Alarum. Enter King Henry with his Nobles and King. I was not Soldiers. angry since I came to France 15 20 Enter Montjoy just as the English Herald turns to go. Exeter. Here comes the herald of the French, my liege. Gloucester. His eyes are humbler than they used to be. King. How now! what means this, herald? know'st thou not That I have fined these bones of mine for ransom ? Com'st thou again for ransom ? Montjoy. No, great king: I come to thee for charitable licence, King. I tell thee truly, herald, 25 30 35 40 Montjoy. The day is yours. [The English cheer. King. Praised be God, and not our strength, for it! What is this castle called that stands hard by? Montjoy. They call it Agincourt. King. Then call we this the field of Agincourt, 54 Fought on the day of Crispin Crispianus. 50 [Exeunt Heralds with Montjoy. Come, go we in procession to the village: And be it death proclaimèd through our host To boast of this or take that praise from God Which is his only. Do we all holy rites; Let there be sung 'Non nobis' and 'Te Deum'; The dead with charity enclosed in clay: And then to Calais; and to England then, Where ne'er from France arrived more happy men. CHORUS V. THE HOME-COMING. 55 5 Vouchsafe to those that have not read the story, Quite from himself to God. But now behold, 15 20 25 VII. RED AND WHITE ROSE BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE We learn from the play that this famous quarrel occurred on the 29th of January, 1425. The scene was the Temple Garden. Richard Plantagenet, afterwards Duke of York, the father of King Edward IV, is the leader of the Yorkist or White Rose party; he was killed at the battle of Wakefield. On his side are two nobles, Richard, Earl of Warwick, afterwards famous as the King-maker', and a lawyer named Vernon, a member of the Temple. The Lancastrian or Red Rose party is headed by Edmund Beaufort, Earl of Somerset, who is supported by William de la Poole, Earl of Suffolk, and an unnamed lawyer. Enter the Earls of Somerset, Suffolk, and Warwick; Richard Plantagenet, Vernon, and another Lawyer. Plantagenet. Great lords and gentlemen, what means this silence ? Dare no man answer in a case of truth? Suffolk. Within the Temple hall we were too loud; The garden here is more convenient. Plantagenet. Then say at once if I maintained the truth; Or else was wrangling Somerset in the error? 5 Somerset. Judge you, my Lord of Warwick, then, between us. ΙΟ Warwick. Between two hawks, which flies the higher pitch; Between two dogs, which hath the deeper mouth; 15 Good faith, I am no wiser than a daw. 20 Plantagenet. Tut, tut! here is a mannerly forbearance: The truth appears so naked on my side, That any purblind eye may find it out. Somerset. And on my side it is so well apparelled, So clear, so shining, and so evident, That it will glimmer through a blind man's eye. Plantagenet. Since you are tongue-tied and so loth to speak, In dumb significants proclaim your thoughts: 25 30 [He plucks a white rose. From off this briar pluck a white rose with me. Somerset [plucking a red rose]. Let him that is no coward nor no flatterer, But dare maintain the party of the truth, Pluck a red rose from off this thorn with me. Warwick [plucking a white rose, and taking his place by Plantagenet]. I love no colours; and without all colour Of base insinuating flattery I pluck this white rose with Plantagenet. 35 Suffolk [plucking a red rose and joining Somerset]. I pluck this red rose with young Somerset, And say withal I think he held the right. Vernon. Stay, lords and gentlemen, and pluck no more, Till you conclude, that he, upon whose side 40 Somerset. Good Master Vernon, it is well objected: If I have fewest, I subscribe in silence. Plantagenet. And I. 45 Vernon [plucking a white rose]. Then, for the truth and plainness of the case, I pluck this pale and maiden blossom here, Somerset. Prick not your finger as you pluck it off, Vernon. If I, my lord, for my opinion bleed, 50 Opinion shall be surgeon to my hurt And keep me on the side where still I am. Somerset. Well, well, come on: who else? 55 Lawyer [to Somerset]. Unless my study and my books be false, The argument you held was wrong in law; [He plucks a white rose. In sign whereof I pluck a white rose too. Plantagenet. Now, Somerset, where is your argument? Somerset. Here, in my scabbard, meditating that 60 Shall dye your white rose in a bloody red. Plantagenet. Meantime your cheeks do counterfeit our roses; For pale they look with fear, as witnessing Somerset. 65 No, Plantagenet, 'Tis not for fear, but anger that thy cheeks Blush for pure shame to counterfeit our roses, And yet thy tongue will not confess thy error. Plantagenet. Hath not thy rose a canker, Somerset ? Somerset. Hath not thy rose a thorn, Plantagenet ? Plantagenet. Aye, sharp and piercing, to maintain his truth; 70 Whiles thy consuming canker eats his falsehood. Somerset. Well, I'll find friends to wear my bleeding roses, That shall maintain what I have said is true, Plantagenet. Now, by this maiden blossom in my hand, I scorn thee, and thy faction, peevish boy. 76 Suffolk. Turn not thy scorns this way, Plantagenet. Plantagenet. Proud Poole, I will, and scorn both him. and thee. Suffolk. I'll turn my part thereof into thy throat. Somerset. Away, away, good William De la Poole ! 80 We grace the yeoman by conversing with him. Warwick. Now, by God's will, thou wrong'st him, Somerset ; 85 His grandfather was Lionel, Duke of Clarence, |