Great Britain -- History -- Poetry; Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Sources
Beyond the bounds of his owne natiue soile,
He proudly breakes vpon our bordering coast,
None seekes t’oppose, he makes no faint recoile:
The spoile and riches of whole countries lost
Can hardly bound the furie of his host,
Neuer did bordering foe inuade so far,
Or wound our kingdome with a greater scar.
32.
Tempestuous tidings borne on Boreas breath
Cooles the hot vengeance of a wrathfull king,
And for a while delaies prepared death
For his proud peeres, feare from the north on wing
Comes flying fast, and 'bout our eares doth ring,
Bidding vs haste, and powre our vengeance forth
Vpon our foes, that brau’d vs in the north.
33.
Mustering vp troopes of foot-men for the field,
To passe in person for this great affaire,
My hopes on number I do vainly build:
Our thoughts made aduerse by the former iar,
Prepare vs mischiefe in the following war:
Disioyn’d in heart, yet ioyn’d in ranke we goe,
To giue a famous conquest to the foe.
34.
Stout _Brewse_ renownes his sword with _Edward’s_ flight,
Striuiling, whose siege our rescue crau’d, can tell
England’s misfortune in that haplesse fight:
And Banokesborne, who 'boue her bounds did swell
With bodies dead, that in that battell fell,
Aboue the bordering brookes hath won a name
Fam’d for this field thus fought vpon the same.
35.
O noble nation, t’whom true fame hath giuen
A glorious name for deeds accomplished,
Equall with any people’s vnder heau’n,
Be not dismai’d, ’twas I, ’twas I, that led
To such mishap, on whose vnhappie head
Heau’n neuer smil’d, but with sterne lookes still frown’d
Till wearied with mishaps, I was vncrown’d.
36.
O had I perisht by the sword of _Brewse_,
And had not been reseru’d to future daies,
To see my peeres with treason take a truce,
And with their swords by all uniust assaies,
Attempt to hew downe him, whom heau’n did raise:
I had been blest, and had not liu’d to rue
The woes yet worse, which after did ensue.
37.
Th’inueterate wounds of wrong infixt so deepe,
Against my barons in my swolne heart,
With drops of blood now made afresh to weepe,
That I from _Brewse_ should thus with shame depart,
Did so augment my mind’s impatient smart,
That by my peeres mine ire now new stirr’d vp,
I with their blood quencht in _Bellonae’s_ cup.
38.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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