Percy I had thought, my lord, to have learn'd his health of you.

Northumberland. Why, is he not with the queen?

Percy. No, my good lord; he hath forsook the court, Broken his staff of office, and dispers'd

The household of the king.

Northumberland.

What was his reason?

He was not so resolv'd, when last we spake together.

Percy. Because your lordship was proclaimed traitor. But he, my lord, is gone to Ravenspurg,

To offer service to the duke of Hereford;
And sent me o'er by Berkley, to discover
What power the duke of York had levied there;
Then with direction to repair to Ravenspurg.

Northumberland. Have you forgot the duke of Here ford, boy?

Percy. No, my good lord; for that is not forgot,
Which ne'er I did remember: to my knowledge,
I never in my life did look on him.

Northumberland. Then learn to know him now; th is the duke.

Percy. My gracious lord, I tender you my service, Such as it is, being tender, raw, and young; Which elder days shall ripen and confirm To more approved service and desert.

Bolingbroke. I thank thee, gentle Percy; and be sure, I count myself in nothing else so happy, As in a soul rememb'ring my good friends; And, as my fortune ripens with thy love,

It shall be still thy true love's recompense:

My heart this covenant makes, my hand thus seals it. Northumberland. How far is it to Berkley? And what stir

Keeps good old York there, with his men of war?

Percy. There stands the castle, by yon tuft of trees, Mann'd with three hundred men, as I have heard: And in it are the lords of York, Berkley, and Seymour; None else of name, and noble estimate.

Enter Ross and WILLOUGHBY.

Northumberland. Here come the lords of Ross and
Willoughby,

Bloody with spurring, fiery-red with haste.
Bolingbroke. Welcome, my lords: I wot,' your love

pursues

A banish'd traitor; all my treasury

Is yet but unfelt thanks, which more enrich'd,
Shall be your love and labour's recompense.

Ross. Your presence makes us rich, most noble lord.
Willoughby. And far surmounts our labour to attain it.
Bolingbroke. Evermore thanks, the exchequer of the
poor;

Which till my infant fortune comes to years,
Stands for my bounty. But who comes here?

Enter BERKLEY.

Northumberland. It is my lord of Berkley, as I guess. Berkley. My lord of Hereford, my message is to you, Bolingbroke. My lord, my answer is to Lancaster ; And I am come to seek that name in England: And I must find that title in your tongue, Before I make reply to aught you say.

Berkley. Mistake me not, my lord; 'tis not my meaning,

To raze one title of your honour out :

To you, my lord, I come, (what lord you will,)
From the most glorious regent of this land,
The duke of York; to know, what pricks you on
To take advantage of the absent time,2

And fright our native peace with self-born arms.

York. Show me thy humble heart, and not thy knee, Whose duty is deceivable and false.

Bolingbroke. My gracious uncle!

York. Tut, tut!

Grace me no grace, nor uncle me no uncle :

I am no traitor's uncle; and that word—grace,
In an ungracious mouth, is but profane.

Why have those banish'd and forbidden legs
Dar'd once to touch a dust of England's ground?
But then more why;-Why have they dar'd to march
So many miles upon her peaceful bosom;
Frighting her pale-fac'd villages with war,

And ostentation of despised arms?

Com'st thou because the anointed king is hence?
Why, foolish boy, the king is left behind,
And in my loyal bosom lies his power.

Were I but now the lord of such hot youth,
As when brave Gaunt, thy father, and myself,
Rescued the black prince, that young Mars of men,
From forth the ranks of many thousand French;
O, then, how quickly should this arm of mine,
Now prisoner to the palsy, chástise thee,
And minister correction to thy fault!

Bolingbroke. My gracious uncle, let me know my fault;

On what condition stands it, and wherein?
York. Even in condition of the worst degree,

In gross rebellion, and detested treason:

Thou art a banish'd man, and here art come

Before the expiration of thy time,

In braving arms against thy sovereign.

Bolingbroke. As I was banish'd, I was banish'd Here

ford;

But as I come, I come for Lancaster.

And, noble uncle, I beseech your grace,

Look on my wrongs with an indifferent eye:
You are my father, for, methinks, in you

I see old Gaunt alive; O, then, my father!

' Impartial.

Will you permit that I shall stand condemn'd
A wandering vagabond; my rights and royalties
Pluck'd from my arms perforce, and given away
To upstart unthrifts? Wherefore was I born?
If that my cousin king be king of England,
It must be granted, I am duke of Lancaster.
You have a son, Aumerle, my noble kinsman;
Had you first died, and he had been thus trod down,
He should have found his uncle Gaunt a father,
To rouse his wrongs, and chase them to the bay,
I am denied to sue my livery here,

5

And yet my letters-patent give me leave:
My father's goods are all distrain'd and sold;
And these, and all, are all amiss employ'd.
What would you have me do? I am a subject,
And challenge law: Attornies are denied me;
And therefore personally I lay my claim
To my inheritance of free descent.

Northumberland. The noble duke hath been too much abus'd.

6

Ross. It stands your grace upon, to do him right. Willoughby. Base men by his endowments are made great.

York. My lords of England, let me tell you this,-I have had feeling of my cousin's wrongs, And labour'd all I could to do him right: But in this kind to come, in braving arms,

Be his own carver, and cut out his way,

To find out right with wrong, it may not be;
And you, that do abet him in this kind,

Cherish rebellion, and are rebels all.

Northumberland. The noble duke hath sworn, his coming is

But for his own: and, for the right of that,
We all have strongly sworn to give him aid;
And let him ne'er see joy, that breaks that oath.
York. Well, well, I see the issue of these arms;

The persons who wrong him.
It is your interest.

Possession of my land, &c.

I cannot, mend it, I must needs confess,
Because my power is weak, and all ill left.
But, if I could, by him that gave me life,
I would attach you all, and make you stoop
Unto the sovereign mercy of the king;
But, since I cannot, be it known to you,
I do remain as neuter. So fare you well;—
Unless you please to enter in the castle,
And there repose you for this night.

Bolingbroke. An offer, uncle, that we will accept.
Put we must win your grace, to go with us

To Bristol castle; which, they say, is held
By Bushy, Bagot, and their complices,

The caterpillars of the commonwealth,

Which I have sworn to weed, and pluck away.

York. It may be, I will go with you:-but yet I'll

pause;

For I am loath to break our country's laws.

Nor friends, nor fous, to me welcome you are:

Things past redress, are now with me past care.

SCENE IV.-A Camp in WALES.

Enter SALISBURY, and a CAPTAIN.

[Exeunt.

Captain. My lord of Salisbury, we have staid ten days, And hardly kept our countrymen together,

And yet we hear no tidings from the king:
Therefore we will disperse ourselves: farewell.

Salisbury. Stay yet another day, thou trusty Welsh

man;

The king reposeth all his confidence

In thee.

Captain. "Tis thought the king is dead; we will not

stay.

The bay-trees in our country are all wither'd,
And meteors fright the fixed stars of heaven;
The pale-fac'd moon looks bloody on the earth,
And lean-look'd prophets whisper fearful change;