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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    Not Peer Reviewed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)

    The Raigne of king
    Now boy thou hearest what thundring terror tis,
    1175To buckle for a kingdomes souerentie,
    The earth with giddie trembling when it shakes,
    Or when the exalations of the aire,
    Breakes in extremitie of lightning flash,
    Affrights not more then kings when they dispose,
    1180To shew the rancor of their high swolne harts,
    Retreae is sounded, one side hath the worse, Retreate.
    O if it be the French, sweete fortune turne,
    And in thy turning change the forward winds,
    That with aduantage of a sauoring skie,
    1185Our men may vanquish and thither flie.
    Enter Marriner.
    My hart misgiues, say mirror of pale death,
    To whome belongs the honor of this day,
    Relate I pray thee, if thy breath will serue,
    1190The sad discourse of this discomfiture.
    Mar. I will my Lord.
    My gratious soueraigne, Fraunce hath tane the foyle,
    And boasting Edward triumphs with successe;
    These Iron harted Nauies,
    1195When last I was reporter to your grace,
    Both full of angry spleene of hope and feare:
    Hasting to meete each other in the face,
    At last conioynd, and by their Admirall,
    Our Admirall encountred manie shot,
    1200By this the other that beheld these twaine,
    Giue earnest peny of a further wracke,
    Like fiery Dragons tooke their haughty flight,
    And likewise meeting, from their smoky wombes,
    Sent many grym Embassadors of death,
    1205Then gan the day to turne to gloomy night,
    And darkenes did aswel inclose the quicke,
    As those that were but newly reft of life,
    No leasure serud for friends to bid farewell,
    And if it had, the hideous noise was such,
    As
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