Helen of Greece was fairer far than thou,
Although thy husband may be Menelaus;
And ne'er was Agamemnon's brother wrong'd 148
By that false woman as this king by thee.
His father revell'd in the heart of France,
And tam'd the king, and made the Dauphin stoop;
And had he match'd according to his state, 152
He might have kept that glory to this day;
But when he took a beggar to his bed,
And grac'd thy poor sire with his bridal day,
Even then that sunshine brew'd a shower for him, 156
That wash'd his father's fortunes forth of France,
And heap'd sedition on his crown at home.
For what hath broach'd this tumult but thy pride?
Hadst thou been meek our title still had slept, 160
And we, in pity of the gentle king,
Had slipp'd our claim until another age.
Clar. But when we saw our sunshine made thy spring,
And that thy summer bred us no increase, 164
We set the axe to thy usurping root;
And though the edge hath something hit ourselves,
Yet know thou, since we have begun to strike,
We'll never leave, till we have hewn thee down, 168
Or bath'd thy growing with our heated bloods.
Edw. And in this resolution I defy thee;
Not willing any longer conference,
Since thou deny'st the gentle king to speak. 172
Sound trumpets!—let our bloody colours wave!
And either victory, or else a grave.
Queen. Stay, Edward.
147 Menelaus: the typical injured husband
155 Cf. n.
162 slipp'd: let pass, forgone
164 increase: harvest
166 something: somewhat
169 bath'd thy growing: watered thy roots
172 deny'st: forbiddest
