let vs breath our selues Au. I will my Lord Exit sound Retreat K. Ed. Iust dooming heauen whose secret prouidence To our grosse iudgement is inscrutable How are we bound to praise thy wondrous works That hast this day giuen way vnto the right And made the wicked stumble at them selues Enter Artoys Rescue king Edward rescue for thy sonne Kin: Rescue Artoys what is he prisoner Or by violence fell beside his horse Ar. Neither my Lord but narrowly beset With turning Frenchmen whom he did persue As t is impossible that he should scape Except your highnes presently descend Kin: Tut let him fight we gaue him armes to day And he is laboring for a knighthood man Enter Derby Da: The Prince my Lord the Prince oh succour him Hee s close incompast with a world of odds Ki Then will he win a world of honor to If he by vallour can redeeme him thence If not what remedy we haue more sonnes Then one to comfort our declyning age Enter Audley Au, Renowned Edward giue me leaue I pray To lead my souldiers where I may releeue Your Graces sonne in danger to be slayne The snares of French like Emmets on a banke Muster about him whilest he Lion like Intangled in the net of their assaults Frantiquely wrends and byts the wouen toyle But all in vaine he cannot free him selfe K Ed: Audley content I will not haue a man On paine of death sent forth to succour him This is the day ordaynd by desteny To season his courage with those greeuous thoughts That if he breaketh out Nestors yeares on earth Will make him sauor still of this exployt Dar: Ah but he shall not liue to see those dayes Ki Why then his Ephitaph is lasting prayse An Yet good my Lord t is too much wilfulnes To let his blood be spilt that may be saude Kin. Exclayme no more for none of you can tell Whether a borrowed aid will serue or no Perhapps he is already slayne or tane And dare a Falcon when shee s in her flight And euer after shee le be huggard like Let Edward be deliuered by our hands And still in danger he le expect the like But if himselfe himselfe redeeme from thence He wil haue vanquisht cheerefull death and feare And euer after dread their force no more Then if they were but babes or Captiue slaues Aud. O cruell Father farewell Edward then Da: Farewell sweete Prince the hope of chiualry Art: O would my life might ransome him from death K. Ed: But soft me thinkes I heare The dismall charge of Trumpets loud retreat All are not slayne I hope that went with him Some will returne with tidings good or bad Enter Prince Edward in tryumph bearing in his hande hit shiuered Launce and the King of Boheme borne before wrapt in the Coullours They runne and imbrace him Aud, O ioyfull sight victorious Edward liues Der: Welcome braue Prince Ki Welcome Plantagenet Pr. kneele and kisse his fathers hand First hauing donne my duety as beseemed Lords I le greet you all with harty thanks And now behold after my winters toyle My paynefull voyage on the boystrous sea Of warres deuouring gulphes and steely rocks I bring my fraught vnto the wished port My Summers hope my trauels sweet reward And heere with humble duety I present This sacrifice this first fruit of my sword Cropt and cut downe euen at the gate of death The king of Boheme father whome I slue Whom you sayd had intrencht me round about And laye as thicke vpon my battered crest As on an Anuell with their ponderous glaues Yet marble courage still did vnderprop And when my weary armes with often blowes Like the continuall laboring Wood-mans Axe That is enioynd to fell a load of Oakes Began to faulter straight I would recouer My gifts you gaue me and my zealous vow And then new courage made me fresh againe That in despight I craud my passage forth And put the multitude to speedy flyght his Sword borne by a Soldier Lo this hath Edwards hand fild your request And done I hope the duety of a Knight Ki I well thou hast deserud a knight-hood Ned And therefore with thy sword yet reaking warme With blood of those that fought to be thy bane Arise Prince Edward trusty knight at armes This day thou hast confounded me with ioy And proude thy selfe fit heire vnto a king Pr Heere is a note my gratious Lord of those That in this conflict of our foes were slaine Eleuen Princes of esteeme Foure score Barons A hundred and twenty knights and thirty thousand Common souldiers and of our men a thousand Our God be praised Now Iohn of Fraunce I hope Thou knowest King Edward for no wantonesse No loue sicke cockney nor his souldiers iades But which way is the fearefull king escapt Pr: Towards Poyctiers noble father and his sonnes King Ned thou and Audley shall pursue them still Myselfe and Derby will to Calice streight And there begyrt that Hauen towne with seege Now lies it on an vpshot therefore strike And wistlie follow whiles the games on foote Ki. What Pictures this Pr: A Pellican my Lord Wounding her bosome with her crooked beak That so her nest of young ones might be fed With drops of blood that issue from her hart The motto Sic vos and so should you Exeunt Enter Lord Mountford with a Coronet in his hande with him the Earle of Salisbury Mo: My Lord of Salisbury since by our aide Mine ennemie Sir Charles of Bloys is slaine And I againe am quietly possest In Brittaines Dukedome knowe that I resolue For this kind furtherance of your king and you To sweare allegeance to his maiesty In sign where of receiue this Coronet Beare it vnto him and with all mine othe Neuer to be but Edwards faithful friend Sa: I take it Mountfort thus I hope eare long The whole Dominions of the Realme of Fraunce Wil be surrendred to his conquering hand Exit Now if I knew but safely how to passe I would to Calice gladly meete his Grace Whether I am by letters certified Yet he intends to haue his host remooude It shal be so this pollicy will serue Ho whos 's within bring Villiers to me Enter Villeirs Villiers thou knowest thou art my prisoner And that I might for ransome if I would Require of thee a hundred thousand Francks Or else retayne and keepe thee captiue still But so it is that for a smaller charge Thou maist be quit and if thou wilt thy selfe And this it is procure me but a pasport Of Charles the Duke of Normandy that I Without restraint may haue recourse to Callis Through all the Countries where he hath to doe Which thou maist easely obtayne I thinke By reason I haue often heard thee say He and thou were students once together And then thou shalt be set at libertie How saiest thou wilt thou vndertake to do it Vil. I will my Lord but I must speake with him Sa. Why so thou shalt
Valoys whether I intende To skirmish not for pillage but for the Crowne Which thou dost weare and that I vowe to haue Or one of vs shall fall in to this graue Pri Ed: Looke not for crosse inuectiues at our hands Or rayling execrations of despight Let creeping serpents hide in hollow banckes Sting with theyr tongues we haue remorseles swordes And they shall pleade for vs and our affaires Yet thus much breefly by my fathers leaue As all the immodest poyson of thy throat Is scandalous and most notorious lyes And our pretended quarell is truly iust So end the battaile when we meet to daie May eyther of vs prosper and preuaile Or luckles curst receue eternall shame Kin Ed: That needs no further question and I knowe His conscience witnesseth it is my right Therfore Valoys say wilt thou yet resigne Before the sickles thrust into the Corne Or that inkindled fury turne to flame Ioh: Edward I know what right thou hast in France And ere I basely will resigne my Crowne This Champion field shall be a poole of bloode And all our prospect as a slaughter house Pr Ed: I that approues thee tyrant what thou art No father king or shepheard of thy realme But one that teares her entrailes with thy handes And like a thirstie tyger suckst her bloud Aud: You peeres of France why do you follow him That is so prodigall to spend your liues Ch: Whom should they follow aged impotent But he that is their true borne soueraigne Kin: Obraidst thou him because within his face Time hath ingraud deep caracters of age Know that these graue schollers of experience Like stiffe growen oakes will stand unmouable When whirle wind quickly turnes vp yonger trees Dar. Was euer anie of thy fathers house king But thy selfe before this present time Edwards great linage by the mothers side Fiue hundred yeeres hath helde the scepter vp Iudge then conspiratours by this descent Which is the true borne soueraigne this or that Pri Father range your battailes prate no more These English fame would spend the time in wodrs That night approching they might escape vnfought K Ioh: Lords and my louing Subiects knowes the time That your intended force must bide the touch Therfore my frinds consider this in breefe He that you fight for is your naturall King He against whom you fight a forrener He that you fight for rules in clemencie And fames you with a mild and gentle byt He against whome you fight if hee preuaile Will straight in throne himselfe in tyrranie Make slaues of you and with a heauie hand Curtall and courb your swetest libertie Then to protect your Country and your King Let but the haughty Courrage of your hartes Answere the number of your able handes And we shall quicklie chase theis fugitiues For what 's this Edward but a belly god A tender and lasciuious wantonnes That thother daie was almost dead for loue And what I praie you is his goodly gard Such as but scant them of their chines of beefe And take awaie their downie featherbedes And presently they are as resty stiffe As t were a many ouer ridden iades Then French men scorne that such should be your Lords And rather bind ye them in captiue bands All Fra Viue le Roy God saue King Iohn of France Io: Now on this plaine of Cressie spred your selues And Edward when thou darest begin the fight Ki. Ed: We presently wil meet thee Iohn of Fraunce And English Lordes let vs resolue the daie Either to cleere vs of that scandalous cryme Or be intombed in our innocence And Ned because this battell is the first That euer yet thou foughtest in pitched field As ancient custome is of Martialists To dub thee with the tipe of chiualrie In solemne manner wee will giue thee armes Come therefore Heralds orderly bring forth A strong attirement for the prince my sonne Enter foure Heraldes bringing in a coate armour a helmet a lance and a shield Kin: Edward Plantagenet in the name of God As with this armour I impall thy breast So be thy noble vnrelenting heart Wald in with flint of matchlesse fortitude That neuer base affections enter there Fight and be valiant conquere where thou comst Now follow Lords and do him honor to Dar: Edward Plantagenet prince of Wales As I do set this helmet on thy head Where with the chamber of this braine is fenst So may thy temples with Bellonas hand Be still adornd with lawrell victorie Fight and be valiant conquer where thou comst Aud. Edward Plantagenet prince of Wales Receiue this lance into thy manly hand Vse it in fashion of a brasen pen To drawe forth bloudie stratagems in France And print thy valiant deeds in honors booke Fight and be valiant vanquish where thou comst Art: Edward Plantagenet prince of Wales Hold take this target weare it on thy arme And may the view thereof like Perscus shield Astonish and transforme thy gazing foes To senselesse images of meger death Fight and be valiant conquer where thou comst Ki. Now wants there nought but knighthood which deferd Wee leaue till thou hast won it in the fielde My gratious father and yee forwarde peeres This honor you haue done me animates And chears my greene yet scarse appearing strength With comfortable good persaging signes No otherwise then did ould Iacobes wordes When as he breathed his blessings on his sonnes These hallowed giftes of yours when I prophane Or vse them not to glory of my God To patronage the fatherles and poore Or for the benefite of Englands peace Be numbe my ioynts waxe feeble both mine armes Wither my hart that like a saples tree I may remayne the map of infamy K. Ed: Then this our steelde Battailes shall be rainged The leading of the vowarde Ned is thyne To dignifie whose lusty spirit the more We temper it with Audlys grauitie That courage and experience ioynd in one Your manage may be second vnto none For the mayne battells I will guide my selfe And Darby in the rereward march behind That orderly disposd and set in ray Let vs to horse and God graunt vs the daye Exeunt Alarum Enter a many French men flying After them Prince Edward runing Then enter King Iohn and Duke of Loraine Iohn Oh Lorrain say what meane our men to fly Our nomber is far greater then our foes Lor. The garrison of Genoaes my Lorde That cam from Paris weary with their march Grudging to be soddenly imployd No sooner in the forefront tooke their place But straite retyring so dismaide the rest As likewise they betook themselues to flight In which for hast to make a safe escape More in the clustering throng are prest to death Then by the ennimie a thousand fold K. Io: O haplesse fortune let vs yet assay If we can counsell some of them to stay Enter King Edward and Audley Ki E Lord Audley whiles our sonne is in the chase With draw our powers vnto this little hill And heere a season
Enter King Iohn K. Io: Come Charles and arme thee Edward is intrapt The Prince of Wales is falne into our hands And we haue compast him he cannot scape Ch: But will your highnes fight to day Io: What else my son hee s scarse eight thousand strong and we are threescore thousand at the least Ch: I haue a prophecy my gratious Lord Wherein is written what successe is like To happen vs in this outragious warre It was deliuered me at Cresses field By one that is an aged Hermyt there when fethered soul shal make thine army tremble and flint stones rise and breake the battell ray Then thinke on him that doth not now dissemble For that shal be the haples dreadfull day Yet in the end thy foot thou shalt aduance as farre in England as thy foe in Fraunce Io: By this it seemes we shal be fortunate For as it is impossible that stones Should euer rise and breake the battaile ray Or airie foule make men in armes to quake So is it like we shall not be subdude Or say this might be true yet in the end Since he doth promise we shall driue him hence And forrage their Countrie as they haue don ours By this reuenge that losse will seeme the lesse But all are fryuolous fancies toyes and dreames Once we are sure we haue insnard the sonne Catch we the father after how we can Exeunt Enter Prince Edward Audley and others Pr: Audley the armes of death embrace vs round And comfort haue we none saue that to die We pay sower earnest for a sweeter life At Cressey field our Clouds of Warlike smoke chokt vp those French mouths disseuered them But now their multitudes of millions hide Masking as t were the beautious burning Sunne Leauing no hope to vs but sullen darke And eie lesse terror of all ending night Au. This suddaine mightie and expedient head That they haue made faire Prince is wonderfull Before vs in the vallie lies the king Vantagd with all that heauen and earth can yeeld His partie stronger battaild then our whole His sonne the brauing Duke of Normandie Hath trimd the Mountaine on our right hand vp In shining plate that now the aspiring hill Shewes like a siluer quarrie or an orbe Aloft the which the Banners bannarets And new replenisht pendants cuff the aire And beat the windes that for their gaudinesse Struggles to kisse them on our left handlies Phillip the younger issue of the king Coting the other hill in such arraie That all his guilded vpright pikes do seeme Streight trees of gold the pendant leaues And their deuice of Antique heraldry Quartred in collours seeming sundy fruits Makes it the Orchard of the Hesperides Behinde vs two the hill doth beare his height For like a halfe Moone opening but one way It rounds vs in there at our backs are lodgd The fatall Crosbowes and the battaile there Is gouernd by the rough Chattillion Then thus it stands the valleie for our flight The king binds in the hils on either hand Are proudly royalized by his sonnes And on the Hill behind stands certaine death In pay and seruice with Chattillion Pr: Deathes name is much more mightie then his deeds Thy parcelling this power hath made it more As many sands as these my hands can hold are but my handful of so many sands Then all the world and call it but a power Easely tane vp and quickly throwne away But if I stand to count them sand by sand The number would confound my memorie And make a thousand millions of a taske Which briefelie is no more indeed then one These quarters squadrons and these regements Before behinde vs and on either hand Are but a power when we name a man His hand his foote his head hath seuerall strengthes And being al but one selfe instant strength Why all this many Audely is but one And we can call it all but one mans strength He that hath farre to goe tels it by miles If he should tell the steps it kills his hart The drops are infinite that make a floud And yet thou knowest we call it but a Raine There is but one Fraunce one king of Fraunce That Fraunce hath no more kings and that same king Hath but the puissant legion of one king And we haue one then apprehend no ods For one to one is faire equalitie Enter an Herald from king Iohn Pr: What tidings messenger be playne and briefe He: The king of Fraunce my soueraigne Lord and master Greets by me his fo the Prince of Wals If thou call forth a hundred men of name Of Lords Knights Esquires and English gentlemen And with thy selfe and those kneele at his feete He straight will fold his bloody collours vp And ransome shall redeeme liues forfeited If not this day shall drinke more English blood Then ere was buried in our Bryttish earth What is the answere to his profered mercy Pr: This heauen that couers Fraunce containes the mercy That drawes from me submissiue orizons That such base breath should vanish from my lips To vrge the plea of mercie to a man The Lord forbid returne and tell the king My tongue is made of steele and it shall beg My mercie on his coward burgonet Tell him my colours are as red as his My men as bold our English armes as strong returne him my defiance in his face He. I go Enter another Pr: What newes with thee He. I he Duke of Normandie my Lord master Pittying thy youth is so ingirt with perill By me hath sent a nimble ioynted iennet As swift as euer yet thou didst bestride And therewithall he counsels thee to flie Els death himself hath sworne that thou shalt die P Back with the beast vnto the beast that sent him Tell him I cannot sit a cowards horse Bid him to daie bestride the iade himselfe For I will staine my horse quite ore with bloud And double guild my spurs but I will catch him So tell the capring boy and get thee gone Enter another He: Edward of Wales Phillip the second sonne To the most mightie christian king of France Seeing thy bodies liuing date expird All full of charitie and christian loue Commends this booke full fraught with prayers To thy faire hand and for thy houre of lyfe Intreats thee that thou meditate therein And arme thy soule for hir long iourney towards Thus haue I done his bidding and returne Pr. Herald of Phillip greet thy Lord from me All good that he can send I can receiue But thinkst thou not the vnaduised boy Hath wrongd himselfe in this far tendering me Happily he cannot praie without the booke I thinke him no diuine extemporall Then render backe this common place of prayer To do himselfe good in aduersitie Besides he knows not my sinnes qualitie and therefore knowes no praiers for my auaile Ere night his praier may be to praie to God To put it in my heart to heare his praier So tell the courtly wanton and be gone He.
our lookes And now vnto this proud resisting towne Souldiers assault I will no longer stay To be deluded by their false delaies Put all to sword and make the spoyle your owne All Mercy king Edward mercie gratious Lord Ki Contemptuous villaines call ye now for truce Mine eares are stopt against your bootelesse cryes Sound drums allarum draw threatning swords All Ah noble Prince take pittie on this towne And heare vs mightie king We claime the promise that your highnes made The two daies respit is not yet expirde And we are come with willingnes to beare What tortering death or punishment you please So that the trembling multitude be saued Ki My promise wel I do confesse as much But I require the cheefest Citizens And men of most account that should submit You peraduenture are but seruile groomes Or some fellonious robbers on the Sea Whome apprehended law would execute Albeit seuerity lay dead in vs No no ye cannot ouerreach vs thus Two The Sun dread Lord that in the western fall Beholds vs now low brought through miserie Did in the Orient purple of the morne Salute our comming forth when we were knowne Or may our portion be with damned fiends Ki If it be so then let our couenant stand We take possession of the towne in peace But for your selues looke you for no remorse But as imperiall iustice hath decreed Your bodies shal be dragd about these wals And after feele the stroake of quartering steele This is your dome go souldiers see it done Qu Ah be more milde vnto these yeelding men It is a glorious thing to stablish peace And kings approch the nearest vnto God By giuing life and fafety vnto men As thou intendest to be king of Fraunce So let her people liue to call thee king For what the sword cuts down or fire hath spoyld Is held in reputation none of ours Ki Although experience teach vs this is true That peacefull quietnes brings most delight When most of all abuses are controld Yet insomuch it shal be knowne that we Aswell can master our affections As conquer other by the dynt of sword Phillip preuaile we yeeld to thy request These men shall liue to boast of clemencie And tyrannie strike terror to thy selfe Two long liue your highnes happy be your reigne Ki Go get you hence returne vnto the towne And if this kindnes hath deserud your loue Learne then to reuerence Edw as your king Ex. Now might we heare of our affaires abroad We would till glomy Winter were ore spent Dispose our men in garrison a while But who comes heere Enter Copland and King Dauid De, Copland my Lord and Dauid King of Scots Ki Is this the proud presumtious Esquire of the North That would not yeeld his prisoner to my Queen Cop: I am my liege a Northen Esquire indeed But neither proud nor insolent I trust Ki What moude thee then to be so obstinate To contradict our royall Queenes desire Co. No wilfull disobedience mightie Lord But my desert and publike law at armes I tooke the king my selfe in single fight and like a souldier would be loath to loose The least preheminence that I had won And Copland straight vpon your highnes charge Is come to Fraunce and with a lowly minde Doth vale the bonnet of his victory Receiue dread Lorde the custome of my fraught The wealthie tribute of my laboring hands Which should long since haue been surrendred vp Had but your gratious selfe bin there in place Q But Copland thou didst scorne the kings command Neglecting our commission in his name Cop. His name I reuerence but his person more His name shall keepe me in alleagaunce still But to his person I will bend my knee King I praie thee Phillip let displeasure passe This man doth please mee and I like his words For what is he that will attempt great deeds and loose the glory that ensues the same all riuers haue recourse vnto the Sea and Coplands faith relation to his king Kneele therefore downe now rise king Edwards knight and to maintayne thy state I freely giue Fiue hundred marks a yeere to thee and thine Welcom Lord Salisburie what news from Brittaine Enter Salsbury Sa: This mightie king the Country we haue won And Charles de Mountford regent of that place Presents your highnes with this Coronet Protesting true allegeaunce to your Grace Ki We thanke thee for thy seruice valient Earle Challenge our fauour for we owe it thee Sa: But now my Lord as this is ioyful newes So must my voice be tragicall againe and I must sing of dolefull accidents Ki What haue our men the ouerthrow at Poitiers Oris our sonne beset with too much odds Sa. He was my Lord and as my worthlesse selfe With fortie other seruiceable knights Vnder safe conduct of the Dolphins seale Did trauaile that way finding him distrest A troupe of Launces met vs on the way Surprisd and brought vs prisoners to the king Who proud of this and eager of reuenge Commanded straight to cut of all our heads And surely we had died but that the Duke More full of honor then his angry syre Procurd our quicke deliuerance from thence But ere we went salute your king quoth hee Bid him prouide a funerall for his sonne To day our sword shall cut his thred of life And sooner then he thinkes we le be with him To quittance those displeasures he hath done This said we past not daring to reply Our harts were dead our lookes diffusd and wan Wandring at last we clymd vnto a hill From whence although our griefe were much before Yet now to see the occasion with our eies Did thrice so much increase our heauines For there my Lord oh there we did descry Downe in a vallie how both armies laie The French had cast their trenches like a ring And euery Barricados open front Was thicke imbost with brasen ordynaunce Heere stood a battaile of ten thousand horse There twise as many pikes in quadrant wise Here Crosbowes and deadly wounding darts And in the midst like to a slender poynt Within the compasse of the horison as t were a rising bubble in the sea A Hasle wand a midst a wood of Pynes Or as a beare fast chaind vnto a stake Stood famous Edward still expecting when Those doggs of Fraunce would fasten on his flesh Anon the death procuring knell begins Off goe the Cannons that with trembling noyse Did shake the very Mountayne where they stood Then sound the Trumpets clangor in the aire The battailes ioyne and when we could no more Discerne the difference twixt the friend and so So intricate the darke confusion was Away we turnd our watrie eies with sighs as blacke as pouder fuming into smoke And thus I feare vnhappie haue I told The most vntimely tale of Edwards fall Qu Ah me is this my welcome into Fraunce Is this the comfort that I lookt to haue When I should meete with my belooued sonne Sweete Ned I would thy mother