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[Bailiffs depart; herald returneth.]

HERALD: Their answer, good my lord, is negative,

full of haughty courage and disdainful pride.

This little peace hath brought their stomachs up, ...

which makes them to disdain your princely mercy.

CANUTUS: And dare they thus refuse my proffered grace?

Set they so light by my commandment?

Assault the city, batter down the walls,

scale all the turrets, rush the gates asunder --

why slack ye, soldiers? Who is foremost man

to give a valiant onset on the town?

[Assail the walls. Enter a messenger.]

MESSENGER: Worthy commander of these warlike troops,

Edmund your foe is coming hitherward

with a choice company of armed men, ...

intending to surprise you suddenly.

CANUTUS: He is welcome, though I hope unto his cost.

We are beholding to his excellence

that he vouchsafe for safeguard of his town

to yield himself without compulsion.

We are as forward and as fit as he

to give his force an equal counterbuff,

though he suppose to take us unawares.

Now, noble lords, or never, show your might

to put his men to sword and him to flight. ...

SOUTHAMPTON: He that gives back, let him be slain

by his next fellow that doth second him.

If Englishmen at first begin to fly,

Southampton willingly for them will die.

USKATAULF: This day shall manifestly be known

how Danes have better hearts than Englishmen

and bodies answerable to the same,

else let them lose their everlasting fame.

EDRICUS: The day is yours before the fight begins,

great and renowned prince, fair England's king, ...

for emulation which doth sometime lose,

now doth assure you of the victory.

See you not how the English lords contend,

who should excel in feats of chivalry

and creep up farthest in your highness' grace?

On th' other side, behold brave-minded Danes,

scorning to o'er-match in feats of arms,

strive who should compass most by power or wit

to amplify your honorable fame.

The soldiers are not slothful in this stir ...

but ready, forward prompt and fit to fight,

expecting gladly that delightsome hour

when they shall grapple with their enemies.

Then in assurance of this happy day,

arm to the fight; it is in vain to stay.

CANUTUS: I do presume on this to win the field,

but all my striving is to get the crown. [Sound drum within.]

Soft, what churlish drum doth ring so rude a peal

within the hearing of our armed troops?

[Enter Edmund with soldiers.]

'Tis Edmund! Strike up drums, and trumpets sound! ...

I'll not delay my hopes with any parley.

[Alarum. They fight. Edmund drives Canutus off the stage.

The drum sounds afar off.]

Scene III.3

Enter Chorus, attired in black, saying:]

CHORUS: The fight is hot, but Canutus is o'ercome,

and Edmund hunts him out from place to place.

He flies to Worcester; Edmund follows him.

The way is long, and I am waxen faint.

I fain would have you understand the truth

and see the battles acted on the stage

but that their length will be too tedious;

then in dumb shows I will explain at large

their fights, their flights and Edmund's victory,

for as they strived to conquer and to kill, ...

even so we strive to purchase your good will.

[Alarums. Enter Canutus flying, Edmund following.

They fight. The two kings parley, sound a retreat and part.]

CHORUS: Canutus is beholding to the gracious sun,

who, grieved to see such heaps of carcasses

lie mangled and besmeared in their gore,

made haste and went to rest before his time

so that the kings for want of light agreed

to part until Aurora raise the lark,

and now 'tis morning and they join to fight.

[Alarum. Enter Canutus at one door and Edmund at the other.

They fight. Canutus gives back and flies. Enter the soldiers of Edmund

pursuing Canutus and his lords. Edricus takes a dead man's head

upon his sword's point, holding it up to Edmund's soldiers. They fly.

Enter Edmund again, cheering them up, and makes Canutus fly.]

CHORUS: Edricus, perceiving Canutus to have the worst,

and Edmund like to triumph in their fall, ...

out of the