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Edward III: Act I, Scene 2

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Edward III
Act I, Scene 2

Roxborough. Before the castle.

Alex Peckman as the Earl of Warrick and Julie Hughett as Countess of Salisbury

Alex Peckman as the Earl of Warrick and Julie Hughett as Countess of Salisbury

From the Carmel Shakespeare Festival production of Edward III, August, 2001

Smatprt, 2001

  1. Enter the Countess.

Countess

1 - 17
  1. Alas, how much in vain my poor eyes gaze
  2. For succor that my sovereign should send!
  3. Ah, cousin Mountague, I fear thou wants
  4. The lively spirit, sharply to solicit
  5. With vehement suit the king in my behalf:
  6. Thou dost not tell him, what a grief it is
  7. To be the scornful captive of a Scot,
  8. Either to be wooed with broad untuned oaths,
  9. Or forced by rough insulting barbarism;
  10. Thou doest not tell him, if he here prevail,
  11. How much they will deride us in the north,
  12. And, in their wild, uncivil, skipping gigs,
  13. Bray forth their conquest and our overthrow
  14. Even in the barren, bleak, and fruitless air.
  15. Enter David and Douglas, Lorraine.
  16. I must withdraw, the everlasting foe
  17. Comes to the wall; I’ll closely step aside,
  18. And list their babble, blunt and full of pride.

King David

18 - 37
  1. My lord of Lorraine, to our brother of France
  2. Commend us, as the man in Christendom
  3. That we most reverence and entirely love.
  4. Touching your embassage, return and say,
  5. That we with England will not enter parley,
  6. Nor never make fair weather, or take truce;
  7. But burn their neighbor towns, and so persist
  8. With eager roads beyond their city York.
  9. And never shall our bonny riders rest,
  10. Nor rusting canker have the time to eat
  11. Their light borne snaffles nor their nimble spurs,
  12. Nor lay aside their Jacks of Gymould mayle,
  13. Nor hang their staves of grained Scottish ash
  14. In peaceful wise upon their city walls,
  15. Nor from their buttoned tawny leathern belts
  16. Dismiss their biting whinyards, till your King
  17. Cry out, “Enough! Spare England now for pity!”
  18. Farewell, and tell him that you leave us here
  19. Before this castle; say, you came from us,
  20. Even when we had that yielded to our hands.

Duke of Lorraine

38 - 39
  1. I take my leave, and fairly will return
  2. Your acceptable greeting to my king.
  3. Exit Lorraine.

King David

40 - 41
  1. Now, Douglas, to our former task again,
  2. For the division of this certain spoil.

Earl Douglas

42
  1. My liege, I crave the lady, and no more.

King David

43 - 44
  1. Nay, soft ye, sir; first I must make my choice,
  2. And first I do bespeak her for myself.

Earl Douglas

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

King David

46 - 47
  1. Those are her own, still liable to her,
  2. And who inherits her, hath those with all.
  1. Enter First Scottish Messenger in haste.

First Scottish Messenger

48 - 55
  1. My liege, as we were pricking on the hills,
  2. To fetch in booty, marching hitherward,
  3. We might descry a might host of men;
  4. The sun, reflecting on the armor, shewed
  5. A field of plate, a wood of picks advanced.
  6. Bethink your highness speedily herein:
  7. An easy march within four hours will bring
  8. The hindmost rank unto this place, my liege.

King David

56
  1. Dislodge, dislodge! It is the king of England.

Earl Douglas

57
  1. Jemmy, my man, saddle my bonny black.

King David

58
  1. Meanst thou to fight, Douglas? We are too weak.

Earl Douglas

59
  1. I know it well, my liege, and therefore fly.

Countess

60
  1. Coming forward.
  2. My lords of Scotland, will ye stay and drink?

King David

61
  1. She mocks at us, Douglas; I cannot endure it.

Countess

62 - 64
  1. Say, good my lord, which is he must have the Lady,
  2. And which her jewels? I am sure, my lords,
  3. Ye will not hence, till you have shared the spoils.

King David

65 - 66
  1. She heard the messenger, and heard our talk;
  2. And now that comfort makes her scorn at us.
  1. Enter Second Scottish Messenger.

Second Scottish Messenger

67
  1. Arm, my good lord! O, we are all surprised!

Countess

68 - 70
  1. After the French ambassador, my liege,
  2. And tell him, that you dare not ride to York;
  3. Excuse it that your bonny horse is lame.

King David

71 - 72
  1. She heard that too; intolerable grief!
  2. Woman, farewell! Although I do not stay...
  3. Exeunt Scots.

Countess

73 - 81
  1. ’Tis not for fear, and yet you run away.—
  2. O happy comfort, welcome to our house!
  3. The confident and boisterous boasting Scot,
  4. That swore before my walls they would not back
  5. For all the armed power of this land,
  6. With faceless fear that ever turns his back,
  7. Turned hence against the blasting north-east wind
  8. Upon the bare report and name of arms.
  9. Enter Mountague.
  10. O Summer’s day! See where my Cousin comes!

Mountague

82 - 83
  1. How fares my Aunt? We are not Scots;
  2. Why do you shut your gates against your friends?

Countess

84 - 85
  1. Well may I give a welcome, cousin, to thee,
  2. For thou comst well to chase my foes from hence.

Mountague

86 - 87
  1. The king himself is come in person hither;
  2. Dear aunt, descend, and gratulate his highness.

Countess

88 - 89
  1. How may I entertain his majesty,
  2. To shew my duty and his dignity?
  1. Exit, from above.
  1. Enter King Edward, Warwick, Artois, with others.

Edward III

90 - 91
  1. What, are the stealing Foxes fled and gone,
  2. Before we could uncouple at their heels?

Earl of Warwick

92 - 93
  1. They are, my liege; but, with a cheerful cry,
  2. Hot hounds and hardy chase them at the heels.
  1. Enter Countess.

Edward III

94
  1. This is the countess, Warwick, is it not?

Earl of Warwick

95 - 97
  1. Even she, my liege; whose beauty tyrants fear,
  2. As a May blossom with pernicious winds,
  3. Hath sullied, withered, overcast, and done.

Edward III

98
  1. Hath she been fairer, Warwick, than she is?

Earl of Warwick

99 - 101
  1. My gracious King, fair is she not at all,
  2. If that herself were by to stain herself,
  3. As I have scene her when she was herself.

Edward III

102 - 106
  1. What strange enchantment lurked in those her eyes,
  2. When they excelled this excellence they have,
  3. That now her dim decline hath power to draw
  4. My subject eyes from persing majesty,
  5. To gaze on her with doting admiration?

Countess

107 - 112
  1. In duty lower than the ground I kneel,
  2. And for my dull knees bow my feeling heart,
  3. To witness my obedience to your highness,
  4. With many millions of a subject’s thanks
  5. For this your royal presence, whose approach
  6. Hath driven war and danger from my gate.

Edward III

113 - 114
  1. Lady, stand up; I come to bring thee peace,
  2. How ever thereby I have purchased war.

Countess

115 - 116
  1. No war to you, my liege; the Scots are gone,
  2. And gallop home toward Scotland with their hate.

Edward III

117 - 118
  1. Least, yielding here, I pine in shameful love,
  2. Come, we’ll pursue the Scots;—Artois, away!

Countess

119 - 124
  1. A little while, my gracious sovereign, stay,
  2. And let the power of a mighty king
  3. Honor our roof; my husband in the wars,
  4. When he shall hear it, will triumph for joy;
  5. Then, dear my liege, now niggard not thy state:
  6. Being at the wall, enter our homely gate.

Edward III

125 - 126
  1. Pardon me, countess, I will come no near;
  2. I dreamed tonight of treason, and I fear.

Countess

127
  1. Far from this place let ugly treason lie!

Edward III

128 - 137
  1. No farther off, than her conspiring eye,
  2. Which shoots infected poison in my heart,
  3. Beyond repulse of wit or cure of art.
  4. Now, in the sun alone it doth not lie,
  5. With light to take light from a mortal eye;
  6. For here two day stars that mine eyes would see
  7. More than the sun steals mine own light from me,
  8. Contemplative desire, desire to be
  9. In contemplation, that may master thee!
  10. Warwick, Artois, to horse and let’s away!

Countess

138
  1. What might I speak to make my sovereign stay?

Edward III

139 - 140
  1. What needs a tongue to such a speaking eye,
  2. That more persuades than winning Oratory?

Countess

141 - 161
  1. Let not thy presence, like the April sun,
  2. Flatter our earth and suddenly be done.
  3. More happy do not make our outward wall
  4. Than thou wilt grace our inner house withal.
  5. Our house, my liege, is like a country swain,
  6. Whose habit rude and manners blunt and plain
  7. Presageth nought, yet inly beautified
  8. With bounties, riches and faire hidden pride.
  9. For where the golden ore doth buried lie,
  10. The ground, undecked with nature’s tapestry,
  11. Seems barren, sere, unfertile, fructless, dry;
  12. And where the upper turf of earth doth boast
  13. His pied perfumes and party colored coat,
  14. Delve there, and find this issue and their pride
  15. To spring from ordure and corruption’s side.
  16. But, to make up my all too long compare,
  17. These ragged walls no testimony are,
  18. What is within; but, like a cloak, doth hide
  19. From weather’s Waste the under garnished pride.
  20. More gracious then my terms can let thee be,
  21. Intreat thyself to stay a while with me.

Edward III

162 - 165
  1. As wise, as fair; what fond fit can be heard,
  2. When wisdom keeps the gate as beauty’s guard?—
  3. It shall attend, while I attend on thee:
  4. Come on, my lords; here will I host tonight.
  1. Exeunt.
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