55 Or else, inhabiting some barren soil

  Where neither herb or fruitful grain is had,

  Dost altogether live by pilfering;

  Next, insomuch thou hast infringed thy faith,

  Broke league and solemn covenant made with me,

  60 I hold thee for a false pernicious wretch;

  And last of all, although I scorn to cope

  With one so much inferior to myself,

  Yet in respect thy thirst is all for gold,

  Thy labour rather to be feared than loved,

  65 To satisfy thy lust in either part

  Here am I come, and with me have I brought

  Exceeding store of treasure, pearl and coin.

  Leave therefore now to persecute the weak,

  And armed entering conflict with the armed

  70 Let it be seen, ’mongst other petty thefts,

  How thou canst win this pillage manfully.

  KING EDWARD

  If gall or wormwood have a pleasant taste

  Then is thy salutation honey-sweet;

  But as the one hath no such property,

  75 So is the other most satirical.

  Yet wot how I regard thy worthless taunts:

  If thou have uttered them to foil my fame

  Or dim the reputation of my birth,

  Know that thy wolvish barking cannot hurt;

  80 If slyly to insinuate with the world

  And with a strumpet’s artificial line

  To paint thy vicious and deformed cause,

  Be well assured the counterfeit will fade

  And in the end thy foul defects be seen;

  85 But if thou didst it to provoke me on –

  As who should say I were but timorous

  Or, coldly negligent, did need a spur –

  Bethink thyself how slack I was at sea,

  How since my landing I have won no towns,

  90 Entered no further but upon the coast

  And there have ever since securely slept.

  But if I have been otherwise employed,

  Imagine, Valois, whether I intend

  To skirmish not for pillage but for the crown

  95 Which thou dost wear, and that I vow to have,

  Or one of us shall fall into his grave.

  PRINCE EDWARD

  Look not for cross invectives at our hands

  Or railing execrations of despite.

  Let creeping serpents hide in hollow banks

  100 Sting with their tongues, we have remorseless

  swords,

  And they shall plead for us and our affairs.

  Yet thus much briefly, by my father’s leave:

  As all the immodest poison of thy throat

  Is scandalous and most notorious lies,

  105 And our pretended quarrel is truly just,

  So end the battle when we meet today;

  May either of us prosper and prevail

  Or luckless-cursed receive eternal shame.

  KING EDWARD

  That needs no further question, and I know

  110 His conscience witnesseth it is my right.

  Therefore, Valois, say, wilt thou yet resign

  Before the sickle’s thrust into the corn

  Or that enkindled fury turn to flame?

  KING JOHN

  Edward, I know what right thou hast in France,

  115 And ere I basely will resign my crown

  This champion field shall be a pool of blood

  And all our prospect as a slaughter-house.

  PRINCE EDWARD

  Ay, that approves thee, tyrant, what thou art,

  No father, king or shepherd of thy realm,

  120 But one that tears her entrails with thy hands

  And like a thirsty tiger suck’st her blood.

  AUDLEY

  You peers of France, why do you follow him

  That is so prodigal to spend your lives?

  CHARLES

  Whom should they follow, aged impotent,

  125 But he that is their true-born sovereign?

  KING EDWARD

  Upbraid’st thou him because within his face

  Time hath engraved deep characters of age?

  Know that these grave scholars of experience,

  Like stiff-grown oaks, will stand immovable

  130 When whirlwind quickly turns up younger trees.

  DERBY

  Was ever any of thy father’s house

  King but thyself before this present time?

  Edward’s great lineage by the mother’s side

  Five hundred years hath held the sceptre up.

  135 Judge then, conspirators, by this descent,

  Which is the true-born sovereign, this or that.

  PHILIP

  Father, range your battles, prate no more.

  These English fain would spend the time in words,

  That, night approaching, they might escape unfought.

  KING JOHN

  140 Lords, and my loving subjects, now’s the time

  That your intended force must bide the touch.

  Therefore, my friends, consider this in brief:

  He that you fight for is your natural king,

  He against whom you fight a foreigner;

  145 He that you fight for rules in clemency

  And reins you with a mild and gentle bit,

  He against whom you fight, if he prevail,

  Will straight enthrone himself in tyranny,

  Make slaves of you and with a heavy hand

  150 Curtail and curb your sweetest liberty.

  Then to protect your country and your king

  Let but the haughty courage of your hearts

  Answer the number of your able hands

  And we shall quickly chase these fugitives.

  155 For what’s this Edward but a belly-god,

  A tender and lascivious wantonness

  That th’other day was almost dead for love?

  And what, I pray you, is his goodly guard?

  Such as but scant them of their chines of beef

  160 And take away their downy featherbeds

  And presently they are as resty-stiff

  As ’twere a many over-ridden jades.

  Then, Frenchmen, scorn that such should be

  your lords

  And rather bind ye them in captive bands.

  ALL FRENCHMEN

  165 Vive le Roi! God save King John of France!

  KING JOHN

  Now on this plain of Crécy spread yourselves,

  And, Edward, when thou dar’st, begin the fight.

  KING EDWARD

  We presently will meet thee, John of France.

  [Exeunt all French.]

  And, English lords, let us resolve the day

  170 Either to clear us of that scandalous crime

  Or be entombed in our innocence.

  And, Ned, because this battle is the first

  That ever yet thou fought’st in pitched field,

  As ancient custom is of martialists,

  175 To dub thee with the type of chivalry

  In solemn manner we will give thee arms.

  Come, therefore, heralds, orderly bring forth

  A strong attirement for the Prince my son.

  Enter four Heralds, bringing in a coat-armour, a helmet, a lance and a shield.

  [Gives him coat-armour.]

  Edward Plantagenet, in the name of God,

  180 As with this armour I impale thy breast,

  So be thy noble, unrelenting heart

  Walled in with flint of matchless fortitude,

  That never base affections enter there.

  Fight and be valiant, conquer where thou com’st.

  185 Now follow, lords, and do him honour too.

  DERBY [Gives him helmet.]

  Edward Plantagenet, Prince of Wales,

  As I do set this helmet on thy head,

  Wherewith the chamber of thy brain is fenced,

  So may thy temples with Bellona’s hand

  190 Be still adorned with laurel victory.

  Fight and be valiant, conquer where thou com’st.

  AUDLEY [Gives him lance.]

  Edward Plantagenet, Prince of Wales,

  Receive this lance into thy manly hand;

  Use it in fashion of a brazen pen

  195 To draw forth bloody stratagems in France

  And print thy valiant deeds in honour’s book.

  Fight and be valiant, conquer where thou com’st.

  ARTOIS [Gives him shield.]

  Edward Plantagenet, Prince of Wales,

  Hold, take this target, wear it on thy arm;

  200 And may the view thereof, like Perseus’ shield,

  Astonish and transform thy gazing foes

  To senseless images of meagre death.

  Fight and be valiant, conquer where thou com’st.

  KING EDWARD

  Now wants there naught but knighthood, which

  deferred

  205 We leave till thou hast won it in the field.

  PRINCE EDWARD

  My gracious father, and ye forward peers,

  This honour you have done me animates

  And cheers my green, yet-scarce-appearing strength

  With comfortable good-presaging signs,

  210 No otherwise than did old Jacob’s words

  Whenas he breathed his blessings on his sons.

  These hallowed gifts of yours when I profane,

  Or use them not to glory of my God,

  To patronage the fatherless and poor,

  215 Or for the benefit of England’s peace,

  Be numb my joints, wax feeble both mine arms,

  Wither my heart that like a sapless tree

  I may remain the map of infamy.

  KING EDWARD

  Then thus our steeled battles shall be ranged:

  220 The leading of the vaward, Ned, is thine,

  To dignify whose lusty spirit the more

  We temper it with Audley’s gravity,

  That, courage and experience joined in one,

  Your manage may be second unto none;

  225 For the main battles I will guide myself;

  And, Derby, in the rearward march behind.

  That orderly disposed and set in ’rray,

  Let us to horse, and God grant us the day. Exeunt.

  [

  Sc. 7 ] Alarum. Enter a many Frenchmen flying; [3.4]

  after them PRINCE EDWARD running [; and exeunt].

  Then enter KING JOHN and Duke of LORRAINE.

  KING JOHN

  O, Lorraine, say, what mean our men to fly?

  Our number is far greater than our foe’s.

  LORRAINE

  The garrison of Genoese, my lord,

  That came from Paris, weary with their march,

  5 Grudging to be so suddenly employed,

  No sooner in the forefront took their place

  But straight retiring so dismayed the rest

  As likewise they betook themselves to flight;

  In which, for haste to make a safe escape,

  10 More in the clustering throng are pressed to death

  Than by the enemy a thousandfold.

  KING JOHN

  O hapless fortune! Let us yet assay

  If we can counsel some of them to stay. [Exeunt.]

  [

  Sc. 8 ] Enter KING EDWARD and AUDLEY. [3.5]

  KING EDWARD

  Lord Audley, whiles our son is in the chase,

  Withdraw our powers unto this little hill

  And here a season let us breathe ourselves.

  AUDLEY

  I will, my lord. Exit. Sound retreat.

  KING EDWARD

  5 Just-dooming Heaven, whose secret providence

  To our gross judgement is inscrutable,

  How are we bound to praise Thy wondrous works

  That hast this day given way unto the right,

  And made the wicked stumble at themselves.

  Enter ARTOIS.

  ARTOIS

  10 Rescue, King Edward, rescue for thy son!

  KING EDWARD

  Rescue, Artois? What, is he prisoner,

  Or by violence felled beside his horse?

  ARTOIS

  Neither, my lord, but narrowly beset

  With turning Frenchmen whom he did pursue,

  15 As ’tis impossible that he should scape,

  Except your highness presently descend.

  KING EDWARD

  Tut, let him fight. We gave him arms today,

  And he is labouring for a knighthood, man.

  Enter DERBY.

  DERBY

  The Prince, my lord, the Prince! O, succour him!

  20 He’s close encompassed with a world of odds.

  KING EDWARD

  Then will he win a world of honour too

  If he by valour can redeem him thence;

  If not, what remedy? We have more sons

  Than one to comfort our declining age.

  Enter AUDLEY.

  AUDLEY

  25 Renowned Edward, give me leave, I pray,

  To lead my soldiers where I may relieve

  Your grace’s son, in danger to be slain.

  The snares of French like emmets on a bank

  Muster about him, whilst he, lion-like,

  30 Entangled in the net of their assaults,

  Franticly rends and bites the woven toil;

  But all in vain, he cannot free himself.

  KING EDWARD

  Audley, content. I will not have a man,

  On pain of death, sent forth to succour him.

  35 This is the day – ordained by destiny

  To season his courage with those grievous thoughts –

  That, if he breaketh out, Nestor’s years on earth

  Will make him savour still of this exploit.

  DERBY

  Ah, but he shall not live to see those days.

  KING EDWARD

  40 Why then, his epitaph is lasting praise.

  AUDLEY

  Yet, good my lord, ’tis too much wilfulness

  To let his blood be spilt that may be saved.

  KING EDWARD

  Exclaim no more, for none of you can tell

  Whether a borrowed aid will serve or no.

  45 Perhaps he is already slain, or ta’en,

  And dare a falcon when she’s in her flight

  And ever after she’ll be haggard-like.

  Let Edward be delivered by our hands

  And still in danger he’ll expect the like,

  50 But if himself himself redeem from thence

  He will have vanquished, cheerful, death and fear,

  And ever after dread their force no more

  Than if they were but babes or captive slaves.

  AUDLEY

  O, cruel father! Farewell Edward, then.

  DERBY

  55 Farewell, sweet Prince, the hope of chivalry.

  ARTOIS

  O, would my life might ransom him from death!

  [Trumpets sound retreat.]

  KING EDWARD

  But soft, methinks I hear

  The dismal charge of trumpets’ loud retreat.

  All are not slain, I hope, that went with him;

  60 Some will return with tidings, good or bad.

  Enter PRINCE EDWARD in triumph, bearing in his hand his shivered lance, his sword borne by a Soldier, and the King of BOHEMIA borne before, wrapped in the colours. They run and embrace him.

  AUDLEY

  O joyful sight, victorious Edward lives!

  DERBY

  Welcome, brave Prince.

  KING EDWARD Welcome, Plantagenet.

  PRINCE EDWARD

  Kneels and kisses his father’s hand [, then rises.]

  First having done my duty as beseemed,

  Lords, I regreet you all with hearty thanks.

  65 And now behold, after my winter’s toil,

  My painful voyage on the boisterous sea

  Of war’s devouring gulfs and steely rocks,

  I bring my freight unto the wished port,

  My summer’s hope, my travel’s sweet reward;

  70 And here with humble duty I present

  This sacrifice, this first-fruit of my sword,

  Cropped and cut down even at the gate of death:

  The King of Boheme, father, whom I slew,

  When thousands had entrenched me round about

  75 And lay as thick upon my battered crest

  As on an anvil with their ponderous glaives.

  Yet marble courage still did underprop,

  And when my weary arms with often blows –

  Like the continual-labouring woodman’s axe

  80 That is enjoined to fell a load of oaks –

  Began to falter, straight I would recover

  My gifts you gave me, and my zealous vow,

  And then new courage made me fresh again,

  That in despite I carved my passage forth

  85 And put the multitude to speedy flight.

  Lo, thus hath Edward’s hand filled your request

  And done, I hope, the duty of a knight.

  KING EDWARD

  Ay, well thou hast deserved a knighthood, Ned;

  [Prince Edward kneels; King Edward takes the

  Prince’s sword from the Soldier.]

  And therefore with thy sword, yet reeking warm

  90 With blood of those that sought to be thy bane,

  Arise, Prince Edward, trusty knight-at-arms.

  This day thou hast confounded me with joy

  And proved thyself fit heir unto a king.

  PRINCE EDWARD

  Here is a note, my gracious lord, of those

  95 That in this conflict of our foes were slain:

  [Reads.] Eleven princes of esteem, fourscore barons, a hundred and twenty knights and thirty thousand common soldiers; and of our men, a thousand.

  KING EDWARD

  Our God be praised. Now, John of France, I hope

  100 Thou knowst King Edward for no wantonness,

  No lovesick cockney, nor his soldiers jades.

  But which way is the fearful King escaped?

  PRINCE EDWARD

  Towards Poitiers, noble father, and his sons.

  KING EDWARD

  Ned, thou and Audley shall pursue them still.

  105 Myself and Derby will to Calais straight

  And there begirt that haven town with siege.

  Now lies it on an upshot, therefore strike

  And wistly follow whiles the game’s on foot.

  {What picture’s this?

  PRINCE EDWARD A pelican, my lord,

  110 Wounding her bosom with her crooked beak,

  That so her nest of young ones might be fed

  With drops of blood that issue from her heart: