Complete Plays, The (278 page)

Clarence

Then this is mine opinion: that King Lewis
Becomes your enemy, for mocking him
About the marriage of the Lady Bona.

Gloucester

And Warwick, doing what you gave in charge,
Is now dishonoured by this new marriage.

King Edward IV

What if both Lewis and Warwick be appeased
By such invention as I can devise?

Montague

Yet, to have join’d with France in such alliance
Would more have strengthen’d this our commonwealth
’Gainst foreign storms than any home-bred marriage.

Hastings

Why, knows not Montague that of itself
England is safe, if true within itself?

Montague

But the safer when ’tis back’d with France.

Hastings

’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.

Clarence

For this one speech Lord Hastings well deserves
To have the heir of the Lord Hungerford.

King Edward IV

Ay, what of that? it was my will and grant;
And for this once my will shall stand for law.

Gloucester

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.

Clarence

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.

King Edward IV

Alas, poor Clarence! is it for a wife
That thou art malcontent? I will provide thee.

Clarence

In choosing for yourself, you show’d your judgment,
Which being shallow, you give me leave
To play the broker in mine own behalf;
And to that end I shortly mind to leave you.

King Edward IV

Leave me, or tarry, Edward will be king,
And not be tied unto his brother’s will.

Queen Elizabeth

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 dislike, to whom I would be pleasing,
Doth cloud my joys with danger and with sorrow.

King Edward IV

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.

Gloucester

[Aside]
 
I hear, yet say not much, but think the more.

Enter a Post

King Edward IV

Now, messenger, what letters or what news
From France?

Post

My sovereign liege, no letters; and few words,
But such as I, without your special pardon,
Dare not relate.

King Edward IV

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?

Post

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.’

King Edward IV

Is Lewis so brave? belike he thinks me Henry.
But what said Lady Bona to my marriage?

Post

These were her words, utter’d with mad disdain:
‘Tell him, in hope he’ll prove a widower shortly,
I’ll wear the willow garland for his sake.’

King Edward IV

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.

Post

‘Tell him,’ quoth she, ‘my mourning weeds are done,
And I am ready to put armour on.’

King Edward IV

Belike she minds to play the Amazon.
But what said Warwick to these injuries?

Post

He, more incensed 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.’

King Edward IV

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?

Post

Ay, gracious sovereign; they are so link’d in friendship That young Prince Edward marries Warwick’s daughter.

Clarence

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

Gloucester

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

King Edward IV

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.

Montague

So God help Montague as he proves true!

Hastings

And Hastings as he favours Edward’s cause!

King Edward IV

Now, brother Richard, will you stand by us?

Gloucester

Ay, in despite of all that shall withstand you.

King Edward IV

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

S
CENE
II. A
PLAIN
IN
W
ARWICKSHIRE
.

Enter Warwick and Oxford, with French soldiers

Warwick

Trust me, my lord, all hitherto goes well;
The common people by numbers swarm to us.

Enter Clarence and Somerset

But see where Somerset and Clarence come!
Speak suddenly, my lords, are we all friends?

Clarence

Fear not that, my lord.

Warwick

Then, gentle Clarence, welcome unto Warwick;
And welcome, Somerset: I hold it cowardice
To rest mistrustful where a noble heart
Hath pawn’d an open hand in sign of love;
Else might I think that Clarence, Edward’s brother,
Were but a feigned friend to our proceedings:
But welcome, sweet Clarence; my daughter shall be thine.
And now what rests but, in night’s coverture,
Thy brother being carelessly encamp’d,
His soldiers lurking in the towns about,
And but attended by a simple guard,
We may surprise and take him at our pleasure?
Our scouts have found the adventure very easy:
That as Ulysses and stout Diomede
With sleight and manhood stole to Rhesus’ tents,
And brought from thence the Thracian fatal steeds,
So we, well cover’d with the night’s black mantle,
At unawares may beat down Edward’s guard
And seize himself; I say not, slaughter him,
For I intend but only to surprise him.
You that will follow me to this attempt,
Applaud the name of Henry with your leader.

They all cry, ‘Henry!’

Why, then, let’s on our way in silent sort:
For Warwick and his friends, God and Saint George!

Exeunt

S
CENE
III. E
DWARD
’
S
CAMP
,
NEAR
W
ARWICK
.

Enter three Watchmen, to guard King Edward IV’s tent

First Watchman

Come on, my masters, each man take his stand:
The king by this is set him down to sleep.

Second Watchman

What, will he not to bed?

First Watchman

Why, no; for he hath made a solemn vow
Never to lie and take his natural rest
Till Warwick or himself be quite suppress’d.

Second Watchman

To-morrow then belike shall be the day,
If Warwick be so near as men report.

Third Watchman

But say, I pray, what nobleman is that
That with the king here resteth in his tent?

First Watchman

’Tis the Lord Hastings, the king’s chiefest friend.

Third Watchman

O, is it so? But why commands the king
That his chief followers lodge in towns about him,
While he himself keeps in the cold field?

Second Watchman

’Tis the more honour, because more dangerous.

Third Watchman

Ay, but give me worship and quietness;
I like it better than a dangerous honour.
If Warwick knew in what estate he stands,
’Tis to be doubted he would waken him.

First Watchman

Unless our halberds did shut up his passage.

Second Watchman

Ay, wherefore else guard we his royal tent,
But to defend his person from night-foes?

Enter Warwick, Clarence, Oxford, Somerset, and French soldiers, silent all

Warwick

This is his tent; and see where stand his guard.
Courage, my masters! honour now or never!
But follow me, and Edward shall be ours.

First Watchman

Who goes there?

Second Watchman

Stay, or thou diest!

Warwick and the rest cry all, ‘Warwick! Warwick!’ and set upon the Guard, who fly, crying, ‘Arm! arm!’ Warwick and the rest following them

The drum playing and trumpet sounding, reenter Warwick, Somerset, and the rest, bringing King Edward IV out in his gown, sitting in a chair. Richard and Hastings fly over the stage

Somerset

What are they that fly there?

Warwick

Richard and Hastings: let them go; here is The duke.

King Edward IV

 
The duke! Why, Warwick, when we parted,
Thou call’dst me king.

Warwick

Ay, but the case is alter’d:
When you disgraced me in my embassade,
Then I degraded you from being king,
And come now to create you Duke of York.
Alas! how should you govern any kingdom,
That know not how to use ambassadors,
Nor how to be contented with one wife,
Nor how to use your brothers brotherly,
Nor how to study for the people’s welfare,
Nor how to shroud yourself from enemies?

King Edward IV

Yea, brother of Clarence, are thou here too?
Nay, then I see that Edward needs must down.
Yet, Warwick, in despite of all mischance,
Of thee thyself and all thy complices,
Edward will always bear himself as king:
Though fortune’s malice overthrow my state,
My mind exceeds the compass of her wheel.

Warwick

Then, for his mind, be Edward England’s king:

Takes off his crown

But Henry now shall wear the English crown,
And be true king indeed, thou but the shadow.
My Lord of Somerset, at my request,
See that forthwith Duke Edward be convey’d
Unto my brother, Archbishop of York.
When I have fought with Pembroke and his fellows,
I’ll follow you, and tell what answer
Lewis and the Lady Bona send to him.
Now, for a while farewell, good Duke of York.

They lead him out forcibly

King Edward IV

What fates impose, that men must needs abide;
It boots not to resist both wind and tide.

Exit, guarded

Oxford

What now remains, my lords, for us to do
But march to London with our soldiers?

Warwick

Ay, that’s the first thing that we have to do;
To free King Henry from imprisonment
And see him seated in the regal throne.

Exeunt

S
CENE
IV. L
ONDON
. T
HE
PALACE
.

Enter Queen Elizabeth and Rivers

Rivers

Madam, what makes you in this sudden change?

Queen Elizabeth

Why brother Rivers, are you yet to learn
What late misfortune is befall’n King Edward?

Rivers

What! loss of some pitch’d battle against Warwick?

Queen Elizabeth

No, but the loss of his own royal person.

Rivers

Then is my sovereign slain?

Queen Elizabeth

Ay, almost slain, for he is taken prisoner,
Either betray’d by falsehood of his guard
Or by his foe surprised at unawares:
And, as I further have to understand,
Is new committed to the Bishop of York,
Fell Warwick’s brother and by that our foe.