Alas, how much in vain my poor eyes gaze

2.3181For succor that my sovereign should send.

2.4182Ah, cousin Montague, I fear thou wants

2.5183The lively spirit sharply to solicit

2.6184With vehement suit the King in my behalf.

2.7185Thou dost not tell him what a grief it is

2.8186To be the scornful captive to a Scot,

2.9187Either to be wooed with broad untunèd oaths,

2.10188Or forced by rough insulting barbarism;

2.11189Thou dost not tell him, if he here prevail,

2.12190How much they will deride us in the North,

2.13191And, in their vile uncivil skipping jigs,

2.14192Bray forth their conquest and our overthrow,

2.15193Even in the barren, bleak and fruitless air.

2.17195I must withdraw: the everlasting foe

2.18196Comes to the wall; I'll closely step aside

2.19197And list their babble, blunt and full of pride.

My lord of Lorraine, to our brother of France

2.21199Commend us, as the man in Christendom

2.22200That we most reverence and entirely love.

2.23201Touching your embassage, return and say

2.24202That we with England will not enter parley,

2.25203Nor never make fair weather or take truce,

2.26204But burn their neighbor towns and so persist

2.27205With eager rods beyond their city York;

2.28206And never shall our bonny riders rest,

2.29207Nor rusting canker have the time to eat

2.30208Their light-borne snaffles, nor their nimble spurs,

2.31209Nor lay aside their jacks of gimmaled mail,

2.32210Nor hang their staves of grainèd Scottish ash

2.33211In peaceful wise upon their city walls,

2.34212Nor from their buttoned tawny leathern belts

2.35213Dismiss their biting whinyards, till your king

2.36214Cry out, 'Enough, spare England now for pity!'

2.37215Farewell, and tell him that you leave us here

2.38216Before this castle; say you came from us

2.39217Even when we had that yielded to our hands.

I take my leave and fairly will return

2.41219Your acceptable greeting to my king.

Now, Douglas, to our former task again,

2.44221For the division of this certain spoil.

My liege, I crave the lady and no more.

Nay, soft ye sir, first I must make my choice,

2.47224And first I do bespeak her for myself.

Why then, my liege, let me enjoy her jewels.

Those are her own, still liable to her,

2.50227And who inherits her hath those with all.

My liege, as we were pricking on the hills

2.53230To fetch in booty, marching hitherward

2.54231We might descry a mighty host of men,

2.55232The sun reflecting on the armor showed

2.56233A field of plate, a wood of picks advanced.

2.57234Bethink your highness speedily herein,

2.58235An easy march within four hours will bring

2.59236The hindmost rank unto this place, my liege.

Dislodge, dislodge, it is the King of England.

Jemmy, my man, saddle my bonny black.

Meanst thou to fight, Douglas? We are too weak.

I know it well, my liege, and therefore fly.

My lords of Scotland, will ye stay and drink?

She mocks at us, Douglas; I cannot endure it.

Say, good my lord, which is he must have the lady,

2.67244And which her jewels? I am sure, my lords,

2.68245Ye will not hence till you have shared the spoils.

She heard the messenger and heard our talk,

2.70247And now that comfort makes her scorn at us.

Arm, my good lord. Oh, we are all surprised!

After the French ambassador, my liege,

2.74251And tell him that you dare not ride to York,

2.75252Excuse it that your bonny horse is lame.

She heard that too, intolerable grief!

2.77254Woman, farewell. Although I do not stay --

'Tis not for fear -- and yet you run away.

2.80256O happy comfort, welcome to our house!

2.81257The confident and boist'rous boasting Scot,

2.82258That swore before my walls they would not back

2.83259For all the armèd power of this land,

2.84260With faceless fear that ever turns his back,

2.85261Turned hence again the blasting north-east wind

2.86262Upon the bare report and name of arms.

2.88264O summer's day, see where my cousin comes!

How fares my aunt? We are not Scots,

2.90266Why do you shut your gates against your friends?

Well may I give a welcome, cousin, to thee,

2.92268For thou com'st well to chase my foes from hence.

The King himself is come in person hither;

2.94270Dear aunt, descend and gratulate his highness.

How may I entertain his majesty,

2.96272To show my duty and his dignity?

What, are the stealing foxes fled and gone

2.100275Before we could uncouple at their heels?

They are, my liege, but with a cheerful cry

2.102277Hot hounds and hardy chase them at the heels.

This is the Countess, Warwick, is it not?

Even she, my liege, whose beauty tyrants' fear,

2.106281As a May blossom with pernicious winds,

2.107282Hath sullied, withered, overcast and done.

Hath she been fairer, Warwick, than she is?

My gracious king, fair is she not at all,

2.110285If that her self were by to stain herself,

2.111286As I have seen her when she was her self.

What strange enchantment lurked in those her eyes

2.113288When they excelled this excellence they have,

2.114289That now her dim decline hath power to draw

2.115290My subject eyes from piercing majesty

2.116291To gaze on her with doting admiration?

In duty lower than the ground I kneel,

2.118293And for my dull knees bow my feeling heart

2.119294To witness my obedience to your highness

2.120295With many millions of a subject's thanks,

2.121296For this your royal presence, whose approach

2.122297Hath driven war and danger from my gate.

Lady, stand up, I come to bring thee peace,

2.124299However thereby I have purchased war.

No war to you, my liege; the Scots are gone,

2.126301And gallop home toward Scotland with their hate.

[Aside(?)] Lest yielding here I pine in shameful love --

2.128303[To them] Come we'll pursue the Scots. Artois, away.

A little while my gracious sovereign stay,

2.130305And let the power of a mighty king

2.131306Honor our roof; my husband in the wars,

2.132307When he shall hear it, will triumph for joy.

2.133308Then, dear my liege, now niggard not thy state,

2.134309Being at the wall, enter our homely gate.

Pardon me, Countess, I will come no near,

2.136311I dreamed tonight of treason and I fear.

Far from this place let ugly treason lie.

[Aside] No farther off than her conspiring eye,

2.139314Which shoots infected poison in my heart

2.140315Beyond repulse of wit or cure of art;

2.141316Now in the sun alone it doth not lie

2.142317With light to take light from a mortal eye,

2.143318For here two day-stars that mine eyes would see

2.144319More than the sun steals mine own light from me;

2.145320Contemplative desire, desire to be

2.146321In contemplation that may master thee. --

2.147322[To them] Warwick, Artois, to horse and let's away.

What might I speak to make my sovereign stay?

[Aside] What needs a tongue to such a speaking eye

2.150325That more persuades then winning oratory?

Let not thy presence, like the April sun,

2.152327Flatter our earth and suddenly be done;

2.153328More happy do not make our outward wall

2.154329Than thou wilt grace our inner house withal.

2.155330Our house, my liege, is like a country swain

2.156331Whose habit rude and manners blunt and plain

2.157332Presageth nought, yet inly beautified

2.158333With bounty's riches and fair hidden pride:

2.159334For where the golden ore doth buried lie,

2.160335The ground undecked with nature's tapestry

2.161336Seems barren, sere, unfertile, fruitless, dry;

2.162337And where the upper turf of earth doth boast

2.163338His pride, perfumes, and particolored cost,

2.164339Delve there, and find this issue and their pride

2.165340To spring from ordure and corruption's side.

2.166341But to make up my all too long compare,

2.167342These ragged walls no testimony are

2.168343What is within, but like a cloak doth hide

2.169344From weather's waste the under-garnished pride;

2.170345More gracious than my terms can let thee be,

2.171346Entreat thyself to stay a while with me.

As wise as fair -- what fond fit can be heard

2.173348When wisdom keeps the gate as beauty's guard. -

2.174349Countess, albeit my business urgeth me,

2.175350It shall attend while I attend on thee.

2.176351Come on, my lords, here will I host tonight.