The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works

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The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 240

by William Shakespeare


  Would more have strengthen’d this our commonwealth

  ’Gainst foreign storms than any home-bred marriage.

  HASTINGS Why, knows not Montague that of itself

  England is safe, if true within itself?

  MONTAGUE But the safer when ’tis back’d with France.

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  HASTINGS

  ’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.

  45

  GEORGE

  For this one speech Lord Hastings well deserves

  To have the heir of the Lord Hungerford.

  KING EDWARD

  Ay, what of that? it was my will and grant;

  And for this once my will shall stand for law.

  RICHARD

  And yet, methinks, your Grace hath not done well

  50

  To give the heir and daughter of Lord Scales

  Unto the brother of your loving bride;

  She better would have fitted me, or Clarence:

  But in your bride you bury brotherhood.

  GEORGE Or else you would not have bestow’d the heir

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  Of the Lord Bonville on your new wife’s son,

  And leave your brothers to go speed elsewhere.

  KING EDWARD Alas, poor Clarence! is it for a wife

  That thou art malcontent? I will provide thee.

  GEORGE

  In choosing for yourself you show’d your judgment,

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  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.

  KING EDWARD

  Leave me, or tarry, Edward will be King,

  And not be tied unto his brother’s will.

  65

  QUEEN ELIZABETH

  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;

  And meaner than myself have had like fortune.

  70

  But as this title honours me and mine,

  So your dislikes, to whom I would be pleasing,

  Doth cloud my joys with danger and with sorrow.

  KING EDWARD

  My love, forbear to fawn upon their frowns:

  What danger or what sorrow can befall thee

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  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,

  80

  And they shall feel the vengeance of my wrath.

  RICHARD [aside]

  I hear, yet say not much, but think the more.

  Enter a Post.

  KING EDWARD

  Now, messenger, what letters or what news

  From France?

  POST My sovereign liege, no letters, and few words,

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  But such as I, without your special pardon,

  Dare not relate.

  KING EDWARD

  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?

  90

  POST At my depart, these were his very words:

  ‘Go tell false Edward, thy supposed king,

  That Lewis of France is sending over maskers

  To revel it with him and his new bride.’

  KING EDWARD

  Is Lewis so brave? Belike he thinks me Henry.

  95

  But what said Lady Bona to my marriage?

  POST

  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.’

  KING EDWARD I blame not her; she could say little less;

  100

  She had the wrong. But what said Henry’s queen?

  For I have heard that she was there in place.

  POST

  ‘Tell him,’ quoth she, ‘my mourning weeds are done,

  And I am ready to put armour on.’

  KING EDWARD Belike she minds to play the Amazon.

  105

  But what said Warwick to these injuries?

  POST 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.’

  110

  KING EDWARD

  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.

  But say, is Warwick friends with Margaret?

  POST

  Ay, gracious sovereign, they are so link’d in friendship

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  That young Prince Edward marries Warwick’s daughter.

  GEORGE

  Belike the elder; Clarence will have the younger.

  Now, brother king, farewell, and sit you fast,

  For I will hence to Warwick’s other daughter;

  That, though I want a kingdom, yet in marriage

  120

  I may not prove inferior to yourself.

  You that love me and Warwick, follow me.

  Exit George, and Somerset follows.

  RICHARD [aside]

  Not I: my thoughts aim at a further matter;

  I stay not for the love of Edward, but the crown.

  KING EDWARD

  Clarence and Somerset both gone to Warwick!

  125

  Yet am I arm’d against the worst can happen,

  And haste is needful in this desperate case.

  Pembroke and Stafford, you in our behalf

  Go levy men and make prepare for war;

  They are already, or quickly will be, landed:

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  Myself in person will straight follow you.

  Exeunt Pembroke and Stafford.

  But, ere I go, Hastings and Montague,

  Resolve my doubt. You twain, of all the rest,

  Are nearest to Warwick by blood and by alliance:

  Tell me if you love Warwick more than me.

  135

  If it be so, then both depart to him;

  I rather wish you foes than hollow friends.

  But if you mind to hold your true obedience,

  Give me assurance with some friendly vow,

  That I may never have you in suspect.

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  MONTAGUE So God help Montague as he proves true!

  HASTINGS And Hastings as he favours Edward’s cause!

  KING EDWARD

  Now, brother Richard, will you stand by us?

  RICHARD Ay, in despite of all that shall withstand you.

  KING EDWARD Why, so! then am I sure of victory.

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  Now, therefore, let us hence, and lose no hour

  Till we meet Warwick with his foreign power.’

  Exeunt.

  4.2 Enter WARWICK and OXFORD in England, with French soldiers.

  WARWICK Trust me, my lord, all hitherto goes well;

  The common people by numbers swarm to us.

  Enter GEORGE and SOMERSET.

  But see where Somerset and Clarence comes.

  Speak suddenly, my lords: are we all friends?

  GEORGE Fear not that, my lord.

  5

  WARWICK

  Then, gentle Clarence, welcome
unto Warwick;

  And welcome Somerset. I hold it cowardice

  To rest mistrustful where a noble heart

  Hath pawn’d an open hand in sign of love;

  Else might I think that Clarence, Edward’s brother,

  10

  Were but a feigned friend to our proceedings.

  But come, sweet Clarence; my daughter shall be thine.

  And now what rests but, in night’s coverture,

  Thy brother being carelessly encamp’d,

  His soldiers lurking in the towns about,

  15

  And but attended by a simple guard,

  We may surprise and take him at our pleasure?

  Our scouts have found the adventure very easy:

  That, as Ulysses and stout Diomede

  With sleight and manhood stole to Rhesus’ tents,

  20

  And brought from thence the Thracian fatal steeds,

  So we, well cover’d with the night’s black mantle,

  At unawares may beat down Edward’s guard,

  And seize himself – I say not, slaughter him,

  For I intend but only to surprise him.

  25

  You that will follow me to this attempt,

  Applaud the name of Henry with your leader.

  [They all cry ‘Henry!’]

  Why, then, let’s on our way in silent sort,

  For Warwick and his friends, God and St George!

  Exeunt.

  4.3 Enter three Watchmen to guard the King’s tent.

  1 WATCHMAN

  Come on, my masters, each man take his stand:

  The King by this is set him down to sleep.

  2 WATCHMAN What, will he not to bed?

  1 WATCHMAN

  Why, no; for he hath made a solemn vow

  Never to lie and take his natural rest

  5

  Till Warwick or himself be quite suppress’d.

  2 WATCHMAN

  To-morrow then belike shall be the day,

  If Warwick be so near as men report.

  3 WATCHMAN

  But say, I pray, what nobleman is that

  That with the King here resteth in his tent?

  10

  1 WATCHMAN

  ’Tis the Lord Hastings, the King’s chiefest friend.

  3 WATCHMAN

  O, is it so? But why commands the King

  That his chief followers lodge in towns about him,

  While he himself keeps in the cold field?

  2 WATCHMAN

  ’Tis the more honour because more dangerous.

  15

  3 WATCHMAN

  Ay, but give me worship and quietness;

  I like it better than a dangerous honour.

  If Warwick knew in what estate he stands,

  ’Tis to be doubted he would waken him.

  1 WATCHMAN

  Unless our halberds did shut up his passage.

  20

  2 WATCHMAN

  Ay, wherefore else guard we his royal tent

  But to defend his person from night-foes?

  Enter WARWICK, GEORGE, OXFORD, SOMERSET and French soldiers, silent all.

  WARWICK

  This is his tent; and see where stand his guard.

  Courage, my masters! Honour now or never!

  But follow me, and Edward shall be ours.

  25

  1 WATCHMAN Who goes there?

  2 WATCHMAN Stay, or thou diest.

  [Warwick and the rest cry all, ‘ Warwick! Warwick!’ and set upon the guard, who fly, crying, ‘ Arm! Arm!’, Warwick and the rest following them.]

  The drum playing and the trumpet sounding, enter WARWICK, SOMERSET and the rest, bringing the KING out in his gown, sitting in a chair.RICHARD and HASTINGS fly over the stage.

  SOMERSET What are they that fly there?

  WARWICK Richard and Hastings; let them go;

  Here is the Duke.

  KING EDWARD Why, Warwick, when we parted,

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  Thou call’dst me King.

  WARWICK Ay, but the case is alter’d.

  When you disgrac’d me in my embassade,

  Then I degraded you from being King,

  And come now to create you Duke of York.

  Alas, how should you govern any kingdom

  35

  That know not how to use ambassadors,

  Nor how to be contented with one wife,

  Nor how to use your brothers brotherly,

  Nor how to study for the people’s welfare,

  Nor how to shroud yourself from enemies?

  40

  KING EDWARD

  Yea, brother of Clarence, art thou here too?

  Nay, then I see that Edward needs must down.

 

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