Shakespeare's Kings (134 page)

Kneels, and kisses his father's hand

Lords, I regreet you all with hearty thanks.

And now, behold, — after my winter's toil,

My painful voyage on the boist'rous sea

Of war's devouring gulfs and steely rocks,

-I bring my fraught unto the wished port,

My summer's hope, my travel's sweet reward:

(III, iv) And here with humble duty I present

This sacrifice, this first fruit of my sword,

Cropp'd and cut down even at the gate of death,

The King of Boheme, father, whom I slew;

Whose thousands had intrench'd me round about,

And lay as thick upon my batter'd crest

As on an anvil with their pond'rous glaives:

Yet marble courage still did underprop;

And when my weary arms with often blows,

Like the continual-lab'ring woodman's axe

That is enjoin'd to fell a load of oaks,

Began to falter, straight I would remember

My gifts you gave me and my zealous vow,

And then new courage made me fresh again;

That, in despite, I carv'd my passage forth

And put the multitude to speedy flight.

Lo, thus hath Edward's hand fill'd your request,

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

k. ed
. Ay, well thou hast deserv'd a knighthood, Ned!

And, therefore, with thy sword, yet reeking warm

His sword borne by a soldier

With blood of those that fought 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.

pr. ed
. Here is a note, my gracious lord, of those

That in this conflict of our foes were slain:

Eleven princes of esteem; fourscore

Barons; a hundred and twenty knights;

And thirty thousand common soldiers;

And, of our men, a thousand.

[k. ed
.] Our God be praised!

Now, John of France, I hope,

Thou know'st King Edward for no wantonness,

No love-sick cockney; nor his soldiers, jades. -

But which way is the fearful king escap'd?

pr. ed
. Towards Poitiers, noble father, and his sons.

k. ed
. Ned, thou and Audley shall pursue them still;

Myself and Derby will to Calice straight,

And there begirt that haven-town with siege:

Now lies it on an upshot; therefore strike,

And wi
stly
follow while the game's on foot.

What picture's this?
[Pointing to the colours]

pr. ed.
A pelican, my lord,

(IV, ii) That so expense of victuals may be sav'd.

k. ed
. A charitable deed, no doubt, and worthy praise.

-But how do you imagine then to speed?

We are your enemies; in such a case

We can no less but put you to the sword,

Since, when we proffer'd truce, it was refus'd.

first fr
. An if your grace no otherwise vouchsafe,

As welcome death is unto us as life.

k. ed
. Poor silly men, much wrong'd and more distress'd!

-Go, Derby, go, and see they be reliev'd;

Command that victuals be appointed them

And give to every one five crowns a-piece:-

[Exeunt Derby and Frenchmen]

The Hon scorns to touch the yielding prey,

And Edward's sword must flesh itself in such

As wilful stubbornness hath made perverse. -

Enter Lord Percy

Lord Percy! welcome: what's the news in England?

per
. The queen, my lord, comes here to your grace;

And from her highness and the lord vicegerent

I bring this happy tidings of success:

David of
Scotland
, lately up in arms,

(Thinking, belike, he soonest should prevail,

Your highness being absent from the realm)

Is, by the fruitful service of your peers

And painful travel
of the
queen herself

That, big with child, was every day in arms,

Vanquish'd, subdu'd and taken prisoner.

k. ed
. Thanks, Percy, for thy news, with all my heart!

What was he, took him prisoner in the field?

per
. A squire, my lord; John Copland is his name:

Who since, entreated by her majesty,

Denies to make surrender of his prize

To any but unto your grace alone;

Whereat the queen is grievously displeas'd.

k. ed
. Well, then we'll have a pursuivant despatch'd

To summon Copland hither out of hand,

And with him he shall bring his prisoner king.

per
. The queen's, my lord, herself by this at sea,

And purposeth, as soon as wind will serve,

To land at Calice and to visit you.

k. ed
. She shall be welcome; and, to wait her coming

I'll pitch my tent near to the sandy shore.

(IV, ii)
Enter a [French] Captain

cap
. The burgesses of Calice, mighty king,

Have, by a council, willingly decreed

To yield the town and
castle
to your hands,

Upon condition it will please your grace

To grant them benefit of life and goods.

k. ed
. They will so! then, belike, they may command,

Dispose, elect, and govern as they list.

No, sirrah, tell them, since they did refuse

Our princely clemency at first proclaim'd,

They shall not have it now, although they would;

[I] will accept nought but fire and sword,

Except, within these two days, six of them,

That are the wealthiest merchants in the town,

Come naked, all but for their linen shirts,

With each a halter hang'd about his neck,

And prostrate yield themselves, upon their knees,

To be afflicted, hang'd, or what I please;

And so you may inform their masterships.

Exeunt

cap
. Why, this it is to trust a broken staff.

Had we not been persuaded, John our king

Would with his army have reliev'd the town,

We had not stood upon defiance so.

But now 'tis past that no man can recall,

And better some do go to work, than all.

Exit

scene
iii

Poitou. Fields near Poitiers. The French Camp. Enter

Charles of Normandy and Villiers.

char
. I wonder, Villiers, thou shouldst importune me

For one that is our deadly enemy.

vil
. Not for his sake, my gracious lord, so much

Am I become an earnest advocate

As that thereby my ransom will be quit.

char
. Thy ransom, man! why need'st thou talk of that?

Art thou not free? and are not all occasions,

That happen for advantage of our foes,

To be accepted of and stood upon?
vil
. No, good, my lord, except the same be just;

For profit must with honour be comix'd

(IV, iii) Or else our actions are but scandalous:

But, letting pass these intricate objections,

Will't please your highness to subscribe, or no?

char
. Villiers, I will not nor I cannot do it;

Salisbury shall not have his will so much,

To claim a passport how it please himself.

vil
. Why, then I know the extremity, my lord:

I must return to prison whence I came.

char
. Return! I hope, thou wilt not.

What bird that hath escap'd the fowler's gin

Will not beware how she's ensnar'd again?

Or what is he so senseless and secure,

That, having hardly pass'd a dangerous gulf,

Will put himself in peril there again?

vil
. Ah, but it is mine oath, my gracious lord,

Which I in conscience may not violate,

Or else a kingdom should not draw me hence.

char
. Thine oath! why, that doth bind thee to abide:

Hast thou not sworn obedience to thy prince?

vil
. In all things that upri
ghtly
he commands.

But either to persuade or threaten me

Not to perform the covenant of my word

Is lawless and I need not to obey.

char
. Why, is it lawful for a man to kill

And not to break a promise with his foe?

vil
. To kill, my lord, when war is once proclaim'd,

So that our quarrel be for wrongs receiv'd,

No doubt, is lawfully permitted us:

But, in an oath, we must be well advis'd

How we do swear, and, when we once have sworn,

Not to infringe it, though we die therefore.

Therefore, my lord, as willing I return

As if I were to fly to paradise.

char
. Stay, my Villiers; thine honourable mind

Deserves to be eternally admir'd.

Thy suit shall be no longer thus deferr'd;

Give me the paper, I'll subscribe to it:

And, wheretofore I lov'd thee as Villiers,

Hereafter I'll embrace thee as myself;

Stay, and be still in favour with thy lord.

vil
. I humbly thank your grace, I must despatch

And send this passport first unto the earl,

And then I will attend your highness' pleasure.

(IV, iii)
char.
D
o
so
, Villiers; - and Charles, when he hath need,

Be such his soldiers, howsoe'er he speed!

Exit Villiers

Enter King John

k.
john
. Come, Charles, and arm thee; Edward is entrapp'd,

The Prince of Wales is fall'n into our hands,

And we have compass'd him, he cannot scape.

char
. But will your highness fight to-day?

k.
john
. What else, my son? he's scarce eight thousand strong,

And we are threescore thousand at the least.

char
. I have a prophecy, my gracious lord,

Wherein is written what success is like

To happen us in this outrageous war;

It was deliver'd me at Cressy's field