Either accept the title thou usurp'st,
Of benefit* proceeding from our king,
And not of any challenge of desert,

Or we will plague thee with incessant wars.
Reig. My lord, you do not well in obstinacy
To cavil in the course of this contract:
If once it be neglected, ten to one,
We shall not find like opportunity.

Alen. To say the truth, it is your policy,
To save your subjects from such massacre,
And ruthless slaughters, as are daily seen
By our proceeding in hostility:

And therefore take this compact of a truce,

Although you break it when your pleasure serves.

[Aside, to CHARLES. War. How say'st thou, Charles? shall our condition stand?

Char. It shall:

Only reserved, you claim no interest

In any of our towns of garrison.

York. Then swear allegiance to his majesty;

As thou art knight, never to disobey,

Nor be rebellious to the crown of England,

Thou, nor thy nobles, to the crown of England.

[CHARLES, and the rest, give tokens of fealty.

So, now dismiss your army when ye please;

Hang up your ensigns, let your drums be still,

For here we entertain a solemn peace.

SCENE V-London, A Room in the Palace.

[Exeunt.

Enter KING HENRY, in conference with SUFFOLK; GLOSTER and EXETER following.

K. Hen. Your wondrous rare description, noble earl,

Of beauteous Margaret hath astonish'd me:

Her virtues, graced with external gifts,

Do breed love's settled passions in my heart:

And like as rigour in tempestuous gusts
Provokes the mightiest hulk against the tide;
So am I driven, by breath of her renown,
Either to suffer shipwreck, or arrive
Where I may have fruition of her love.

Suff. Tush! my good lord! this superficial tale
Is but a preface of her worthy praise:
The chief perfections of that lovely dame
(Had I sufficient skill to utter them)
Would make a volume of enticing lines,
Able to ravish any dull conceit.

And, which is more, she is not so divine,
So full replete with choice of all delights,

"Be content to live as the beneficiary of our king."

But, with as humble lowliness of mind,
She is content to be at your command;
Command, I mean, of virtuous chaste intents,
To love and honour Henry as her lord.

K. Hen. And otherwise will Henry ne'er presume.
Therefore, my lord protector, give consent,
That Margaret may be England's royal queen.
Glo. So should I give consent to flatter sin.
You know, my lord, your highness is betroth'd
Unto another lady of esteem;

How shall we then dispense with that contract,
And not deface your honour with reproach?
Suff. As doth a ruler with unlawful oaths;
Or one, that, at a triumph* having vow'd
To try his strength, forsaketh yet the lists
By reason of his adversary's odds:

A poor earl's daughter is unequal odds,

And therefore may be broke without offence.

Glo. Why, what I pray, is Margaret more than that? Her father is no better than an earl,

Although in glorious titles he excel.

Suff. Yes, my good lord, her father is a king,
The king of Naples, and Jerusalem;
And of such great authority in France,
As his alliance will confirm our peace,
And keep the Frenchmen in allegiance.
Glo. And so the earl of Armagnac may do,
Because he is near kinsman unto Charles.

Exe. Beside, his wealth doth warrant liberal dower; While Reignier sooner will receive, than give.

Suff. A dower, my lords! disgrace not so your king, That he should be so abject, base, and poor,

To choose for wealth, and not for perfect love.
Henry is able to enrich his queen,

And not to seek a queen to make him rich:
So worthless peasants bargain for their wives,
As market-men for oxen, sheep, or horse.
Marriage is a matter of more worth,
Than to be dealt in by attorneyship;
Not whom we will, but whom his grace affects,
Must be companion of his nuptial bed:
And therefore, lords, since he affects her most,
It most of all these reasons bindeth us,
In our opinions she should be preferr❜d.
For what wedlock forced, but a hell,
An age of discord and continual strife?
Whereas the contrary bringeth forth bliss,
And is a pattern of celestial peace.

Whom should we match, with Henry, being a king,
But Margaret, that is daughter to a king?

Her peerless feature, joined with her birth,

* Public exhibition.

Approves her fit for none, but for a king:
Her valiant courage, and undaunted spirit
(More than in women commonly is seen),
Will answer our hope in issue of a king;'
For Henry, son unto a conqueror,
Is likely to beget more conquerors,
If with a lady of so high resolve,

As is fair Margaret, he be link'd in love.

Then yield, my lords; and here conclude with me,
That Margaret shall be queen, and none but she.

K. Hen. Whether it be through force of your report,
My noble lord of Suffolk; or for that
My tender youth was never yet attaint
With any passion of inflaming love,
I cannot tell; but this I am assured,
I feel such sharp dissension in my breast,
Such fierce alarums both of hope and fear,
As I am sick with working of my thoughts.
Take, therefore, shipping; post, my lord to France;
Agree to any covenants; and procure
That lady Margaret do vouchsafe to come
To cross the seas to England, and be crown'd
King Henry's faithful and anointed queen:
For your expenses and sufficient charge,
Among the people gather up a tenth.
Be gone, I say; for, till you do return,
I rest perplexed with a thousand cares.--
And you, good uncle, banish all offence:
If you do censure* me by what you were,
Not what you are, I know it will excuse
This sudden execution of my will.

And so conduct me, where from company,
I may revolve and ruminate my grief.

Glo. Ay, grief, I fear me, both at first and last.

[Exit.

[Exeunt GLOSTER and EXETER.

Suff. Thus Suffolk hath prevail'd: and thus he goes,
As did the youthful Paris once to Greece;

With hope to find the like event in love,
But prosper better than the Trojan did.

Margaret shall now be queen, and rule the king;
But I will rule both her, the king, and realm.

* Judge.

[Exit

SIR HUMPHREY STAFFORD, and his Brother.

SIR JOHN STANLEY.

A SEA-CAPTAIN, MASTER, MAS-
TER'S MATE, and WALTER
WHITMORE.

TWO GENTLEMEN, Prisoners with
Suffolk.

A HERALD.-VAUX.

MARGARET, Queen to King Henry.
ELEANOR, Duchess of Gloster.
MARGERY JOURDAIN, a Witch.
WIFE TO SIMPCOX.

LORDS, LADIES, and ATTENDANTS;
PETITIONERS, ALDERMEN, a BEA-
DLE, SHERIFF, and OFFICERS ;
CITIZENS, 'PRENTICES, FALCO-
NERS, GUARDS, SOLDIERS, MES-
SENGERS, &c.

SCENE; dispersedly in various parts of England.

АСТ І.

SCENE I-London. A Room of State in the Palace.

Flourish of Trumpets: then Hautboys, Enter, on one side, KING HENRY, Duke of GLOSTER, SALISBURY, WARWICK, and CARDINAL BEAUFORT; on the other, QUEEN MARGARET, led in by SUFFOLK; YORK, SOMERSET, BUCKINGHAM, and others, following.

Suff. As by your high imperial majesty, I had in charge at my depart for France, As procurator to your excellence,

To marry princess Margaret for your grace;
So, in the famous ancient city, Tours,

In presence of the kings of France and Sicil,

The dukes of Orleans, Calaber, Bretaigne, and Alençon,
Seven earls, twelve barons, twenty reverend bishops,-

I have perform'd my task, and was espoused:

And humbly now upon my bended knee,

In sight of England and her lordly peers,
Deliver up my title in the queen

To your most gracious hands, that are the substance
Of that great shadow I did represent;

The happiest gift that ever marquis gave,
The fairest queen that ever king received.

K. Hen. Suffolk, arise.-Welcome, queen Margaret :
I can express no kinder sign of love,

Than this kind kiss.-O Lord, that lends me life,
Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness!

For thou hast given me, in this beauteous face,
A world of earthly blessings to my soul,

If sympathy of love unite our thoughts.

Q. Mar. Great king of England, and my gracious lord; The mutual conference that my mind hath had

By day, by night; waking, and in my dreams;

In courtly company, or at my beads,-
With you mine alder-liefest sovereign,
Makes me the bolder to salute my king
With ruder terms; such as my wit affords,
And over-joy of heart doth minister.

K. Hen. Her sight did ravish: but her grace in speech,
Her words y-clad with wisdom's majesty,

Makes me, from wondering fall to weeping joys,

Such is the fulness of my heart's content.

Lords, with one cheerful voice, welcome my love.

All. Long live queen Margaret, England's happiness!
Q. Mar. We thank you all.

Suf. My lord protector, so it please your grace,
Here are the articles of contracted peace,

Between our sovereign and the French king Charles,

For eighteen months concluded by consent.

[Flourish.

Glo. [Reads]. Imprimis, It is agreed between the French King, Charles, and William de la Poole, marquis of Suffolk, ambassador for Henry, King of England,-that the said Henry shall espouse the Lady Margaret, daughter unto Reignier, king of Naples, Sicilia, and Jerusalem; and crown her queen of England, ere the thirtieth of May next ensuing.- -Item,-That the dutchy of Anjou and the county of Maine, shall be released and delivered to the king her father

K. Hen. Uncle, how now?

Glo. Pardon me, gracious lord;

Some sudden qualm hath struck me at the heart,

And dimm'd mine eyes, that I can read no further.

* Beloved above all things.