THE RAIGNE OF KING EDVVARD the third As it hath bin sundrie times plaied about the Citie of London LONDON Printed for Cuthbert Burby 1596 THE RAIGNE OF K Edward the third Enter King Edward Derby Prince Edward Audely and Artoys King RObert of Artoys banisht though thou be From Fraunce thy natiue Country yet with vs Thou shalt retayne as great a Seigniorie For we create thee Earle of Richmond heere And now goe forwards with our pedegree Who next succeeded Phillip of Bew Ar. Three sonnes of his which all successefully Did sit vpon their fathers regall Throne Yet dyed and left no issue of their loynes King But was my mother sister vnto those Art: Shee was my Lord and onely Issabel Was all the daughters that this Phillip had Whome afterward your father tooke to wife And from the fragrant garden of her wombe Your gratious selfe the flower of Europes hope Deriued is inheritor to Fraunce But not the rancor of rebellious mindes When thus the lynage of Bew was out The French obscurd your mothers Priuiledge And though she were the next of blood proclaymed Iohn of the house of Valoys now their king The reason was they say the Realme of Fraunce Repleat with Princes of great parentage Ought not admit a gouernor to rule Except he be discended of the male And that 's the speciall ground of their contempt Where with they study to exclude your grace But they shall finde that forged ground of theirs To be but dusty heapes of brittile sande Art: Perhaps it will be thought a heynous thing That I a French man should discouer this But heauen I call to recorde of my vowes It is not hate nor any priuat wronge But loue vnto my country and the right Prouokes my tongue thus lauish in report You are the lyneal watch men of our peace And Iohn of Valoys in directly climbes What then should subiects but imbrace their King Ah where in may our duety more be seene Then stryuing to rebate a tyrants pride And place the true shepheard of our comonwealth King This counsayle Artoyes like to fruictfull shewers Hath added growth vnto my dignitye And by the fiery vigor of thy words Hot courage is engendred in my brest Which heretofore was rakt in ignorance But nowe doth mount with golden winges of fame And will approue faire Issabells discent Able to yoak their stubburne necks with steele That spurne against my souereignety in France sound a horne A messenger Lord Awdley know from whence Enter a messenger Lorragne Aud: The Duke of Lorrayne hauing crost the seas In treates he may haue conference with your highnes King Admit him Lords that we may heare the newes Say Duke of Lorrayne wherefore art thou come Lor: The most renowned prince K. Iohn of France Doth greete thee Edward and by me commandes That for so much as by his liberall gift The Guyen Dukedome is entayld to thee Thou do him lowly homage for the same And for that purpose here I somon thee Repaire to France within these forty daies That there according as the coustome is Thou mayst be sworne true liegeman to our King Or else thy title in that prouince dyes And hee him self will repossesse the place K. Ed: See how occasion laughes me in the face No sooner minded to prepare for France But straight I am inuited nay with threats Vppon a penaltie inioynd to come T were but a childish part to say him nay Lorrayne returne this answere to thy Lord I meane to visit him as he requests But how not seruilely disposd to bend But like a conquerer to make him bowe His lame vnpolisht shifts are come to light And trueth hath puld the visard from his face That sett a glasse vpon his arrogannce Dare he commaund a fealty in mee Tell him the Crowne that hee vsurpes is myne And where he sets his foote he ought to knele T is not a petty Dukedome that I claime But all the whole Dominions of the Realme Which if with grudging he refuse to yeld I le take away those borrowed plumes of his And send him naked to the wildernes Lor: Then Edward here in spight of all thy Lords I doe pronounce defyaunce to thy face Pri Defiance French man we rebound it backe Euen to the bottom of thy masters throat And be it spoke with reuerence of the King My gratious father and these other Lordes I hold thy message but as scurrylous And him that sent thee like the lazy droane Crept vp by stelth vnto the Eagles nest From whence we le shake him with so rough a storme As others shal be warned by his harme War: Byd him leaue of the Lyons case he weares Least meeting with the Lyon in the feeld He chaunce to teare him peecemede for his pride Art: The soundest counsell I can giue his grace Is to surrender ere he be constraynd A voluntarie mischiefe hath lesse scorne Then when reproch with violence is borne Lor. Regenerate Traytor viper to the place Where thou was fostred in thine infancy Bearest thou a part in this conspiracy He drawes his Sword K. Ed. Lorraine behold the sharpnes of this steele Feruent desire that sits against my heart Is farre more thornie pricking than this blade That with the nightingale I shall be scard As oft as I dispose my selfe to rest Vntill my collours be displaide in Fraunce This is thy finall Answere so be gone Lor. It is not that nor any English braue Afflicts me so as doth his poysoned view That is most false should most of all be true K. Ed. Now Lord our fleeting Barke is vnder sayle Our gage is throwne and warre is soone began But not so quickely brought vnto an end Enter Mountague Moun. But wherefore comes Sir william Mountague How stands the league betweene the Scot and vs Mo. Crackt and disseuered my renowned Lord The treacherous King no sooner was informde Of your with drawing of your army backe But straight forgetting of his former othe He made inuasion on the bordering Townes Barwicke is woon Newcastle spoyld and lost And now the tyrant hath beguirt with seege The Castle of Rocksborough where inclosd The Countes Salsbury is like to perish King That is thy daughter Warwicke is it not Whose husband hath in Brittayne serud so long About the planting of Lord Mouneford there VVar. It is my Lord Ki Ignoble Dauid hast thou none to greeue But silly Ladies with thy threatning armes But I will make you shrinke your snailie hornes First therefore Audley this shal be thy charge Go leuie footemen for our warres in Fraunce And Ned take muster of our men at armes In euery shire elect a seuerall band Let them be Souldiers of a lustie spirite Such as dread nothing but dishonors blot Be warie therefore since we do comence A famous Warre and with so mighty a nation Derby be thou Embassador for vs Vnto our Father in Law the Earle of Henalt Make him acquainted with our enterprise And likewise will him with our
Realme Two I so the Grashopper doth spend the time In mirthfull iollitie till Winter come And then too late he would redeeme his time When frozen cold hath nipt his carelesse head He that no sooner will prouide a Cloake Then when he sees it doth begin to raigne May peraduenture for his negligence Be throughly washed when he suspects it not We that haue charge and such a trayne as this Must looke in time to looke for them and vs Least when we would we cannot be relieued One Be like you then dispaire of ill successe And thinke your Country will be subiugate Three We cannot tell t is good to feare the worst One Yet rather fight then like vnnaturall sonnes Forsake your louing parents in distresse Two Tush they that haue already taken armes Are manie fearefull millions in respect Of that small handfull of our enimies But t is a rightfull quarrell must preuaile Edward is sonnne vnto our late kings sister Where Iohn Valoys is three degrees remoued Wo: Besides there goes a Prophesie abroad Published by one that was a Fryer once Whose Oracles haue many times prooued true And now he sayes the tyme will shortly come When as a Lyon rowsed in the west Shall carie hence the fluerdeluce of France These I can tell yee and such like surmises Strike many french men cold vnto the heart Enter a French man Flie cuntry men and cytizens of France Sweete flowring peace the roote of happie life Is quite abandoned and expulst the lande Insted of whome ransackt constraining warre Syts like to Rauens vppon your houses topps Slaughter and mischiefe walke within your streets And vnrestrained make hauock as they passe The forme whereof euen now my selfe beheld Vpon this faire mountaine whence I came For so far of as I directed mine eies I might perceaue fiue Cities all on fire Come fieldes and vineyards burning like an ouen And as the leaking vapour in the wind I tourned but a side I like wise might disserne The poore inhabitants escapt the flame Fall numberles vpon the souldiers pikes Three waies these dredfull ministers of wrath Do tread the measures of their tragicke march Vpon the right hand comes the conquering King Vpon the lefte is hot vnbridled sonne And in the midst our nations glittering hoast All which though distant yet conspire in one To leaue a desolation where they come Flie therefore Citizens if you be wise Seeke out som habitation further of Here if you staie your wiues will be abused Your treasure sharde before your weeping eies Shelter you your selues for now the storme doth rise Away away me thinks I heare their drums Ah wreched France I greatly feare thy fal Thy glory shaketh like a tottering wall Enter King Edward and the Erle of Darby With Souldiors and Gobin de Graie Kin: Where 's the French man by whose cunning guide We found the shalow of this Riuer Sone And had direction how to passe the sea Go: Here my good Lord Kin: How art thou calde tell me thy name Go: Gobin de Graie if please your excellence Kin: Then Gobin for the seruice thou hast done We here inlarge and giue thee liberty And for recompenc beside this good Thou shalt receiue fiue hundred markes in golde I know not how we should haue met our sonne Whom now in heart I wish I might behold Enter Artoyes Good newes my Lord the prince is hard at hand And with him comes Lord Awdley and the rest Whome since our landing we could neuer meet Enter Prince Edward Lord Awdley and Souldiers K. E Welcome faire Prince how hast thou sped my sonne Since thy arriuall on the coaste of Fraunce Pr. Ed: Succesfullie I thanke the gratious heauens Some of their strongest Cities we haue wonne As Harslen Lie Crotag and Carentigne And others wasted leauing at our heeles A wide apparant feild and beaten path For sollitarines to progresse in Yet those that would submit we kindly pardned For who in scorne refused our proffered peace Indurde the penaltie of sharpe reuenge Ki. Ed: Ah Fraunce why shouldest thou be this obstinate Agaynst the kind imbracement of thy friends How gently had we thought to touch thy brest And set our foot vpon thy tender mould But that in froward and disdainfull pride Thou like a skittish and vntamed coult Dost start aside and strike vs with thy heeles But tel me Ned in all thy warlike course Hast thou not seene the vsurping King of Fraunce Pri. Yes my good Lord and not two oar ago With full a hundred thousand fighting men Vppon the one side with the riuers banke And on the other both his multitudes I feard he would haue cropt our smaller power But happily perceiuing your approch He hath with drawen himselfe to Cressey plaines Where as it seemeth by his good araie He meanes to byd vs battaile presently Kin. Ed: He shall be welcome that 's the thing we craue Enter King Iohn Dukes of Normanndy and Lorraine King of Boheme yong Phillip and Souldiers Iohn Edward know that Iohn the true king of Fraunce Musing thou shouldst incroach vppon his land And in thy tyranous proceeding slay His faithfull subiects and subuert his Townes Spits in thy face and in this manner folowing Obraids thee with thine arrogant intrusion First I condeme thee for a fugitiue A theeuish pyrate and a needie mate One that hath either no abyding place Or else inhabiting some barraine soile Where neither hearb or frutfull graine is had Doest altogether liue by pilfering Next insomuch thou hast infringed thy faith Broke leage and solemne couenant made with mee I hould thee for a false pernitious wretch And last of all although I scorne to cope With one such inferior to my selfe Yet in respect thy thirst is all for golde They labour rather to be feared then loued To satisfie thy lust in either parte Heere am I come and with me haue I brought Exceding store of treasure perle and coyne Leaue therfore now to persecute the weake And armed entring conflict with the armd Let it be seene mongest other pettie thefts How thou canst win this pillage manfully K Ed: If gall or wormwood haue a pleasant tast Then is thy sallutation hony sweete But as the one hath no such propertie So is the other most satiricall Yet wot how I regarde thy worthles tants If thou haue vttred them to foile my fame Or dym the reputation of my birth Know that thy woluish barking cannot hurt If slylie to insinuate with the worlde And with a strumpets artifitiall line To painte thy vitious and deformed cause Bee well assured the counterfeit will fade And in the end thy fowle defects be seene But if thou didst it to prouoke me on As who should saie I were but timerous Or coldly negligent did need a spurre Bethinke thy selfe howe slacke I was at sea Now since my landing I haue wonn no townes Entered no further but vpon the coast And there haue euer since securelie slept But if I haue bin other wise imployd Imagin
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
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
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