ACT IV..... SCENE I. London. A Room in the Palace. Enter GLOSTER, CLARENCE, SOMERSET, MONTAGUE, and Others. Glo. Now tell me, brother Clarence, what think 'Of this new marriage with the lady Grey? * Hath not our brother made a worthy choice? you * Clar. Alas, you know, 'tis far from hence to France; *How could he stay till Warwick made return? * Som. My lords, forbear this talk; here comes the king. Flourish. Enter King EDWARD, attended; Lady GREY, as Queen; PEMBROKE, STAFFORD, HASTINGS, and Others.1 *Glo. And his well-chosen bride. * Clar. I mind to tell him plainly what I think. K. Edw. Now, brother of Clarence, how like you our choice, That you stand pensive, as half malcontent? ‹ Clar. As well as Lewis of France, or the earl of Warwick; Which are so weak of courage, and in judgment, 9 Now tell me, brother Clarence,] In the old play the King enters here along with his brothers, not after them, and opens the scene thus: t "Edw. Brothers of Clarence and of Glocester, "What think you of our marriage with the lady Grey? "Glo. My lord, we think as Warwick and Lewis, "That are so slack in judgment that they 'll take "No offence at this sudden marriage. "Edw. Suppose they do, they are but Lewis and War wick; "And I am your king and Warwick's; and will be "Glo. And shall, because you are our king; "But yet such sudden marriages seldom proveth well. Malone. 1 The stage direction in the folio, [four stand on one side, and four on the other] is sufficient proof that the play, as exhibited there, was printed from a stage copy. I suppose these eight im. portant personages were attendants. Steevens. 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 Edward, 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 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. '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 :- Clar. Then this is my 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 commonwealth 'Gainst foreign storms, than any home-bred marriage. Hast. Why, knows not Montague, that of itself England is safe, if true within itself?" 3- are you offended too?] So, the folio. The quartos: 66 are you against us too?" Steevens. 3 And you too, Somerset, &c.] In the old play Somerset does not appear in this scene. Malone. Clar. Then this is my opinion,-&c.] Instead of this and the following speech, the quartos read thus: "Clar. My lord, then this is my opinion; "That Warwick, being dishonour'd in his embassage, "Doth seek revenge, to quit his injuries. "Glo. And Lewis, in regard of his sister's wrongs, "Doth join with Warwick to supplant your state." 5 Why, knows not Montague, that of itself Steevens. England is safe, if true within itself?] In the old play these lines stand thus: *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 hath not done well, To give the heir and daughter of lord Scales She better would have fitted me, or Clarence: Clar. Or else you would not have bestow'd the heir • Of the lord Bonville on your new wife's son, "Let England be true within itself, "We need not France nor any alliance with them." It is observable that the first of these lines occurs in the old play of King John, 1591, from which our author borrowed it, and inserted it with a slight change in his own play with the same ti. tle. Malone. See Vol. VII, p. 420. Neither the lapse of two centuries, nor any circumstance which has occurred during that eventful pe. riod, has in any degree shook the credit of this observation, or impaired the confidence of the publick in the truth of it." "England is and will be still safe, if true within itself." Reed. 6 with the seas,] This has been the advice of every man who in any age understood and favoured the interest of England. Johnson. ? And yet, methinks, &c.] The quartos vary from the folio as follows: "Cla. Ay, and for such a thing too, the lord Scales "Did well deserve at your hands, to have the "Daughter of the lord Bonfield; and left your "Brothers to go seek elsewhere; but in your madness "You bury brotherhood." Steevens. • you would not have bestow'd the heir] It must be remembered, that till the Restoration, the heiresses of great estates were in the wardship of the King, who in their minority gave them up to plunder, and afterwards matched them to his favourites. I know not when liberty gained more than by the abolition of the court of wards. Johnson. 6 And leave your brothers to go speed elsewhere. Clar. In choosing for yourself, you show'd your judg ment; 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 tv'd 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,9 * 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. 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? I was not ignoble of descent,] Her father was Sir Richard Widville, Knight, afterwards Earl of Rivers; her mother, Jaqueline, Duchess Dowager of Bedford, who was daughter to Peter of Luxemburgh, Earl of Saint Paul, and widow of John Duke of Bedford, brother to King Henry V. Malone. 1 My love, forbear &c.] Instead of this and the following speech, the old play has only these lines: "Edw. Forbear, my love, to fawne upon their frowns, "For thee they must obey, nay, shall obey, "And if they look for favour at my hands. "Mont. My lord, here is the messenger return'd from Fraunce." Malone. '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? Mess. At my depart, these were his very words; Go tell false Edward, thy supposed king, That Lewis of France is sending over maskers, K. Edw. Is Lewis so brave? belike, he thinks me Henry. < But what said lady Bona to my marriage?2 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 place.3 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. 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. 2 66 to my marriage?] The quartos read: to these wrongs." Steevens. 3 — she was there in place.] This expression, signifying, she was there present, occurs frequently in old English writers. En place, a Gallicism. Steevens. 4-- Malone. are done,] i. e. are consumed, thrown off. The word is often used in this sense by the writers of our author's age. So, in his Rape of Lucrece: "And if possess'd, as soon decay'd and done "As is the morning's silver-melting dew." Malone. |