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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    Not Peer Reviewed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)

    Edward the third.
    Since all the liues his conquering arrowes strike,
    2075Seeke him, and he not them, to shame his glorie,
    I will not giue a pennie for a lyfe,
    Nor halfe a halfepenie to shun grim death,
    Since for to liue is but to seeke to die,
    And dying but beginning of new lyfe,
    2080Let come the houre when he that rules it will,
    To liue or die I hold indifferent. Exeunt.
    Enter king Iohn and Charles.
    Ioh: A sodaine darknes hath defast the skie,
    The windes are crept into their caues for feare,
    2085the leaues moue not, the world is husht and still,
    the birdes cease singing, and the wandring brookes,
    Murmure no wonted greeting to their shores,
    Silence attends some wonder, and expecteth
    That heauen should pronounce some prophesie,
    2090Where or from whome proceeds this silence Charles?
    Ch: Our men with open mouthes and staring eyes,
    Looke on each other, as they did attend
    Each others wordes, and yet no creature speakes,
    A tongue-tied feare hath made a midnight houre,
    2095and speeches sleepe through all the waking regions.
    Ioh: But now the pompeous Sunne in all his pride,
    Lookt through his golden coach vpon the worlde,
    and on a sodaine hath he hid himselfe,
    that now the vnder earth is as a graue,
    2100Darke, deadly, silent, and vncomfortable.A clamor of rauens
    Harke, what a deadly outcrie do I heare?
    Ch. Here comes my brother Phillip.
    Ioh. All dismaid. What fearefull words are those thy lookes presage?
    Pr. A flight, a flight.
    2105Ioh: Coward what flight? thou liest there needs no flight.
    Pr. A flight.
    Kin: Awake thy crauen powers, and tell on
    the substance of that verie feare in deed,
    Which is so gastly printed in thy face,
    2110What is the matter?
    Pri:
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