* Q. Mar. Ay, now begins a second storm to rise; *For this is he, that moves both wind and tide. 'Wor. From worthy Edward, king of Albion, My lord and sovereign, and thy vowed friend, I come,-in kindness, and unfeigned love,— First, to do greetings to thy royal person; And, then, to crave a league of amity; And, lastly, to confirm that amity

With nuptial knot, if thou vouchsafe to grant
That virtuous lady Bona, thy fair sister,
To England's king in lawful marriage.

'Q. Mar. If that go forward, Henry's hope is done. War. And, gracious madam, [To BONA.] in our king's behalf,

'I am commanded, with your leave and favour, Humbly to kiss your hand, and with my tongue To tell the passion of my sovereign's heart; Where fame, late entering at his heedful ears, Hath plac'd thy beauty's image, and thy virtue. Q. Mar. King Lewis,-and lady Bona,-hear me speak,

'Before you answer Warwick. His demand * Springs not from Edward's well-meant honest love, *But from deceit, bred by necessity;

* For how can tyrants safely govern home, * Unless abroad they purchase great alliance? * To prove him tyrant, this reason may suffice,* That Henry liveth still: but were he dead, * Yet here prince Edward stands, king Henry's son. * Look therefore, Lewis, that by this league and marriage

* Thou draw not on thy danger and dishonour: * For though usurpers sway the rule a while, * Yet heavens are just, and time suppresseth wrongs. War. Injurious Margaret!

Prince.

And why not queen ? War. Because thy father Henry did usurp;

And thou no more art prince, than she is queen.
Oxf. Then Warwick disannuls great John of Gaunt,
Which did subdue the greatest part of Spain;
And, after John of Gaunt, Henry the fourth,
"Whose wisdom was a mirror to the wisest ;
And, after that wise prince, Henry the Fifth,
Who by his prowess conquered all France:
From these our Henry lineally descends.

War. Oxford, how hapsit, in this smooth discourse,
You told not, how Henry the sixth had lost
All that which Henry the fifth had gotten?
Methinks, these peers of France should smile at that.
But for the rest,-You tell a pedigree

Of threescore and two years; a silly time

To make prescription for a kingdom's worth.

Oxf. Why, Warwick, canst thou speak against thy liege,

Whom thou obey'dst thirty and six years, And not bewray thy treason with a blush?

War. Can Oxford, that did ever fence the right Now buckler falsehood with a pedigree?

For shame, leave Henry, and call Edward king.

Oxf. Call him my king, by whose injurious doom My elder brother, the lord Aubrey Vere,

Was done to death? and more than so, my father,
Even in the downfall of his mellow'd years,
'When nature brought him to the door of death?
No, Warwick, no; while life upholds this arm,
This arm upholds the house of Lancaster.

War. And I the house of York.

K. Lew. Queen Margaret, prince Edward, and Oxford,

'Vouchsafe, at our request, to stand aside, 'While I use further conference with Warwick. * Q. Mar. Heaven grant, that Warwick's words bewitch him not!

[Retiring with the Prince and Oxford.

"K. Lew. Now, Warwick, tell me, even upon thy

conscience,

Is Edward your true king? for I were loath, 'To link with him that were not lawful chosen. War. Thereon I pawn my credit and mine honour. K. Lew. But is he gracious in the people's eye? War. The more, that Henry was unfortunate.3 K. Lew. Then further,-all dissembling set aside, 'Tell me for truth the measure of his love 'Unto our sister Bona.

War.

Such it seems,

As may beseem a monarch like himself.
Myself have often heard him say, and swear,-
That this his love was an eternal plant;
Whereof the root was fix'd in virtue's ground,
The leaves and fruit maintain'd with beauty's sun;
Exempt from envy, but not from disdain,
Unless the lady Bona quit his pain.

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K. Lew. Now, sister, let us hear your firm resolve. Bona. Your grant, or your denial, shall be mine:Yet I confess, [to WAR.] that often ere this day, When I have heard your king's desert recounted, Mine ear hath tempted judgment to desire.

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*K. Lew. Then, Warwick, thus,-Our sister shall be Edward's;

3 that Henry was unfortunate.] He means, that Henry was unsuccessful in war, having lost his dominions in France, &c. * Exempt from envy, but not from disdain,] Envy is always supposed to have some fascinating or blasting power; and to be out of the reach of envy is therefore a privilege belonging only to great excellence. I know not well why envy is mentioned here, or whose envy can be meant; but the meaning is, that his love is superior to envy, and can feel no blast from the lady's disdain. Or that, if Bona refuse to quit or requite his pain, his love may turn to disdain, though the consciousness of his own merit will exempt him from the pangs of envy. JOHNSON.

I believe envy is in this place, as in many others, put for malice or hatred. His situation places him above these, though it cannot secure him from female disdain. STEEVENS.

*And now forthwith shall articles be drawn

* Touching the jointure that your king must make, * Which with her dowry shall be counterpois'd:Draw near, queen Margaret, and be a witness, That Bona shall be wife to the English king.

Prince. To Edward, but not to the English king. * Q. Mar. Deceitful Warwick! it was thy device * By this alliance to make void my suit;

* Before thy coming, Lewis was Henry's friend. *K. Lew. And still is friend to him and Margaret: * But if your title to the crown be weak,— * As may appear by Edward's good success,*Then 'tis but reason that I be releas'd * From giving aid, which late I promised. *Yet shall you have all kindness at my hand, * That your estate requires, and mine can yield. War. Henry now lives in Scotland, at his ease; Where having nothing, nothing he can lose. And as for you yourself, our quondam queen,— You have a father able to maintain you; And better 'twere, you troubled him than France. * Q. Mar. Peace, impudent and shameless Warwick, peace;

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* Proud setter-up and puller-down of kings! * I will not hence, till with my talk and tears, * Both full of truth, I make king Lewis behold *Thy sly conveyance, and my lord's false love; * 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;

5 You have a father able-] This seems ironical. The poverty

of Margaret's father is a very frequent topick of reproach.

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Thy sly conveyance,] Conveyance is juggling, and thence is taken for artifice and fraud.

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 discon

tent.

K. Lew. What! has your king married the lady
Grey?

And now, to socth 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?
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;

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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.