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Edward III (Quarto 1, 1596)
1THE RAIGNE OF
2K: Edward the third.
3Enter King Edward, Derby, Prince Edward, Audely
4and Artoys.
5King.
6RObert of Artoys banisht though thou be,
7From Fraunce thy natiue Country, yet with vs,
8Thou shalt retayne as great a Seigniorie:
9For we create thee Earle of Richmond heere,
10And now goe forwards with our pedegree,
11Who next succeeded Phillip of Bew,
14Yet dyed and left no issue of their loynes:
17Was all the daughters that this Phillip had,
18Whome afterward your father tooke to wife:
19And from the fragrant garden of her wombe,
21Deriued is inheritor to Fraunce.
22But not the rancor of rebellious mindes:
23When thus the lynage of Bew was out;
24The French obscurd your mothers Priuiledge,
25And though she were the next of blood, proclaymed
26Iohn of the house of Valoys now their king:
28Repleat with Princes of great parentage,
29Ought not admit a gouernor to rule,
31And thats the speciall ground of their contempt:
32Wherewith they study to exclude your grace:
3
35Art: Perhaps it will be thought a heynous thing,
37But heauen I call to recorde of my vowes,
38It is not hate nor any priuat wronge,
39But loue vnto my country and the right,
40Prouokes my tongue thus lauish in report.
41You are the lyneal watch men of our peace,
42And Iohn of Valoys, in directly climbes,
44Ah where in may our duety more be seene,
45Then stryuing to rebate a tyrants pride,
46And place the true shepheard of our comonwealth,
48Hath added growth vnto my dignitye,
49And by the fiery vigor of thy words,
50Hot courage is engendred in my brest,
51Which heretofore was rakt in ignorance,
52But nowe doth mount with golden winges of fame,
56A mestenger, Lord Awdley know from whence,
57Enter a messenger Lorragne,
59In treates he may haue conference with your highnes.
60King: Admit him Lords, that we may heare the newes.
61Say Duke of Lorrayne wherefore art thou come.
63Doth greete thee Edward, and by me commandes,
65The Guyen Dukedome is entayld to thee,
66Thou do him lowly homage for the same.
68Repaire to France within these forty daies,
69That there according as the coustome is.
Or
Edward the third.
71Or else thy title in that prouince dyes,
74No sooner minded to prepare for France,
75But straight I am inuited, nay with threats,
76Vppon a penaltie inioynd to come:
78Lorrayne returne this answere to thy Lord,
81But like a conquerer to make him bowe,
83And trueth hath puld the visard from his face,
85Dare he commaund a fealty in mee,
86Tell him the Crowne that hee vsurpes, is myne,
87And where he sets his foote he ought to knele,
88Tis not a petty Dukedome that I claime,
89But all the whole Dominions, of the Realme,
90Which if with grudging he refuse to yeld,
91Ile take away those borrowed plumes of his,
92And send him naked to the wildernes.
94I doe pronounce defyaunce to thy face.
96Euen to the bottom of thy masters throat,
97And be it spoke with reuerence of the King,
98My gratious father and these other Lordes,
100And him that sent thee like the lazy droane,
103As others shalbe warned by his harme,
105Least meeting with the Lyon in the feeld,
106He chaunce to teare him peecemeale for his pride.
Is
The Raigne of
110Then when reproch with violence is borne,
111Lor. Regenerate Traytor, viper to the place,
112Where thou was fostred in thine infancy:
114He drawes his Sword.
117Is farre more thornie pricking than this blade.
120Vntill my collours be displaide in Fraunce:
126Our gage is throwne, and warre is soone begun,
127But not so quickely brought vnto an end.
128Enter Mountague.
129Moun. But wherefore comes Sir william Mountague?
130How stands the league betweene the Scot and vs?
132The treacherous King no sooner was informde,
133Of your with drawing of your army backe:
134But straight forgetting of his former othe,
135He made inuasion on the bordering Townes:
137And now the tyrant hath beguirt with seege,
139The Countes Salsbury is like to perish:
140King. That is thy daughter Warwicke is it not?
142About the planting of Lord Mouneford there?
143War. It is my Lord.
Ignoble
Edward the third.
145But silly Ladies with thy threatning armes:
148Go leuie footemen for our warres in Fraunce;
149And Ned take muster of our men at armes,
152Such as dread nothing but dishonors blot,
153Be warie therefore since we do comence,
154A famous Warre, and with so mighty a nation:
155Derby be thou Embassador for vs,
156Vnto our Father in Law the Earle of Henalt:
157Make him acquainted with our enterprise,
158And likewise will him with our owne allies,
159That are in Flaundsrs, to solicite to,
160The Emperour of Almaigne in our name:
162Will with these forces that I haue at hand,
163March, and once more repulse the trayterous Scot:
166Now to forget thy study and thy bookes,
167And vre thy shoulders to an Armors weight.
169This tumult is of warres increasing broyles,
170As at the Coronation of a king,
171The ioyfull clamours of the people are,
172When Aue Caesar they pronounce alowd;
175Or in a rightfull quarrel spend my breath,
176Then cheerefully forward ech a seuerall way,
177In great affaires tis nought to vse delay.
178Exunt.
B Enter