And, by God's mother, I, being but a bachelor,
Have other Some: why, 'tis a happy thing,
To be the father unto many fons.

Answer no more, for thou shalt be my Queen.

Glo. The ghoftly father now hath done his fhrift. Clar. When he was made a fhriver, 'twas for fhift. K. Edw. Brothers, you muse what Chat we two

have had.

Glo. The widow likes it not, for fhe looks fad. K. Edw. You'd think it ftrange, if I fhould marry her.

Clar. To whom, my lord?

K. Edw. Why, Clarence, to myself.

Glo. That would be ten days' Wonder at the leaft. Clar. That's a day longer than a Wonder lafts. Glo. By fo much is the Wonder in extremes.

K. Edw. Well, jeft on, Brothers; I can tell you both,

Her fuit is granted for her husband's lands.

Enter a Nobleman.

Nob. My gracious lord, Henry your foe is taken, And brought your prifoner to your Palace-gate. K. Edw. See, that he be convey'd unto the Tower: And go we, Brothers, to the man that took him, To queftion of his Apprehenfion.

Widow, go you along: Lords, use her honourably. [Exeunt.

Glo.

Manet Gloucefter.

AY, Edward will ufe woman honourably.

'Would he were wafted, marrow, bones,
and all,

That from his loins no hopeful branch may spring,
To cross me from the golden time I look for.
And yet between my foul's defire and me,
(The luftful Edward's Title buried)

Is Clarence, Henry, and his fon young Edward;
And all th' unlook'd-for iffue of their bodies,
To take their rooms ere I can place myself.
A cold premeditation for my purpose !
Why, then I do but dream on Sov'reignty,
Like one that ftands upon a promontory,
And spyes a far-off fhore where he would tread,
Wishing his foot were equal with his eye,
And chides the Sea that funders him from thence,
Saying, he'll lade it dry to have his way:
So do I wish, the Crown being fo far off,
And so I chide the means that keep me from it;
And fo (I fay) I'll cut the caufes off,

Flatt'ring my mind with things impoffible.

My eye's too quick, my heart o'erweens too much,
Unless my hand and ftrength could equal them.
Well, fay there is no Kingdom then for Richard:
What other pleasure can the world afford?
I'll make my heaven in a lady's lap,
And deck my body in gay ornaments,

And 'witch fweet ladies with my words and looks.
Oh miferable thought! and more unlikely,
Than to accomplish twenty golden Crowns.
Why, Love forfwore me in my mother's womb;
And, for I fhould not deal in her foft laws,
She did corrupt frail Nature with fome bribe
To fhrink mine arm up like a wither'd shrub,
To make an envious mountain on my back,
Where fits Deformity to mock my body;
To shape my legs of an unequal fize;
To difproportion me in every part:
Like to a Chaos, or unlick'd bear-whelp,
That carries no impreffion like the dam.
And am I then a man to be belov'd?

Oh, monftrous fault, to harbour such a thought!
Then fince this earth affords no joy to me,
But to command, to check, to o'er-bear fuch
As are of better perfon than myself;

H 4

I'll

I'll make my heav'n to dream upon the Crown;
And, while I live, t' account this world but Hell,
Until the mif-fhap'd trunk that bears this head,
Be round-impaled with a glorious Crown.
And yet I know not how to get the Crown,
For many lives ftand between me and home:
And I, (like one loft in a thorny wood,
That rends the thorns, and is rent with the thorns,
Seeking a way, and ftraying from the way,
Not knowing how to find the open air,
But toiling defp'rately to find it out)
Torment myself to catch the English Crown.
And from that torment I will free myself,
Or hew my way out with a bloody ax.
Why, I can fmile, and murder while I fmile;
And cry, Content, to that which grieves my heart;
And wet my cheeks with artificial tears,

And frame my face to all occafions:

I'll drown more failors, than the Mermaid fhall;
I'll flay more gazers, than the Bafilisk;
I'll play the orator, as well as Neftor;
Deceive more flily, than Ulyffes could;
And, like a Sinon, take another Troy:
I can add colours ev'n to the Camelion;
Change fhapes with Proteus, for advantages;
And fet th' afpiring Cataline to school.
Can I do this, and cannot get a Crown?
Tut, were it farther off, I'll pluck it down.

[Exit.

Flourish. Enter King Lewis, Lady Bona, Bourbon, Edward Prince of Wales, Queen Margaret, and the Earl of Oxford. Lewis fits, and rifeth up again.

K. Lew. Fir down with us; it ill befits thy State, AIR Queen of England, worthy Margaret,

And Birth, that thou should'st stand, while Lewis fits.

Queen.

Queen. No, mighty King of France; now Margaret Muft ftrike her fail, and learn a while to ferve, Where Kings command. I was, I must confefs, Great Albion's Queen in former golden days: But now mifchance hath trod my Title down, And with dishonour laid me on the ground; Where I muft take like feat unto my fortune, And to my humble Seat conform myself.

K. Lew. Why, fay, fair Queen, whence fprings this deep despair?

Queen. From fuch a cause as fills mine eyes with

tears;

And ftops my tongue, while my heart's drown'd in

cares.

K. Lew. Whate'er it be, be thou ftill like thyfelf, And fit thee by our fide. Yield not thy neck [Seats her by him. To fortune's yoke, but let thy dauntless mind Still ride in triumph over all mischance. Be plain, Queen Margaret, and tell thy grief; It fhall be eas'd, if France can yield relief.

Queen. Those gracious words revive my drooping thoughts,

And give my tongue-ty'd forrows leave to speak.
Now therefore be it known to noble Lewis,

That Henry, fole poffeffor of my love,

Is, of a King, become a banish'd man,
And forc'd to live in Scotland a forlorn;
While proud ambitious Edward, Duke of York,
Ufurps the regal Title, and the Seat
Of England's true-anointed lawful King.
This is the cause, that I, poor Margaret,
With this my fon Prince Edward, Henry's heir,
Am come to crave thy just and lawful aid:
And, if thou fail us, all our hope is done.
Scotland hath will to help, but cannot help:
Our People and our Peers are both mif-led,
H 5

Our

Our Treasure feiz'd, our Soldiers put to flight,
And, as thou feeft, ourselves in heavy plight.

K. Lew. Renowned Queen, with patience calm the ftorm;

While we bethink a means to break it off.

Queen. The more we ftay, the ftronger grows our foe. [thee. K. Lew. The more I ftay, the more I'll fuccour Queen. O, but impatience waiting, rues to-morrow. And fee, where comes the breeder of my forrow.

SCENE V.

Enter Warwick.

K. Lew. HAT's he, approacheth boldly to

WHA

Our Prefence?

Queen. Our Earl of Warwick, Edward's greatest friend.

K. Lew. Welcome, brave Warwick, what brings thee
to France?
[He defcends. She arifeth.
Queen. Ay, now begins a fecond ftorm to rife;
For this is he, that moves both wind and tide.
War. From worthy Edward, King of Albion,
My Lord and Sov'reign, and thy vowed friend,
I come (in kindness and unfeigned love)
Firft to do greetings to thy royal person,
And then to crave a league of amity;
And laftly, to confirm that amity

With nuptial knot, if thou vouchsafe to grant
That virtuous lady Bona, thy fair sister,
To England's King in lawful marriage..

Queen. If That go forward, Henry's hope is done!
War. And, gracious Madam, in our King's behalf.
[Speaking to Bona.
I am commanded, with your leave and favour,
Humbly to kiss your hand; and with my tongue
To tell the paffion of my Sov'reign's heart;
Where fame, late ent'ring at his heedful ears,

Hath