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  • Title: Edward III (Modern)
  • Editors: Amy Lidster, Sonia Massai

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    Not Peer Reviewed

    Edward III (Modern)

    [Scene 14]
    Alarum. Enter Prince Edward and Artois.
    Artois
    How fares your grace? Are you not shot, my lord?
    Prince
    No, dear Artois, but choked with dust and smoke,
    2215And stepped aside for breath and fresher air.
    Artois
    Breathe then, and to it again. The amazed French
    Are quite distract with gazing on the crows,
    And were our quivers full of shafts again
    Your grace should see a glorious day of this.
    2220O for more arrows, Lord; that's our want.
    Prince
    Courage, Artois; a fig for feathered shafts
    When feathered fowls do bandy on our side!
    What need we fight and sweat and keep a coil,
    When railing crows outscold our adversaries?
    2225Up, up, Artois! The ground itself is armed
    With fire-containing flint; command our bows
    To hurl away their pretty colored yew
    And to it with stones. Away, Artois, away!
    My soul doth prophecy we win the day.
    Exeunt.
    2230Alarum. Enter King John.
    King John
    Our multitudes are in themselves confounded,
    Dismayèd, and distraught; swift-starting fear
    Hath buzzed a cold dismay through all our army,
    And every petty disadvantage prompts
    2235The fear-possessèd abject soul to fly.
    Myself, whose spirit is steel to their dull lead,
    What with recalling of the prophecy,
    And that our native stones from English arms
    Rebel against us, find myself attainted
    2240With strong surprise of weak and yielding fear.
    Enter Charles.
    Charles
    Fly, father, fly! The French do kill the French:
    Some that would stand let drive at some that fly.
    Our drums strike nothing but discouragement,
    2245Our trumpets sound dishonor and retire,
    The spirit of fear that feareth naught but death
    Cowardly works confusion on itself.
    Enter Philip.
    Philip
    Pluck out your eyes, and see not this day's shame!
    2250An arm hath beat an army: one poor David
    Hath with a stone foiled twenty stout Goliaths;
    Some twenty naked starvelings with small flints
    Hath driven back a puissant host of men
    Arrayed and fenced in all accomplements.
    2255King John
    Mort Dieu! They quoit at us and kill us up.
    No less than forty thousand wicked elders
    Have forty lean slaves this day stoned to death.
    Charles
    Oh, that I were some other countryman!
    This day hath set derision on the French
    2260And all the world will blurt and scorn at us.
    King John
    What, is there no hope left?
    Philip
    No hope but death to bury up our shame.
    King John
    Make up once more with me! The twentieth part
    Of those that live are men enow to quail
    2265The feeble handful on the adverse part.
    Charles
    Then charge again; if heaven be not opposed
    We cannot lose the day.
    King John
    On, away.
    Exeunt.
    Enter Audley wounded and rescued by two Esquires.
    22701 Esquire
    How fares my lord?
    Audley
    Even as a man may do
    That dines at such a bloody feast as this.
    2 Esquire
    I hope, my lord, that is no mortal scar.
    Audley
    No matter if it be, the count is cast,
    2275And in the worst ends but a mortal man.
    Good friends, convey me to the princely Edward,
    That in the crimson bravery of my blood
    I may become him with saluting him;
    I'll smile and tell him that this open scar
    2280Doth end the harvest of his Audley's war.
    Exeunt.