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• Glo. And

king:

you shall have your will, because our

'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.

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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.

Cla. Then this is my opinion, that King Lewis Becomes your enemy, for mocking him

About the marriage of the Lady Bona.

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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 alli

ance,

Would more have strengthen'd this our common

wealth

'Gainst foreign storms, than any home bred marriage.

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'Hast. Why, knows not Montague, that of itself England is safe, if true within itself1?

*Mont. Yes; but the safer, when 'tis back'd with

France.

*Hast. "Tis better using France, than trusting France:

1 See King John, note on the final speech.

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* Let us be back'd with God, and with the seas2, *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 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 3

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.

2 This has been the advice of every man who in any age understood and favoured the interest of England. JOHNSON.

3 Until the Restoration minors coming into possession of great estates were in the wardship of the king, who bestowed them on his favourites, or in other words gave them up to plunder, and afterwards disposed of them in marriage as he pleased. I know not (says Johnson) when liberty gained more than by the abolition of the court of wards.

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Q. Eliz. My lords, before it pleased 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:

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'What danger, or what sorrow can befall thee, 'So long as Edward is thy constant friend,

6

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

more.

Enter a Messenger.

[Aside.

'K. Edw. Now, messenger, what letters, or what

news,

From France?

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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?

4 Her father was Sir Richard Widville, Knight, afterwards earl of Rivers; her mother Jaqueline, duchess dowager of Bedford, who was daughter of Peter of Luxemburg, earl of St. Paul, and widow of John duke of Bedford, brother to King Henry V.

words;

Mess. At my depart, these were his very
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 place5. 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 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.

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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 presumption. 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.

5 In place signifies there present. The expression is of frequent occurrence in old English writers. It is from the French en place.

6 i. e. my mourning is ended.

*

Clar. Belike, the elder; Clarence will have the

younger 7.

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 8. [Exit CLARENCE, and SOMERSET follows.

**

*

*Glo. Not I:

My thoughts aim at a further matter; I
Stay not for love of Edward, but the crown.

[Aside. 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;

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They are already, or quickly will be landed: 'Myself in person will straight follow you.

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[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;

7 This is consonant with the former passage of this play, though at variance with what really happened. See note 14, on p. 296.

8 Johnson has remarked upon the actual improbability of Clarence making this speech in the king's hearing. Shakspeare followed the old play, where this line is also found. When the earl of Essex attempted to raise a rebellion in the city, with a design, as was supposed, to storm the queen's palace, he ran about the streets with his sword drawn, crying out, They that love me, follow me.' Shakspeare has a similar line in King Richard III. :—

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'The rest that love me, rise, and follow me,'

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