SCENE II.London.The palace
Enter KING EDWARD,GLOUCESTER,CLARENCE,and LADY GREY
KING EDWARD.Brother of Gloucester,at Saint Albans'field This lady's husband,Sir Richard Grey,was slain,His land 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.GLOUCESTER.Your Highness shall do well to grant her suit;It were dishonour to deny it her.KING EDWARD.It were no less;but yet I'll make a pause.GLOUCESTER.[Aside to CLARENCE]Yea,is it so?I see the lady hath a thing to grant,Before the King will grant her humble suit.CLARENCE.[Aside to GLOUCESTER]He knows the game;how true he keeps the wind!GLOUCESTER.[Aside to CLARENCE]Silence!KING EDWARD.Widow,we will consider of your suit;And come some other time to know our mind.LADY 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.GLOUCESTER.[Aside]Ay,widow?Then I'll warrant you all your lands,An if what pleases him shall pleasure you.Fight closer or,good faith,you'll catch a blow.CLARENCE.[Aside to GLOUCESTER]I fear her not,unless she chance to fall.GLOUCESTER.[Aside to CLARENCE]God forbid that,for he'll take vantages.KING EDWARD.How many children hast thou,widow,tell me.CLARENCE.[Aside to GLOUCESTER]I think he means to beg a child of her.GLOUCESTER.[Aside to CLARENCE]Nay,then whip me;he'll rather give her two.LADY GREY.Three,my most gracious lord.GLOUCESTER.[Aside]You shall have four if you'll be rul'd by him.KING EDWARD.'Twere pity they should lose their father's lands.
LADY GREY.Be pitiful,dread lord,and grant it,then.KING EDWARD.Lords,give us leave;I'll try this widow's wit.GLOUCESTER.[Aside]Ay,good leave have you;for you will have leave Till youth take leave and leave you to the crutch.[GLOUCESTER and CLARENCE withdraw]KING EDWARD.Now tell me,madam,do you love your
children?LADY GREY.Ay,full as dearly as I love myself.KING EDWARD.And would you not do much to do them good?LADY GREY.To do them good I would sustain some harm.KING EDWARD.Then get your husband's lands,to do them good.LADY GREY.Therefore I came unto your Majesty.KING EDWARD.I'll tell you how these lands are to be got.LADY GREY.So shall you bind me to your Highness'service.KING EDWARD.What service wilt thou do me if I give them?LADY GREY.What you command that rests in me to do.KING EDWARD.But you will take exceptions to my boon.LADY GREY.No,gracious lord,except I cannot do it.KING EDWARD.Ay,but thou canst do what I mean to ask.LADY GREY.Why,then I will do what your Grace commands.GLOUCESTER.He plies her hard;and much rain wears the marble.CLARENCE.As red as fire!Nay,then her wax must melt.LADY GREY.Why stops my lord?Shall I not hear my task?KING EDWARD.An easy task;'tis but to love a king.LADY GREY.That's soon perform'd,because I am a subject.KING EDWARD.Why,then,thy husband's lands I freely give thee.LADY GREY.I take my leave with many thousand thanks.GLOUCESTER.The match is made;she seals it with a curtsy.KING EDWARD.But stay thee-'tis the fruits of love I mean.LADY GREY.The fruits of love I mean,my loving liege.KING EDWARD.Ay,but,I fear me,in another sense.What love,thinkst thou,I sue so much to get?LADY GREY.My love till death,my humble thanks,my prayers;That love which virtue begs and virtue grants.KING EDWARD.No,by my troth,I did not mean such love.LADY GREY.Why,then you mean not as I thought you did.KING EDWARD.But now you partly may perceive my mind.LADY GREY.My mind will never grant what I perceive Your Highness aims at,if I aim aright.KING EDWARD.To tell thee plain,I aim to lie with thee.LADY GREY.To tell you plain,I had rather lie in prison.KING EDWARD.Why,then thou shalt not have thy husband's lands.LADY GREY.Why,then mine honesty shall be my dower;For by that loss I will not purchase them.KING EDWARD.Therein thou wrong'st thy children mightily.LADY 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.KING EDWARD.
