FORESTER

France is on the point of battle over its claim to suzerainty over Navarre, but the children of the two royal families call for peace: Ferdinand and Philip love Katharine and Bellamira. A truce of three months is agreed; if the marriages take place, the war will end permanently. Neither courtship is successful, however. Katharine is in love with the Earl of Pembroke, Navarre’s ally, and treats Ferdinand with disdain. Ferdinand appoints Pembroke to woo her on his behalf, but her behaviour afterwards convinces him that Pembroke has wooed her on his own account. He challenges Pembroke to a duel; they wound one another, and are reported dead. Meanwhile, the French traitor Bourbon aims to secure the crown of Navarre for himself by marrying Bellamira, then poisoning Ferdinand and the King. Balked by the planned diplomatic marriage and rejected by Bellamira herself, he uses a poison supplied by his ally, Duke Roderick, to disfigure Bellamira’s face. Philip insists that he will marry her anyway, but she runs away before the wedding can take place. Duke Roderick reports untruthfully that Katharine too has run away after being raped by Ferdinand. France accepts Bourbon’s submission and offer of troops; both kingdoms are back on a war footing. In fact, unknown to each other, both Ferdinand and Pembroke have been found by countrymen and nursed back to health. Believing Ferdinand dead, Pembroke erects a tomb to him and demands that passers-by leave their shields in tribute. Katharine visits the tomb and repents her ill usage of Ferdinand. When Ferdinand himself arrives, Pembroke tries to force him too to leave his shield; they fight, but stop when they recognize one another. Having told Katharine that he has commissioned a funerary statue for the tomb, Pembroke gets Ferdinand to take its place when she next visits, and so brings them together. Philip seeks revenge on Bourbon, and gets help from Roderick. On the eve of battle, Philip meets Bourbon incognito and kills him, but Roderick then pretends not to recognize Philip and attempts to kill him as a murderer. Pembroke and Ferdinand rescue Philip, and the three of them join the battle. After Philip kills Roderick, they stop the fighting and explain to France and Navarre that the war has been brought about by the slander and treachery of Roderick and Bourbon. The marriage alliances are revived, and peace is declared.