King. Not yet my Cousin, til we be resolude
Of some serious matters touching vs and France.
Bi. God and his Angels guard your sacred throne,
And make you long become it.5
King. Shure we thank you. And good my Lord proceed[5435]
Why the Lawe Salicke which they haue in France,
Or should or should not, stop vs in our clayme:[5436]
And God forbid my wise and learned Lord,
That you should fashion, frame, or wrest the same.10
For God doth know how many now in health,
Shall drop their blood in approbation,
Of what your reuerence shall incite vs too.
Therefore take heed how you impawne our person,
How you awake the sleeping sword of warre:15
We charge you in the name of God take heed.
After this coniuration, speake my Lord:
And we will iudge, note, and beleeue in heart,
That what you speake, is washt as pure
As sin in baptisme.20
[Bish.
Then heare me gracious soueraigne, and you peeres,[5437]
Which owe your liues, your faith and seruices
To this imperiall throne.
There is no bar to stay your highnesse claime to France
But one, which they produce from Faramount,25
No female shall succeed in salicke land,
Which salicke land the French vniustly gloze
To be the realme of France:
And Faramont the founder of this law and female barre:
Yet their owne writers faithfully affirme30
That the land salicke lyes in Germany,
Betweene the flouds of Sabeck and of Elme,
Where Charles the fift hauing subdude the Saxons,
There left behind, and setled certaine French,
Who holding in disdaine the Germaine women,35
For some dishonest maners of their liues,
Establisht there this lawe. To wit,
No female shall succeed in salicke land:
Which salicke land as I said before,[5438]
Is at this time in Germany called Mesene:40
Thus doth it well appeare the salicke lawe
Was not deuised for the realme of France,
Nor did the French possesse the salicke land,
Vntill 400. one and twentie yeares
After the function of king Faramont,45
Godly supposed the founder of this lawe:
Hugh Capet also that vsurpt the crowne,
To fine his title with some showe of truth,
When in pure truth it was corrupt and naught:
Conuaid himselfe as heire to the Lady Inger,[5439]50
Daughter to Charles, the foresaid Duke of Lorain,
So that as cleare as is the sommers Sun,
King Pippins title and Hugh Capets claime,
King Charles his satisfaction all appeare,
To hold in right and title of the female:55
So do the Lords of France vntil this day,
Howbeit they would hold vp this salick lawe
To bar your highnesse claiming from the female,
And rather choose to hide them in a net,
Then amply to imbace their crooked causes,[5440]60
Vsurpt from you and your progenitors.
K. May we with right & conscience make this claime?
Bi. The sin vpon my head dread soueraigne.
For in the booke of Numbers is it writ,[5441]
When the sonne dyes, let the inheritance65
Descend vnto the daughter.
Noble Lord stand for your owne,
Vnwinde your bloody flagge,
Go my dread Lord to your great graunsirs graue,[5442]
From whom you clayme:70
And your great Vncle Edward the blacke Prince,
Who on the French ground playd a Tragedy
Making defeat on the full power of France,
Whilest his most mighty father on a hill,
Stood smiling to behold his Lyons whelpe,75
Foraging blood of French Nobilitie.[5443]
O Noble English that could entertaine
With halfe their Forces the full power of France:
And let an other halfe stand laughing by,
All out of worke, and cold for action.80
King. We must not onely arme vs against the French,[5444]
But lay downe our proportion for the Scot,[5445]
Who will make rode vpon vs with all aduantages.
Bi. The Marches gracious soueraigne, shalbe sufficient
To guard your England from the pilfering borderers.85