[Scene 13]
A sudden darkness hath defaced the sky,
13.32084The winds are crept into their caves for fear,
13.42085The leaves move not, the world is hushed and still,
13.52086The birds cease singing, and the wand'ring brooks
13.62087Murmur no wonted greeting to their shores;
13.72088Silence attends some wonder, and expecteth
13.82089That heaven should pronounce some prophecy.
13.92090Where or from whom proceeds this silence, Charles?
Our men with open mouths and staring eyes
13.112092Look on each other, as they did attend
13.122093Each other's words, and yet no creature speaks.
13.132094A tongue-tied fear hath made a midnight hour,
13.142095And speeches sleep through all the waking regions.
But now the pompous sun in all his pride
13.162097Looked through his golden coach upon the world,
13.182099That now the under earth is as a grave:
13.192100Dark, deadly, silent, and uncomfortable.
13.212101Hark, what a deadly outcry do I hear?
Here comes my brother, Philip.
Here comes my brother, Philip. All dismayed.
13.24What fearful words are those thy looks presage?
A flight, a flight!
Coward, what flight? Thou liest -- there needs no flight.
A flight!
Awake thy craven powers, and tell on
13.292108The substance of that very fear indeed
13.302109Which is so ghastly printed in thy face.
What is the matter? A flight of ugly ravens
13.322112Do croak and hover o'er our soldiers' heads,
13.332113And keep in triangles and cornered squares
13.352115With their approach there came this sudden fog,
13.362116Which now hath hid the airy flower of heaven
13.382118Upon the quaking and dismayèd world.
13.392119In brief, our soldiers have let fall their arms
13.402120And stand like metamorphosed images,
13.412121Bloodless and pale, one gazing on another.
Ay, now I call to mind the prophecy,
13.432123But I must give no entrance to a fear.
13.442124Return and hearten up these yielding souls:
13.452125Tell them the ravens, seeing them in arms --
13.462126So many fair against a famished few --
13.472127Come but to dine upon their handiwork
13.482128And prey upon the carrion that they kill.
13.492129For when we see a horse laid down to die,
13.502130Although not dead, the ravenous birds
13.512131Sit watching the departure of his life;
13.522132Even so these ravens for the carcasses
13.532133Of those poor English that are marked to die
13.552135'Tis but for meat that we must kill for them.
13.572137And sound the trumpets, and at once dispatch
13.582138This little business of a silly fraud.
13.602139Another noise; Salisbury brought in by a 2140French Captain. Behold, my liege, this knight and forty more,
13.622142Of whom the better part are slain and fled,
13.632143With all endeavor sought to break our ranks
13.642144And make their way to the encompassed Prince.
13.652145Dispose of him as please your majesty.
Go, and the next bough, soldier, that thou seest,
13.672147Disgrace it with his body presently;
13.682148For I do hold a tree in France too good,
13.692149To be the gallows of an English thief.
My lord of Normandy, I have your pass
13.712151And warrant for my safety through this land.
Villiers procured it for thee, did he not?
He did.
And it is current; thou shalt freely pass.
Ay, freely to the gallows to be hanged,
I hope your highness will not so disgrace me
13.792159And dash the virtue of my seal at arms.
13.802160He hath my never-broken name to show,
13.812161Charact'red with this princely hand of mine;
13.822162And rather let me leave to be a prince
13.832163Than break the stable verdict of a prince.
13.842164I do beseech you let him pass in quiet.
Thou and thy word lie both in my command.
13.862166What canst thou promise that I cannot break?
13.872167Which of these twain is greater infamy:
13.892169Thy word, nor no man's, may exceed his power,
13.902170Nor that same man doth never break his word
13.912171That keeps it to the utmost of his power.
13.922172The breach of faith dwells in the soul's consent,
13.932173Which if thyself without consent do break
13.942174Thou art not chargèd with the breach of faith.
13.952175Go, hang him; for thy licence lies in me,
13.962176And my constraint stands the excuse for thee.
What, am I not a soldier in my word?
13.982178Then arms,
adieu, and let them fight that list.
13.992179Shall I not give my girdle from my waist,
13.1002180But with a guardian I shall be controlled
13.1022182Upon my soul, had Edward Prince of Wales
13.1032183Engaged his word, writ down his noble hand
13.1042184For all your knights to pass his father's land,
13.1052185The royal King, to grace his warlike son,
13.1062186Would not alone safe conduct give to them,
13.1072187But with all bounty feasted them and theirs.
Dwellst thou on precedents? Then be it so.
13.1092189Say, Englishman, of what degree thou art.
An earl in England, though a prisoner here,
13.1112191And those that know me call me Salisbury.
Then, Salisbury, say whither thou art bound.
To Calais, where my liege, King Edward, is.
To Calais, Salisbury? Then to Calais pack,
13.1162196To put his princely son, black Edward, in.
13.1172197And as thou travelst westward from this place,
13.1182198Some two leagues hence there is a lofty hill
13.1192199Whose top seems topless, for the embracing sky
13.1202200Doth hide his high head in her azure bosom;
13.1212201Upon whose tall top, when thy foot attains,
13.1232203Humble of late, but now made proud with arms,
13.1242204And thence behold the wretched Prince of Wales
13.1272207And say the Prince was smothered and not slain;
13.1282208And tell the King this is not all his ill
13.1292209For I will greet him ere he thinks I will.
13.1302210Away, be gone! The smoke but of our shot
13.1312211Will choke our foes, though bullets hit them not.