ACT I

SCENE I

Enter KING EDWARD, DERBY, PRINCE EDWARD. WARWICK, AUDLEY, and ARTOIS.

K. Edw.　Robert of Artois, banish'd though thou be

From France, thy native country, yet with us

Thou shalt retain as great a signiory;

For we create thee Earl of Richmond here:

5

And now go forwards with our pedigree.

Who next succeeded Philip le Beau?

Art.　Three sons of his, which all successively,

Did sit upon their father's regal throne;

Yet died and left no issue of their loins.

10

K. Edw.　But was my mother sister unto those?

Art.　She was, my lord, and only Isabel

Was all the daughters that this Philip had,

Whom afterward your father took to wife,

And from the fragrant garden of her womb

15

Your gracious self, the flower of Europe's hope,

Derived is inheritor to France.

But note the rancour of rebellious minds:

When thus the linage of le Beau was out,

The French obscur'd your mother's privilege,

20

And, though she were the next of blood, proclaimed

John of the house of Valois, now their king:

The reason was, they say, the realm of France,

Replete with princes of great parentage,

Ought not admit a governor to rule,

I. i.（表示第一幕第一场，后类推。）（以下黑体数字为行码。）

Location: London. A room of state in the palace.

2　us, we: royal we, 朕，the same in line 4 and also in other lines.

3　retain: keep. signiory: lordship, rights and privileges of a feudal lord.

5　go forwards with: proceed to relate.

6　Philip le Beau: Philip IV. Le Beau, which means "the Fair", was pronounced by the Elizabethans [lə'bjuː］, not in the French way [lə'boː]. His only daughter Isabel was the wife of Edward II of England and mother of Edward III.

7　which: who.

8　regal: royal.

9　issue: offspring.

11—12　only Isabel…daughters: Isabel was the only daughter. Cf. Viola's words to Cessario in Twelfth Night: "I am all the daughters of my father's house." (II. iv)

18　linage: lineage, 血统。　out: at an end.

19　obscur'd: kept obscure, hid out of sight.

20　the next of blood: i. e., the next of blood to succeed to the throne.　proclaimed: i. e., proclaimed to be the heir.

23　Replete: filled with.

24　admit: to admit.

25

Except he be descended of the male;

And that's the special ground of their contempt,

Wherewith they study to exclude your grace;

But they shall find that forged ground of theirs

To be but dusty heaps of brittle sand.

30

Perhaps it will be thought a heinous thing,

That I, a Frenchman, should discover this,

But heaven I call to record of my vows,

It is not hate, nor any private wrong,

But love unto my country and the right

35

Provokes my tongue thus lavish in report.

You are the lineal watchman of our peace,

And John of Valois indirectly climbs:

What then should subjects but embrace their king?

Ah, wherein may our duty more be seen,

40

Than striving to rebate a tyrant's pride,

And place the true shepherd of our commonwealth?

K. Edw.　This counsel, Artois, like to fructful showers,

Hath added growth unto my dignity,

And, by the fiery vigour of thy words,

45

Hot courage is engend'red in my breast,

Which heretofore was rak'd in ignorance,

But now doth mount with golden wings of fame,

And will approve fair Isabel's descent

Able to yoke their stubborn necks with steel

50

That spurn against my sovereignty in France.

Sound a horn.

A messenger! —Lord Audley, know from whence.

Exit Audley, who returns.Aud.　The Duke of my lordaine, having cross'd the seas,

Entreats he may have conference with your highness.

K. Edw.　Admit him, lords, that we may hear the news.

25　Except: unless.　of: from.

26　ground…contempt: basis for their despising your claim to the crown.

27　Wherewith: with which.　study: try hard.

31　discover: reveal, disclose.

32　heaven…call to record of: call on heaven to witness.

33　wrong: n. 委屈。

34　the right: the right that.

35　Provokes: urges, incites.　lavish: vi. to expend profusely.

36　lineal watchman: guardian by direct descent.

37　indirectly: deviously.　climbs: attains sovereignty.

38　subjects but: i. e., subjects do except.　embrace: joyfully accept the authority.

40　rebate: repress.

41　place: install.　shepherd: (metaphor) leader and protector.

42　like to: like.　fructful: fruitful.

43　Hath: S was pronounced th in the southern dialect of England. The same occurs in line 47.　dignity: position as the claimant to the throne.

46　heretofore: until the present.　rak'd: scraped and covered (the way a fire is raked under ashes).

48—49　will approve…Able: will prove that fair Isabel's descent is able.

49—50　yoke…That: yoke with steel the stubborn necks of those who. 　That: with their (in fact they) as its antecedent.

50　spurn: kick.

51　know: learn, find out.

53　conference: conversation.

Exeunt Lords, who then return with the Duke of Lorraine, attended.

55

Say, Duke of Lorraine, wherefore art thou come?

Lor.　The most renowned prince, King John of France,

Doth greet thee, Edward, and by me commands

That, for so much as by his liberal gift

The Guyenne dukedom is entail'd to thee,

60

Thou do him lowly homage for the same.

And for that purpose, here I summon thee

Repair to France within these forty days,

That there, according as the custom is,

Thou mayst be sworn true liegeman to our king

65

Or else thy title in that province dies,

And he himself will repossess the place.

K. Edw.　See how occasion laughs me in the face.

No sooner minded to prepare for France,

But straight I am invited; nay, with threats

70

Upon a penalty enjoin'd to come.

'Twere but a childish part to say him nay.—

Lor.　aine, return this answer to thy lord:

I mean to visit him as he requests,

But how? Not servilely dispos'd to bend,

75

But like a conqueror to make him bow.

His lame, unpolish'd shifts are come to light,

And truth hath pull'd the vizard from his face

That set a gloss upon his arrogance.

Dare he command a fealty in me?

80

Tell him the crown that he usurps is mine,

And where he sets his foot he ought to kneel.

'Tis not a petty dukedom that I claim.

But all the whole dominions of the realm,

Which, if with grudging he refuse to yield,

85

I'll take away those borrow'd plumes of his,

And send him naked to the wilderness.

S. D. (stage direction) attended: acccompanied by attendant (s).

55　wherefore: why.

56　prince: sovereign, 君主。

58　for: in.

59　Guyenne [ɡiːen]: a dukedom in the south of France, also called Aquitaine formerly.　entail'd to thee: bestowed you as hereditary possession.

60　lowly: humble.　homage: respect, paid by a vassal to his lord.

62　Repair: proceed.

64　Thou mayst: thou was 2nd person singular pronoun, often hadst as its suffix.　liegeman: vassal sworn to the service and support of his liege (lord).

65　title: right to the possession of property.

67　occasion: fortune, goddess of fate.

68　for: to go to.

69　straight (adv.): immediately, at once.　nay: not only that, with a sense to correct and amplify what precedes.

70　Upon a penalty: upon penalty, under threat of punishment.　enjoin'd: charged, ordered.

71　'Twere: it would be.　to say him nay: to say no to him.

74　dispos'd: inclined, prepared.

76　lame, unpolish'd shifts: poorly conceived stratagems, poor tricks.　come to light: become known, revealed.

77　vizard: visor, mask.

78　gloss: fair and deceptive appearance.

79　fealty: vassal's sworn faith to his liege lord.

83　the realm: i. e., France.

85　borrow'd plumes: plumes a crow borrowed from a peacock (cf. Aesop's Fables), falsely assumed finery.

Lor.　Then, Edward, here, in spite of all thy lords

I do pronounce defiance to thy face.

P. Edw.　Defiance, Frenchman! we rebound it back

90

Even to the bottom of thy master's throat,

And, be it spoke with reverence of the king,

My gracious father, and these other lords,

I hold thy message but as scurrilous,

And him that sent thee, like the lazy drone

95

Crept up by stealth unto the eagle's nest;

From whence we'll shake him with so rough a storm,

As others shall be warned by his harm.

War.　Bid him leave off the lion's case he wears,

Lest, meeting with the lion in the field,

100

He chance to tear him piecemeal for his pride.

Art.　The soundest counsel I can give his grace

Is to surrender ere he be constrain'd:

A voluntary mischief hath less scorn

Than when reproach with violence is borne.

105

Lor.　Regenerate traitor, viper to the place

Where thou wast fost'red in thine infancy,

Bearest thou a part in this conspiracy?

He draws his sword.K. Edw.　[Draws his.] Lorraine, behold the sharpness of this steel:

Fervent desire that sits against my heart

110

Is far more thorny-pricking than this blade,

That, with the nightingale, I shall be scarr'd

As oft as I dispose myself to rest,

Until my colours be display'd in France.

This is thy final answer; so be gone.

115

Lor.　It is not that, nor any English brave,

Afflicts me so, as doth his poison'd view,

That is most false, should most of all be true.

Exeunt Lorraine and attendants.

87　in spite of: despite the threatening presence of.

88　defiance: rejection, challenge.

90　Even: fully (for emphasis).

91　be it spoke: let my words be spoken.　with reverence of: with full repect (an apology for outspokenness).

93　but: merely.　scurrilous: becoming a buffoon.

94　drone: 雄蜂, idler.

95　eagle's nest: i. e., royal throne (eagle being the king of birds).

98　case: skin.

100　He: it.　piecemeal: piece by piece.　for: because of.

101　his grace: i. e., John the French king.

102　constrain'd: forced (to surrender).

103　voluntary…scorn: evil-doing confessed voluntarily results in less contempt.

105　Regenerate: degenerate, 堕落的。（可能原文排字有错。）

105—106　viper…fost'red: A viper was fabled to bite its mother's womb.

108　steel: sword.

109　Fervent…heart: A burning desire that presses against my heart.

110　blade: sword.

111　with: like.　the nightingale: the nightingale is fabled to press its breast against a thorn of the rosebush while singing to keep itself from falling asleep.　scarr'd: wounded (over and over).

113　colours: banners, flags.

115　brave (n.): threat.

116　his poison'd view: the sight of Artois, the viperous man, the basilisk whose glance is fabled to be venomous.

117　It has been proved that Artois was a traitor.

K. Edw.　Now, lords, our fleeting bark is under sail:

Our gage is thrown, and war is soon begun,

120

But not so quickly brought unto an end.

Enter SIR WILLIAM MOUNTAGUE.

But wherefore comes Sir William Mountague?

How stands the league between the Scot and us?

Moun.　Crack'd and dissever'd, my renowned lord:

The treacherous king no sooner was inform'd

125

Of your withdrawing of your army back,

But straight, forgetting of his former oath,

He made invasion on the bordering towns:

Berwick is won, Newcastle spoil'd and lost;

And now the tyrant hath begirt with siege

130

The castle of Roxborough, where enclos'd

The Countess Salisbury is like to perish.

K. Edw.　That is thy daughter, Warwick, is it not,

Whose husband hath in Britain serv'd so long

About the planting of Lord Mountford there?

135

War.　It is, my lord.

K. Edw.　Ignoble David, hast thou none to grieve

But silly ladies with thy threat'ning arms?

But I will make you shrink your snaily horns.—

First, therefore, Audley, this shall be thy charge:

140

Go levy footmen for our wars in France.

And, Ned, take muster of our men at arms:

In every shire elect a several band;

Let them be soldiers of a lusty spirit,

Such as dread nothing but dishonour's blot.

145

Be wary, therefore, since we do commence

A famous war, and with so mighty a nation.

Derby, be thou embassador for us

Unto our father-in-law, the Earl of Hainault:

Make him acquainted with our enterprise,

118　fleeting: afloat.

119　gage is thrown: pledge (e. g., a glove) has been cast down as a challenge for a combat.

122　league: agreement, peace treaty.　the Scot: i. e., King of Scotland.

128　spoil'd: sacked, plundered.

131　like: likely.

133　Britain: Brittany in France, formerly a dukedom.

134　planting of Lord Mountford: installing the English lord Mountford as Duke of Brittany.

136　grieve: afflict.

137　silly: helpless, defenceless.

138　shrink … horns: pull in his snail-like horns.

141　Ned: pet-name for Edward, nicknamed the Black Prince. 　take muster: review.

142　elect: select.　several: separate.　band: body of foot soldiers.

143　lusty: vigorous.

144　blot: stain, disgrace.

148　Earl of Hainault: Queen Philippe's father, King Edward III's father-in-law.

150

And likewise will him, with our own allies

That are in Flanders, to solicit, too,

The Emperor of Almaigne in our name.

Myself, whilst you are jointly thus employ'd,

Will with these forces that I have at hand

155

March and once more repulse the traitorous Scot.

But, sirs, be resolute: we shall have wars

On every side: —and, Ned, thou must begin

Now to forget thy study and thy books

And ure thy shoulders to an armour's weight.

160

P. Edw.　As cheerful sounding to my youthful spleen

This tumult is of war's increasing broils,

As at the coronation of a king

The joyful clamours of the people are,

When "Ave, Caesar!" they pronounce aloud.

165

Within this school of honour I shall learn,

Either to sacrifice my foes to death,

Or in a rightful quarrel spend my breath.

Then cheerfully forward! each a several way:

In great affairs 'tis naught to use delay.　Exeunt.