Internet Shakespeare Editions

Author: William Shakespeare
Editors: Amy Lidster, Sonia Massai
Not Peer Reviewed

Edward III (Modern)

[Scene 2]
Enter the Countess [of Salisbury, above].
180Countess
Alas, how much in vain my poor eyes gaze
For succor that my sovereign should send.
Ah, cousin Montague, I fear thou wants
The lively spirit sharply to solicit
With vehement suit the King in my behalf.
185Thou dost not tell him what a grief it is
To be the scornful captive to a Scot,
Either to be wooed with broad untunèd oaths,
Or forced by rough insulting barbarism;
Thou dost not tell him, if he here prevail,
190How much they will deride us in the North,
And, in their vile uncivil skipping jigs,
Bray forth their conquest and our overthrow,
Even in the barren, bleak and fruitless air.
Enter [King] David, Douglas and Lorraine [below].
195I must withdraw: the everlasting foe
Comes to the wall; I'll closely step aside
And list their babble, blunt and full of pride.
King David
My lord of Lorraine, to our brother of France
Commend us, as the man in Christendom
200That we most reverence and entirely love.
Touching your embassage, return and say
That we with England will not enter parley,
Nor never make fair weather or take truce,
But burn their neighbor towns and so persist
205With eager rods beyond their city York;
And never shall our bonny riders rest,
Nor rusting canker have the time to eat
Their light-borne snaffles, nor their nimble spurs,
Nor lay aside their jacks of gimmaled mail,
210Nor hang their staves of grainèd Scottish ash
In peaceful wise upon their city walls,
Nor from their buttoned tawny leathern belts
Dismiss their biting whinyards, till your king
Cry out, 'Enough, spare England now for pity!'
215Farewell, and tell him that you leave us here
Before this castle; say you came from us
Even when we had that yielded to our hands.
Lorraine
I take my leave and fairly will return
Your acceptable greeting to my king.
Exit Lorraine.
220King David
Now, Douglas, to our former task again,
For the division of this certain spoil.
Douglas
My liege, I crave the lady and no more.
King David
Nay, soft ye sir, first I must make my choice,
And first I do bespeak her for myself.
225Douglas
Why then, my liege, let me enjoy her jewels.
King David
Those are her own, still liable to her,
And who inherits her hath those with all.
Enter a Scot [as messenger] in haste.
1 Messenger
My liege, as we were pricking on the hills
230To fetch in booty, marching hitherward
We might descry a mighty host of men,
The sun reflecting on the armor showed
A field of plate, a wood of picks advanced.
Bethink your highness speedily herein,
235An easy march within four hours will bring
The hindmost rank unto this place, my liege.
King David
Dislodge, dislodge, it is the King of England.
Douglas
Jemmy, my man, saddle my bonny black.
King David
Meanst thou to fight, Douglas? We are too weak.
240Douglas
I know it well, my liege, and therefore fly.
Countess
My lords of Scotland, will ye stay and drink?
King David
She mocks at us, Douglas; I cannot endure it.
Countess
Say, good my lord, which is he must have the lady,
And which her jewels? I am sure, my lords,
245Ye will not hence till you have shared the spoils.
King David
She heard the messenger and heard our talk,
And now that comfort makes her scorn at us.
Enter another messenger.
2 Messenger
Arm, my good lord. Oh, we are all surprised!
250Countess
After the French ambassador, my liege,
And tell him that you dare not ride to York,
Excuse it that your bonny horse is lame.
King David
She heard that too, intolerable grief!
Woman, farewell. Although I do not stay --
Exeunt Scots.
255Countess
'Tis not for fear -- and yet you run away.
O happy comfort, welcome to our house!
The confident and boist'rous boasting Scot,
That swore before my walls they would not back
For all the armèd power of this land,
260With faceless fear that ever turns his back,
Turned hence again the blasting north-east wind
Upon the bare report and name of arms.
Enter Montague.
O summer's day, see where my cousin comes!
265Montague
How fares my aunt? We are not Scots,
Why do you shut your gates against your friends?
Countess
Well may I give a welcome, cousin, to thee,
For thou com'st well to chase my foes from hence.
Montague
The King himself is come in person hither;
270Dear aunt, descend and gratulate his highness.
Countess
How may I entertain his majesty,
To show my duty and his dignity?
[Exit Countess, from above.]
Enter King Edward, Warwick, Artois, with others.
King Edward
What, are the stealing foxes fled and gone
275Before we could uncouple at their heels?
Warwick
They are, my liege, but with a cheerful cry
Hot hounds and hardy chase them at the heels.
Enter Countess [below].
King Edward
This is the Countess, Warwick, is it not?
280Warwick
Even she, my liege, whose beauty tyrants' fear,
As a May blossom with pernicious winds,
Hath sullied, withered, overcast and done.
King Edward
Hath she been fairer, Warwick, than she is?
Warwick
My gracious king, fair is she not at all,
285If that her self were by to stain herself,
As I have seen her when she was her self.
King Edward
What strange enchantment lurked in those her eyes
When they excelled this excellence they have,
That now her dim decline hath power to draw
290My subject eyes from piercing majesty
To gaze on her with doting admiration?
Countess
In duty lower than the ground I kneel,
And for my dull knees bow my feeling heart
To witness my obedience to your highness
295With many millions of a subject's thanks,
For this your royal presence, whose approach
Hath driven war and danger from my gate.
King Edward
Lady, stand up, I come to bring thee peace,
However thereby I have purchased war.
300Countess
No war to you, my liege; the Scots are gone,
And gallop home toward Scotland with their hate.
King Edward
[Aside(?)] Lest yielding here I pine in shameful love --
[To them] Come we'll pursue the Scots. Artois, away.
Countess
A little while my gracious sovereign stay,
305And let the power of a mighty king
Honor our roof; my husband in the wars,
When he shall hear it, will triumph for joy.
Then, dear my liege, now niggard not thy state,
Being at the wall, enter our homely gate.
310King Edward
Pardon me, Countess, I will come no near,
I dreamed tonight of treason and I fear.
Countess
Far from this place let ugly treason lie.
King Edward
[Aside] No farther off than her conspiring eye,
Which shoots infected poison in my heart
315Beyond repulse of wit or cure of art;
Now in the sun alone it doth not lie
With light to take light from a mortal eye,
For here two day-stars that mine eyes would see
More than the sun steals mine own light from me;
320Contemplative desire, desire to be
In contemplation that may master thee. --
[To them] Warwick, Artois, to horse and let's away.
Countess
What might I speak to make my sovereign stay?
King Edward
[Aside] What needs a tongue to such a speaking eye
325That more persuades then winning oratory?
Countess
Let not thy presence, like the April sun,
Flatter our earth and suddenly be done;
More happy do not make our outward wall
Than thou wilt grace our inner house withal.
330Our house, my liege, is like a country swain
Whose habit rude and manners blunt and plain
Presageth nought, yet inly beautified
With bounty's riches and fair hidden pride:
For where the golden ore doth buried lie,
335The ground undecked with nature's tapestry
Seems barren, sere, unfertile, fruitless, dry;
And where the upper turf of earth doth boast
His pride, perfumes, and particolored cost,
Delve there, and find this issue and their pride
340To spring from ordure and corruption's side.
But to make up my all too long compare,
These ragged walls no testimony are
What is within, but like a cloak doth hide
From weather's waste the under-garnished pride;
345More gracious than my terms can let thee be,
Entreat thyself to stay a while with me.
King Edward
As wise as fair -- what fond fit can be heard
When wisdom keeps the gate as beauty's guard. -
Countess, albeit my business urgeth me,
350It shall attend while I attend on thee.
Come on, my lords, here will I host tonight.
Exeunt.