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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    Not Peer Reviewed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
    And we haue compast him he cannot scape.
    1890Ch: But will your highnes fight to day.
    Io: What else my son, hees scarse eight thousand (strong
    and we are threescore thousand at the least,
    Ch: I haue a prophecy my gratious Lord,
    Wherein is written what successe is like
    1895To happen vs in this outragious warre,
    It was deliuered me at Cresses field,
    By one that is an aged Hermyt there,
    when fethered foul shal make thine army tremble,
    and flint stones rise and breake the battell ray:
    1900Then thinke on him that doth not now dissemble
    For that shalbe the haples dreadfull day,
    Yet in the end thy foot thou shalt aduance,
    as farre in England, as thy foe in Fraunce,
    Io: By this it seemes we shalbe fortunate:
    1905For as it is impossible that stones
    Should euer rise and breake the battaile ray,
    Or airie foule make men in armes to quake,
    So is it like we shall not be subdude:
    Or say this might be true, yet in the end,
    1910Since he doth promise we shall driue him hence,
    And forrage their Countrie as they haue don ours
    By this reuenge, that losse will seeme the lesse,
    But all are fryuolous, fancies, toyes and dreames,
    Once we are sure we haue insnard the sonne,
    1915Catch we the father after how we can. Exeunt.

    Enter Prince Edward, Audley and others.
    Pr: Audley the armes of death embrace vs round,
    And comfort haue we none saue that to die,
    We pay sower earnest for a sweeter life,
    1920At Cressey field our Clouds of Warlike smoke,
    chokt vp those French mouths, & disseuered them
    But now their multitudes of millions hide
    Masking as twere the beautious burning Sunne,
    Leauing no hope to vs but sullen darke,
    And
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