[Enter Mountague.]
O Summer's day! See where my Cousin comes!
MOUNTAGUE. How fares my Aunt? We are not Scots; Why do you shut your gates against your friends?
COUNTESS. Well may I give a welcome, Cousin, to thee, For thou comst well to chase my foes from hence.
MOUNTAGUE. The king himself is come in person hither; Dear Aunt, descend, and gratulate his highness.
COUNTESS. How may I entertain his Majesty, To shew my duty and his dignity?
[Exit, from above.]
[Enter King Edward, Warwick, Artois, with others.]
KING EDWARD. What, are the stealing Foxes fled and gone, Before we could uncouple at their heels?
WARWICK. They are, my liege; but, with a cheerful cry, Hot hounds and hardy chase them at the heels.
[Enter Countess.]
KING EDWARD. This is the Countess, Warwick, is it not?
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?
WARWICK. My gracious King, fair is she not at all, If that her self were by to stain her self, As I have scene her when she was her self.
KING EDWARD. 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 persing majesty, To gaze on her with doting admiration?
COUNTESS. In duty lower than the ground I kneel, And for 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, How ever thereby I have purchased war.
COUNTESS. No war to you, my liege; the Scots are gone, And gallop home toward Scotland with their hate.
KING EDWARD. Least, yielding here, I pine in shameful love, Come, we'll pursue the Scots;--Artois, away!
COUNTESS. A little while, my gracious sovereign, stay, And let the power of a mighty king Honor 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 to night of treason, and I fear.
COUNTESS. Far from this place let ugly treason lie!
KING EDWARD. 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; For here two day stars that mine eyes would see More than the Sun steals mine own light from me, Contemplative desire, desire to be In contemplation, that may master thee! Warwick, Artois, to horse and let's away!
COUNTESS. What might I speak to make my sovereign stay?
KING EDWARD. What needs a tongue to such a speaking eye, That more persuades than winning Oratory?
COUNTESS. Let not thy presence, like the April sun, Flatter our earth and suddenly be done. More happy do not make our outward wall Than thou wilt grace our inner house withal. Our house, my liege, is like a Country swain, Whose habit rude and manners blunt and plain Presageth nought, yet inly beautified With bounties, riches and faire hidden pride. For where the golden Ore doth buried lie, The ground, undecked with nature's tapestry, Seems barren, sere, unfertile, fructless, dry; And where the upper turf of earth doth boast His pied perfumes and party coloured coat, Delve there, and find this issue and their pride To spring from ordure and corruption's side. But, to make up my all too long compare, These ragged walls no testimony are, What is within; but, like a cloak, doth hide >From weather's Waste the under garnished pride. More gracious then my terms can let thee be, Intreat thy self to stay a while with me.
KING EDWARD. As wise, as fair; what fond fit can be heard, When wisdom keeps the gate as beauty's guard?-- It shall attend, while I attend on thee: Come on, my Lords; here will I host to night.