[Scene 16]
16.12351Enter King Edward, Queen Philippa, Derby, soldiers. No more, Queen Philippe, pacify yourself;
16.32353Copland, except he can excuse his fault,
16.42354Shall find displeasure written in our looks.
16.52355And now unto this proud resisting town:
16.62356Soldiers, assault! I will no longer stay
16.72357To be deluded by their false delays.
16.82358Put all to sword, and make the spoil your own.
16.92349Enter six Citizens in their shirts, barefoot, with 2350halters about their necks. Mercy, King Edward, mercy, gracious lord!
Contemptuous villains, call ye now for truce?
16.122361Mine ears are stopped against your bootless cries.
16.132362Sound drums' alarum, draw threat'ning swords!
Ah, noble prince, take pity on this town,
16.162365We claim the promise that your highness made;
16.172366The two days' respite is not yet expired,
16.182367And we are come with willingness to bear
16.192368What torturing death or punishment you please
16.202369So that the trembling multitude be saved.
My promise? Well I do confess as much;
16.232372And men of most account that should submit.
16.242373You, peradventure, are but servile grooms,
16.252374Or some felonious robbers on the sea,
16.262375Whom, apprehended, law would execute,
16.282377No, no, ye cannot overreach us thus.
The sun, dread lord, that in the western fall
16.302379Beholds us now low brought through misery,
16.312380Did in the orient purple of the morn
16.322381Salute our coming forth when we were known,
16.332382Or may our portion be with damnèd fiends.
If it be so, then let our covenant stand:
16.352384We take possession of the town in peace,
16.362385But for yourselves look you for no remorse,
16.372386But, as imperial justice hath decreed,
16.382387Your bodies shall be dragged about these walls,
16.392388And after feel the stroke of quartering steel.
16.402389This is your doom -- go, soldiers, see it done.
Ah, be more mild unto these yielding men.
16.422391It is a glorious thing to 'stablish peace,
16.432392And kings approach the nearest unto God
16.452394As thou intendest to be King of France,
16.462395So let her people live to call thee king;
16.472396For what the sword cuts down or fire hath spoiled
Although experience teach us this is true,
16.502399That peaceful quietness brings most delight
16.512400When most of all abuses are controlled,
16.522401Yet insomuch it shall be known that we
16.542403As conquer other by the dint of sword,
16.552404Philippe, prevail; we yield to thy request.
16.562405These men shall live to boast of clemency --
16.572406And, tyranny, strike terror to thyself.
Long live your highness, happy be your reign!
Go, get you hence; return unto the town,
16.602409And if this kindness hath deserved your love
16.612410Learn then to reverence Edward as your king.
16.632411Now might we hear of our affairs abroad;
16.642412We would, till gloomy winter were o'erspent,
16.652413Dispose our men in garrison a while.
Copland, my lord, and David King of Scots.
Is this the proud presumptuous esquire of the
16.712419That would not yield his prisoner to my queen?
I am, my liege, a northern esquire indeed,
16.732421But neither proud nor insolent I trust.
What moved thee then to be so obstinate
16.752423To contradict our royal queen's desire?
No wilful disobedience, mighty lord,
16.772425But my desert and public law at arms.
16.782426I took the King myself in single fight
16.792427And like a soldier would be loath to lose
16.802428The least pre-eminence that I had won.
16.812429And Copland straight upon your highness' charge
16.822430Is come to France, and with a lowly mind
16.832431Doth vail the bonnet of his victory.
16.842432Receive, dread lord, the custom of my fraught,
16.852433The wealthy tribute of my laboring hands,
16.862434Which should long since have been surrendered up
16.872435Had but your gracious self been there in place.
But, Copland, thou didst scorn the King's command,
16.892437Neglecting our commission in his name.
His name I reverence, but his person more;
16.912439His name shall keep me in allegiance still,
16.922440But to his person I will bend my knee.
I pray thee, Philippe, let displeasure pass:
16.942442This man doth please me, and I like his words.
16.952443For what is he that will attempt great deeds
16.962444And lose the glory that ensues the same?
16.972445All rivers have recourse unto the sea,
16.982446And Copland's faith, relation to his king.
16.992447Kneel therefore down -- now rise King Edward's knight;
16.1012449Five hundred marks a year to thee and thine.
16.1032450Welcome, Lord Salisbury -- what news from Brittany?
This, mighty king: the country we have won,
16.1052453And Charles de Mountford, regent of that place,
16.1062454Presents your highness with this coronet,
16.1072455Protesting true allegiance to your grace.
We thank thee for thy service, valiant earl;
But now, my lord, as this is joyful news,
What, have our men the overthrow at Poitiers?
He was, my lord, and as my worthless self
16.1172465Under safe conduct of the Dauphin's seal
16.1182466Did travel that way, finding him distressed,
16.1202468Surprised, and brought us prisoners to the King;
16.1212469Who, proud of this and eager of revenge,
16.1222470Commanded straight to cut off all our heads.
16.1232471And surely we had died but that the duke,
16.1252473Procured our quick deliverance from thence.
16.1262474But ere we went, 'Salute your king,' quoth he,
16.1282476Today our sword shall cut his thread of life,
16.1292477And sooner than he thinks we'll be with him
16.1302478To quittance those displeasures he hath done.'
16.1312479This said, we passed, not daring to reply;
16.1322480Our hearts were dead, our looks diffused and wan.
16.1332481Wand'ring, at last we climbed unto a hill
16.1342482From whence, although our grief were much before,
16.1352483Yet now to see the occasion with our eyes
16.1362484Did thrice so much increase our heaviness,
16.1372485For there, my lord, oh, there we did descry
16.1392487The French had cast their trenches like a ring,
16.1412489Was thick embossed with brazen ordinance.
16.1422490Here stood a battle of ten thousand horse,
16.1432491There twice as many pikes in quadrant wise,
16.1442492Here crossbows and deadly wounding darts,
16.1452493And in the midst -- like to a slender point
16.1492497Or as a bear fast chained unto a stake --
16.1502498Stood famous Edward, still expecting when
16.1512499Those dogs of France would fasten on his flesh.
16.1532501Off go the cannons that with trembling noise
16.1542502Did shake the very mountain where they stood;
16.1552503Then sound the trumpets clangor in the air,
16.1562504The battles join, and when we could no more
16.1572505Discern the difference 'twixt the friend and foe,
16.1592507Away we turned our wat'ry eyes with sighs
16.1622510The most untimely tale of Edward's fall.
Ah me, is this my welcome into France?
16.1642512Is this the comfort that I looked to have
16.1662514Sweet Ned, I would thy mother in the sea
16.1672515Had been prevented of this mortal grief.
Content thee, Philippe: 'tis not tears will serve
16.1712519With hope of sharp unheard of dire revenge.
16.1732521And so I will; but all the peers in France
16.1742522Shall mourners be, and weep out bloody tears
16.1752523Until their empty veins be dry and sere.
16.1762524The pillars of his hearse shall be their bones,
16.1772525The mould that covers him, their city ashes,
16.1782526His knell, the groaning cries of dying men,
16.1802528An hundred fifty towers shall burning blaze
16.1812529While we bewail our valiant son's decease.
16.1822530After a flourish sounded within, enter a Herald. Rejoice, my lord, ascend the imperial throne!
16.1842532The mighty and redoubted Prince of Wales,
16.1862534The Frenchman's terror and his country's fame,
16.1892537King John of France, together with his son
16.1902538In captive bonds, whose diadem he brings
16.1912539To crown thee with and to proclaim thee king.
Away with mourning, Philippe, wipe thine eyes.
16.1942542Enter Prince Edward, King John, Philip, 2543Audley [and] Artois. 16.1952544As things long lost when they are found again,
16.1962545So doth my son rejoice his father's heart,
16.1972546For whom even now my soul was much perplexed.
Be this a token to express my joy --
16.2002548For inward passions will not let me speak.
My gracious father, here receive the gift,
16.2022550This wreath of conquest and reward of war,
16.2042552As e're was thing of price before this day.
16.2052553Install your highness in your proper right,
16.2072555These prisoners, chief occasion of our strife.
So, John of France, I see you keep your word:
16.2102558Than we did think for, and 'tis so indeed.
16.2112559But had you done at first as now you do,
16.2122560How many civil towns had stood untouched
16.2132561That now are turned to ragged heaps of stones?
16.2142562How many people's lives mightst thou have saved
16.2152563That are untimely sunk into their graves?
Edward, recount not things irrevocable;
16.2172565Tell me what ransom thou requirest to have.
Thy ransom, John, hereafter shall be known.
16.2192567But first to England thou must cross the seas
16.2222570As ours hath been since we arrived in France.
Accursèd man! Of this I was foretold
16.2242572But did misconster what the prophet told.
Now, father, this petition Edward makes
16.2262574To thee, whose grace hath been his strongest shield:
16.2272575That as thy pleasure chose me for the man
16.2292577So thou wilt grant that many princes more,
16.2302578Bred and brought up within that little isle,
16.2322580And for my part, the bloody scars I bear,
16.2332581The weary nights that I have watched in field,
16.2342582The dangerous conflicts I have often had,
16.2362584The heat and cold, and what else might displease,
16.2402588Might thereby be inflamed with such resolve
16.2422590But likewise Spain, Turkey, and what countries else
16.2432591That justly would provoke fair England's ire,
16.2442592Might at their presence tremble and retire.
Here, English lords, we do proclaim a rest,
16.2472595Sheath up your swords, refresh your weary limbs,
16.2482596Peruse your spoils, and after we have breathed
16.2502598God willing then for England we'll be shipped,
16.2522600Arrive, three kings, two princes, and a queen.