Bear’st thou a part in this conspiracy?

  KING EDWARD

  Lorraine, behold the sharpness of this steel.

  He draws his sword.

  Fervent desire that sits against my heart

  110 Is far more thorny-pricking than this blade,

  That with the nightingale I shall be scarred

  As oft as I dispose myself to rest

  Until my colours be displayed in France.

  This is thy final answer; so, be gone.

  LORRAINE

  115 It is not that, nor any English brave,

  Afflicts me so as doth his poisoned view

  That is most false should most of all be true. [Exit.]

  KING EDWARD

  Now, lords, our fleeting bark is under sail,

  Our gage is thrown and war is soon begun,

  120 But not so quickly brought unto an end.

  Enter MONTAGUE.

  But wherefore comes Sir William Montague?

  How stands the league between the Scot and us?

  MONTAGUE

  Cracked and dissevered, my renowned lord.

  The treacherous King no sooner was informed

  125 Of your withdrawing of your army back,

  But straight forgetting of his former oath

  He made invasion on the bordering towns.

  Berwick is won, Newcastle spoiled and lost,

  And now the tyrant hath begirt with siege

  130 The castle of Roxborough, where enclosed

  The Countess Salisbury is like to perish.

  KING EDWARD

  That is thy daughter, Warwick, is it not,

  Whose husband hath in Brittain served so long

  About the planting of Lord Montfort there?

  WARWICK

  135 It is, my lord.

  KING EDWARD

  Ignoble David, hast thou none to grieve

  But silly ladies with thy threatening arms?

  But I will make you shrink your snaily horns.

  First therefore, Audley, this shall be thy charge:

  140 Go levy footmen for our wars in France.

  And Ned, take muster of our men-at-arms,

  In every shire elect a several band;

  Let them be soldiers of a lusty spirit

  Such as dread nothing but dishonour’s blot.

  145 Be wary therefore, since we do commence

  A famous war, and with so mighty a nation.

  Derby, be thou ambassador for us

  Unto our father-in-law, the Earl of Hainault;

  Make him acquainted with our enterprise,

  150 And likewise will him, with our own allies

  That are in Flanders, to solicit too

  The Emperor of Almain in our name.

  Myself, whilst you are jointly thus employed,

  Will with these forces that I have at hand

  155 March, and once more repulse the traitorous Scot.

  But, sirs, be resolute; we shall have wars

  On every side – and Ned, thou must begin

  Now to forget thy study and thy books

  And ure thy shoulders to an armour’s weight.

  PRINCE EDWARD

  160 As cheerful sounding to my youthful spleen

  This tumult is of war’s increasing broils

  As at the coronation of a king

  The joyful clamours of the people are,

  When ‘Ave Caesar’ they pronounce aloud.

  165 Within this school of honour I shall learn

  Either to sacrifice my foes to death

  Or in a rightful quarrel spend my breath.

  KING EDWARD

  Then cheerfully forward, each a several way;

  In great affairs ’tis naught to use delay. Exeunt.

  [

  Sc. 2 ] Enter the COUNTESS [above]. [1.2]

  COUNTESS

  Alas, how much in vain my poor eyes gaze

  For succour that my sovereign should send.

  Ah, cousin Montague, I fear thou wants

  The lively spirit sharply to solicit

  5 With vehement suit the King in my behalf:

  Thou dost not tell him what a grief it is

  To be the scornful captive to a Scot,

  Either to be wooed with broad untuned oaths

  Or forced by rough insulting barbarism;

  10 Thou dost not tell him if he here prevail

  How much they will deride us in the north,

  And in their vile, uncivil, skipping jigs

  Bray forth their conquest and our overthrow,

  Even in the barren, bleak and fruitless air.

  Enter [KING] DAVID, DOUGLAS and LORRAINE.

  15 I must withdraw: the everlasting foe

  Comes to the wall. I’ll closely step aside

  And list their babble, blunt and full of pride.

  [Withdraws.]

  KING DAVID

  My lord of Lorraine, to our brother of France

  Commend us, as the man in Christendom

  20 That we most reverence and entirely love.

  Touching your embassage, return and say

  That we with England will not enter parley,

  Nor never make fair weather or take truce,

  But burn their neighbour towns and so persist

  25 With eager roads beyond their city York.

  And never shall our bonny riders rest –

  Nor rusting canker have the time to eat

  Their light-borne snaffles nor their nimble spurs –

  Nor lay aside their jacks of gimmaled mail,

  30 Nor hang their staves of grained Scottish ash

  In peaceful wise upon their city walls,

  Nor from their buttoned tawny leathern belts

  Dismiss their biting whinyards, till your King

  Cry out, ‘Enough! Spare England now for pity.’

  35 Farewell, and tell him that you leave us here,

  Before this castle. Say you came from us

  Even when we had it yielded to our hands.

  LORRAINE

  I take my leave, and fairly will return

  Your acceptable greeting to my King. Exit.

  KING DAVID

  40 Now, Douglas, to our former task again,

  For the division of this certain spoil.

  DOUGLAS

  My liege, I crave the lady and no more.

  KING DAVID

  Nay, soft ye, sir, first I must make my choice,

  And first I do bespeak her for myself.

  DOUGLAS

  45 Why then, my liege, let me enjoy her jewels.

  KING DAVID

  Those are her own, still liable to her,

  And who inherits her hath those withal.

  Enter a Scots [Messenger,] in haste.

  1 MESSENGER

  My liege, as we were pricking on the hills

  To fetch in booty, marching hitherward

  50 We might descry a mighty host of men.

  The sun reflecting on the armour showed

  A field of plate, a wood of picks advanced.

  Bethink your highness speedily herein:

  An easy march within four hours will bring

  55 The hindmost rank unto this place, my liege.

  KING DAVID

  Dislodge, dislodge, it is the King of England.

  DOUGLAS [Calls.]

  Jemmy, my man, saddle my bonny black.

  KING DAVID

  Mean’st thou to fight, Douglas? We are too weak.

  DOUGLAS

  I know it well, my liege, and therefore fly.

  COUNTESS [Comes forward.]

  60 My lords of Scotland, will ye stay and drink?

  KING DAVID

  She mocks at us, Douglas. I cannot endure it.

  COUNTESS

  Say, good my lord, which is he must have the lady,

  And which her jewels? I am sure, my lords,

  Ye will not hence till you have shared the spoils.

  KING DAVID

  65 She heard the messenger, and heard our talk,

  And now that comfort makes her scorn at us.

  [Enter] another Messenger.

  2 MESSENGER

  Arm, my good lord! O, we are all surprised!

  COUNTESS

  After the French ambassador, my liege,

  And tell him that you dare not ride to York.

  70 Excuse it that your bonny horse is lame.

  KING DAVID

  She heard that too. Intolerable grief !

  Woman, farewell, although I do not stay. Exeunt Scots.

  COUNTESS

  ’Tis not for fear, and yet you run away.

  O happy comfort, welcome to our house.

  75 The confident and boisterous-boasting Scot,

  That swore before my walls they would not back

  For all the armed power of this land,

  With faceless fear, that ever turns his back,

  Turned hence again the blasting north-east wind

  80 Upon the bare report and name of arms.

  Enter MONTAGUE.

  O summer’s day, see where my cousin comes.

  MONTAGUE

  How fares my aunt? We are not Scots.

  Why do you shut your gates against your friends?

  COUNTESS

  Well may I give a welcome, cousin, to thee,

  85 For thou com’st well to chase my foes from hence.

  MONTAGUE

  The King himself is come in person hither.

  Dear aunt, descend and gratulate his highness.

  COUNTESS

  How may I entertain his majesty

  To show my duty and his dignity? [Exit.]

  Enter KING EDWARD, WARWICK, ARTOIS with [LODWICK and ] others.

  KING EDWARD

  90 What, are the stealing foxes fled and gone

  Before we could uncouple at their heels?

  WARWICK

  They are, my liege, but with a cheerful cry,

  Hot hounds and hardy chase them at the heels.

  Enter COUNTESS[, below].

  KING EDWARD

  This is the Countess, Warwick, is it not?

  WARWICK

  95 Even she, my liege, whose beauty tyrants’ fear,

  As a May blossom with pernicious winds,

  Hath sullied, withered, overcast and done.

  KING EDWARD

  Hath she been fairer, Warwick, than she is?

  WARWICK

  My gracious King, fair is she not at all

  100 If that herself were by to stain herself

  As I have seen her when she was herself.

  KING EDWARD [aside]

  What strange enchantment lurked in those her

  eyes

  When they excelled this excellence they have,

  That now her dim decline hath power to draw

  105 My subject eyes from piercing majesty

  To gaze on her with doting admiration?

  COUNTESS [Kneels.]

  In duty lower than the ground I kneel,

  And for my dull knees bow my feeling heart

  To witness my obedience to your highness

  110 With many millions of a subject’s thanks

  For this your royal presence, whose approach

  Hath driven war and danger from my gate.

  KING EDWARD

  Lady, stand up.

  [She rises.]

  I come to bring thee peace,

  However thereby I have purchased war.

  COUNTESS

  115 No war to you, my liege – the Scots are gone,

  And gallop home toward Scotland with their hate.

  KING EDWARD [aside]

  Lest yielding here I pine in shameful love –

  Come, we’ll pursue the Scots. Artois, away.

  COUNTESS

  A little while, my gracious sovereign, stay,

  120 And let the power of a mighty king

  Honour our roof. My husband in the wars,

  When he shall hear it, will triumph for joy.

  Then, dear my liege, now niggard not thy state;

  Being at the wall, enter our homely gate.

  KING EDWARD

  125 Pardon me, Countess, I will come no near;

  I dreamed tonight of treason, and I fear.

  COUNTESS

  Far from this place let ugly treason lie.

  KING EDWARD [aside]

  No farther off than her conspiring eye,

  Which shoots infected poison in my heart

  130 Beyond repulse of wit or cure of art.

  Now in the sun alone it doth not lie

  With light to take light from a mortal eye,

  For here two day-stars that mine eyes would see

  More than the sun steals mine own light from me.

  135 Contemplative desire, desire to be

  In contemplation that may master thee. –

  Warwick, Artois, to horse and let’s away.

  COUNTESS

  What might I speak to make my sovereign stay?

  KING EDWARD [aside]

  What needs a tongue to such a speaking eye,

  140 That more persuades than winning oratory?

  COUNTESS

  Let not thy presence, like the April sun,

  Flatter our earth and suddenly be done;

  More happy do not make our outward wall

  Than thou wilt grace our inner house withal.

  145 Our house, my liege, is like a country swain,

  Whose habit rude and manners blunt and plain

  Presageth naught, yet inly beautified

  With bounty’s riches and fair, hidden pride;

  For where the golden ore doth buried lie,

  150 The ground, undecked with nature’s tapestry,

  Seems barren, sere, unfertile, fruitless, dry,

  And where the upper turf of earth doth boast

  His pride, perfumes and parti-coloured coast,

  Delve there, and find this issue and their pride

  155 To spring from ordure and corruption’s side.

  But to make up my all-too-long compare,

  These ragged walls no testimony are

  What is within, but like a cloak doth hide

  From weather’s waste the under garnished pride.

  160 More gracious than my terms can let thee be,

  Entreat thyself to stay awhile with me.

  KING EDWARD [aside]

  As wise as fair. What fond fit can be heard

  When wisdom keeps the gate as beauty’s guard? –

  Countess, albeit my business urgeth me,

  165 It shall attend while I attend on thee.

  Come on, my lords, here will I host tonight.

  Exeunt [all but Lodwick].

  LODWICK [2.1]

  I might perceive his eye in her eye lost,

  His ear to drink her sweet tongue’s utterance,

  And changing passions, like inconstant clouds

  170 That rack upon the carriage of the winds,

  Increase and die in his disturbed cheeks.

  Lo, when she blushed, even then did he look pale,

  As if her cheeks by some enchanted power

  Attracted had the cherry blood from his;

  175 Anon, with reverent fear when she grew pale,

  His cheeks put on their scarlet ornaments, [10]

  But no more like her oriental red

  Than brick to coral or live things to dead.

  Why did he then thus counterfeit her looks?

  180 If she did blush, ’twas tender modest shame,

  Being in the sacred presence of a king;

  If he did blush, ’twas red immodest shame,

  To vail his eyes amiss, being a king;

  If she looked pale, ’twas silly woman’s fear,

  185 To bear herself in presence of a king;

  If he looked pale, it was with guilty fear, [20]

  To dote amiss being a mighty king.

  Then Scottish wars, farewell. I fear ’twill prove

  A lingering English siege of peevish love.

  Enter KING EDWARD.

  190 Here comes his highness, walking all alone.

  KING EDWARD

  She is grown more fairer far since I came hither,

  Her voice more silver every word than other,

  Her wit more fluent. What a strange discourse

  Unfolded she of David and his Scots:

  195 ‘Even thus’, quoth she, ‘he spake’, and then spoke

  broad,

  With epithets and accents of the Scot, [30]

  But somewhat better than the Scot could speak,

  ‘And thus’, quoth she, and answered then herself –

  For who could speak like her? But she herself

  200 Breathes from the wall an angel’s note from heaven

  Of sweet defiance to her barbarous foes.

  When she would talk of peace, methinks her tongue

  Commanded war to prison; when of war,

  It wakened Caesar from his Roman grave

  205 To hear war beautified by her discourse.

  Wisdom is foolishness but in her tongue, [40]

  Beauty a slander but in her fair face,

  There is no summer but in her cheerful looks

  Nor frosty winter but in her disdain.

  210 I cannot blame the Scots that did besiege her,

  For she is all the treasure of our land;

  But call them cowards that they ran away

  Having so rich and fair a cause to stay.

  Art thou there, Lodwick? Give me ink and paper.

  LODWICK

  215 I will, my liege.

  KING EDWARD

  And bid the lords hold on their play at chess, [50]

  For we will walk and meditate alone.

  LODWICK

  I will, my sovereign. [Exit.]

  KING EDWARD

  This fellow is well read in poetry

  220 And hath a lusty and persuasive spirit.

  I will acquaint him with my passion,

  Which he shall shadow with a veil of lawn

  Through which the queen of beauty’s queen shall see

  Herself the ground of my infirmity.

  Enter LODWICK.

  225 Hast thou pen, ink and paper ready, Lodwick?

  LODWICK

  Ready, my liege. [60]

  KING EDWARD

  Then in the summer arbour sit by me,

  Make it our council house or cabinet.

  Since green our thoughts, green be the conventicle

  230 Where we will ease us by disburdening them.

  Now, Lodwick, invocate some golden muse

  To bring thee hither an enchanted pen,

  That may for sighs set down true sighs indeed

  Talking of grief to make thee ready groan;

  235 And, when thou writ’st of tears, encouch the word

  Before and after with such sweet laments [70]