*For both of you are birds of self-same feather. [A Horn sounded within. K. Lew. Warwick, this is some post to us, or thee. Enter a Messenger.

Mess. My lord ambassador, these letters are for you; Sent from your brother, marquis Montague.These from our king unto your majesty.

And, madam, these for you; from whom, I know not. [To MARGARET. They all read their Letters. Oxf. I like it well, that our fair queen and mistress Smiles at her news, while Warwick frowns at his. Prince. Nay, mark, how Lewis stamps as he were nettled:

I hope, all 's for the best.

K. Lew. Warwick, what are thy news? and yours,
fair queen?

'Q. Mar. Mine, such as fill my heart with unhop'd joys.
War. Mine, full of sorrow and heart's discontent.
K. Lew. What! has your king married the lady Grey?
And now, to sooth your forgery and his,'

Sends me a paper to persuade me patience?
Is this the alliance that he seeks with France?
'Dare he presume to scorn us in this manner?

*

Q. Mar. I told your majesty as much before: This proveth Edward's love, and Warwick's honesty. War. King Lewis, I here protest,-in sight of heaven, And by the hope I have of heavenly bliss,—

That I am clear from this misdeed of Edward's;

No more my king, for he dishonours me;

But most himself, if he could see his shame ——
Did I forget, that by the house of York
My father came untimely to his death?

So, in King Richard II:

5

66

conveyers are you all,

"That rise thus nimbly by a true king's fall." Steevens. to sooth your forgery and his,] To soften it, to make it more endurable: or perhaps, to sooth us, and to prevent our being exasperated by your forgery and his. Malone.

• Did I forget, that by the house of York

My father came untimely to his death?] Warwick's father came untimely to his death, being taken at the battle of Wakefield, and beheaded at Pomfret But the author of the old play imagined he fell at the action at Ferry-bridge, and has in a former

?

Did I let pass the abuse done to my niece??
Did I impale him with the regal crown
Did I put Henry from his native right;8

And am I guerdon'd' at the last with shame!
* Shame on himself! for my desert is honour.
* And, to repair my honour lost for him,
* I here renounce him, and return to Henry:
My noble queen, let former grudges pass,
And henceforth I am thy true servitor;
I will revenge his wrong to lady Bona,
And replant Henry in his former state.

'Q. Mar. Warwick, these words have turn'd my hate to love;

And I forgive and quite forget old faults,

And joy that thou becom'st king Henry's friend. War. So much his friend, ay, his unfeigned friend That, if king Lewis vouchsafe to furnish us With some few bands of chosen soldiers, I'll undertake to land them on our coast, And force the tyrant from his seat by war. 'Tis not his new-made bride shall succour him: * And as for Clarence, as my letters tell me, * He's very likely now to fall from him;

* For matching more for wanton lust than hónour,

scene, to which this line refers, (See p. 333, n. 4,) described his death as happening at that place. Shakspeare very properly rejected that description of the death of the Earl of Salisbury, of whose death no mention is made in this play, as it now stands; yet he has inadvertently retained this line which alludes to a preceding description that he had struck out; and this is another proof of his falling into inconsistencies, by sometimes following, and sometimes deserting, his original. Malone.

7 Did I let pass the abuse done to my niece?] Thus Holinshed, p. 668: "King Edward did attempt a thing once in the earles house, which was much against the earles honestie (whether he would have defloured his daughter or his niece, the certaintie was not for both their honours revealed,) for surely such a thing was attempted by king Edward." Steevens.

8 Did I put Henry from his native right; &c.] Thus the folio. The quartos read:

9

"And thrust king Henry from his native home?

"And (most ungrateful) doth he use me thus?" Steevens. guerdon'd —] i. e. rewarded. So, in P. II, of this play: "See you well guerdon'd for these good deserts." Steevens.

*Or than for strength and safety of our country.

* Bona. Dear brother, how shall Bona be reveng'd, * But by thy help to this distressed queen?

*Q. Mar. Renowned prince, how shall poor Henry live, Unless thou rescue him from foul despair?

*Bona. My quarrel, and this English queen's are one. *War. And mine, fair lady Bona, joins with yours. *K. Lew. And mine, with hers, and thine, and Margaret's.

Therefore, at last, I firmly am resolv'd,

You shall have aid.

* Q. Mar. Let me give humble thanks for all at once. K. Lew. Then England's messenger, return in post; And tell false Edward, thy supposed king,

That Lewis of France is sending over maskers,
To revel it with him and his new bride:

* Thou seest what's past, go fear thy king withal. Bona. Tell him, In hope he 'll prove a widower, shortly, I'll wear the willow-garland for his sake.

Q. Mar. Tell him, My mourning weeds are laid aside, And I am ready to put armour on.2

War. Tell him from me, That he hath done me wrong; And therefore I'll uncrown him, ere 't be long.

There's thy reward; be gone.

K. Lew.

[Exit Mess.

But, Warwick, thou,

And Oxford, with five thousand men,

Shall cross the seas, and bid false Edward battle:

1

-go fear thy king-] That is, fright thy king. Johnson. So, in King Henry IV, P. II:

"The people fear me" &c. Steevens.

2 — to put armour on ] It was once no unusual thing for queens themselves to appear in armour at the head of their forces. The suit which Elizabeth wore, when she rode through the lines at Tilbury to encourage the troops, on the approach of the armada, may be still seen in the Tower. Steevens.

3 thy reward;] Here we are to suppose that, according to ancient custom, Warwick makes a present to the Herald or Messenger, whom the original copies call-a Post. See Vol. IX, p. 297, n. 4. Steevens.

4

and bid false Edward battle:] This phrase is common to many of our ancient writers. So, in The Misfortunes of Arthur, a dramatick performance, 1587:

my flesh abhors

"To bid the battle to my proper blood." Steevens.

* And, as occasion serves, this noble queen
* And prince shall follow with a fresh supply.
Yet, ere thou go, but answer me one doubt ;---
• What pledge have we of thy firm loyalty?

War. This shall assure my constant loyalty;
That if our queen and this young prince agree,
I'll join mine eldest daughter, and my joy,
To him forthwith5 in holy wedlock bands.

I'll join mine eldest daughter, and my joy,

To him forthwith -] Surely this is a mistake of the copyists. Hall, in the ninth year of King Edward IV, says: "Edward prince of Wales wedded Anne second daughter to the earl of Warwick." And the Duke of Clarence was in love with the elder, the Lady Isabel; and in reality was married to her five years before Prince Edward took the lady Anne to wife. And, in King Richard the Third, Gloster, who married this Lady Anne when a widow, says:

"For then I'll marry Warwick's youngest daughter. "What though I kill'd her husband and her father?" i. e. Prince Edward, and King Henry VI, her father-in-law. See likewise Holinshed, in his Chronicle, p. 671 and 674. Theobald.

This is a departure from the truth of history, for Edward Prince of Wales (as Mr. Theobald has observed) was married to Anne, the second daughter of the Earl of Warwick.

But notwithstanding this, his reading [youngest daughter] has, I think, been improperly adopted by the subsequent editors; for though in fact the Duke of Clarence married Isabella, the eldest daughter of Warwick, in 1468, and Edward Prince of Wales married Anne, his second daughter, in 1470; neither of his daughters was married at the time when Warwick was in France negociating a marriage between Lady Bona and his King: so that there is no inconsistency in the present proposal. Supposing, however, that the original author of this play made a mistake, and imagined that the youngest daughter of Warwick was married to Clarence, I apprehend he, and not his editor, ought to answer for it.

This is one of the numerous circumstances which prove that Shakspeare was not the original author of this play; for though here, as in a former passage, (p. 356, n. 5,) he has followed the old drama, when he afterwards wrote his King Richard III, and found it necessary to consult the ancient historians, he represented Lady Anne, as she in fact was, the widow of Edward, Prince of Wales, and the youngest daughter of the earl of War wick. Malone.

Is it improbable then that Shakspeare should have become more accurate as he grew older? Might he not, previous to the com. position of a later play, have furnished himself with that know

'Q. Mar. Yes, I agree, and thank you for your motion:

'Son Edward, she is fair and virtuous,

Therefore delay not, give thy hand to Warwick;
And, with thy hand, thy faith irrevocable,

That only Warwick's daughter shall be thine.

* Prince. Yes, I accept her, for she well deserves it;

* And here, to pledge my vow, I give my hand.

[He gives his hand to WAR. K. Lew. Why stay we now? These soldiers shall be

levy'd,

7

And thou, lord Bourbon, our high admiral, • Shall waft them over with our royal fleet.'I long, till Edward fall by war's mischance, For mocking marriage with a dame of France. [Exeunt all but WAR. War. I came from Edward as embassador, But I return his sworn and mortal foe: Matter of marriage was the charge he gave me, But dreadful war shall answer his demand.

8

Had he none else to make a stale, but me?
Then none but I shall turn his jest to sorrow.
I was the chief that rais'd him to the crown,
And I'll be chief to bring him down again:
Not that I pity Henry's misery,

But seek revenge on Edward's mockery.

[Exit.

ledge of history which was wanting in his dramatick performance of an earlier date? Steevens.

Yes, I agree, &c.] Instead of this speech, the quarto has only the following:

"With all my heart; I like this match full well.

"Love her, son Edward; she is fair and young;

"And give thy hand to Warwick, for his love." Steevens.

7 And thou, lord Bourbon, &c.] Instead of this and the three following lines, we have these in the old play:

"And you, lord Bourbon, our high admiral,
"Shall waft them safely to the English coasts;
"And chase proud Edward from his slumbʼring trance,
"For mocking marriage with the name of France."

Malone.

8 to make a stale,] i. e. stalking-horse, pretence. So, in The Comedy of Errors:

poor I am but his stale." See Act II, sc. i. Steevens.