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Edward III: Act III, Scene 5

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Edward III
Act III, Scene 5

Picardy. The fields near Cressy.

  1. Enter King Edward and Audley.

Edward III

1 - 3
  1. Lord Audley, whiles our son is in the chase,
  2. With draw our powers unto this little hill,
  3. And here a season let us breath ourselves.

Audley

4
  1. I will, my lord.
  1. Exit. Sound Retreat.

Edward III

5 - 9
  1. Just dooming heaven, whose secret providence
  2. To our gross judgement is inscrutable,
  3. How are we bound to praise thy wondrous works,
  4. That hast this day given way unto the right,
  5. And made the wicked stumble at themselves!
  1. Enter Artois.

Robert of Artois

10
  1. Rescue, king Edward! Rescue for thy son!

Edward III

11 - 12
  1. Rescue, Artois? What, is he prisoner,
  2. Or by violence fell beside his horse?

Robert of Artois

13 - 16
  1. Neither, my lord: but narrowly beset
  2. With turning Frenchmen, whom he did pursue,
  3. As ’tis impossible that he should scape,
  4. Except your highness presently descend.

Edward III

17 - 18
  1. Tut, let him fight; we gave him arms today,
  2. And he is laboring for a knighthood, man.
  1. Enter Derby.

Earl of Derby

19 - 20
  1. The Prince, my lord, the Prince! Oh, succor him!
  2. He’s close incompast with a world of odds!

Edward III

21 - 32
  1. Then will he win a world of honor too,
  2. If he by valor can redeem him thence;
  3. If not, what remedy? We have more sons
  4. Than one, to comfort our declining age.
  5. Enter Audley.
  6. Renowned Edward, give me leave, I pray,
  7. To lead my soldiers where I may relieve
  8. Your Grace’s son, in danger to be slain.
  9. The snares of French, like emmets on a bank,
  10. Muster about him; whilest he, lion-like,
  11. Intangled in the net of their assaults,
  12. Franticly wrends, and bites the woven toil;
  13. But all in vain, he cannot free himself.

Edward III

33 - 38
  1. Audley, content; I will not have a man,
  2. On pain of death, sent forth to succor him:
  3. This is the day, ordained by destiny,
  4. To season his courage with those grievous thoughts,
  5. That, if he breaketh out, Nestor’s years on earth
  6. Will make him savor still of this exploit.

Earl of Derby

39
  1. Ah, but he shall not live to see those days.

Edward III

40
  1. Why, then his epitaph is lasting praise.

Audley

41 - 42
  1. Yet, good my lord, ’tis too much willfulness,
  2. To let his blood be spilt, that may be saved.

Edward III

43 - 53
  1. Exclaim no more; for none of you can tell
  2. Whether a borrowed aid will serve, or no;
  3. Perhaps he is already slain or ta’en.
  4. And dare a falcon when she’s in her flight,
  5. And ever after she’ll be haggard like:
  6. Let Edward be delivered by our hands,
  7. And still, in danger, he’ll expect the like;
  8. But if himself himself redeem from thence,
  9. He will have vanquished cheerful death and fear,
  10. And ever after dread their force no more
  11. Than if they were but babes or captive slaves.

Audley

54
  1. O cruel Father! Farewell, Edward, then!

Earl of Derby

55
  1. Farewell, sweet Prince, the hope of chivalry!

Robert of Artois

56
  1. O, would my life might ransom him from death!
  1. Retreat sounded.

Edward III

57 - 60
  1. But soft, me thinks I hear
  2. The dismal charge of trumpets’ loud retreat.
  3. All are not slain, I hope, that went with him;
  4. Some will return with tidings, good or bad.
  1. Enter Prince Edward in triumph, bearing in his hands his
  2. chivered lance, and the King of Bohemia, borne before,
  3. wrapped in the colors. They run and embrace him.

Audley

61
  1. O joyful sight! Victorious Edward lives!

Earl of Derby

62
  1. Welcome, brave Prince!

Edward III

63
  1. Welcome, Plantagenet!

Prince Edward

64 - 88
  1. Kneels and kisses his father’s hand.
  2. First having done my duty as beseemed,
  3. Lords, I regreet you all with hearty thanks.
  4. And now, behold, after my winter’s toil,
  5. My painful voyage on the boisterous sea
  6. Of wars devouring gulfs and steely rocks,
  7. I bring my fraught unto the wished port,
  8. My summer’s hope, my travels’ sweet reward:
  9. And here, with humble duty, I present
  10. This sacrifice, this first fruit of my sword,
  11. Cropped and cut down even at the gate of death,
  12. The king of Boheme, father, whom I slew;
  13. Whose thousands had entrenched me round about,
  14. And lay as thick upon my battered crest,
  15. As on an anvil, with their ponderous glaves:
  16. Yet marble courage still did underprop
  17. And when my weary arms, with often blows,
  18. Like the continual laboring wood-man’s Axe
  19. That is enjoined to fell a load of oaks,
  20. Began to faulter, straight I would record
  21. My gifts you gave me, and my zealous vow,
  22. And then new courage made me fresh again,
  23. That, in despite, I carved my passage forth,
  24. And put the multitude to speedy flight.
  25. Lo, thus hath Edward’s hand filled your request,
  26. And done, I hope, the duty of a knight.

Edward III

89 - 94
  1. Aye, well thou hast deserved a knighthood, Ned!
  2. And, therefore, with thy sword, yet reaking warm
  3. His sword borne by a soldier.
  4. With blood of those that fought to be thy bane.
  5. Arise, Prince Edward, trusty knight at arms:
  6. This day thou hast confounded me with joy,
  7. And proud thyself fit heir unto a king.

Prince Edward

95 - 99
  1. Here is a note, my gracious lord, of those
  2. That in this conflict of our foes were slain:
  3. Eleven princes of esteem, four score barons,
  4. A hundred and twenty knights, and thirty thousand
  5. Common soldiers; and, of our men, a thousand.

Edward III

100 - 103
  1. Our God be praised! Now, John of France, I hope,
  2. Thou knowest King Edward for no wantoness,
  3. No love sick cockney, nor his soldiers jades.
  4. But which way is the fearful king escaped?

Prince Edward

104
  1. Towards Poitiers, noble father, and his sons.

Edward III

105 - 110
  1. Ned, thou and Audley shall pursue them still;
  2. Myself and Derby will to Calice straight,
  3. And there be begirt that haven town with siege.
  4. Now lies it on an upshot; therefore strike,
  5. And wistly follow, whiles the game’s on foot.
  6. What picture’s this?

Prince Edward

111 - 115
  1.                      A pelican, my lord,
  2. Wounding her bosom with her crooked beak,
  3. That so her nest of young ones may be fed
  4. With drops of blood that issue from her heart;
  5. The motto, Sic et vos: “And so should you”.
  1. Exeunt.
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