QUEEN MARGARET.
No, mighty King of France. Now Margaret
Must strike her sail and learn awhile to serve
Where kings command. I was, I must confess,
Great Albion’s queen in former golden days;
But now mischance hath trod my title down
And with dishonour laid me on the ground,
Where I must take like seat unto my fortune
And to my humble seat conform myself.
KING LEWIS.
Why, say, fair queen, whence springs this deep despair?
QUEEN MARGARET.
From such a cause as fills mine eyes with tears
And stops my tongue, while heart is drowned in cares.
KING LEWIS.
Whate’er it be, be thou still like thyself,
And sit thee by our side. Yield not thy neck
[Seats her by him.]
To Fortune’s yoke, but let thy dauntless mind
Still ride in triumph over all mischance.
Be plain, Queen Margaret, and tell thy grief;
It shall be eased if France can yield relief.
QUEEN MARGARET.
Those gracious words revive my drooping thoughts
And give my tongue-tied sorrows leave to speak.
Now, therefore, be it known to noble Lewis
That Henry, sole possessor of my love,
Is, of a king, become a banished man
And forced to live in Scotland a forlorn;
While proud ambitious Edward, Duke of York,
Usurps the regal title and the seat
Of England’s true-anointed lawful king.
This is the cause that I, poor Margaret,
With this my son, Prince Edward, Henry’s heir,
Am come to crave thy just and lawful aid;
And if thou fail us, all our hope is done.
Scotland hath will to help, but cannot help;
Our people and our peers are both misled,
Our treasure seized, our soldiers put to flight,
And, as thou seest, ourselves in heavy plight.
KING LEWIS.
Renowned queen, with patience calm the storm
While we bethink a means to break it off.
QUEEN MARGARET.
The more we stay, the stronger grows our foe.
KING LEWIS.
The more I stay, the more I’ll succour thee.