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Henry VI, Pt. 3: Act IV, Scene 1

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Henry VI, Pt. 3
Act IV, Scene 1

Scene 1

London. A palace room.

  1. Enter Richard of Gloucester, Clarence, Somerset, and
  2. Montague.

Duke of Gloucester

1 - 3
  1. Now tell me, brother Clarence, what think you
  2. Of this new marriage with the Lady Grey?
  3. Hath not our brother made a worthy choice?

Duke of Clarence

4 - 5
  1. Alas, you know, ’tis far from hence to France;
  2. How could he stay till Warwick made return?

Duke of Somerset

6
  1. My lords, forbear this talk; here comes the King.
  1. Flourish. Enter King Edward, Lady Grey, now Queen Elizabeth,
  2. Pembroke, Stafford, Hastings, and others. Four stand on one
  3. side and four on the other.

Duke of Gloucester

7
  1. And his well-chosen bride.

Duke of Clarence

8
  1. I mind to tell him plainly what I think.

King Edward

9 - 10
  1. Now, brother of Clarence, how like you our choice,
  2. That you stand pensive as half malcontent?

Duke of Clarence

11 - 13
  1. As well as Lewis of France or the Earl of Warwick,
  2. Which are so weak of courage and in judgment
  3. That they’ll take no offense at our abuse.

King Edward

14 - 16
  1. Suppose they take offense without a cause;
  2. They are but Lewis and Warwick, I am Edward,
  3. Your king and Warwick’s, and must have my will.

Duke of Gloucester

17 - 18
  1. And shall have your will, because our king.
  2. Yet hasty marriage seldom proveth well.

King Edward

19
  1. Yea, brother Richard, are you offended too?

Duke of Gloucester

20 - 23
  1. Not I.
  2. No; God forbid that I should wish them sever’d
  3. Whom God hath join’d together; ay, and ’twere pity
  4. To sunder them that yoke so well together.

King Edward

24 - 28
  1. Setting your scorns and your mislike aside,
  2. Tell me some reason why the Lady Grey
  3. Should not become my wife and England’s queen.
  4. And you too, Somerset and Montague,
  5. Speak freely what you think.

Duke of Clarence

29 - 31
  1. Then this is mine opinion: that King Lewis
  2. Becomes your enemy, for mocking him
  3. About the marriage of the Lady Bona.

Duke of Gloucester

32 - 33
  1. And Warwick, doing what you gave in charge,
  2. Is now dishonored by this new marriage.

King Edward

34 - 35
  1. What if both Lewis and Warwick be appeas’d
  2. By such invention as I can devise?

Marquess Montague

36 - 38
  1. Yet, to have join’d with France in such alliance
  2. Would more have strength’ned this our commonwealth
  3. ’Gainst foreign storms than any home-bred marriage.

Lord Hastings

39 - 40
  1. Why, knows not Montague that of itself
  2. England is safe, if true within itself?

Marquess Montague

41
  1. But the safer when ’tis back’d with France.

Lord Hastings

42 - 46
  1. ’Tis better using France than trusting France.
  2. Let us be back’d with God, and with the seas,
  3. Which he hath giv’n for fence impregnable,
  4. And with their helps only defend ourselves:
  5. In them, and in ourselves, our safety lies.

Duke of Clarence

47 - 48
  1. For this one speech Lord Hastings well deserves
  2. To have the heir of the Lord Hungerford.

King Edward

49 - 50
  1. Ay, what of that? It was my will and grant,
  2. And for this once my will shall stand for law.

Duke of Gloucester

51 - 55
  1. And yet methinks your Grace hath not done well
  2. To give the heir and daughter of Lord Scales
  3. Unto the brother of your loving bride.
  4. She better would have fitted me or Clarence;
  5. But in your bride you bury brotherhood.

Duke of Clarence

56 - 58
  1. Or else you would not have bestow’d the heir
  2. Of the Lord Bonville on your new wive’s son,
  3. And leave your brothers to go speed elsewhere.

King Edward

59 - 60
  1. Alas, poor Clarence! Is it for a wife
  2. That thou art malcontent? I will provide thee.

Duke of Clarence

61 - 64
  1. In choosing for yourself, you show’d your judgment;
  2. Which being shallow, you shall give me leave
  3. To play the broker in mine own behalf;
  4. And to that end I shortly mind to leave you.

King Edward

65 - 66
  1. Leave me, or tarry, Edward will be king,
  2. And not be tied unto his brother’s will.

Queen Elizabeth

67 - 74
  1. My lords, before it pleas’d his Majesty
  2. To raise my state to title of a queen,
  3. Do me but right, and you must all confess
  4. That I was not ignoble of descent,
  5. And meaner than myself have had like fortune.
  6. But as this title honors me and mine,
  7. So your dislikes, to whom I would be pleasing,
  8. Doth cloud my joys with danger and with sorrow.

King Edward

75 - 82
  1. My love, forbear to fawn upon their frowns.
  2. What danger or what sorrow can befall thee
  3. So long as Edward is thy constant friend
  4. And their true sovereign whom they must obey?
  5. Nay, whom they shall obey, and love thee too,
  6. Unless they seek for hatred at my hands;
  7. Which if they do, yet will I keep thee safe,
  8. And they shall feel the vengeance of my wrath.

Duke of Gloucester

83
  1. Aside.
  2. I hear, yet say not much, but think the more.
  1. Enter a Post.
Cassell's Illustrated Shakespeare

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

From: Cassell's Illustrated Shakespeare

Mary Cowden Clarke, Charles Cowden Clarke, 1870

King Edward

84 - 85
  1. Now, messenger, what letters or what news
  2. From France?

Post

86 - 88
  1. My sovereign liege, no letters, and few words,
  2. But such as I (without your special pardon)
  3. Dare not relate.

King Edward

89 - 91
  1. Go to, we pardon thee; therefore, in brief,
  2. Tell me their words as near as thou canst guess them.
  3. What answer makes King Lewis unto our letters?

Post

92 - 95
  1. At my depart, these were his very words:
  2. “Go tell false Edward, the supposed king,
  3. That Lewis of France is sending over masquers
  4. To revel it with him and his new bride.”

King Edward

96 - 97
  1. Is Lewis so brave? Belike he thinks me Henry.
  2. But what said Lady Bona to my marriage?

Post

98 - 100
  1. These were her words, utt’red with mild disdain:
  2. “Tell him, in hope he’ll prove a widower shortly,
  3. I’ll wear the willow garland for his sake.”

King Edward

101 - 103
  1. I blame not her: she could say little less;
  2. She had the wrong. But what said Henry’s queen?
  3. For I have heard that she was there in place.

Post

104 - 105
  1. “Tell him,” quoth she, “my mourning weeds are done,
  2. And I am ready to put armor on.”

King Edward

106 - 107
  1. Belike she minds to play the Amazon.
  2. But what said Warwick to these injuries?

Post

108 - 111
  1. He, more incens’d against your Majesty
  2. Than all the rest, discharg’d me with these words:
  3. “Tell him from me that he hath done me wrong,
  4. And therefore I’ll uncrown him ere’t be long.”

King Edward

112 - 115
  1. Ha? Durst the traitor breathe out so proud words?
  2. Well, I will arm me, being thus forewarn’d.
  3. They shall have wars, and pay for their presumption.
  4. But say, is Warwick friends with Margaret?

Post

116 - 117
  1. Ay, gracious sovereign, they are so link’d in friendship
  2. That young Prince Edward marries Warwick’s daughter.

Duke of Clarence

118 - 123
  1. Belike the elder; Clarence will have the younger.
  2. Now, brother king, farewell, and sit you fast,
  3. For I will hence to Warwick’s other daughter,
  4. That though I want a kingdom, yet in marriage
  5. I may not prove inferior to yourself.
  6. You that love me and Warwick, follow me.
  1. Exit Clarence, and Somerset follow.

Duke of Gloucester

124 - 126
  1. Aside.
  2. Not I;
  3. My thoughts aim at a further matter: I
  4. Stay not for the love of Edward, but the crown.

King Edward

127 - 142
  1. Clarence and Somerset both gone to Warwick?
  2. Yet am I arm’d against the worst can happen;
  3. And haste is needful in this desp’rate case.
  4. Pembroke and Stafford, you in our behalf
  5. Go levy men, and make prepare for war;
  6. They are already or quickly will be landed.
  7. Myself in person will straight follow you.
  8. Exeunt Pembroke and Stafford.
  9. But ere I go, Hastings and Montague,
  10. Resolve my doubt. You twain, of all the rest,
  11. Are near to Warwick by blood and by alliance:
  12. Tell me if you love Warwick more than me?
  13. If it be so, then both depart to him;
  14. I rather wish you foes than hollow friends.
  15. But if you mind to hold your true obedience,
  16. Give me assurance with some friendly vow,
  17. That I may never have you in suspect.

Marquess Montague

143
  1. So God help Montague as he proves true!

Lord Hastings

144
  1. And Hastings as he favors Edward’s cause!

King Edward

145
  1. Now, brother Richard, will you stand by us?

Duke of Gloucester

146
  1. Ay, in despite of all that shall withstand you.

King Edward

147 - 149
  1. Why, so! Then am I sure of victory.
  2. Now therefore let us hence, and lose no hour,
  3. Till we meet Warwick with his foreign pow’r.
  1. Exeunt.
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