1502This Ladyes Husband, Sir Richard Grey, was slaine,

1503His Land then seiz'd on by the Conqueror,

1504Her suit is now, to repossesse those Lands,

1505Which wee in Iustice cannot well deny,

1506Because in Quarrell of the House of Yorke,

1507The worthy Gentleman did lose his Life.

1508 Rich. Your Highnesse shall doe well to graunt her suit:

1509It were dishonor to deny it her.

1510King. It were no lesse, but yet Ile make a pawse.

1511Rich. Yea, is it so:

1512I see the Lady hath a thing to graunt,

1513Before the King will graunt her humble suit.

1514 Clarence. Hee knowes the Game, how true hee keepes

1515the winde?

1516Rich. Silence.

1517King. Widow, we will consider of your suit,

1518And come some other time to know our minde.

1519Wid. Right gracious Lord, I cannot brooke delay:

1520May it please your Highnesse to resolue me now,

1521And what your pleasure is, shall satisfie me.

1522Rich. I Widow? then Ile warrant you all your Lands,

1523And if what pleases him, shall pleasure you:

1524Fight closer, or good faith you'le catch a Blow.

1525Clarence. I feare her not, vnlesse she chance to fall.

1526Rich. God forbid that, for hee'le take vantages.

1527 King. How many Children hast thou, Widow? tell

1528me.

1529Clarence. I thinke he meanes to begge a Child of her.

1530Rich. Nay then whip me: hee'le rather giue her two.

1531Wid. Three, my most gracious Lord.

1532 Rich. You shall haue foure, if you'le be rul'd by him.

1533 King. 'Twere pittie they should lose their Fathers

1534Lands.

1535Wid. Be pittifull, dread Lord, and graunt it then.

1536 King. Lords giue vs leaue, Ile trye this Widowes

1537wit.

1538 Rich. I, good leaue haue you, for you will haue leaue,

1539Till Youth take leaue, and leaue you to the Crutch.

1540 King. Now tell me, Madame, doe you loue your

1541Children?

1542Wid. I, full as dearely as I loue my selfe.

1543 King. And would you not doe much to doe them

1544good?

1545 Wid. To doe them good, I would sustayne some

1546harme.

1547 King. Then get your Husbands Lands, to doe them

1548good.

1549Wid. Therefore I came vnto your Maiestie.

1550King. Ile tell you how these Lands are to be got.

1551Wid. So shall you bind me to your Highnesse seruice.

1552King. What seruice wilt thou doe me, if I giue them?

1553Wid. What you command, that rests in me to doe.

1554King. But you will take exceptions to my Boone.

1555Wid. No, gracious Lord, except I cannot doe it.

1556King. I, but thou canst doe what I meane to aske.

1557 Wid. Why then I will doe what your Grace com-

1558mands.

1559 Rich. Hee plyes her hard, and much Raine weares the

1560Marble.

1561Clar. As red as fire? nay then, her Wax must melt.

1562 Wid. Why stoppes my Lord? shall I not heare my

1563Taske?

1564King. An easie Taske, 'tis but to loue a King.

1565 Wid. That's soone perform'd, because I am a Subiect.

1566 King. Why then, thy Husbands Lands I freely giue

1567thee.

1568Wid. I take my leaue with many thousand thankes.

1569 Rich. The Match is made, shee seales it with a Cursie.

1570King. But stay thee, 'tis the fruits of loue I meane.

1571Wid. The fruits of Loue, I meane, my louing Liege.

1572King. I, but I feare me in another sence.

1573What Loue, think'st thou, I sue so much to get?

1574 Wid. My loue till death, my humble thanks, my prayers,

1575That loue which Vertue begges, and Vertue graunts.

1576King. No, by my troth, I did not meane such loue.

1577 Wid. Why then you meane not, as I thought you did.

1578King. But now you partly may perceiue my minde.

1579Wid. My minde will neuer graunt what I perceiue

1580Your Highnesse aymes at, if I ayme aright.

1581King. To tell thee plaine, I ayme to lye with thee.

1582Wid. To tell you plaine, I had rather lye in Prison.

1583 King. Why then thou shalt not haue thy Husbands

1584Lands.

1585Wid. Why then mine Honestie shall be my Dower,

1586For by that losse, I will not purchase them.

1587 King. Therein thou wrong'st thy Children mightily.

1588 Wid. Herein your Highnesse wrongs both them & me:

1589But mightie Lord, this merry inclination

1590Accords not with the sadnesse of my suit:

1591Please you dismisse me, eyther with I, or no.

1592King. I, if thou wilt say I to my request:

1593No, if thou do'st say No to my demand.

1594Wid. Then No, my Lord: my suit is at an end.

1595 Rich. The Widow likes him not, shee knits her

1596Browes.

1597 Clarence. Hee is the bluntest Wooer in Christen-

1598dome.

1599 King. Her Looks doth argue her replete with Modesty,

1600Her Words doth shew her Wit incomparable,

1601All her perfections challenge Soueraigntie,

1602One way, or other, shee is for a King,

1603And shee shall be my Loue, or else my Queene.

1604Say, that King Edward take thee for his Queene?

1605Wid. 'Tis better said then done, my gracious Lord:

1606I am a subiect fit to ieast withall,

1607But farre vnfit to be a Soueraigne.

1608King. Sweet Widow, by my State I sweare to thee,

1609I speake no more then what my Soule intends,

1610And that is, to enioy thee for my Loue.

1611Wid. And that is more then I will yeeld vnto:

1612I know, I am too meane to be your Queene,

1613And yet too good to be your Concubine.

1614King. You cauill, Widow, I did meane my Queene.

1615 Wid. 'Twill grieue your Grace, my Sonnes should call

1616you Father.

1617King. No more, then when my Daughters

1618Call thee Mother.

1619Thou art a Widow, and thou hast some Children,

1620And by Gods Mother, I being but a Batchelor,

1621Haue other-some. Why, 'tis a happy thing,

1622To be the Father vnto many Sonnes:

1623Answer no more, for thou shalt be my Queene.

1624Rich. The Ghostly Father now hath done his Shrift.

1625 Clarence. When hee was made a Shriuer, 'twas for shift.

1626 King. Brothers, you muse what Chat wee two haue

1627had.

1628 Rich. The Widow likes it not, for shee lookes very

1629sad.

1630 King. You'ld thinke it strange, if I should marrie

1631her.

1632Clarence. To who, my Lord?

1633King. Why Clarence, to my selfe.