Cla. To whom, my Lord?

K. Ed. Why, Clarence, to myself.

Glou. That would be ten days wonder at the leaft Cla. That's a day longer than a wonder lafts. Glou. By fo much is the wonder in extremes. K. Edw. Well, jeft on, brothers; I can tell you. Her fuit is granted for her husband's lands. [both, Enter a Nobleman.

Nob. My gracious Lord, Henry your foe is taken, And, brought your prifoner to your palace-gates. K. Edw. See that he be convey'd unto the Tower: And go we, brothers, to the man that took him, To question of his apprehenfion.

-Widow, go you along-Lords, use her ho
nourably.
[Exeunt.

S CE NE III.

Manet Gloucester.

Glou. Ay, Edward will ufe,women honourably.
'Would he were wasted, 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 the th' unlook'd for iffue of their bodies,
To take their rooms ere I can place myself.
A cold premeditation for my purpofe!
Why, then I do but dream on Sov'reignty,
Like one that stands upon a promontory,
And fpies a far-off thore where he would tread,
Withing his foot were equal with his eye,
And chides the fea that funders him from thence,
Saying, he'll lade it dry to have his way:
So do I with, the crown being fo far off,
And fo I chide the means that keep me from it;
And fo, I fay, 'I'll cut the causes off,

Flatt'ring my mind with things impoffible.
My eyes 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 heav'n 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 accompliíh twenty golden crowns.
Why, Love forlwore 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 fhrub;
To make an envious mountain on my back,
Where fits Deformity to mock my body;
To thape my legs of an unequal fize;
To difproportion me in every part,
Like to a chaos, or unlick'd bear-whelp,
That carries no impreflion like the dam.
And am I then a man to be belov'd?

Oh monftrous fault, to harbour fuch 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,

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 defperately 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 flyly than Ulyffes could;
And, like a Sinon, take another Trov.
I can add colours ev'n to the camelion;
Change fhapes with Proteus for advantages,
And fet the murd'rous Machiavel to fchool.
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. Fair Queen of England, worthy Margaret, Sit down with us; it ill befits thy state

And birth that thou shouldft ftand while Lewis fits.

Queen. No, mighty King of France; now MargaMuft ftrike her fail, and learn a while to ferve, [ret Where Kings command. I was, I must confess, Great Albion's Queen in former golden days, But now mifchance hath trod my title down, And with difhonour laid me on the ground; Where I must take like feat unto my fortune, And to my humble feat conform myfelf.

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

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 still like thyself, And fit thou 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. Thofe 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 fore'd to live in Scotland a forlorn,
While proud ambitious Edward, Duke of York,
Ufurps the regal title, and the feat

Of England's true-anointed lawful King.
This is the caufe 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 misled,
Our treasure feiz'd, our foldiers put to flight,
And, as thou feeft, ourselves in heavy plight.

K. Lew. Renowned Queen, with patience calm the While we bethink a means to break it off. [ftorm, Queen. The more we stay, the stronger grows our foe.

K. Lew. The more I ftay, the more I'll fuccour thee.

Queen. O, but impatience waiteth on true forrow: And fee, where comes the breeder of my forrow.

K. Lew. What's he approacheth boldly to 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 storm 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,
First to do greetings to thy royal perfon,
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 fifter,
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 kits 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 plac'd thy beauty's image and thy virtue's.
Queen. King Lewis, and Lady Bona, hear me
Before you answer Warwick. His demand [fpeak,
Springs not from Edward's well-meant honeft love,
But from deceit bred by necellity;

For how can tyrants fafely govern home,
Unless abroad they purchase great alliance?
To prove him tyrant, this reafon may futlice,
That Henry liveth ftill; but were he dead,

Yet here Prince Edward ftands, King Henry's fon. Look therefore, Lewis, that by this league and marriage

Thou draw not on thee danger and dishonour;
For tho' ufurpers fway the rule a while,

Yet heav'ns are juft, and time fuppreffeth wrongs.
War. Injurious Margaret!.

Prince. And why not Queen?

War. Because thy father Henry did ufurp,
And thou no more art Prince, than fhe is Queen.
Oxf. Then Warwick difannuls great John of
Gaunt,

Which did fubdue the greatest part of Spain;
And, after John of Gaunt, Henry the Fourth,
Whose wisdom was a mirror to the wifeft';
And, after that wife Prince, Henry the Fifth,
Who by his prowess conquered all France:
From these our Henry lineally defcends.

War. Oxford, how haps it in this fimooth difcourfe
You told not how Henry the Sixth hath loft
All that which Henry the Fifth had gotten?
Methinks thefe peers of France fhould smile at that.
But, for the rest, you tell a pedigree

VOL. VI.

U