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France. KING LEWIS XI's palace.
[Flourish. Enter KING LEWIS XI, his sister BONA, his Admiral, called
BOURBON, PRINCE EDWARD, QUEEN MARGARET, and OXFORD. KING LEWIS XI sits, and
riseth up again]
KING LEWIS XI
T T
. T , , ,
Fair Queen of Eng|land, worth|y Marg|aret,
, ,
, ,
,
Sit down | with us:| it ill | befits | thy state,
, ,
, x ,
And birth,| that thou | shouldst^stand,| while
Lewis | doth sit.
QUEEN MARGARET
__ , ,
, , 2
No,| mighty | King of | France: now | Margaret
,
, ,
, ,
Must^strike | her sail,| and learn | awhile | to
serve,
,
, , ,
,
Where kings | command.| I was |(I must | confess)
, 2 ,
, ,
,
Great^Al|bion's queen | in form|er gold|en days:
, ,
, ,
,
But now | mischance | hath trod | my tit|le down,
,
, ,
, ,
And with | dishon|or laid | me on | the ground,
, ,
T T T 2 ,
->
Where^I | must^take | like seat un|to my
for||tune,
, 2 ,
, ,
,
And | to my hum|ble seat | conform | myself.
KING LEWIS XI
,
, , ,
,
Why* say,| fair* queen,| whence^springs | this
deep | despair?
QUEEN MARGARET
, ,
, , ,
From such | a cause,| as fills | mine^eyes | with
tears,
, ,
, ,
,
And stops | my tongue,| while* heart | is drowned
| in cares.
KING LEWIS XI
, ,
, ,
,
Whatere | it be,| be thou | still^like | thyself,
, ,
,
And sit | thee by | our side. \\
,
, ,
,
Yield^not | thy neck | to for|tune's yoke,
<- , ,
, T T . T
But let || thy daunt|less mind | still ride in
tri|umph,
<- , ,
,
Ov||er all | mischance.
????
, , ,
, ,
Be plain,| Queen Marg/aret,| and tell | thy
grief,
, , ,
, ,
It shall | be eased,| if France | can yield |
relief.
QUEEN MARGARET
, ,
Those gra|cious words
, , ,
Revive | my droop|ing
thoughts,
, ,
T Tx T
,
And give | my tongue-|tied sorrows leave | to
speak.
,
x ,
, ,
Now* there|fore be it | known to | noble | Lewis,
, ,
, ,
,
That Hen|ry, sole | posses|sor of | my love,
, ,
, ,
,
Is, of | a king,| become | a ban|ished man,
, ,
, , ,
And forced | to live | in Scot|land a | forlorn;
,
, ,
, ,
While* proud | ambi|tious Ed|ward, Duke | of
York,
,
, , ,
,
Usurps | the reg|al tit|le, and | the seat
, ,
, ,
,
Of Eng|land's true-|anoint|ed law|ful king.
, 2
, T T
T ,
This is the | cause that | I, poor Marg|aret,
,
, , ,
,
With this | my son,| Prince^Ed|ward, Hen|ry's
heir,
,
, ,
, ,
Am come | to crave | thy just | and law|ful aid:
, ,
, ,
,
And if | thou fail | us, all | our hope | is
done.
,
, ,
, ,
Scotland | hath will | to help,| but can|not
help:
, ,
, ,
,
Our peo|ple, and | our peers,| are both | misled,
, ,
, ,
,
Our treas|ures seized,| our sol|diers put | to
flight,
,
, ,
, ,
And (as | thou seest)| ourselves | in hea|vy
plight.
KING LEWIS XI
,
,
Renown|ed queen,
, , ,
With pa|tience calm | the
storm,
,
, ,
, ,
While we | bethink | a means | to break | it off.
QUEEN MARGARET
, ,
, ,
,
The more | we stay,| the strong|er grows | our
foe.
KING LEWIS XI
, , ,
, ,
The more^/I stay,| the more | I'll suc|cor thee.
QUEEN MARGARET
, 2 ,
, , ,
O, but im|patience | waiteth | on true | sorrow.
, ,
, 2 , ,
And see | where comes | the breed|er of my |
sorrow.
[Enter WARWICK]
KING LEWIS XI
, ,
, ,
, 2->
What's^he | approach|eth bold|ly to | our
pres||ence?
QUEEN MARGARET
, ,
, , ,
Our Earl | of War|wick, Ed|ward's great|est
friend.
KING LEWIS XI
, ,
, , ,
Welcome | brave War/wick, what | brings thee | to
France?
[He descends. She ariseth]
QUEEN MARGARET
,
, ,
, ,
Aye* now | begins | a sec|ond storm | to rise,
, ,
, , ,
For this | is he | that moves | both^wind | and
tide.
WARWICK
, ,
, , ,
From worth|y Ed|ward, King | of Al|bion,
, , , ,
,
My lord | and sove|reign, and | thy vow|ed
friend,
,
, , ,
,
I come |(in kind|ness, and | unfeign|ed love)
, 2
, ,
, ,
First, to do | greetings | to thy | royal |
person,
, ,
, , ,
And then | to crave | a league | of am|ity:
, ,
, , ,
And last|ly, to | confirm | that^am|ity
2 ,
, . T T T
,
With a nup|tial knot,| if^thou vouchsafe | to
grant
, 2 ,
, , x
That vir|tuous La|dy Bo|na, thy / fair sister,
,
, , ,
,
To Eng|land's king,| in law|ful mar|riage.
QUEEN MARGARET
,
, ,
, ,
If that | go for|ward, Hen|ry's hope | is done.
WARWICK
,
,
And gra|cious mad|am,
, ,
,
In | our king's | behalf,
, ,
, ,
x
I am | command|ed, with | your leave | and favor,
,
, , ,
,
Humbly | to kiss | your hand,| and with | my
tongue
,
, , , ,
To tell | the pas|sion of | my sove|reign's
heart;
,
, 2 ,
, ,
Where* fame,| late^ent|ering at | his heed|ful
ears,
,
, , , ,
2->
Hath placed | thy beaut|y's im|age, and | thy
vir||tue.
QUEEN MARGARET
x
,
, , ,
King^Lewis,| and La|dy Bo|na, hear | me speak,
,
, , ,
,
Before | you ans|wer War|wick. His | demand
,
, , , ,
Springs^not | from Ed|ward's well-|meant^hon|est
love,
,
, , ,
,
But from | deceit,| bred by | neces|sity:
, ,
, ,
,
For how | can tyr|ants safe|ly gov|ern home,
,
, , ,
, o
Unless | abroad | they purch|ase great |
alli|ance?
, ,
, , ,
__
To prove | him tyr|ant this | reason | may
suf|fice, (hex with prev)
, ,
, ,
,
That Hen|ry liv|eth still:| but were | he dead,
, ,
, , ,
Yet here | Prince^Ed|ward stands,| King^Hen|ry's
son.
, x , ,
, 2->
Look^there|fore Lewis,| that by | this league
| and mar||riage
, , ,
, x
Thou draw | not^on | thy dang|er, and | dishonor:
, ,
, , ,
For though | usurp|ers sway | the rule | awhile,
, 2
, , ,
,
Yet heav|ens are just,| and time | suppres|seth
wrongs.
WARWICK
, 2
,
Injur|ious Marg|aret.
PRINCE EDWARD
, , ,
And // why not queen?
WARWICK
, ,
, , ,
Because | thy fath|er Hen|ry did | usurp,
, ,
, ,
,
And thou | no more | are prince | than she | is
queen.
OXFORD
, ,
, T T .
T
Then War|wick dis|annuls | great John of Gaunt,
,
, ,
, ,
Which did | subdue | the great|est part | of
Spain;
,
, , ,
,
And aft|er John | of Gaunt,| Henry | the Fourth,
, ,
2 , ,
,
Whose wis/dom was a | mirror | to the | wisest:
,
, T T T 2 ,
And aft|er that | wise prince, Hen|ry the
Fifth,
, , ,
, ,
Who by | his prow|ess conq|uered / all France:
, ,
, 2 , ,
From these,| our Hen|ry lin|eally | descends.
WARWICK
, ,
, ,
,
Oxford,| how haps | it in | this smooth |
discourse,
, ,
, , ,
You told | not, how | Henry | the Sixth | hath
lost
T T t ,
, x
All that, which | Henry | the Fifth had gotten:
, ,
, ,
,
Methinks | these peers | of France | should smile
| at that.
, , ,
, ,
But for | the rest:| you tell | a ped|igree
, T
. T T ,
,
Of three|score and^two years,| a sil|ly time
,
, , ,
,
To make | prescrip|tion for | a king|dom's worth.
OXFORD
, ,
, ,
,
Why War|wick, canst | thou speak | against | thy
liege,
, ,
, ,
,
Whom thou | obey|edst thir|ty and / six years,
,
, , ,
,
And not | bewray | thy treas|on with | a blush?
WARWICK
, ,
, , ,
Can Ox|ford, that | did ev|er fence | the right,
, ,
, ,
,
Now* buck|ler false|hood with | a ped|igree?
, ,
, ,
,
For shame | leave Hen/ry, and | call^Ed|ward
king.
OXFORD
,
, ,
, 2 ,
Call him | my king,| by whose | injur|ious doom
, ,
, , ,
My eld|er broth|er, the / Lord Aub|rey Vere
, ,
, , ,
->
Was done | to death?| And more | than so,| my
fath||er,
x 2
, , , ,
even | in the down|fall of | his mel|lowed years,
,
, ,
, ,
When na|ture brought | him to | the door | of
death?
,
, , ,
,
No^War|wick, no:| while^life | upholds | this
arm,
,
, ,
, ,
This arm | upholds | the house | of Lan|caster.
WARWICK
, ,
,
And I | the house | of York. \\
KING LEWIS XI
, ,
, ,
,
Queen^Marg|aret,| Prince^Ed|ward, and | Oxford,
,
, , ,
,
Vouchsafe | at our | request,| to stand | aside,
, , , x
,
While I | use furth|er conf|erence with |
Warwick.
[They stand aloof]
QUEEN MARGARET
Heavens grant, that Warwick's words bewitch him not.
KING LEWIS XI
, , x , ,
->
Now War|wick, tell | me even | upon | thy
con||science
, , 2
T T . T ,
Is | Edward your | true king? for^I | were loath
, ,
2 , ,
,
To link | with him,| that were not | lawful |
chosen.
WARWICK
, ,
, ,
x
Thereon | I pawn | my cred|it, and | mine^honor.
KING LEWIS XI
, ,
, ,
,
But is | he gra|cious in | the peo|ple's eye?
WARWICK
, ,
, , ,
The more,| that Hen|ry was | unfor|tunate.
KING LEWIS XI
, ,
, ,
,
Then furth|er: all | dissem|bling set | aside,
,
, ,
, ,
Tell me | for truth,| the meas|ure of | his love
, ,
,
Unto | our sis|ter Bo|na.
WARWICK
, ,
Such | it seems,
, , ,
, ,
As may | beseem | a mon|arch like | himself.
, ,
, ,
,
Myself | have of|ten heard | him say | and swear,
, ,
, ,
,
That this | his love | was an | etern|al plant,
,
, ,
, ,
Whereof | the root | was fixed | in vir|tue's
ground,
,
, ,
, ,
The leaves | and fruit | maintained | with
beaut|y's sun,
,
, , ,
,
Exempt | from en|vy, but | not from | disdain,
,
, , ,
,
Unless | the La|dy Bo|na quit | his pain.
KING LEWIS XI
,
, ,
, ,
Now* sis|ter, let | us hear | your firm |
resolve.
BONA
, ,
, ,
,
Your grant,| or your | deni|al, shall | be mine.
, ,
, , ,
Yet I | confess,| that of|ten ere | this day,
, 2 ,
, ,
,
When I have | heard your | king's de|sert
re|counted,
, ,
, ,
,
Mine^ear | hath tempt|ed judg|ment to | desire.
KING LEWIS XI
x ,
Then Warwick,| thus:
, ,
,
Our | sister | shall be |
Edward's,
,
, , ,
,
And now | forthwith | shall art|icles | be drawn,
,
, ,
, ,
Touching | the join|ture that | your king | must
make,
,
, , ,
,
Which with | her dow|ry shall | be
count|erpoised:
T T T
, 2 , 2 ,
Draw near, Queen | Margaret,| and be a | witness,
, ,
, 2 ,
,
That Bo|na shall | be wife | to the Eng|lish
king.
PRINCE EDWARD
, ,
, ,
,
To Ed|ward, but | not to | the Eng|lish king.
QUEEN MARGARET
, ,
, ,
,
Deceit|ful War|wick, it | was thy | device,
,
, ,
, ,
By this | alli|ance to / make void | my suit:
,
, x ,
,
Before | thy com|ing, Lewis | was Hen|ry's
friend.
KING LEWIS XI
, ,
, ,
,
And still | is friend | to him,| and Marg|aret,
,
, ,
, ,
But if | your tit|le to | the crown | be weak,
,
, , ,
,
As may | appear | by Ed|ward's good | success;
, , ,
, ,
Then 'tis | but reas|on that | I be | released
,
, , ,
,
From giv|ing aid,| which late | I prom|ised.
, ,
, ,
,
Yet shall | you have | all kind/ness at | my hand,
,
, , ,
,
That your | estate | requires,| and mine | can
yield.
WARWICK
, T T . T ,
,
Henry | now lives in Scot|land, at | his ease;
, , , , ,
Where* hav|ing noth|ing, noth|ing can | he lose.
, ,
, , ,
And as | for you | yourself |(our quond|am queen)
, 2
, , ,
,
You have a | father | able | to main|tain you,
,
, ,
, ,
And bet|ter 'twere,| you troub|led him,| than
France.
QUEEN MARGARET
, ,
, ,
Peace imp/udent,| and shame|less War|wick,
<- , ,
, ,
, ___
Proud || setter | up, and | puller | down of |
kings,
, , ,
, ,
I will | not^hence,| till with | my talk | and
tears
T T . T ,
x ,
(Both full of truth)| I make | King^Lewis |
behold
,
, 2
, , ,
Thy sly | convey|ance, and thy / lord's false |
love,
<- ,
, T . T T
,
For || both of | you are | birds of selfsame |
feather.
[Post blows a horn within]
KING LEWIS XI
, ,
, ,
,
Warwick,| this is | some^post | to us | or thee.
[Enter a Post]
POST
, , 2
My lord | ambas|sador,
, , 2
,
These | letters | are for
you.
,
, , , ,
Sent from | your broth|er Mar/quess Mont|ague.
,
, , , ,
These from | our king,| unto | your maj|esty.
, ,
,
And mad|am, these | for you:
, 2 ,
From whom,| I know*
not.
[They all read their letters]
OXFORD
, ,
2 , ,
,
I like | it well,| that our fair | queen and |
mistress
,
, , ,
,
Smiles at | her news,| while War|wick frowns | at
his.
PRINCE EDWARD
Nay mark how Lewis stamps as he were nettled. I hope, all's for the best.
KING LEWIS XI
, ,
2 ,
Warwick,| what are thy | news?
T T T
And | yours, fair
queen.
QUEEN MARGARET
, ,
, ,
, , ,
Mine such, as fill my heart with unhoped
joys. ????
WARWICK
T T .
T , ,
,
Mine full of sor|row, and / heart's dis|content.
KING LEWIS XI
,
, ,
, ,
What? Has | your king | married | the La|dy Grey?
, , ,
, ,
And now | to soothe | your forg|ery,| and his,
, 2
, , ,
,
Sends me a | paper | to per|suade me | patience?
,
2 , , ,
,
Is this | the alli|ance that | he seeks | with
France?
, 2
, ,
, ,
Dare he pre|sume to | scorn us | in this |
manner?
QUEEN MARGARET
, , ,
, ,
I told | your maj|esty | as much | before:
,
, , ,
, 3 3->
This prov|eth Ed|ward's love,| and War|wick's
hon||esty.
WARWICK
x ,
, ,
x
King^Lewis,| I here | protest | in sight | of
heaven,
, ,
, x
,
And by | the hope | I have | of heaven|ly bliss,
,
, 2 , ,
,
That I | am clear | from this mis|deed of |
Edward's;
,
, ,
, ,
No more | my king,| for he | dishon|ors me,
, ,
, ,
,
But most | himself,| if he | could see | his
shame.
,
, ,
, ,
Did I | forget | that by | the house | of York
,
, ,
, ,
My fath|er came | untime|ly to | his death?
,
, , ,
2 ,
Did I | let pass | the a/buse done | to my niece?
,
, ,
, ,
Did I | impale | him with | the reg|al crown?
, ,
, ,
,
Did I | put Hen|ry from | his nat|ive right?
,
, ,
, ,
And am | I guerd|oned at | the last,| with shame?
, 2
, ,
, ,
Shame on him|self, for | my de|sert is | honor.
, ,
, ,
,
And to | repair | my hon|or lost | for him,
,
, , 2 ,
,
I here | renounce | him, and re|turn to | Henry.
,
, , ,
,
My nob|le queen,| let form|er grud|ges pass,
, ,
, , ,
And hence|forth, I / am thy | true serv/itor:
, 2 ,
, ,
,
I will rev|enge his | wrong to | Lady | Bona,
, ,
, ,
,
And re|plant Hen/ry in | his form|er state.
QUEEN MARGARET
,
Warwick,
,
, ,
,
these words | have turned | my hate,|
to love,
, ,
, .
T T T
And I | forgive,| and quite | forget
old faults,
, ,
, ,
,
And joy | that thou | becomst | King^Hen|ry's
friend.
WARWICK
, , ,
, ,
So much | his friend,| aye, his | unfeign|ed
friend,
,
x ,
, ,
That if | King^Louis | vouchsafe | to furn|ish us
, ,
, , ,
With some*/ few bands | of chos|en sol|diers,
,
, ,
, ,
I'll und|ertake | to land | them on | our coast,
, ,
, , ,
And force | the tyr|ant from | his seat | by war.
, .
T T T
, ,
'Tis not | his new-made bride | shall suc|cor
him.
,
, , , ,
->
And as | for Clar|ence, as | my let|ters tell ||
me,
, 2
, ,
, ,
He's | very like|ly now | to fall | from him,
,
, ,
, x
For match|ing more | for want|on lust,| than
honor,
, 2
, ,
, ,
Or than for | strength and | safety | of our
| country.
BONA
,
, ,
, ,
Dear* broth|er, how | shall Bo|na be | revenged,
, ,
, ,
,
But by | thy help | to this | distres|sed queen?
QUEEN MARGARET
,
, ,
, ,
Renown|ed prince,| how shall | poor* Hen|ry live,
, ,
, , ,
Unless | thou res|cue him | from foul | despair?
BONA
, ,
, , ,
My quar/rel, and | this Eng|lish queen's,| are
one.
WARWICK
, , ,
, ,
And mine | fair* la|dy Bo|na, joins | with yours.
KING LEWIS XI
, , ,
, ,
And mine,| with hers,| and thine,| and
Marg|aret's.
,
, ,
, ,
Therefore,| at last,| I firm|ly am | resolved
___ ___
__ ___ oo
You | shall | have | aid. |
QUEEN MARGARET
,
, ,
, ,
Let me | give^hum|ble thanks | for all,| at once.
KING LEWIS XI
, ,
, , ,
Then Eng|land's mes|senger,| return | in post,
,
, ,
, ,
And tell | false^Ed|ward, thy | suppos|ed king,
x ,
, , ,
2->
That Lewis | of France,| is send|ing ov|er
mask||ers
, ,
, ,
,
To rev|el it | with him,| and his / new bride.
, ,
, , ,
Thou seest | what's past,| go fear | thy king |
withal.
BONA
x
, ,
, 2 ,
Tell him, in | hope he'll | prove a | widower
| shortly, ??
,
, ,
, ,
I'll wear | the wil|low garl|and for / his sake.
QUEEN MARGARET
, ,
, , ,
Tell him,| my mourn|ing weeds | are laid | aside,
,
, , ,
,
And I | am rea|dy to / put arm|or on.
WARWICK
,
, ,
, ,
Tell him | from me,| that he | hath done | me
wrong,
, ,
, x ,
And there|fore^I'll | uncrown | him, ere it | be
long.
T T
. T ,
There's thy reward,| be gone.
[Exit Post]
KING LEWIS XI
, o
But War|wick,
,
, , ,
,
Thou and | Oxford,| with five | thousand | men
<- ,
, ,
, ,
Shall || cross the | seas, and | bid
false^|Edward | battle:
, ,
, , ,
And as | occas|ion serves,| this nob|le queen
, ,
, ,
,
And prince,| shall fol|low with | a fresh |
supply.
, ,
, , ,
Yet ere | thou go,| but ans|wer me / one doubt:
, ,
, , ,
What pledge | have we | of thy / firm loy|alty?
WARWICK
,
, ,
, ,
This shall | assure | my const|ant loy|alty,
,
, ,
, ,
That if | our queen | and this / young prince |
agree,
,
, ,
, ,
I'll join | mine^eld|est daught|er, and | my joy,
, ,
, ,
,
To him | forthwith,| in ho|ly wed|lock^bands.
QUEEN MARGARET
, 2 ,
, ,
,
Yes, I a|gree, and | thank you | for your |
motion.
,
, ,
, ,
Son^Ed|ward, she | is fair | and vir|tuous,
, 2
, ,
,
,
Therefore de|lay not,/ give^thy | hand to
| Warwick,
, , ,
, 2 ,
And with | thy hand,| thy faith | irrev|ocable,
, ,
, ,
,
That on|ly War|wick's daught|er shall | be thine.
PRINCE EDWARD
, 2
, ,
, ,
Yes, I ac|cept her,| for she | well de|serves it,
, ,
, , ,
And here | to pledge | my vow,| I give | my hand.
[He gives his hand to WARWICK]
KING LEWIS XI
, ,
, , 2
,
Why stay | we now?| These sol/diers shall be |
levied,
,
, , ,
,
And thou | Lord^Bour|bon, our / high ad|miral
,
, ,
, ,
Shalt waft | them ov|er with | our roy|al fleet.
,
, ,
, ,
I long | till Ed|ward fall | by war's |
mischance,
,
, , ,
,
For mock|ing mar|riage with | a dame | of France.
[Exeunt all but WARWICK]
WARWICK
, , ,
, ,
I came | from Ed|ward as | ambas|sador,
,
, , ,
,
But I | return | his sworn | and mort|al foe:
, 2 ,
, ,
,
Matter of | marriage | was the | charge he | gave
me,
,
, , ,
,
But dread|ful war | shall ans|wer his | demand.
,
, ,
, ,
Had^he | none^else | to make | a stale | but me?
,
, , ,
x
Then none | but I,| shall turn | his jest | to
sorrow.
,
, , ,
,
I was | the chief | that raised | him to | the
crown,
,
, , ,
,
And I'll | be chief | to bring | him down |
again:
,
, , ,
,
Not that | I pi|ty Hen|ry's mis|ery,
,
, , ,
,
But seek | revenge | on Ed|ward's mock|ery.
[Exit]