I go Pr. How confident their strength and number makes them Now Audley sound those siluer winges of thine And let those milke white messengers of time Shew thy times learning in this dangerous time Thy selfe art busie and bit with many broiles And stratagems sore past with yron pens Are texted in thine honorable face Thou art a married man in this distresse But danger wooes me as a blushing maide Teach me an answere to this perillous time Aud. To die is all as common as to liue The one in choice the other holds in chase For from the instant we begin to liue We do pursue and hunt the time to die First bud we then we blow and after seed Then presently we fall and as a shade Followes the bodie so we follow death If then we hunt for death why do we feare it If we feare it why do we follow it If we do teare how can we shun it If we do feare with feare we do but aide The thing we feare to seize on vs the sooner If wee feare not then no resolued proffer Can ouerthrow the limit of our fate For whether ripe or rotten drop we shall as we do drawe the lotterie of our doome Pri. Ah good olde man a thousand thousand armors These wordes of thine haue buckled on my backe Ah what an idiot hast thou made of lyfe To seeke the thing it feares and how disgrast The imperiall victorie of murdring death Since all the liues his conquering arrowes strike Seeke him and he not them to shame his glorie I will not giue a pennie for a lyfe Nor halfe a halfe penie to shun grim death Since for to liue is but to seeke to die And dying but beginning of new lyfe Let come the houre when he that rules it will To liue or die I hold indifferent Exeunt Enter king Iohn and Charles Ioh: A sodaine darknes hath defast the skie The windes are crept into their caues for feare the leaues moue not the world is husht and still the birdes cease singing and the wandring brookes Murmure no wonted greeting to their shores Silence attends some wonder and expecteth That heauen should pronounce some prophesie Where or from whome proceeds this silence Charles Ch: Our men with open mouthes and staring eyes Looke on each other as they did attend Each others wordes and yet no creature speakes A tongue-tied feare hath made a midnight houre and speeches sleepe through all the waking regions Ioh: But now the pompeous Sunne in all his pride Lookt through his golden coach vpon the worlde and on a sodaine hath he hid himselfe that now the vnder earth is as a graue Darke deadly silent and vncomfortable A clamor of rauens Harke what a deadly outcrie do I heare Ch. Here comes my brother Phillip Ioh. All dismaid What fearefull words are those thy lookes presage Pr. A flight a flight Ioh: Coward what flight thou liest there needs no flight Pr. A flight Kin: Awake thy crauen powers and tell on the substance of that verie feare in deed Which is so gastly printed in thy face What is the matter Pr. A flight of vgly rauens Do croke and houer ore our souldiers heads And keepe in triangles and cornerd squares Right as our forces are imbatteled With their approach there came this sodain fog Which now hath hid the airie flower of heauen And made at noone a night vnnaturall Vpon the quaking and dismaied world In briefe our souldiers haue let fall their armes and stand like metamorphosd images Bloudlesse and pale one gazing on another Io: I now I call to mind the prophesie But I must giue no enterance to a feare Returne and harten vp these yeelding soules Tell them the rauens seeing them in armes So many faire against a famisht few Come but to dine vpon their handie worke and praie vpon the carrion that they kill For when we see a horse laid downe to die although not dead the rauenous birds Sit watching the departure of his life Euen so these rauens for the carcases Of those poore English that are markt to die Houer about and if they crie to vs T is but for meate that we must kill for them Awaie and comfort vp my souldiers and sound the trumpets and at once dispatch This litle busines of a silly fraude Exit Pr. Another noise Salisbury brought in by a French Captaine Cap: Behold my liege this knight and fortie mo Of whom the better part are slaine and fled With all indeuor sought to breake our rankes And make their waie to the incompast prince Dispose of him as please your maiestie Io: Go the next bough souldier that thou seest Disgrace it with his bodie presently For I doo hold a tree in France too good To be the gallowes of an English theefe Sa: My Lord of Normandie I haue your passe And warrant for my safetie through this land Ch. Villiers procurd it for thee did he not Sal: He did Ch: And it is currant thou shalt freely passe En Io: I freely to the gallows to be hangd Without deniall or impediment Awaie with him Vil. I hope your highnes will not so disgrace me and dash the vertue of my seale at armes He hath my neuer broken name to shew Carectred with this princely hande of mine and rather let me leaue to be a prince Than break the stable verdict of a prince I doo beseech you let him passe in quiet Ki Thou and thy word lie both in my command What canst thou promise that I cannot breake Which of these twaine is greater infamie To disobey thy father or thy selfe Thy word nor no mans may exceed his power Nor that same man doth neuer breake his worde That keepes it to the vtmost of his power The breach of faith dwels in the soules consent Which if thy selfe without consent doo breake Thou art not charged with the breach of faith Go hang him for thy lisence lies in mee and my constraint stands the excuse for thee Ch. VVhat am I not a soldier in my word Then armes adieu and let them fight that list Shall I not giue my girdle from my wast But with a gardion I shall be controld To saie I may not giue my things awaie Vpon my soule had Edward prince of VVales Ingagde his word writ downe his noble hand For all your knights to passe his fathers land The roiall king to grace his warlike sonne VVould not alone safe conduct giue to them But with all bountie feasted them and theirs Kin: Dwelst thou on presidents then be it so Say Englishman of what degree thou art Sa: An Earle in England though a prisoner here And those that knowe me call me Salisburie Kin: Then Salisburie say whether thou art bound Sa. To Callice where my liege king Edward is Kin: To Callice Salisburie then to Callice packe and bid the king prepare a noble graue To put his princely sonne blacke Edward in and as thou trauelst westward from this place Some two
in the sea Had been preuented of this mortall griefe Ki Content thee Phillip t is not teares will serue To call him backe if he be taken hence Comfort thy selfe as I do gentle Queene With hope of sharpe vnheard of dyre reuenge He bids me to prouide his funerall And so I will but all the Peeres in Fraunce Shall mourners be and weepe out bloody teares Vntill their emptie vaines be drie and sere The pillers of his hearse shall be his bones The mould that couers him their Citie ashes His knell the groning cryes of dying men And in the stead of tapers on his tombe an hundred fiftie towers shall burning blaze While we bewaile our valiant sonnes decease After a flourish sounded within enter an herald He. Reioyce my Lord ascend the imperial throne The mightie and redoubted prince of Wales Great seruitor to bloudie Mars in armes The French mans terror and his countries fame Triumphant rideth like a Romane peere and lowly at his stirop comes a foot King Iohn of France together with his sonne In captiue bonds whose diadem he brings To crowne thee with and to proclaime thee king Ki. Away with mourning Phillip wipe thine eies Sound Trumpets welcome in Plantaginet Enter Prince Edward king Iohn Phillip Audley Artoys Ki As things long lost when they are found again So doth my sonne reioyce his fathers heart For whom euen now my soule was much perplext Q. Be this a token to expresse my ioy kisse him For inward passions will not let me speake Pr. My gracious father here receiue the gift This wreath of conquest and reward of warre Got with as mickle perill of our liues as ere was thing of price before this daie Install your highnes in your proper right and heere withall I render to your hands These prisoners chiefe occasion of our strife Kin: So Iohn of France I see you keepe your word You promist to be sooner with our selfe Then we did thinke for and t is so in deed But had you done at first as now you do How many ciuill townes had stoode vntoucht That now are turnd to ragged heaps of stones How many peoples liues mightst thou haue saud that are vntimely sunke into their graues Io: Edward recount not things irreuocable Tell me what ransome thou requirest to haue Kin: Thy ransome Iohn hereafter shall be known But first to England thou must crosse the seas To see what intertainment it affords How ere it fals it cannot be so bad as ours hath bin since we ariude in France Ioh: Accursed man of this I was fortolde But did misconster what the prophet told Pri Now father this petition Edward makes To thee whose grace hath bin his strongest shield That as thy pleasure chose me for the man To be the instrument to shew thy power So thou wilt grant that many princes more Bred and brought vp within that little Isle May still be famous for lyke victories and for my part the bloudie scars I beare The wearie nights that I haue watcht in field The dangerous conflicts I haue often had The fearefull menaces were proffered me The heate and cold and what else might displease I wish were now redoubled twentie fold So that hereafter ages when they reade The painfull traffike of my tender youth Might thereby be inflamd with such resolue as not the territories of France alone But likewise Spain Turkie and what countries els That iustly would prouoke faire Englands ire Might at their presence tremble and retire Kin: Here English Lordes we do proclaime a rest an intercession of our painfull armes Sheath vp your swords refresh your weary lims Peruse your spoiles and after we haue breathd a daie or two within this hauen towne God willing then for England we le be shipt VVhere in a happie houre I trust we shall Ariue three kings two princes and a queene FINIS
take Horse and post from hence Onely before thou goest sweare by thy faith That if thou canst not compasse my desire Thou wilt returne my prisoner backe againe And that shal be sufficient warrant for mee Vil: To that condition I agree my Lord And will vnfaynedly performe the same Exit Sal: Farewell Villiers Thus once I meane to trie a French mans faith Exit Enter King Edward and Derby with Souldiers Kin: Since they refuse our profered league my Lord And will not ope their gates and let vs in We will intrench our selues on euery side That neither vituals nor supply of men May come to succour this accursed towne Famine shall combate where our swords are stopt Enter sixe poore Frenchmen Der. The promised aid that made them stand aloofe Is now retirde and gone an other way It will repent them of their stubborne will But what are these poore ragged slaues my Lord Ki Edw Aske what they are it seemes they come from Callis Der. You wretched patterns of dispayre and woe What are you liuing men er glyding ghosts Crept from your graues to walke vpon the earth Poore No ghosts my Lord but men that breath a life Farre worse then is the quiet sleepe of death Wee are distressed poore inhabitants That long haue been deseased sicke and lame And now because we are not fit to serue The Captayne of the towne hath thrust vs foorth That so expence of victuals may be saued 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 lesse but put ye to the sword Since when we proffered truce it was refusde So: And if your grace no otherwise vouchsafe As welcome death is vnto vs as life Ki Poore silly men much wrongd and more distrest Go Derby go and see they be relieud Command that victuals be appoynted them And giue to euery one fiue Crownes a peece The Lion scornes to touch the yeelding pray And Edwards sword must fresh it selfe in such As wilfull stubbornnes hath made peruerse Enter Lord Pearsie Ki Lord Persie welcome what 's the newes in England Per: The Queene my Lord comes heere to your Grace And from hir highnesse and the Lord vicegerent I bring this happie tidings of successe Dauid of Scotland lately vp in armes Thinking belike he soonest should preuaile Your highnes being absent from the Realme Is by the fruitfull seruice of your peeres And painefull trauell of the Queene her selfe That big with child was euery day in armes Vanquisht subdude and taken prisoner Ki Thanks Persie for thy newes with all my hart What was he tooke him prisoner in the field Per. A Esquire my Lord Iohn Copland is his name Who since intreated by her Maiestie Denies to make surrender of his prize To anie but vnto your grace alone Whereat the Queene is greouously displeasd Ki Well then we le haue a Pursiuaunt dispatch To summon Copland hither out of hand And with him he shall bring his prisoner king Per: The Queene my Lord her selfe by this at Sea And purposeth as soone as winde will serue To land at Callis and to visit you Ki She shall be welcome and to wait her comming I le pitch my tent neere to the sandy shore Enter a Captayne The Burgesses of Callis mighty king Haue by a counsell willingly decreed To yeeld the towne and Castle to your hands Vpon condition it will please your grace To graunt them benefite of life and goods K. Ed. They wil so Then belike they may command Dispose elect and gouerne as they list No sirra tell them since they did refuse Our princely clemencie at first proclaymed They shall not haue it now although they would Will accept of nought but fire and sword Except within these two daies sixe of them That are the welthiest marchaunts in the towne Come naked all but for their linnen shirts With each a halter hangd about his necke And prostrate yeeld themselues vpon their knees To be afflicted hanged or what I please And so you may informe their masterships Exeunt Cap. Why this it is to trust a broken staffe Had we not been perswaded Iohn our King Would with his armie haue releeud the towne We had not stood vpon defiance so But now t 's past that no man can recall And better some do go to wrack then all Exit Enter Charles of Normandy and Villiers Ch: I wounder Villiers thou shouldest importune me For one that is our deadly ennemie Vil: Not for his sake my gratious Lord so much Am I become an earnest aduocate As that thereby my ransome will be quit Ch: Thy ransome man why needest thou talke of that Art thou not free and are not all occasions That happen for aduantage of our foes To be accepted of and stood vpon Vil: No good my Lord except the same be iust For profit must with honor be comixt Or else our actions are but scandalous But letting passe these intricate obiections Wilt please your highnes to subscribe or no Ch. Villiers I will not nor I cannot do it Salisbury shall not haue his will so much To clayme a pasport how it pleaseth himselfe Vil: Why then I know the extremitie my Lord I must returne to prison whence I came Ch Returne I hope thou wilt not What bird that hath escapt the fowlers gin Will not beware how shee s insnard againe Or what is he so senceles and secure That hauing hardely past a dangerous gulfe Will put him selfe in perill there againe Vil: Ah but it is mine othe my gratious Lord Which I in conscience may not violate Or else a kingdome should not draw me hence Ch: Thine othe why that doth bind thee to abide Hast thou not sworne obedience to thy Prince Vil: In all things that vprightly he commands But either to perswade or threaten me Not to performe the couenant of my word Is lawlesse and I need not to obey Ch: Why is it lawfull for a man to kill And not to breake a promise with his foe Vil: To kill my Lord when warre is once proclaymd So that our quarrel be for wrongs receaude No doubt is lawfully permitted vs But in an othe we must be well aduisd How we do sweare and when we once haue sworne Not to infringe it though we die therefore Therefore my Lord as willing I returne As if I were to flie to paradise Ch: Stay my Villeirs thine honorable minde Deserues to be eternally admirde Thy sute shal be no longer thus deferd Giue me the paper I le subscribe to it And wheretofore I loued thee as Villeirs Heereafter I le embrace thee as my selfe Stay and be still in fauour with thy Lord Vil: I humbly thanke your grace I must dispatch And send this pasport first vnto the Earle And then I will attend your highnes pleasure Ch. Do so Villeirs and Charles when he hath neede Be such his souldiers howsoeuer he speede Exit Villeirs