GENERAL Now Grimsby, they (for pikes) are tossing cans. GRIMSBY I am glad our thunder wakes ’em. MENTEITH Shall we on? GENERAL Whether is’t best to stop’em in their march Or here to make a stand and front ’em? 35 ALL Stand! GENERAL Or else retire back to the spacious plain For battle far more advantageous. WALLACE And so retiring be held runaways. Here stands my body, and ere these English wolves 40 Stretch their jaws ne’er so wide, from hence shall drive; I’ll rather lie here fifty fathoms deep Now, at this minute, than by giving back One foot, prolong my life a thousand years. GENERAL Then let us die or live here. 45 ALL Arm! Arm! WALLACE Fall back? Not I! Death of myself is part. I’ll never fly myself, here’s no false heart: Let’s in our rising be or, in our falls, Like bells which ring alike at funerals 50 As at coronations. Each man meet his wound With self-same joy as kings go to be crown’d/ Where charge you? GENERAL In the battaile, Valiant Grimsby is General of our Horse; 55 The infantry by Comyn is commanded; Menteith and you shall come up in the rear. WALLACE The rear?
Enter MENTEITH, at another door MENTEITH For honour’s sake, come down and save thy country! 30 WALLACE Whose is the day? MENTEITH ’Tis Edward’s! Come rescue our General and the noble Grimsby. WALLACE Who? MENTEITH Our General and stout Grimsby are enclosed 35 With quick-sets made of steel; come fetch them off Or all is lost. WALLACE Is the day lost? MENTEITH Lost, lost. WALLACE Unless the day be quite lost, I’ll not stir. 40 MENTEITH ’Tis quite lost. WALLACE Why then descend amain? Art sure ’tis lost? MENTEITH Yes. WALLACE Then we’ll win it again! 45
ACT IV Scene 4 Enter the ENGLISH ARMY KING We have sweat hard today. CLIFFORD ’Twas a brave hunting. BOLT offers to lay his coat under the king KING Sit! Some wine! Away in the field all fellows. Whose is this? BOLT It was my coat at arms, but now ’tis yours at legs. 5 KING Away! Why give’st thou me a cushion? BOLT Because of the two, I take you to be the better man. KING A soldier’s coat shall never be so base To lie beneath my heel. Th’art in this place My fellow and companion. 10 A health to all in England! ALL Let it come! CLIFFORD Is not this he that kill’d Wallace?
Twice twenty thousand crowns to have his head On my sword’s point, cut from him with this arm; 65 But how? In’th’ field, nobly, hand to hand. Not this straw to a hangman that should bring it me. KING Let that pass. Where’s Bruce, our noble Earl of Carrick? PERCY I saw him not today. 70 CLIFFORD I did, and saw his sword, Like to a reaper’s scythe, mow down the Scots. Enter BRUCE Here he comes! KING Brave armoury, A rampant lion within a field all gules. 75 Where has been, Bruce? BRUCE Following the execution which we held, Three English miles in length. KING Give him some wine! Art not thirsty? BRUCE Yes 80 For Scottish blood, I never shall have enough of’t. The king’s health! ALL Let come! PERCY How greedily yon Scot drinks his own blood!
BRUCE The Oracle I’ll wake is here. Oh, Wallace, I ne’er had eyes till now, they were clos’d up By braving English witchcraft. Drinks his own blood; 20 England, my stepdame, take my bitter curse, Thy own nails tear thy own bowels. Oh, my parent, Dear Scotland, I no more will be a goad Pricking thy sides but, if e’er I draw a sword, It shall be double-edg’d with blood and fire 25 To burn and drown this kingdom and this king. Enter a GENTLEMAN GENTLEMAN My General charged me in privacy to give you these. BRUCE Thanks, noble Clifford. What did he bid thee say? GENTLEMAN Nothing, but so. Exit BRUCE A pair of spurs? Bruce ne’er was runaway; 30 Twelve silver pence. Oh bitter scorn, with Judas I have betray’d my master, my dear country; And here’s the emblem of my treacheruy, To hasten to some tree and desperate die. Twelve sterling silver pence, sterling, ha! Stirling, 35 ’Tis a limb of Scotland, spurs for flight – Clifford, I’ll hither, comment I wrong or right. Exit