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  • 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    Not Peer Reviewed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)

    1THE RAIGNE OF
    K: Edward the third.
    Enter King Edward, Derby, Prince Edward, Audely
    and Artoys.
    5King.
    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,
    10And 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:
    15King: 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,
    20Your 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,
    25And 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,
    30Except he be discended of the male,
    And thats the speciall ground of their contempt:
    Wherewith they study to exclude your grace:
    But they shall finde that forged ground of theirs,
    3
    To be but dusty heapes, of brittile sande.
    35Art: 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,
    40Prouokes 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,
    45Then 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,
    50Hot 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,
    55That spurne against my souereignety in France.sound a horne
    A mestenger, 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.
    60King: 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 mnch as by his liberall gift,
    65The 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.
    70Thou mayst be sworne true liegeman to our King,
    Or
    Edward the third.
    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,
    75But straight I am inuited, nay with threats,
    Vppon a penaltie inioynd to come:
    Twere but a childish part to say him nay,
    Lorrayne returne this answere to thy Lord,
    I meane to visit him as he requests,
    80But 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,
    85Dare 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,
    Tis not a petty Dukedome that I claime,
    But all the whole Dominions, of the Realme,
    90Which if with grudging he refuse to yeld,
    Ile 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.
    95Pri: 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,
    100And him that sent thee like the lazy droane,
    Crept vp by stelth vnto the Eagles nest,
    From whence wele shake him with so rough a storme,
    As others shalbe warned by his harme,
    War: Byd him leaue of the Lyons case he weares,
    105Least meeting with the Lyon in the feeld,
    He chaunce to teare him peecemeale for his pride.
    Art: The soundest counsell I can giue his grace,
    Is
    The Raigne of
    Is to surrender ere he be constraynd.
    A voluntarie mischiefe hath lesse scorne,
    110Then 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.
    115K. 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,
    120Vntill 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.
    125K. Ed. Now Lord our fleeting Barke is vnder sayle:
    Our gage is throwne, and warre is soone begun,
    But not so quickely brought vnto an end.
    Enter Mountague.
    Moun. But wherefore comes Sir william Mountague?
    130How 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,
    135He 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:
    140King. That is thy daughter Warwicke is it not?
    Whose husband hath in Brittayne serud so long,
    About the planting of Lord Mouneford there?
    War. It is my Lord.
    Ignoble
    Edward the third.
    Ki: Ignoble Dauid hast thou none to greeue,
    145But silly Ladies with thy threatning armes:
    But I will make you shrinke your snailie hornes,
    First therefore Audley this shalbe thy charge,
    Go leuie footemen for our warres in Fraunce;
    And Ned take muster of our men at armes,
    150In 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:
    155Derby 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 owne allies,
    That are in Flaundsrs, to solicite to,
    160The 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
    165On euery side, and Ned, thou must begin,
    Now to forget thy study and thy bookes,
    And vre thy shoulders to an Armors weight.
    Pr. As cheereful sounding to my youthfull spleene,
    This tumult is of warres increasing broyles,
    170As at the Coronation of a king,
    The ioyfull clamours of the people are,
    When Aue Caesar they pronounce alowd;
    Within this schoole of honor I shal learne,
    Either to sacrifice my foes to death,
    175Or in a rightfull quarrel spend my breath,
    Then cheerefully forward ech a seuerall way,
    In great affaires tis nought to vse delay.
    Exunt.
    B Enter
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