Take I my leave, and fairly will return

Your acceptable greeting to my King. Exit

KING OF SCOTLAND (to Douglas)

Now, Douglas, to our former task again

For the division of this certain spoil.

DOUGLAS

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

KING OF SCOTLAND

Nay, soft ye, sir; first I must make my choice,

And first I do bespeak her for myself.

DOUGLAS

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

KING OF SCOTLAND

Those are her own, still liable to her;

And who inherits her hath those with all.

Enter a Scottish messenger in haste

MESSENGER

My liege, as we were pricking on the hills

To fetch in booty, marching hitherward

We might descry a mighty host of men.

The sun, reflecting on the armour, showed

A field of plate; a wood of picks advanced.

Bethink your highness speedily herein:

An easy march within four hours will bring

The hindmost rank unto this place, my liege.

KING OF SCOTLAND

Dislodge! Dislodge! It is the King of England!

DOUGLAS ⌈to the Messenger⌉

Jemmy, my man, saddle my bonny black.

KING OF SCOTLAND

Mean’st thou to fight, Douglas? We are too weak.

DOUGLAS

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

COUNTESS OF SALISBURY (coming forward above)

My lords of Scotland, will ye stay and drink?

KING OF SCOTLAND

She mocks us, Douglas. I cannot endure it.

COUNTESS OF SALISBURY

Say, good my lord, which is he must have the lady,

And which her jewels? I am sure, my lords,

Ye will not hence till you have shared the spoils.

KING OF SCOTLAND

She heard the messenger and heard our talk,

And now that comfort makes her scorn at us.

Enter another ⌈Scottish⌉ messenger

SECOND MESSENGER

Arm, my good lord! O we are all surprised!

After the French ambassador, my liege,

And tell him that you dare not ride to York.

⌈COUNTESS OF SALISBURY (to the King of Scotland)⌉

Excuse it that your bonny horse is lame.

KING OF SCOTLAND ⌈aside⌉

She heard that too! Intolerable grief!

(To the Countess) Woman, farewell, although I do not stay—

COUNTESS OF SALISBURY

‘Tis not for fear, and yet you run away. ⌈Exeunt Scots⌉

O happy comfort, welcome to our house!

The confident and boist’rous boasting Scot,

That swore before my walls they would not back

For all the armed power of this land,

With faceless fear that ever turns his back,

Turned hence against the blasting north-east wind

Upon the bare report and name of arms!

Enter Sir William de Montague with soldiers

O summer’s day! See where my cousin comes!

MONTAGUE

How fares my aunt? We are not Scots—

Why do you shut your gates against your friends?

COUNTESS OF SALISBURY

Well may I give a welcome, coz, to thee,

For thou com’st well to chase my foes from hence.

MONTAGUE

The King himself is come in person hither.

Dear aunt, descend, and gratulate his highness.

COUNTESS OF SALISBURY

How may I entertain his majesty

To show my duty and his dignity?

Exit from above

Enter King Edward, the Earl of Warwick and the Comte d’Artois, with others, ⌈including Lodowick⌉

KING EDWARD

What, are the stealing foxes fled and gone

Before we could uncouple at their heels?

EARL OF WARWICK

They are, my liege, but with a cheerful cry

Hot hounds and hardy chase them at the heels.

Enter the Countess of Salisbury below

KING EDWARD

This is the Countess, Warwick, is it not?

EARL OF WARWICK

Even she, my liege, whose beauty tyrants’ fear—

As a May blossom with pernicious winds—

Hath sullied, withered, overcast and done.

KING EDWARD

Hath she been fairer, Warwick, than she is?

EARL OF WARWICK

My gracious King, fair is she not at all

If that her self were by to stain herself

As I have seen her when she was her self.

KING EDWARD ⌈aside⌉

What strange enchantment lurked in those her eyes,

When they excelled this excellence they have,

That now her dim decline hath power to draw

My subject eyes from piercing majesty

To gaze on her with doting admiration?

COUNTESS OF SALISBURY (kneeling before King Edward)

In duty, lower than the ground I kneel,

And fore my dull knees bow my feeling heart,

To witness my obedience to your highness

With many millions of a subject’s thanks

For this your royal presence, whose approach

Hath driven war and danger from my gate.

KING EDWARD

Lady, stand up. I come to bring thee peace,

However thereby I have purchased war.

COUNTESS OF SALISBURY (rising)

No war to you, my liege. The Scots are gone

And gallop home toward Scotland with their hate.

KING EDWARD (aside)

Lest yielding here I pine in shameful love—

(Aloud) Come, we’ll pursue the Scots. Artois, away!

COUNTESS OF SALISBURY

A little while, my gracious sovereign, stay,

And let the power of a mighty king

Honour our roof. My husband, in the wars,

When he shall hear it, will triumph for joy.

Then, dear my liege, now niggard not thy state;

Being at the wall, enter our homely gate.

KING EDWARD

Pardon me, Countess, I will come no near:

I dreamed tonight of treason, and I fear.

COUNTESS OF SALISBURY

Far from this place let ugly treason lie.

KING EDWARD (aside)

No farther off than her conspiring eye,

Which shoots infected poison in my heart

Beyond repulse of wit or cure of art.

Now in the sun alone it doth not lie

With light to take light from a mortal eye;