Enter king EDWARD, CLARENCE, and GLOSTER, MONTAGUE
HASTINGS, and the Lady GRAY.

K Edw. Brothers of Clarence, and of Glocester,
This ladies husband heere Sir Richard Gray,
At the battaile of saint Albones did lose his life,
His lands then were seazed on by the conqueror.
Her sute is now to repossesse those lands,
And sith in quarrel of the house of Yorke,
The noble gentleman did lose his life,

In honor we cannot denie her sute.

Glo. Your highnesse shall doe well to grant it then.
K Edw. I, so I will, but yet Ile make a pause.

Glo. I, is the winde in that doore ?

Clarence, I see the Lady hath some thing to grant, Before the king will grant her humble sute.

Cla. He knows the game, how well he keepes the wind. K Edw. Widow come some other time to know our mind. La. May it please your grace I cannot brooke delaies, I beseech your highnesse to dispatch me now.

K Ed. Lords giue vs leaue, wee meane to trie this widowes wit.

Cla. I, good leaue haue you.

Glo. For you will haue leaue till youth take leaue,

And leaue you to your crouch.

K Ed. Come hither widdow, howe many children haste

thou?

Cla. I thinke he means to begge a child on her.

Glo. Nay whip me then, heele rather giue hir two.

La. Three my most gratious Lord.

Glo. You shall haue foure and you wil be rulde by him. K Ed. Wer not pittie they shoulde loose their fathe

lands?

La. Be pittifull then dread L. and grant it them.

K Ed. Ile tell thee how these lands are to be got.

Là. So shall you bind me to your highnesse seruice.

K Ed. What seruice wilt thou doe me if I grant it

them ?

La. Euen what your highnesse shall command.

Glo. Naie then widow Ile warrant you all your Husbands lands, if you grant to do what he Commands. Fight close or in good faith

You catch a clap.

Cla. Naie I feare her not vnlesse she fall.

Glo. Marie godsforbot man, for heele take vantage then.
La. Why stops my Lord, shall I not know my taske ?
K Ed. An easie taske, tis but to loue a king.

La. Thats soone performde, because I am a subiect.
K Ed. Why then thy husbandes landes I freelie giue
thee.

La. I take my leaue with manie thousand thankes.
Cla. The match is made, shee seales it with a cursie.

K Ed. Staie widdow staie, what loue dost thou thinke I sue so much to get?

La. My humble seruice, such as subiects owes and the lawes commands.

K Ed. No by my troth, I meant no such loue,

But to tell thee the troth, I aime to lie with thee.

La. To tell you plaine my Lord, I had rather lie in prison.

K Edw. Why then thou canst not get thy husbandes lands.

La. Then mine honestie shall be my dower,

For by that losse I will not purchase them.

K Ed. Herein thou wrongst thy children mightilie. La. Herein your highnesse wrongs both them and Me, but mightie Lord this merrie inclination

Agrees not with the sadnesse of my sute.

Please it your highnes to dismisse me either with I or no. K Ed. I, if thou saie I to my request,

No, if thou saie no to my demand.

La. Then no my Lord, my sute is at an end.

Glo. The widdow likes him not, shee bends the brow. Cla. Why he is the bluntest woer in christendome. K Ed. Her lookes are all repleat with maiestie, One waie or other she is for a king,

And she shall be my loue or else my Queene.

Saie that king Edward tooke thee for his Queene.
La. Tis better said then done, my gratious Lord,
I am a subiect fit to iest withall,

But far vnfit to be a Soueraigne.

K Edw. Sweete widdow, by my state I sweare, I speake No more then what my hart intends,

And that is to enioie thee for my loue.

La. And that is more then I will yeeld vnto,

I know I am too bad to be your Queene,

And yet too good to be your Concubine.

K Edw. You cauill widdow, I did meane my Queene. La. Your grace would be loath my sonnes should call you father.

K Edw. No more then when my daughters call thee Mother. Thou art a widow and thou hast some children, And by Gods mother I being but a bacheler

Haue other some. Why tis a happy thing

To be the father of manie children.

Argue no more, for thou shalt be my Queene.

Glo. The ghostlie father now hath done his shrift.

Cla. When he was made a shriuer twas for shift.

K Edw. Brothers, you muse what talke the widdow
And I haue had, you would thinke it strange
If I should marrie her.

Cla. Marrie her my Lord, to whom?

K Edw. Why Clarence to my selfe.

Glo. That would be ten daies wonder at the least.

Cla. Why thats a daie longer then a wonder lastes.

Glo. And so much more are the wonders in extreames. K Edw. Well, ieast on brothers, I can tell you, hir Sute is granted for her husbands lands.

Enter a Messenger.

Mes. And it please your grace, Henry your foe is
Taken, and brought as prisoner to your pallace gates.
K Edw. Awaie with him, and send him to the Tower,
And let vs go question with the man about

His apprehension. Lords along, and vse this
Ladie honorablie.

[Exeunt Omnes.

Manet Gloster and speakes.
Glo. I, Edward will vse women honourablie,
Would he were wasted marrow, bones and all,
That from his loines no issue might succeed
To hinder me from the golden time I looke for,
For I am not yet lookt on in the world.
First is there Edward, Clarence, and Henry
And his sonne, and all they lookt for issue
Of their loines ere I can plant my selfe,
A cold premeditation for my purpose,

What other pleasure is there in the world beside ?
I will go clad my bodie in gaie ornaments,
And lull my selfe within a ladies lap,

And witch sweet Ladies with my words and lookes.
Oh monstrous man, to harbour such a thought!
Why loue did scorne me in my mothers wombe.
And for I should not deale in hir affaires,
Shee did corrupt fraile nature in the flesh,
And plaste an enuious mountaine on my backe,
Where sits deformity to mocke my bodie,
To drie mine arme vp like a withered shrimpe.
To make my legges of an vnequall size,
And am I then a man to be belou'd?
Easier for me to compasse twentie crownes.

Tut I can smile, and murder when I smile,
I crie content, to that that greeues me most.
I can adde colours to the Camelion,
And for a need change shapes with Protheus,
And set the aspiring Catalin to schoole.
Can I doe this, and cannot get the crowne?
Tush were it ten times higher, Ile put it downe.

[Exit.

Enter king LEWIS and the ladie BONA, and Queene MARGARET, Prince EDWARD, and OXFORD and others.

Lewes. Welcome Queene Margaret to the Court of France, It fits not Lewis to sit while thou dost stand,

Sit by my side, and here I vow to thee,

ho shalt haue aide to repossesse thy right, An beat proud Edward from his vsurped seat. Ad place king Henry in his former rule.

Queene. I humblie thanke your royall maiestie. And pray the God of heauen to blesse thy state, Great king of France, that thus regards our wrongs.

Enter Warwile.

Lew. How now, who is this?

Queen. Our Earle of Warwike Edwardes chiefest friend. Lew. Welcome braue Warwike, what brings thee to

France ?

War. From worthy Edward king of England,
My Lord and Soueraigne and thy vowed friend,
I come in kindnes and vnfained loue,

First to do greetings to thy royall person,
And then to craue a league of amitie,

And lastlie to confirme that amitie

With nuptiall knot if thou vouchsafe to grant

That vertuous ladie Boua thy faire sister,

To Englands king in lawfull marriage.

Queen. And if this go forward all our hope is done.