William Shakespeare's Third Part of King Henry the Sixth in the complete original text.
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Third Part of King Henry the Sixth

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Act IV. Scene I.

Act IV. Scene I.—London. A Room in the
Palace.

Enter GLOUCESTER, CLARENCE,
SOMERSET, MONTAGUE, and Others.

Glo. Now tell me, brother Clarence, what
think you
Of this new marriage with the Lady Grey?
Hath not our brother made a worthy choice?
Clar. Alas! you know, 'tis far from hence to
France;
How could lie stay till Warwick made return?
Som. My lords, forbear this talk; here comes
the king.
Glo. And his well-chosen bride.
Clar. I mind to tell him plainly what I
think.

Flourish. Enter KING EDWARD, attended;
LADY GREY, as Queen; PEMBROKE,
STAFFORD, HASTINGS, and Others.
K. Edw. Now, brother Clarence, how like you
our choice,
That you stand pensive and 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 Ed-
ward,
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 of-
fended 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.
Clar. Then this is mine opinion: that King
Lewis
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
alliance
Would more have strengthen'd this our common-
wealth
'Gainst foreign storms, than any home-bred mar-
riage.
Hast. Why, knows not Montague, that of
itself
England is safe, if true within itself?
Mont. Yes; but the safer when 'tis 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.
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 bath 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
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 on mine own behalf;
And to that end I shortly mind to leave you.
K. Edw. Leave me, or tarry, Edward will bo
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;
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. [Aside.] I hear, yet say not much, but
think the 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 let-
ters?
Mess. At my depart these were his very
words:
'Go tell false Edward, thy supposed king,
That Lewis of France is sending over masquers,
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 her not, 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,
And I am ready to put armour on.'
K. Edw. Belike she minds to play the Ama-
zon.
But what said Warwick to these injuries?
Mess. He, more incens'd against your majesty
Than all the rest, discharged 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 forewarn'd:
They shall have wars, and pay for their presump-
tion.
But say, 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.
You, that love me and Warwick follow me.
[Exit CLARENCE, and SOMERSET follows.
Glo. [Aside.] Not I.
My thoughts aim at a further matter; I
Stay not for love of Edward, but the crown.
K. Edw. Clarence and Somerset both gone
to Warwick!
Yet am I arm'd against the worst can happen,
And haste is needful in this desperate case.
Pembroke and Stafford, you in our behalf
Go levy men, and make prepare for war:
They are already, or quickly will be landed:
Myself in person will straight follow you,
[Exeunt PEMBROKE and STAFFORD.
But ere I go, Hastings and Montague,
Resolve my doubt. You twain, of all the
rest,
Are near to Warwick by blood, and by alliance:
Tell me if you love Warwick more than me?
If it be so, then both depart to him;
I rather wish you foes than hollow friends:
But if you mind to hold your true obedience,
Give me assurance with some friendly vow
That I may never have you in suspect.
Mont. So God help Montague as he proves
true!
Hast. And Hastings as he favours Edward's
cause!
K. Edw. Now, brother Richard, will you
stand by us?
Glo. Ay, in despite of all that shall withstand
you.
K. Edw. Why, so! then am I sure of victory.
Now therefore let us hence; and lose no hour
Till we meet Warwick with his foreign power.
[Exeunt.
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