第26章 ACT V(5)

Enter CHARLES,ALENCON,BASTARD,REIGNIER,and others

CHARLES.Since,lords of England,it is thus agreed That peaceful truce shall be proclaim'd in France,We come to be informed by yourselves What the conditions of that league must be.YORK.Speak,Winchester;for boiling choler chokes The hollow passage of my poison'd voice,By sight of these our baleful enemies.CARDINAL.Charles,and the rest,it is enacted thus:That,in regard King Henry gives consent,Of mere compassion and of lenity,To ease your country of distressful war,An suffer you to breathe in fruitful peace,You shall become true liegemen to his crown;And,Charles,upon condition thou wilt swear To pay him tribute and submit thyself,Thou shalt be plac'd as viceroy under him,And still enjoy thy regal dignity.ALENCON.Must he be then as shadow of himself?Adorn his temples with a coronet And yet,in substance and authority,Retain but privilege of a private man?This proffer is absurd and reasonless.CHARLES.'Tis known already that I am possess'd With more than half the Gallian territories,And therein reverenc'd for their lawful king.Shall I,for lucre of the rest unvanquish'd,Detract so much from that prerogative As to be call'd but viceroy of the whole?No,Lord Ambassador;I'll rather keep That which I have than,coveting for more,Be cast from possibility of all.YORK.Insulting Charles!Hast thou by secret means Us'd intercession to obtain a league,And now the matter grows to compromise Stand'st thou aloof upon comparison?Either accept the title thou usurp'st,Of benefit proceeding from our king And not of any challenge of desert,Or we will plague thee with incessant wars.REIGNIER.[To CHARLES]My lord,you do not well in obstinacy To cavil in the course of this contract.If once it be neglected,ten to one We shall not find like opportunity.ALENCON.[To CHARLES]To say the truth,it is your policy To save your subjects from such massacre And ruthless slaughters as are daily seen By our proceeding in hostility;And therefore take this compact of a truce,Although you break it when your pleasure serves.WARWICK.How say'st thou,Charles?Shall our condition stand?CHARLES.It shall;Only reserv'd,you claim no interest In any of our towns of garrison.YORK.Then swear allegiance to his Majesty:As thou art knight,never to disobey Nor be rebellious to the crown of England Thou,nor thy nobles,to the crown of England.[CHARLES and the rest give tokens of fealty]So,now dismiss your army when ye please;Hang up your ensigns,let your drums be still,For here we entertain a solemn peace.Exeunt