SCENE II.

London. A Room in the Palace.

Enter King EDWARD, GLOSTER, CLARENCE, and Lady GREY.

K. Edw. Brother of Gloster, at Saint Albans
field

This lady's husband, sir John Grey, was slain,
His lands then seiz'd on by the conqueror:
Her suit is now, to repossess those lands;
Which we in justice cannot well deny,
Because in quarrel of the house of York
The worthy gentleman did lose his life.

Glo. Your highness shall do well, to grant her suit; * It were dishonour, to deny it her.

K. Edw. It were no less; but yet I'll make a pause.
Glo. Yea! is it so?

I see, the lady hath a thing to grant,
Before the king will grant her humble suit.

Clar. He knows the game; How true he keeps

the wind!

Glo. Silence!

[Aside. [Aside.

K. Edw. Widow, we will consider" of your suit; And come some other time, to know our mind.

L. Grey. Right gracious lord, I cannot brook

delay:

May it please your highness to resolve me now;
And what your pleasure is, shall satisfy me.
Glo. [Aside.] Ay, widow? then I'll warrant
you all your lands,

An if what pleases him, shall pleasure you.

7 Widow, we will consider - This is a very lively and spritely dialogue; the reciprocation is quicker than is common in Shakspeare. JOHNSON.

Fight closer, or, good faith, you'll catch a blow. *Clar. I fear her not, unless she chance to fall.

[Aside.

*Glo. God forbid that! for he'll take vantages.

Aside.

K. Edw. How many children hast thou, widow?

tell me.

Clar. I think, he means to beg a child of her.

[Aside.

Glo. Nay, whip me then; he'll rather give her

two.

[Aside. L. Grey. Three, my most gracious lord. Glo. You shall have four, if you'll be rul'd by

him.

[Aside. 'K. Edw. "Twere pity, they should lose their fa

ther's land.

L. Grey. Be pitiful, dread lord, and grant it then. K. Edw. Lords, give us leave; I'll try this widow's

wit.

Glo. Ay, good leave have

leave,

you ;9
;s for you

will have

Till youth take leave, and leave you to the crutch. [GLOSTER and CLARENCE retire to the other side. *K. Edw. Now tell me, madam, do you love your children?

*L. Grey. Ay, full as dearly as I love myself. *K. Edw. And would you not do much, to do them good?

* L. Grey. To do them good, I would sustain some harm.

* K. Edw. Then get your husband's lands, to do them good.

* L. Grey. Therefore I came unto your majesty. K. Edw. I'll tell you how these lands are to be got.

8good leave have you ;] Good leave, are words implying readiness of assent.

*L. Grey. So shall you bind me to your highness'

service.

*K. Edw. What service wilt thou do me, if I give them?

*L. Grey. What you command, that rests in me to do.

*K. Edw. But you will take exceptions to my

boon.

*L. Grey. No, gracious lord, except I cannot do it.

*K. Edw. Ay, but thou canst do what I mean to ask.

*L. Grey. Why, then I will do what your grace commands.

*Glo. He plies her hard; and much rain wears

the marble.

[Aside.

*Clar. As red as fire! nay, then her wax must

melt.

[Aside. L. Grey. Why stops my lord? shall I not hear my task?

K. Edw. An easy task; 'tis but to love a king. L. Grey. That's soon perform'd, because I am a subject.

K. Edw. Why then, thy husband's lands I freely give thee.

L. Grey. I take

thanks.

my leave with many thousand

Glo. The match is made; she seals it with a

curt'sy.

'K. Edw. But stay thee, 'tis the fruits of love I

mean.

* L. Grey. The fruits of love I mean, my loving liege.

*K. Edw. Ay, but, I fear me, in another sense. What love, think'st thou, I sue so much to get? 'L. Grey. My love till death, my humble thanks,

my prayers;

< That love, which virtue begs, and virtue grants. K. Edw. No, by my troth, I did not mean such love.

* L. Grey. Why, then you mean not as I thought you did.

* K. Edw. But now you partly may perceive my mind.

* L. Grey. My mind will never grant what I per

ceive

* Your highness aims at, if I aim aright.

K. Edw. To tell thee plain, I am to lie with thee. * L. Grey. To tell you plain, I had rather lie in

prison.

K. Edw. Why, then thou shalt not have thy husband's lands.

L. Grey. Why, then mine honesty shall be my dower;

For by that loss I will not purchase them.

K. Edw. Therein thou wrong'st thy children mightily.

L. Grey. Herein your highness wrongs both them and me.

But, mighty lord, this merry inclination
'Accords not with the sadness' of my suit;
Please you dismiss me, either with ay, or no.

K. Edw. Ay; if thou wilt say ay, to my request: No; if thou dost say no, to my demand.

L. Grey. Then, no, my lord. My suit is at an end. Glo. The widow likes him not, she knits her

brows.

[Aside.

Clar. He is the bluntest wooer in Christendom.

K. Edw. [Aside.] Her looks do
plete with modesty ;

argue

[Aside. her re

* Her words do show her wit incomparable :

9 the sadness- i. e. the seriousness.

* All her perfections challenge sovereignty: One way, or other, she is for a king;

And she shall be my love, or else my queen.-
Say, that king Edward take thee for his queen?
L. Grey. "Tis better said than done, my gracious
lord:

I am a subject fit to jest withal,

But far unfit to be a sovereign.

K. Edw. Sweet widow, by my state I swear to thee, I speak no more than what my soul intends; And that is, to enjoy thee for my love.

L. Grey. And that is more than I will yield unto: I know, I am too mean to be your queen: And yet too good to be your concubine.

K. Edw. You cavil, widow; I did mean, my queen. L. Grey. "Twill grieve your grace, my sons should call you-father.

K. Edw. No more, than when thy daughters call

thee mother.

Thou art a widow, and thou hast some children:
And, by God's mother, I, being but a bachelor,
Have other some: why, 'tis a happy thing
To be the father unto many sons.

Answer no more, for thou shalt be my queen.
Glo. The ghostly father now hath done his shrift.

[Aside.

Clar. When he was made a shriver, 'twas for

shift.

[Aside.

K. Edw. Brothers, you muse what chat we two

have had.

Glo. The widow likes it not, for she looks sad. K. Edw. You'd think it strange if I should marry

her.

Clar. To whom, my

K. Ed.

lord?

Why, Clarence, to myself. Glo. That would be ten day's wonder, at the least. Clar. That's a day longer than a wonder lasts.