* Hath not our brother made a worthy choice! * Clar. Alas, you know, 'tis far from hence to France;

* How could he stay till Warwick made return? * Som. My lords, forbear this talk; here comes the king.

Flourish. Enter King EDWARD, attended; Lady GREY, as Queen; PEMBROKE, STAFFORD, HASTINGS, and Others.

* Glo. And his well-chosen bride.

* Clar. I mind to tell him plainly what I think. K. Edw. Now, brother of Clarence, how like you our choice,

'That you stand pensive, as half malcontent? 'Clar. 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.

K. Edw. 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. 'Glo. And you shall have your will, because our king:

'Yet hasty marriage seldom proveth well.

K. Edw. Yea, brother Richard, are you offended too?

Glo. 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.

K. Edw. 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.

that king Lewis

Clar. Then this is my opinion, 'Becomes your enemy, for mocking him

About the marriage of the lady Bona..

Glo. And Warwick, doing what you gave in charge,

Is now dishonoured by this new marriage.

· K. Edw. What, if both Lewis and Warwick be

appeas'd,

By such invention as I can devise?

Mont. Yet to have join'd with France in such al

liance,

Would more have strengthen'd this our common

wealth

"'Gainst foreign storms, than any home-bred marriage.

'Hast. Why, knows not Montague, that of itself, 'England is safe, if true within itself?*

* Mont. Yes; but the safer, when it is back'd with France.

* Hast. "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.

Clar. For this one speech, lord Hastings well deserves

To have the heir of the lord Hungerford.

Why, knows not Montague, that of itself

England is safe, if true within itself?] Neither the lapse of two centuries, nor any circumstance which has occurred during that eventful period, has in any degree shook the credit of this ob servation, or impaired the confidence of the publick in the truth of it. "England is and will be still safe, if true within itself." S with the seas,] This has been the advice of every man who in any age understood and favoured the interest of England.

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 6

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.

1- 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.

VOL. VI.

* 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.

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,9

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 forwarn'd: They shall have wars, and pay for their presump

< But say,

tion.

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.

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