doth warrant a liberal

dower,

Where Reignier sooner will receive than give.

Suf. A dower, my lords! disgrace not so your

king,

That he should be so abject, base, and poor,

To choose for wealth and not for perfect love.
Henry is able to enrich his queen,

And not to seek a queen to make him rich;
So worthless peasants bargain for their wives,
As market-men for oxen, sheep, or horse.
Marriage is a matter of more worth
Than to be dealt in by attorneyship;

Not whom we will, but whom his grace affects,
Must be companion of his nuptial bed.
And therefore, lords, since he affects her most,
It most of all these reasons bindeth us,

In our opinions she should be preferr❜d.

For what is wedlock forced but a hell,

An age of discord and continual strife?

Whereas the contrary bringeth bliss,
And is a pattern of celestial peace.

50

Whom should we match with Henry, being a king,
But Margaret, that is daughter to a king?
Her peerless fature, joined with her birth,
Approves her fit for none but for a king.
Her valiant courage and undaunted spirit,
More than in women commonly is seen,
Will answer our hope in issue of a king;
For Henry, son unto a conqueror,
Is likely to beget more conquerors,
If with a lady of so high resolve

70

As is fair Margaret he be link'd in love.

Then yield, my lords; and here conclude with me That Margaret shall be queen, and none but she. Whether it be through force of your

King.

report,

My noble Lord of Suffolk, or for that

My tender youth was never yet attaint
With any passion of inflaming love,
I cannot tell; but this I am assured,
I feel such sharp dissension in my breast,
Such fierce alarums both of hope and fear,
As I am sick with working of my thoughts.

Take, therefore, shipping; post, my lord, to France; Agree to any covenants, and procure

That Lady Margaret do vouchsafe to come

To cross the seas to England, and be crown'd

90

King Henry's faithful and anointed queen.
For your expenses and sufficient charge,
Among the people gather up a tenth.
Be gone, I say; for, till you do return,
I rest perplexed with a thousand cares.
And you, good uncle, banish all offence;
If you do censure me by what you were,
Not what you are, I know it will excuse

And so, conduct me where, from company,

This sudden execution of my will.

may revolve and ruminate my grief.

I

95

100

[Exit.

Glou. Ay, grief, I fear me, both at first and last.

[Exeunt Gloucester and Exeter.

Suf. Thus Suffolk hath prevail'd; and thus he

goes,

As did the youthful Paris once to Greece,
With hope to find the like event in love,
But prosper better than the Trojan did.

Margaret shall now be queen, and rule the king; But I will rule both her, the king, and realm. [Exit.

I. i. 2. crystal tresses in the sky. Here "crystal" has unnecessarily been changed by Hanmer to "crisped;" by Warburton to "cristed" or "crested;" by Roderick to "tristful tresses in the sky," or "tresses in the crystal sky."

I. i. 6. King Henry the Fifth; Pope omits " King," and Walker omits "the." Pope's reading has been generally followed by modern editors.

I. i. 12. wrathful; Rowe reads " awful.”

I. i. 27. By magic verses have contrived his end; Johnson says this is an allusion to the old notion that life might be taken away by metrical charms." Reginald Scot (Discoverie of Witchcraft, 1594) says: "Irishmen will not stick to affirm that they can rhyme either man or beast to death."

I. i. 33. Had not churchmen pray'd; Vaughan proposed "had but," etc.

I. i. 49. moist; so the second Folio. The first has "moistned.”

I. i. 56. or bright

; various attempts have been

made to fill up the blank, which some editors explain