Thrice noble Audley, well encountered here.

4.3822How is it with our sovereign and his peers?

'Tis full a fortnight since I saw his highness,

4.5824What time he sent me forth to muster men,

4.6825Which I accordingly have done and bring them hither

4.7826In fair array before his majesty.

4.8827What news, my lord of Derby, from the emperor?

As good as we desire: the emperor

4.10829Hath yielded to his highness' friendly aid,

4.11830And makes our king lieutenant-general

4.12831In all his lands and large dominions.

4.13832Then via for the spacious bounds of France!

What, doth his highness leap to hear this news?

I have not yet found time to open them.

4.16835The King is in his closet malcontent,

4.17836For what, I know not, but he gave in charge

4.18837Till after dinner none should interrupt him.

4.19838The Countess Salisbury and her father Warwick,

4.20839Artois, and all, look underneath the brows.

Undoubtedly then something is amiss.

The trumpets sound -- the King is now abroad.

Here comes his highness.

Befall my sovereign all my sovereign's wish.

Ah, that thou wert a witch to make it so.

The emperor greeteth you.

Would it were the Countess.

And hath accorded to your highness' suit.

Thou liest, she hath not, but I would she had.

All love and duty to my lord the king.

Well, all but one is none -- what news with you?

I have, my liege, levied those horse and foot

4.35853According as your charge, and brought them hither.

Then let those foot trudge hence upon those horse,

4.37855According to our discharge and be gone. --

4.38856Derby, I'll look upon the Countess' mind anon.

The Countess' mind, my liege?

I mean the emperor -- leave me alone.

What's in his mind?

What's in his mind? Let's leave him to his humor.

Thus from the heart's abundance speaks the tongue:

4.44862'Countess' for 'emperor', and indeed why not?

4.45863She is as imperator over me, and I to her

4.46864Am as a kneeling vassal that observes

4.47865The pleasure or displeasure of her eye.

4.49867What says the more than Cleopatra's match

4.50868To Caesar now?

To Caesar now? That yet my liege ere night,

4.51870She will resolve your majesty.

What drum is this that thunders forth this march

4.54872To start the tender Cupid in my bosom?

4.55873Poor sheepskin, how it brawls with him that beateth it.

4.56874Go break the thund'ring parchment bottom out,

4.57875And I will teach it to conduct sweet lines

4.58876Unto the bosom of a heavenly nymph,

4.59877For I will use it as my writing paper,

4.60878And so reduce him from a scolding drum

4.61879To be the herald and dear counsel-bearer

4.62880Betwixt a goddess and a mighty king.

4.63881Go bid the drummer learn to touch the lute

4.64882Or hang him in the braces of his drum,

4.65883For now we think it an uncivil thing

4.66884To trouble heaven with such harsh resounds. Away. --

4.68885The quarrel that I have requires no arms

4.69886But these of mine, and these shall meet my foe

4.70887In a deep march of penetrable groans;

4.71888My eyes shall be my arrows, and my sighs

4.72889Shall serve me as the vantage of the wind

4.73890To whirl away my sweetest artillery.

4.74891Ah, but alas, she wins the sun of me,

4.75892For that is she herself, and thence it comes

4.76893That poets' term the wanton warrior blind.

4.77894But love hath eyes as judgement to his steps,

4.78895Till too much lovèd glory dazzles them. --

4.79896How now?

My liege, the drum that stroke the lusty march

4.82899Stands with Prince Edward, your thrice valiant son.

[Aside] I see the boy. Oh, how his mother's face

4.86902Modelled in his, corrects my strayed desire,

4.87903And rates my heart and chides my thievish eye,

4.88904Who being rich enough in seeing her

4.89905Yet seeks elsewhere, and basest theft is that

4.90906Which cannot cloak itself on poverty.

4.91907[To Prince Edward] Now boy, what news?

I have assembled, my dear lord and father,

4.93909The choicest buds of all our English blood

4.94910For our affairs to France, and here we come

4.95911To take direction from your majesty.

[Aside] Still do I see in him delineate

4.97913His mother's visage; those his eyes are hers,

4.98914Who looking wistly on me make me blush

4.99915For faults against themselves give evidence;

4.100916Lust is a fire, and men like lanthorns show

4.101917Light lust within themselves, even through themselves.

4.102918Away loose silks of wavering vanity!

4.103919Shall the large limit of fair Brittany

4.104920By me be overthrown, and shall I not

4.105921Master this little mansion of myself?

4.106922Give me an armor of eternal steel,

4.107923I go to conquer kings, and shall I not then

4.108924Subdue myself and be my enemies' friend?

4.109925It must not be. [To Prince Edward] Come boy, forward, advance.

4.110926Let's with our colors sweet the air of France.

My liege, the Countess, with a smiling cheer

4.113929Desires access unto your majesty.

[Aside] Why there it goes; that very smile of hers

4.115931Hath ransomed captive France and set the King,

4.116932The Dauphin and the peers at liberty. --

4.117933[To Prince Edward] Go, leave me Ned, and revel with thy friends.

4.119934Thy mother is but black, and thou like her

4.120935Dost put it in my mind how foul she is. --

4.121936Go fetch the Countess hither in thy hand,

4.123937And let her chase away these winter clouds,

4.124938For she gives beauty both to heaven and earth.

4.125939The sin is more to hack and hew poor men

4.126940Than to embrace in an unlawful bed

4.127941The register of all rarities

4.128942Since leathern Adam till this youngest hour.

4.130944Go Lod'wick, put thy hand into thy purse,

4.131945Play, spend, give, riot, waste, do what thou wilt,

4.132946So thou wilt hence a while and leave me here.

4.134947Now, my soul's playfellow, art thou come

4.135948To speak the more than heavenly word of 'yea'

4.136949To my objection in thy beauteous love?

My father on his blessing hath commanded --

That thou shalt yield to me.

Ay, dear my liege, your due.

And that, my dearest love, can be no less

4.141954Than right for right, and render love for love.

Than wrong for wrong, and endless hate for hate.

4.143956But sith I see your majesty so bent,

4.144957That my unwillingness, my husband's love,

4.145958Your high estate, nor no respect respected

4.146959Can be my help, but that your mightiness

4.147960Will overbear and awe these dear regards,

4.148961I bind my discontent to my content,

4.149962And what I would not, I'll compel I will,

4.150963Provided that yourself remove those lets

4.151964That stand between your highness' love and mine.

Name them, fair Countess, and by heaven, I will.

It is their lives that stand between our love

4.154967That I would have choked up, my sovereign.

Whose lives, my lady?

Whose lives, my lady? My thrice loving liege,

4.156970Your queen, and Salisbury, my wedded husband,

4.157971Who living have that title in our love

4.158972That we cannot bestow but by their death.

Thy opposition is beyond our law.

So is your desire. If the law

4.161975Can hinder you to execute the one,

4.162976Let it forbid you to attempt the other.

4.163977I cannot think you love me as you say

4.164978Unless you do make good what you have sworn.

No more: thy husband and the queen shall die.

4.166980Fairer thou art by far than Hero was,

4.167981Beardless Leander not so strong as I;

4.168982He swum an easy current for his love,

4.169983But I will through a Hellespont of blood

4.170984To arrive at Sestos where my Hero lies.

Nay, you'll do more, you'll make the river too

4.172986With their heart bloods that keep our love asunder,

4.173987Of which my husband and your wife are twain.

Thy beauty makes them guilty of their death,

4.175989And gives in evidence that they shall die,

4.176990Upon which verdict I, their judge, condemn them.

O perjured beauty, more corrupted judge!

4.178992When to the great Star Chamber o'er our heads

4.179993The universal sessions calls to 'count

4.180994This packing evil, we both shall tremble for it.

What says my fair love? Is she resolute?

Resolute to be dissolved, and therefore this:

4.183997Keep but thy word, great king, and I am thine.

4.184998Stand where thou dost, I'll part a little from thee,

4.185999And see how I will yield me to thy hands.

4.1861000Here by my side doth hang my wedding knives:

4.1871001Take thou the one, and with it kill thy queen,

4.1881002And learn by me to find her where she lies;

4.1891003And with this other, I'll dispatch my love,

4.1901004Which now lies fast asleep within my heart;

4.1911005When they are gone, then I'll consent to love.

4.1921006Stir not, lascivious king, to hinder me.

4.1931007My resolution is more nimbler far

4.1941008Than thy prevention can be in my rescue,

4.1951009And if thou stir, I strike; therefore stand still,

4.1961010And hear the choice that I will put thee to:

4.1971011Either swear to leave thy most unholy suit

4.1981012And never henceforth to solicit me,

4.1991013Or else, by heaven, this sharp-pointed knife

4.2001014Shall stain thy earth with that which thou wouldst stain,

4.2011015My poor chaste blood. Swear, Edward, swear,

4.2021016Or I will strike and die before thee here.

Even by that power I swear, that gives me now

4.2041018The power to be ashamèd of myself;

4.2051019I never mean to part my lips again

4.2061020In any words that tends to such a suit.

4.2071021Arise, true English lady, whom our isle

4.2081022May better boast of than ever Roman might

4.2091023Of her whose ransacked treasury hath tasked

4.2101024The vain endeavor of so many pens.

4.2111025Arise and be my fault thy honor's fame,

4.2121026Which after ages shall enrich thee with.

4.2131027I am awakèd from this idle dream. --

4.2141028Warwick, my son, Derby, Artois and Audley,

4.2151029Brave warriors all, where are you all this while?

4.2171031Warwick, I make thee Warden of the North;

4.2181032Thou, Prince of Wales, and Audley, straight to sea,

4.2191033Scour to Newhaven -- some there stay for me.

4.2201034Myself, Artois and Derby will through Flanders

4.2211035To greet our friends there and to crave their aid.

4.2221036This night will scarce suffice me to discover

4.2231037My folly's siege against a faithful lover,

4.2241038For ere the sun shall gild the eastern sky

4.2251039We'll wake him with our martial harmony.