Fosters his parent, who else must sweat and toil, And gain but scanty fare. Then, my dear Lord, Be England's trade our care; and we, as tradesmen Looking to the gain of this our native land.

CLARENCE

O my good Lord, true wisdom drops like honey
From off your tongue, as from a worshipped oak!
Forgive, my Lords, my talkative youth, that speaks
Not merely from my narrow observation,

But what I have concluded from your lessons.
Now, by the Queen's advice, I ask your leave
To dine to-morrow with the Mayor of London.
If I get leave, I have another boon

To ask, the favour of your company.

I fear Lord Percy will not give me leave.

PERCY

Dear Sir, a prince should always keep his state,
And grant his favours with a sparing hand,
Or they are never rightly valued.

These are my thoughts: yet it were best to go:
But keep a proper dignity, for now

You represent the sacred person of

Your father; 'tis with princes as with the sun;
If not sometimes o'erclouded, we grow weary
Of his officious glory.

CLARENCE

Then you will give me leave to shine sometimes,
My Lord?

LORD (aside)

Thou hast a gallant spirit, which I fear
Will be imposed on by the closer sort.

CLARENCE

Well, I'll endeavour to take

Lord Percy's advice; I have been used so much
To dignity that I'm sick on't.

QUEEN PHILIPPA

Fie, fie, Lord Clarence! you proceed not to business, But speak of your own pleasures.

I hope their lordships will excuse your giddiness,

CLARENCE

My Lords, the French have fitted out many
Small ships of war that, like to ravening wolves,
Infest our English seas, devouring all

Our burdened vessels, spoiling our naval flocks.
The merchants do complain, and beg our aid.

PERCY

The merchants are rich enough;

Can they not help themselves?

BISHOP

They can, and may; but how to gain their will
Requires both our countenance and help.

PERCY

When that they find they must, my Lord, they will:
Let them but suffer awhile, and you shall see
They will bestir themselves.

BISHOP

Lord Percy cannot mean that we should suffer
Disgrace like this. If so, we are not sovereigns
Of the sea,—our right, a right that Heaven gave
To England, when first at the birth of Nature
She in the deep was seated; Ocean ceased
His mighty roar, and, fawning, played around
Her snowy feet, and owned his awful Queen.
Lord Percy, if the heart is sick, the head
Must be aggrieved; if but one member suffer,
The heart doth fail. You say, my Lord, the
merchants

Can, if they will, defend themselves against

These rovers: yet this is a noble scheme,
Worthy the brave Lord Percy, and as worthy
His generous aid to put it into practice.

PERCY

"Tis not

Lord Bishop, what was rash in me is wise
In you; I dare not own the plan.
Mine. Yet will I, if you please,

Quickly to the Lord Mayor, and work him onward
To this most glorious voyage; on which cast

I'll set my whole estate,

But we will bring these Gallic rovers under.

QUEEN PHILIPPA

Thanks, brave Lord Percy; you have now the thanks Of England's Queen, and will, ere long, of England. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.-At Cressy.

SIR THOMAS DAGWORTH and LORD AUDLEY meeting.

AUDLEY

Good-morrow, brave Sir Thomas; the bright morn
Smiles on our army, and the gallant sun
Springs from the hills like a young hero leaping
Into the battle, shaking his golden locks
Exultingly this is a promising day.

DAGWORTH

Why that, my good Lord Audley, I don't know.
Give me your hand, and now I'll tell you what
I think you do not know. Edward's afraid

Of Philip.

AUDLEY

Ha, ha! Sir Thomas! you but joke;

Did you e'er see him fear? At Blanchetaque,
When almost singly he drove down six thousand
French from the ford, did he fear then?

DAGWORTH

That made him fight so.

Yes, fear.

AUDLEY

By the same reason I might say 'tis fear
That makes you fight.

DAGWORTH

Mayhap you may. Look upon Edward's face,
No one can say he fears; but, when he turns
His back, then I will say it to his face;
He is afraid: he makes us all afraid.

I cannot bear the enemy at my back.

Now here we are at Cressy; where to-morrow? To-morrow we shall know. I say, Lord Audley, That Edward runs away from Philip.

AUDLEY

Perhaps you think the Prince too is afraid?

DAGWORTH

No; God forbid! I am sure he is not.

He is a young lion. Oh, I have seen him fight And give command, and lightning then has flashed From his eyes across the field: I have seen him Shake hands with Death, and strike a bargain for The enemy; he has danced in the field

Of battle, like the youth at morris-play.

I'm sure he's not afraid, nor Warwick, nor none, None of us but me, and I am very much afraid.

AUDLEY

Are you afraid, too, Sir Thomas? I believe that
As much as I believe the King's afraid :
But what are you afraid of?

DAGWORTH

Of having my back laid open; we must turn
Our backs to the fire, till we shall burn our skirts.

AUDLEY

And this, Sir Thomas, you call fear? Your fear Is of a different kind, then, from the King's;

He fears to turn his face, and you your back.

I do not think, Sir Thomas, you know what fear is.

Enter SIR JOHN CHANDOS

CHANDOS

Good morrow, Generals; I give you joy :
Welcome to the fields of Cressy. Here we stop
And wait for Philip.

DAGWORTH

I hope so.

AUDLEY

There, there, Sir Thomas; do you call that fear?

DAGWORTH

I don't know; perhaps he takes it by fits.
Why, noble Chandos, and you, look you here-
One rotten sheep spoils always the whole flock;
And if the bell-wether is tainted, I wish

The Prince may not catch the distemper too.

CHANDOS

Distemper, ha! Sir Thomas! What distemper?

I have not heard.

DAGWORTH

Why, Chandos, you are a wise man,

I know you understand me; a distemper

The King caught here in France of running away.

AUDLEY

Sir Thomas, you say you have caught it too.

DAGWORTH

And so will the whole army; 'tis very catching, For, when the coward runs, the brave man totters. Perhaps the air of the country is the cause.