Prefume no more within my court to fing
Thy Siren fong, nor foften into flaves
my brave fubjects 'I difdain
That elegance which such as thou can teach.
Virtue alone is elegant, alone
Polite; Vice must be fordid and deform'd,
Tho' to adorn her ev'ry art contend:
And rather would I fee my Britons roam
Untutor'd favages among the woods,
As once they did in naked innocence,
Than polifh'd like the vile degen'rate race
Of modern Italy's corrupted fons.
Trumpet founds, and is anfwered from without by another trumpet, which founds a march, accompanied by kettledrums and other warlike infiruments: then enters, preceded by foldiers playing upon fifes, and others bearing tattered enfigns ftandards and trophies, a Leader of mercenary bands, completely armed from head to foot, and carrying in his right hand a batoon or truncheon. On each fide of him march bis fquires, one bearing his lance, the other his field. Behind him as his attendants comes a train of officers and foldiers maimed, and their faces all feamed with fears.
SOLDIER. Nor riches nor nobility of birth, Nor the foft arts of base effeminate ease, Which juftly thou rejecteft, valiant Prince! But thy own darling attribute, I boast,
Undaunted courage, try'd in many a field,
In ev'ry clime and under ev'ry banner
That for thefe forty fummers have been wav'd
O'er Europe's plains by Ifther, Rhine, and Po,
Hungarian and Bohemian, Flemish, French,
Venetian, Spanish, Guelph and Gibbeline;
Whence in just confidence secure I come
This military honour to demand,
Due to my toils and service, to my wounds,
My laurels, and that gen'rous love of glory
Which without any call, or publick caufe,
Or private animofity, alone
Rais'd my strong arm and drew my dreadful sword.
Wherever Mars his crimson flag difplay'd
That was my country; thither swift I bore
My ready valour and the dauntless band
Of various nations under my command,
Prepar'd to fell their blood, their limbs, their lives.
Nor where the right nor where the jufteft caufe
Deign'd we to afk-thofe intricate debates
We left to lazy penmen in the shade
Of coward cafe, while our impetuous fire
Still bore us forward, ardent to purfue
Thro' danger's roughest paths the steps to fame.
On fuch a spirit should thy favour fmile.
But let me wonder, Edward, that fo long
Thy ear the vain pretenfions could endure
Of men unknown to war, attendants meet
Of fome luxurious Afiatick court,
Or female diftaff-reign, but fuiting ill
The prefence of a monarch great in arms.
Hadit thou to thofe inglorious fons of Peace
Thy martial Order giv'n, the warriour-faint
Had blush'd to fee his image fo profan'd,
Which on my manly breast, indented o'er
With many a noble fcar, will fitly fhine.
But wherefore ftand I thus haranguing here,
Unfkilful as I am in fmooth difcourfe,
The coward's argument? On force alone
I rest my title: let the glorious prize
Be hung on high amid the lifted field,
And let me there difpute it; there my lance
Shall plead my cause far better than my tongue,
If any dare deny my rightful claim.
EDW. Not for the brave alone have I ordain'd
This Inftitution, but for all defert,
All publick virtue, wisdom, all that ferves,
Improves, defends, or dignifies, a state;
Tho' firft indeed to valour, as the guard
Of all the reft, when in the publick caufe
With juftice and benevolence employ’d.
But thou, bafe Mercenary! canft thou dare
The glorious name of Valour to ufurp,
Who know'ft no publick caufe, no fenfe of right,
Nor pity, nor affection, nor remorse?
Who under any chief, in any quarrel,
Canft ftain with gore thy prostituted arms?
Call it not love of glory; that is built
On acts for the deliv'rance of mankind,
On gen'rous principles, and noble fcorn
Of fordid int'reft: call it cruel pride,
And favageness of nature, that delights
To conquer, and opprefs, afflict, infult;
Or call it love of plunder, that can draw
Unauthoris'd, uninjur'd, unprovok'd,
The fword of war, that bravo-like can lift
For hire the venal hand to perpetrate
Affaffinations, murders, maffacres.
But thou haft ferv'd with courage: be it fo
Thou haft thy pay, and with it thy reward:
Pretend no farther, nor compare thy deeds,
Dishonour'd by the mean defire of gain,
With his who for his country and his king
Refigns his ease, his fortune, or his life.
Thofe battles thou haft fought, those forty years.
Of blood and horrour which thy vaunting tongue
So high hath founded, are indeed thy crimes,
Flagitious crimes! for which th' impartial bar
Of Reason would condemn thee as the foe
Of human nature, did not Custom screen
By her unjust esteem thy guilty head:
But hope not honour or employment here:
Unfafe and wretched is that monarch's state
Who weakly trufts to mercenary bands
The guard or of his perfon or his realm:
Unfaithful, infolent, rapacious, base,
He foon fhall prove them, and become himself
Their flave, to hold his kingdom at their will.
For this within my Britain have I fought
To raife a martial spirit, and ordain'd
Thefe new incitements, honours, and rewards, 725
To virtuous chivalry, that never king
Who wears hereafter my imperial crown
May need to ftoop to the precarious aid
Of venal foreign fwords, but in the hearts
Of his brave fubjects find a stronger guard,
Prepar'd with zeal unbought and English valour
His rights to vindicate and fave their own. [Ex. Sold.
Trumpet founds, to which another from without replies ; then enters an Italian Politician, babited like a Venetian nobleman, who advancing with a folemn and important air towards the throne makes a low reverence to King Edward, and proceeds.
POL. Well has thy fov'reign wisdom, royal Judge! The fuit refus'd of these pretenders vain, And by rejecting them embolden'd me; For valour, and nobility, and wealth, Tho' by their proud poffeffors vaunted high, Are but fubordinate, the flaves and tools,
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