Henry VI, Part III by William Shakespeare (story books for 5 year olds txt) 📕

Warwick,
Thou and Oxford, with five thousand men,
Shall cross the seas, and bid false Edward battle;
And, as occasion serves, this noble queen
And prince shall follow with a fresh supply.
Yet, ere thou go, but answer me one doubt,
What pledge have we of thy firm loyalty? Warwick

This shall assure my constant loyalty,
That if our queen and this young prince agree,
I’ll join mine eldest daughter and my joy
To him forthwith in holy wedlock bands.

Queen Margaret

Yes, I agree, and thank you for your motion.
Son Edward, she is fair and virtuous,
Therefore delay not, give thy hand to Warwick;
And, with thy hand, thy faith irrevocable,
That only Warwick’s daughter shall be thine.

Prince

Yes, I accept her, for she well deserves it;
And here, to pledge my vow, I give my hand. He gives his hand to Warwick.

King Lewis

Why stay we now? These soldiers shall be levied,
And thou, Lord Bourbon, our high admiral,
Shalt waft them over with our royal fleet.
I long till Edward fall by war’s mischance,
For mocking marriage with a dame of France. Exeunt all but Warwick.

Warwick

I came from Edward as ambassador,
But I return his sworn and mortal foe:
Matter of marriage was the charge he gave me,
But dreadful war shall answer his demand.
Had he none else to make a stale but me?
Then none but I shall turn his jest to sorrow.
I was the chief that raised him to the crown,
And I’ll be chief to bring him down again:
Not that I pity Henry’s misery,
But seek revenge on Edward’s mockery. Exit.

Act IV Scene I

London. The palace.

Enter Gloucester, Clarence, Somerset, and Montague. Gloucester

Now tell me, brother Clarence, what think you
Of this new marriage with the Lady Grey?
Hath not our brother made a worthy choice?

Clarence

Alas, you know, ’tis far from hence to France;
How could he stay till Warwick made return?

Somerset My lords, forbear this talk; here comes the king. Gloucester And his well-chosen bride. Clarence I mind to tell him plainly what I think. Flourish. Enter King Edward, attended; Lady Grey, as Queen; Pembroke, Stafford, Hastings, and others. King Edward

Now, brother of Clarence, how like you our choice,
That you stand pensive, as half malcontent?

Clarence

As well as Lewis of France, or the Earl of Warwick,
Which are so weak of courage and in judgment
That they’ll take no offence at our abuse.

King Edward

Suppose they take offence without a cause,
They are but Lewis and Warwick: I am Edward,
Your king and Warwick’s, and must have my will.

Gloucester

And shall have your will, because our king:
Yet hasty marriage seldom proveth well.

King Edward Yea, brother Richard, are you offended too? Gloucester

Not I:
No, God forbid that I should wish them sever’d
Whom God hath join’d together; ay, and ’twere pity
To sunder them that yoke so well together.

King Edward

Setting your scorns and your mislike aside,
Tell me some reason why the Lady Grey
Should not become my wife and England’s queen.
And you too, Somerset and Montague,
Speak freely what you think.

Clarence

Then this is mine opinion: that King Lewis
Becomes your enemy, for mocking him
About the marriage of the Lady Bona.

Gloucester

And Warwick, doing what you gave in charge,
Is now dishonoured by this new marriage.

King Edward

What if both Lewis and Warwick be appeased
By such invention as I can devise?

Montague

Yet, to have join’d with France in such alliance
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. 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.

Clarence

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.

Gloucester

And yet methinks your grace hath not done well,
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.

Clarence

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

Clarence

In choosing for yourself, you show’d your judgment,
Which being shallow, you 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.

Queen Elizabeth

My lords, before it pleased 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.
But as this title honours me and mine,
So your dislike, 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,
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,
And they shall feel the vengeance of my wrath.

Gloucester I hear, yet say not much, but think the more. Aside. Enter a Post. King Edward

Now, messenger, what letters or what news
From France?

Post

My sovereign liege, no letters; and few words,
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?

Post