And fits the mounting spirits, like myself: That doth not smack of observation. ACT II. - DESCRIPTION OF ENGLAND. That pale, that white-fac'd shore, Whose foot spurns back the ocean's roaring tides, Even till that England, hedg'd in with the main, DESCRIPTION OF AN ENGLISH ARMY. His marches are expedient* to this town, His forces strong, his soldiers confident. With him along is come the mother-queen, An Ate,† stirring him to blood and strife; With her her niece, the lady Blanch of Spain; With them a bastard of the king deceas'd: And all the unsettled humors of the land,Rash, inconsiderate, fiery voluntaries, With ladies' faces, and fierce dragons' spleens,Have sold their fortunes at their native homes, Bearing their birthrights proudly on their backs, To make a hazard of new fortunes here. In brief, a braver choice of dauntless spirits, Than now the English bottoms have waft o'er, Did never float upon the swelling tide, To do offence and scath‡ in Christendom. The interruption of their churlish drums Cuts off more circumstance: they are at hand. COURAGE. By how much unexpected, by so much We must awake endeavour for defence: For courage mounteth with occasion *Immediate, expeditious. + The Goddess of Revenge. + Mischief. A BOASTER. What cracker is this same, that deafs our ears With this abundance of superfluous breath' DESCRIPTION OF VICTORY BY THE FRENCH. You men of Angiers, open wide your gates, And let young Arthur, duke of Bretagne, in; Who, by the hand of France, this day hath made Much work for tears in many an English mother, Whose sons lie scatter'd on the bleeding ground: Many a widow's husband grovelling lies, Coldly embracing the discolour'd earth; And victory, with little loss, doth play Upon the dancing banners of the French; Which are at hand, triumphantly display'd To enter conquerors. VICTORY DESCRIBED BY THE ENGLISH. Rejoice, you men of Angiers, ring your bells; Their armours, that march'd hence so silver bright, Our colours do return in those same hands That did display them when we first march'd forth: A COMPLETE LADY. If lusty love should go in quest of beauty, Whose veins bound richer blood than lady Blanch? POWERFUL EFFECTS OF SELF-INTEREST. Rounded in the ear With that same purpose-changer, that sly devil, That broker, that still breaks the pate of faith; Of kings, of beggars, old men, young men, maids;- But the word maid,-cheats the poor maid of that; That smooth-faced gentleman, tickling commodity, Commodity, the bias of the world: The world, who of itself is peised† well, ACT III. A WOMAN'S FEARS. Thou shalt be punish'd for thus frightening me, For I am sick, and capable‡ of fears; Oppress'd with wrongs, and therefore full of fears, A widow, husbandless, subject to fears; A woman naturally born to fears; And though thou now confess, thou didst but jest, TOKENS OF GRIEF. What dost thou mean by shaking of thy head? Why dost thou look so sadly on my son? What means that hand upon that breast of thine? Why holds thine eye that lamentable rheum, Like a proud river peering§ o'er his bounds? Be these sad signs confirmers of thy words? Then speak again; not all thy former tale, But this one word, whether thy tale be true. * Interest. + Susceptible. † Poised, balanced § Appearing. A MOTHER'S FONDNESS FOR A BEAUTIFUL CHILD. If thou, that bid'st me be content, wert grim, Ugly, and sland'rous to thy mother's womb, Full of unpleasing blots, and sightless* stains, Lame, foolish, crooked, swart, prodigious,† Patch'd with foul moles, and eye-offending marks, I would not care, I then wonld be content; For then I should not love thee; no, nor thou Become thy great birth, nor deserve a crown. But thou art fair; and at thy birth, dear boy! Nature and fortune join'd to make thee great Of nature's gifts thou may'st with lilies boast, And with the half-blown rose. GRIEF. I will instruct my sorrows to be proud; COWARDICE AND PERJURY. O Lymoges! O Austria! thou dost shame 'That bloody spoil: Thou slave, thou wretch, thou coward: Thou little valiant, great in villany! Thou ever strong upon the stronger side! THE HORRORS OF A CONSPIRACY. I had a thing to say,-But let it go: The sun is in the heaven, and the proud day, + Do off * Unsightly. † Portentous. Attended with the pleasures of the world, If this same were a churchyard where we stand, Had bak'd thy blood, and made it heavy, thick; Or if that thou could'st see me without eyes, APOSTROPHE TO DEATH. O amiable, lovely death! 'Thou odoriferous stench! sound rottenness! Arise forth from the couch of lasting night And put my eye-balls in thy vaulty brows; Come, grin on me; and I will think thou smil'st, A MOTHER'S RAVINGS. I am not mad: this hair I tear, is mine; * Showy ornaments. |