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About this text

  • Title: Edward III (Quarto 1, 1596)
  • Editor: Sonia Massai

  • Copyright Sonia Massai. This text may be freely used for educational, non-profit purposes; for all other uses contact the Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Editor: Sonia Massai
    Not Peer Reviewed

    Edward III (Quarto 1, 1596)

    Edward the third.
    1210As ech to other seemed deafe and dombe,
    Purple the Sea whose channel fild as fast,
    With streaming gore that from the maymed fell,
    As did her gushing moysture breake into,
    The cranny cleftures of the through shot planks,
    1215Heere flew a head dissuuered from the tronke,
    There mangled armes and legs were tost aloft,
    As when a wherle winde takes the Summer dust,
    And scatters it in midddle of the aire,
    Then might ye see the reeling vessels split,
    1220And tottering sink into the ruthlesse floud,
    Vntill their lofty tops were seene no more.
    All shifts were tried both for defence and hurt,
    And now the effect of vallor and of force,
    Of resolution and of a cowardize:
    1225We liuely pictured, how the one for fame;
    The other by compulsion laid about;
    Much did the Nom per illa, that braue ship
    So did the blacke snake of Bullen, then which
    A bonnier vessel neuer yet spred sayle,
    1230But all in vaine, both Sunne, the Wine and tyde,
    Reuolted all vnto our foe mens side,
    That we perforce were fayne to giue them way,
    And they are landed, thus my tale is donne,
    We haue vntimly lost, and they haue woone.
    1235K. Io: Then rests there nothing but with present speede,
    To ioyne our seueral forces al in one,
    And bid them battaile ere they rainge to farre,
    Come gentle Phillip, let vs hence depart,
    This souldiers words haue perst thy fathers hart. Exeunt
    1240Enter two French men, a woman and two little Children,
    meet them another Citizens.
    One: Wel met my masters: how now, whats the newes,
    And wherefore are ye laden thus with stuffe:
    What is it quarter daie that you remoue,
    1245And carrie bag and baggage too?
    Two Quater