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Henry VI, Part 3 (Octavo 1, 1595)

Author: William Shakespeare
Not Peer Reviewed
1500
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 Alkones did lose his life,
His lands then were seazed on by the conqueror.
1505Her sute is now to repossesse those lands,
And sith in quarrell 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.
1510K Edw I, so I will, but yet Ile make a pause.
Glo. I, is the wind 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 Ed. Widow come some other time to know our mind.
La. May it please your grace I cannot brooke delaies,
1520I beseech your highnesse to dispatch me now.
K Ed. Lords giue vs leaue, wee meane to trie this wi-
dowes wit.
Cla. I, good leaue haue you.
Glo. For you will haue leaue till youth take leaue,
1540And leaue you to your crouch.
K Ed. Come hither widdow, howe many children haste
thou?
Cla. I thinke he meanes to begge a child on her.
1530Glo. 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. Were it not pittie they shoulde loose their fathers
lands?
1535La. Be pittifull then dread L. and grant it them.
1550K Edw. Ile tell thee how these lands are to be got.
La. 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.
1525Cla. 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.
1565La. 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
1575and 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.
1585La. 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. Heerein your highnesse wrongs both them and
Me, but mightie Lord this merrie inclination
1590Agrees 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.
1595Glo. 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.
1605La. 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. Sweet widdow, by my state I sweare, I speake
No more then what my hart intends,
1610And 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.
1615La. 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,
1620And 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.
1625Cla. When he was made a shriuer twas for shift.
K Edw. Brothers, you muse what talke the widdow
1630And 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.
1635Cla. 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.
1640Mes. 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.
Glost. I, Edward will vse women honourablie,
Would he were wasted marrow, bones and all,
1650That 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
1655Of 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.
1675Oh 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,
1680And 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.
1715I 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 pull it downe.
Exit.