I go Pr. How confident their strength and number makes them Now Audley sound those siluer winges of thine And let those milke white messengers of time Shew thy times learning in this dangerous time Thy selfe art busie and bit with many broiles And stratagems sore past with yron pens Are texted in thine honorable face Thou art a married man in this distresse But danger wooes me as a blushing maide Teach me an answere to this perillous time Aud. To die is all as common as to liue The one in choice the other holds in chase For from the instant we begin to liue We do pursue and hunt the time to die First bud we then we blow and after seed Then presently we fall and as a shade Followes the bodie so we follow death If then we hunt for death why do we feare it If we feare it why do we follow it If we do teare how can we shun it If we do feare with feare we do but aide The thing we feare to seize on vs the sooner If wee feare not then no resolued proffer Can ouerthrow the limit of our fate For whether ripe or rotten drop we shall as we do drawe the lotterie of our doome Pri. Ah good olde man a thousand thousand armors These wordes of thine haue buckled on my backe Ah what an idiot hast thou made of lyfe To seeke the thing it feares and how disgrast The imperiall victorie of murdring death Since all the liues his conquering arrowes strike Seeke him and he not them to shame his glorie I will not giue a pennie for a lyfe Nor halfe a halfe penie to shun grim death Since for to liue is but to seeke to die And dying but beginning of new lyfe Let come the houre when he that rules it will To liue or die I hold indifferent Exeunt Enter king Iohn and Charles Ioh: A sodaine darknes hath defast the skie The windes are crept into their caues for feare the leaues moue not the world is husht and still the birdes cease singing and the wandring brookes Murmure no wonted greeting to their shores Silence attends some wonder and expecteth That heauen should pronounce some prophesie Where or from whome proceeds this silence Charles Ch: Our men with open mouthes and staring eyes Looke on each other as they did attend Each others wordes and yet no creature speakes A tongue-tied feare hath made a midnight houre and speeches sleepe through all the waking regions Ioh: But now the pompeous Sunne in all his pride Lookt through his golden coach vpon the worlde and on a sodaine hath he hid himselfe that now the vnder earth is as a graue Darke deadly silent and vncomfortable A clamor of rauens Harke what a deadly outcrie do I heare Ch. Here comes my brother Phillip Ioh. All dismaid What fearefull words are those thy lookes presage Pr. A flight a flight Ioh: Coward what flight thou liest there needs no flight Pr. A flight Kin: Awake thy crauen powers and tell on the substance of that verie feare in deed Which is so gastly printed in thy face What is the matter Pr. A flight of vgly rauens Do croke and houer ore our souldiers heads And keepe in triangles and cornerd squares Right as our forces are imbatteled With their approach there came this sodain fog Which now hath hid the airie flower of heauen And made at noone a night vnnaturall Vpon the quaking and dismaied world In briefe our souldiers haue let fall their armes and stand like metamorphosd images Bloudlesse and pale one gazing on another Io: I now I call to mind the prophesie But I must giue no enterance to a feare Returne and harten vp these yeelding soules Tell them the rauens seeing them in armes So many faire against a famisht few Come but to dine vpon their handie worke and praie vpon the carrion that they kill For when we see a horse laid downe to die although not dead the rauenous birds Sit watching the departure of his life Euen so these rauens for the carcases Of those poore English that are markt to die Houer about and if they crie to vs T is but for meate that we must kill for them Awaie and comfort vp my souldiers and sound the trumpets and at once dispatch This litle busines of a silly fraude Exit Pr. Another noise Salisbury brought in by a French Captaine Cap: Behold my liege this knight and fortie mo Of whom the better part are slaine and fled With all indeuor sought to breake our rankes And make their waie to the incompast prince Dispose of him as please your maiestie Io: Go the next bough souldier that thou seest Disgrace it with his bodie presently For I doo hold a tree in France too good To be the gallowes of an English theefe Sa: My Lord of Normandie I haue your passe And warrant for my safetie through this land Ch. Villiers procurd it for thee did he not Sal: He did Ch: And it is currant thou shalt freely passe En Io: I freely to the gallows to be hangd Without deniall or impediment Awaie with him Vil. I hope your highnes will not so disgrace me and dash the vertue of my seale at armes He hath my neuer broken name to shew Carectred with this princely hande of mine and rather let me leaue to be a prince Than break the stable verdict of a prince I doo beseech you let him passe in quiet Ki Thou and thy word lie both in my command What canst thou promise that I cannot breake Which of these twaine is greater infamie To disobey thy father or thy selfe Thy word nor no mans may exceed his power Nor that same man doth neuer breake his worde That keepes it to the vtmost of his power The breach of faith dwels in the soules consent Which if thy selfe without consent doo breake Thou art not charged with the breach of faith Go hang him for thy lisence lies in mee and my constraint stands the excuse for thee Ch. VVhat am I not a soldier in my word Then armes adieu and let them fight that list Shall I not giue my girdle from my wast But with a gardion I shall be controld To saie I may not giue my things awaie Vpon my soule had Edward prince of VVales Ingagde his word writ downe his noble hand For all your knights to passe his fathers land The roiall king to grace his warlike sonne VVould not alone safe conduct giue to them But with all bountie feasted them and theirs Kin: Dwelst thou on presidents then be it so Say Englishman of what degree thou art Sa: An Earle in England though a prisoner here And those that knowe me call me Salisburie Kin: Then Salisburie say whether thou art bound Sa. To Callice where my liege king Edward is Kin: To Callice Salisburie then to Callice packe and bid the king prepare a noble graue To put his princely sonne blacke Edward in and as thou trauelst westward from this place Some two
owne allies That are in Flaunders to solicite to The Emperour of Almaigne in our name Myselfe whilst you are ioyntly thus employd Will with these forces that I haue at hand March and once more repulse the trayterous Scot But Sirs be resolute we shal haue warres On euery side and Ned thou must begin Now to forget thy study and thy bookes And yre thy shoulders to an Armors weight Pr. As cheereful sounding to my youthfull spleene This tumult is of warres increasing broyles As at the Coronation of a king The ioyfull clamours of the people are When Aue Cesar they pronounce alowd Within this schoole of honor I shal learne Either to sacrifice my foes to death Or in a rightfull quarrel spend my breath Then cheerefully forward ech a seuerall way In great affaires t is nought to vse delay Exunt Enter the Countesse Alas how much in vaine my poore eyes gaze For souccour that my soueraigne should send A cousin Mountague I feare thou wants The liuely spirit sharpely to solicit With vehement sute the king in my behalfe Thou dost not tell him what a griefe it is To be the scornefull captiue to a Scot Either to be wooed with broad vntuned othes Or forst by rough insulting barbarisme Thou doest not tell him if he heere preuaile How much they will deride vs in the North And in their vild vnseuill skipping giggs Bray foorth their Conquest and our ouerthrow Euen in the barraine bleake and fruitlesse aire Enter Dauid and Douglas Lorraine I must withdraw the euerlasting soe Comes to the wall I le closely step aside And list their babble blunt and full of pride K. Da: My Lord of Lorrayne to our brother of Fraunce Commend vs as the man in Christendome That we must reuerence and intirely loue Touching your embassage returne and say That we with England will not enter parlie Nor neuer make faire wether or take truce But burne their neighbor townes and so persist With eager Rods beyond their Citie Yorke And neuer shall our bonny riders rest Nor rust in canker haue the time to eate Their light borne snaffles nor their nimble spu Nor lay a side their Iacks of Gymould mayle Nor hang their staues of grayned Scottish ash In peacefull wise vpon their Citie wals Nor from their buttoned tawny leatherne belts Dismisse their byting whinyards till your King Cry out enough spare England now for pittie Farewell and tell him that you leaue vs heare Before this Castle say you came from vs Euen when we had that yeelded to our hands Lor: take my leaue and fayrely will returne Your acceptable greeting to my king Exit Lor. K. D Now Duglas to our former taske again For the deuision of this certayne spoyle Dou: My liege I craue the Ladie and no more King Nay soft ye sir first I must make my choyse And first I do bespeake her for my self Da. Why then my liege let me enioy her iewels King Those are her owne still liable to her And who inherits her hath those with all Enter a Scot in hast Mes: My liege as we were pricking on the hils To fetch in booty marching hitherward We might discry a mighty host of men The Sunne reflicting on the armour shewed A field of plate a wood of pickes aduanced Bethinke your highnes speedely herein An easie march within foure howres will bring The hindmost rancke vnto this place my liege King Dislodge dislodge it is the king of England Dug: Iemmy my man saddle my bonny blacke King Meanst thou to fight Duglas we are to weake Du: I know it well my liege and therefore flie Cou: My Lords of Scotland will ye stay and drinke King She mocks at vs Duglas I cannot endure it Count Say good my Lord which is he must haue the Ladie And which her iewels I am sure my Lords Ye will not hence till you haue shard the spoyles King Shee heard the messenger and heard our talke And now that comfort makes her scorne at vs Annother messenger Mes: Arme my good Lord O we are all surprisde After the French embassador my liege And tell him that you dare not ride to Yorke Excuse it that your bonnie horse is lame K. He heard that to intollerable griefe Woman farewell although I do not stay Exunt Scots Count T is not for feare and yet you run away O happie comfort welcome to our house The confident and boystrous boasting Scot That swore before my walls they would not backe For all the armed power of this land With facelesse feare that euer turnes his backe Turnd hence againe the blasting North-east winde Vpon the bare report and name of Armes Enter Mountague Mo: O Sommers day see where my Cosin comes How fares my Aunt we are not Scots Why do you shut your gates against your friends Co: Well may I giue a welcome Cosin to thee For thou comst well to chase my foes from hence Mo: The king himselfe is come in person hither Deare Aunt discend and gratulate his highnes Co: How may I entertayne his Maiestie To shew my duety and his dignitie Enter king Edward VVarwike Artoyes with others K. Ed: What are the stealing Foxes fled and gone Before we could vncupple at their heeles War: They are my liege but with a cheereful cry Hot hunds and hardie chase them at the heeles Enter Countesse K. Ed: This is the Countesse Warwike is it not War: Euen shee liege whose beauty tyrants feare As a May blossome with pernitious winds Hath sullied withered ouercast and donne K. Ed: Hath she been fairer Warwike then she is War: My gratious King faire is she not at all If that her selfe were by to staine herselfe As I haue seene her when she was her selfe K. Ed: What strange enchantment lurke in those her eyes When they exceld this excellence they haue That now her dym declyne hath power to draw My subiect eyes from persing maiestie To gaze on her with doting admiration Count In duetie lower then the ground I kneele And for my dul knees bow my feeling heart To witnes my obedience to your highnes With many millions of a subiects thanks For this your Royall presence whose approch Hath driuen war and danger from my gate K. Lady stand vp I come to bring thee peace How euer thereby I haue purchast war Co: No war to you my liege the Scots are gone And gallop home toward Scotland with their hate Least yeelding heere I pyne in shamefull loue Come we le persue the Scots Artoyes away Co: A little while my gratious soueraigne stay And let the power of a mighty king Honor our roofe my husband in the warres When he shall heare it will triumph for ioy Then deare my liege now niggard not thy state Being at the wall enter our homely gate King Pardon me countesse I will come no neare I dreamde to night of treason and I feare Co: Far from this place let vgly treason ly K No farther off then her conspyring eye Which shoots
to infringe the holy act Made by the mouth of God seald with his hand I know my souereigne in my husbands loue Who now doth loyall seruice in his warrs Doth but to try the wife of Salisbury Whither shee will heare a wantons tale or no Lest being therein giulty by my stay From that not from my leige I tourne awaie Exit King Whether is her bewtie by her words dyuine Or are her words sweet chaplaines to her bewtie Like as the wind doth beautifie a saile And as a saile becomes the vnseene winde So doe her words her bewties bewtie wordes O that I were a honie gathering bee To beare the combe of vertue from his flower And not a poison sucking enuious spider To turne the vice I take to deadlie venom Religion is austere and bewty gentle To stricke a gardion for so faire a weed O that shee were as is the aire to mee Why so she is for when I would embrace her This do I and catch nothing but my selfe I must enioy her for I cannot beate With reason and reproofe fond loue awaie Enter Warwicke Here comes her father I will worke with him To beare my collours in this feild of loue War: How is it that my souereigne is so sad May I with pardon know your highnes griefe And that my old endeuor will remoue it It shall not comber long your maiestie King A kind and voluntary gift thou proferest That I was forwarde to haue begd of thee But O thou world great nurse of flatterie Whie dost thou tip mens tongues with golden words And peise their deedes with weight of heauie leade That faire performance cannot follow promise O that a man might hold the hartes close booke And choke the lauish tongue when it doth vtter The breath of falshood not carectred there War: Far be it from the honor of my age That I should owe bright gould and render lead Age is a cyncke not a flatterer I saye againe that I if knew your griefe And that by me it may be lesned My proper harme should buy your highnes good These are the vulger tenders of false men That neuer pay the duetie of their words Kin: Thou wilt not sticke to sweare what thou hast said But when thou knowest my greifes condition This rash disgorged vomit of thy word Thou wilt eate vp againe and leaue me helples War By heauen I will not though your maiestie Did byd me run vpon your sworde and die Say that my greefe is no way medicinable But by the losse and bruising of thine honour War: Yf nothing but that losse may vantage you I would accomplish that losse my vauntage to King Thinkst that thou canst answere thy oth againe War: I cannot nor I would not if I could King But if thou dost what shal I say to thee War: What may be said to anie periurd villane That breake the sacred warrant of an oath King What wilt thou say to one that breaks an othe War That hee hath broke his faith with God and man And from them both standes excommunicat King What office were it to suggest a man To breake a lawfull and religious vowe War An office for the deuill not for man Ki. That destilles office must thou do for me Or breake thy oth or cancell all the bondes Of loue and duetie twixt thy self and mee And therefore Warwike if thou art thy selfe The Lord and master of thy word and othe Go to thy daughter and in my behalfe Comaund her woo her win her anie wares To be my mistres and my secret loue I will not stand to heare thee make reply Thy oth breake hers or let thy souereigne dye Exit King O doting King or detestable office Well may I tempt my self to wrong my self When he hath sworne me by the name of God To breake a vowe made by the name of God What if I sweare by this right hand of mine To cut this right hande of the better waie Were to prophaine the Idoll then confound it But neither will I do I le keepe myne oath And to my daughter make a recantation Of all the vertue I haue preacht to her I le say she must forget her husband Salisbury If she remember to embrace the king I le say an othe may easily be broken But not so easily pardoned being broken I le say it is true charitie to loue But not true loue to be so charitable I le say his greatnes may beare out the shame But not his kingdome can buy out the sinne I le say it is my duety to perswade But not her honestie to giue consent Enter Countesse See where she comes was neuer father had Against his child an embassage so bad Co: My Lord and father I haue sought for you My mother and the Peeres importune you To keepe in promise of his maiestie And do your best to make his highnes merrie War: How shall I enter in this gracelesse arrant I must not call her child for wheres the father That will in such a sute seduce his child Then wife of Salisbury shall I so begin No hee s my friend and where is found the friend That will doe friendship such indammagement Neither my daughter nor my deare friends wife I am not Warwike as thou thinkst I am But an atturnie from the Court of hell That thus haue housd my spirite in his forme To do a message to thee from the king The mighty king of England dotes on thee He that hath power to take away thy life Hath power to take thy honor then consent To pawne thine honor rather then thy life Honor is often lost and got againe But life once gon hath no recouerie The Sunne that withers heye doth nourish grasse The king that would distaine thee will aduance thee The Poets write that great Achilles speare Could heale the wound it made the morrall is What mighty men misdoo they can amend The Lyon doth become his bloody iawes And grace his forragement by being milde When vassell feare lies trembling at his feete The king will in his glory hide thy shame And those that gaze on him to finde out thee Will loose their eie-sight looking in the Sunne What can one drop of poyson harme the Sea Whose hugie vastures can digest the ill And make it loose his operation The kings great name will temper their misdeeds And giue the bitter portion of reproch A sugred sweet and most delitious tast Besides it is no harme to do the thing Which without shame could not be left vndone Thus haue I in his maiesties behalfe Apparraled sin in vertuous sentences And dwel vpon thy answere in his sute Cou: Vnnaturall beseege woe me vnhappie To haue escapt the danger of my foes And to be ten times worse iniuerd by friends Hath he no meanes to stayne my honest blood But to corrupt the author of my blood To be his scandalous and vile soliciter No maruell though the braunches be then infected When poyson hath
in the sea Had been preuented of this mortall griefe Ki Content thee Phillip t is not teares will serue To call him backe if he be taken hence Comfort thy selfe as I do gentle Queene With hope of sharpe vnheard of dyre reuenge He bids me to prouide his funerall And so I will but all the Peeres in Fraunce Shall mourners be and weepe out bloody teares Vntill their emptie vaines be drie and sere The pillers of his hearse shall be his bones The mould that couers him their Citie ashes His knell the groning cryes of dying men And in the stead of tapers on his tombe an hundred fiftie towers shall burning blaze While we bewaile our valiant sonnes decease After a flourish sounded within enter an herald He. Reioyce my Lord ascend the imperial throne The mightie and redoubted prince of Wales Great seruitor to bloudie Mars in armes The French mans terror and his countries fame Triumphant rideth like a Romane peere and lowly at his stirop comes a foot King Iohn of France together with his sonne In captiue bonds whose diadem he brings To crowne thee with and to proclaime thee king Ki. Away with mourning Phillip wipe thine eies Sound Trumpets welcome in Plantaginet Enter Prince Edward king Iohn Phillip Audley Artoys Ki As things long lost when they are found again So doth my sonne reioyce his fathers heart For whom euen now my soule was much perplext Q. Be this a token to expresse my ioy kisse him For inward passions will not let me speake Pr. My gracious father here receiue the gift This wreath of conquest and reward of warre Got with as mickle perill of our liues as ere was thing of price before this daie Install your highnes in your proper right and heere withall I render to your hands These prisoners chiefe occasion of our strife Kin: So Iohn of France I see you keepe your word You promist to be sooner with our selfe Then we did thinke for and t is so in deed But had you done at first as now you do How many ciuill townes had stoode vntoucht That now are turnd to ragged heaps of stones How many peoples liues mightst thou haue saud that are vntimely sunke into their graues Io: Edward recount not things irreuocable Tell me what ransome thou requirest to haue Kin: Thy ransome Iohn hereafter shall be known But first to England thou must crosse the seas To see what intertainment it affords How ere it fals it cannot be so bad as ours hath bin since we ariude in France Ioh: Accursed man of this I was fortolde But did misconster what the prophet told Pri Now father this petition Edward makes To thee whose grace hath bin his strongest shield That as thy pleasure chose me for the man To be the instrument to shew thy power So thou wilt grant that many princes more Bred and brought vp within that little Isle May still be famous for lyke victories and for my part the bloudie scars I beare The wearie nights that I haue watcht in field The dangerous conflicts I haue often had The fearefull menaces were proffered me The heate and cold and what else might displease I wish were now redoubled twentie fold So that hereafter ages when they reade The painfull traffike of my tender youth Might thereby be inflamd with such resolue as not the territories of France alone But likewise Spain Turkie and what countries els That iustly would prouoke faire Englands ire Might at their presence tremble and retire Kin: Here English Lordes we do proclaime a rest an intercession of our painfull armes Sheath vp your swords refresh your weary lims Peruse your spoiles and after we haue breathd a daie or two within this hauen towne God willing then for England we le be shipt VVhere in a happie houre I trust we shall Ariue three kings two princes and a queene FINIS