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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    Not Peer Reviewed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.
    And Charles de Mounford regent of that place,
    Presents your highnes with this Coronet,
    2455Protesting true allegeaunce to your Grace.
    Ki: We thanke thee for thy seruice valient Earle
    Challenge our fauour for we owe it thee:
    Sa: But now my Lord, as this is ioyful newes,
    So must my voice be tragicall againe,
    2460and I must sing of dolefull accidents,
    Ki: What haue our men the ouerthrow at Poitiers,
    Or is our sonne beset with too much odds?
    Sa. He was my Lord, and as my worthltsse selfe,
    With fortie other seruicable knights,
    2465Vndersafe conduct of the Dolphins seale,
    Did trauaile that way, finding him distrest,
    A troupe of Launces met vs on the way,
    Surprisd and brought vs prisoners to the king,
    Who proud of this, and eager of reuenge,
    2470Commanded straight to cut of all our heads,
    And surely we had died but that the Duke,
    More full of honor then his angry syre,
    Procurd our quicke deliuerance from thence,
    But ere we went, salute your king, quothe hee,
    2475Bid him prouide a funerall for his sonne,
    To day our sword shall cut his thred of life,
    And sooner then he thinkes wele be with him:
    To quittance those displeasures he hath done,
    This said, we past, not daring to reply,
    2480Our harts were dead, our lookes diffusd and wan,
    Wandring at last we clymd vnto a hill,
    From whence although our griefe were much be-(fore
    Yet now to see the occasion with our eies,
    Did thrice so much increase our heauines,
    2485For there my Lord, oh there we did descry
    Downe in a vallie how both armies laie:
    The French had cast their trenches like a ring,
    And euery Barricados open front,
    Was thicke imbost with brasen ordynaunce.
    K Heere
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