KING Henry the Fourth.

Henry, Prince of Wales, Sons to the King.
John Duke of Lancaster,
Worcester,

Northumberland,

Hot-fpur,

Mortimer,

Enemies to the King.

Sir Walter Blunt, of the King's Party.

Sir John Falstaff.

Lady Percy, Wife to Hot-fpur.

Lady Mortimer, Daughter to Glendower, and Wife to Mortimer.

Hoftefs Quickly.

Sheriff, Vintner, Chamberlain, Drawers, two Carriers, Travellers, and Attendants.

SCENE, ENGLAND.

The

(1) The FIRST PART of

HEN NR RY IV.

A C T I.

SCENE, the the Court in London.

Enter King Henry, Lord John of Lancaster, Earl of Westmorland, and others.

King HENRY.

Othaken as we are, fo wan with Care,
Find we a time for frighted peace to pant,
And breathe fhort-winded accents of new

broils

To be commenc'd in stronds afar remote.

No more the thirsty entrance of this Soil (2)

Shall

(1) The 1ft Part of Henry IV.] The Tranfactions, contain'd in this hiftorical Drama, are comprized within the Period of about 10 Months: For the Action commences with the News brought of Hotspur having defeated the Scots under Archibald Earl Douglas at Holmedon, (or Halidown hill) which Battle was fought on Holyrood day; (the 14th of Septem ber, 1402) and it clofes with the Defeat and Death of Hotspur at Shrewsbury; which Engagement happen'd on Saturday the 21ft of July (the Eve of St. Mary Magdalen) in the Year 1403.

(2) No more the thirty Entrance of this Soil

Shall dawb her Lips with her own Children's blood:] Thus the Oldest Quarto and the First Folio. I have chofe to read with fome of the more recent Impreffions, damp: and if I do not mistake the Senfe of the Paffage, the Antithefis, that feems defign'd, requires this Reading. Entrance of this Soil, I apprehend, cannot well mean an Invasion of the Kingdom: nor could the King have a Reason to say, that England fhould never again be attempted by hoftile Arms. The Expreffion is very ob

24

icure:

Shall damp her lips with her own children's blood:
No more fhall trenching war channel her fields,
Nor bruise her flowrets with the armed hoofs
Of hoftile paces. Thofe oppofed eyes,
Which, like the meteors of a troubled heav'n,
All of one nature, of one fubftance bred,
Did lately meet in the inteftine shock
And furious Clofe of civil butchery,
Shall now in mutual well-befeeming ranks
March all one way; and be no more oppos'd
Against acquaintance, kindred, and allies:
The edge of war, like an ill-fheathed knife,
No more fhall cut his mafter. Therefore, friends,
As far as to the fepulchre of Chrift,

(Whose soldier now, under whose bleffed Cross
We are impreffed, and engag'd to fight)
Forthwith a Power of English fhall we levy;
Whose arms were moulded in their mothers' womb,
To chase these Pagans, in those holy fields
Over whofe acres walk'd thofe bleffed feet,
Which, fourteen hundred years ago, were nail'd
For our advantage on the bitter Crofs.

But this our purpofe is a twelvemonth old,
And bootlefs 'tis to tell you we will go.

Therefore, we meet not now: Then let me hear,
Of you my gentle Coufin Westmorland,
What yefternight our Council did decree,
In forwarding this dear expedience.

Weft. My Liege, this hafte was hot in question,
And many limits of the Charge fet down

fcure; but I take This to be the Meaning: that the thirsty Earth, chapt and flaw'd with Drought, fhall no more damp, or moisten her Lips, oF Surface, with her own Children's blood. The dry Earth drinking in this manner, is a very natural Allufion, and frequent with our Author. So, in his Troublefom Reign of King John;

Is all the Blood, y-fpilt on either Part,

Clofing the Crannies of the thirty Earth,
Grown to a Love game, and a bridal Feaft?

3 Henry VI.

Thy Brother's blood the thirfty Earth bath drunk, Titus Andronicus.

Let my Tears ftanch the Earth's dry Appetite,

But

But yesternight: when, all athwart, there came
A Poft from Wales, loaden with heavy news;
Whose worst was, that the noble Mortimer,
Leading the men of Herefordshire to fight
Against th' irregular and wild Glendower,
Was by the rude hands of that Welshman taken;
A thousand of his people butchered,

Upon whofe dead corps there was such misuse,
Such beaftly, fhameless transformation,
By thofe Welshwomen done, as may not be,
Without much fhame, re-told or spoken of.

K. Henry. It feems then, that the tidings of this broil Brake off our business for the holy Land.

Weft. This, matcht with other, did, my gracious lord; For more uneven and unwelcome news

Came from the North, and thus it did import.
On holy-rood day, the gallant Hot-Spur there,
Young Harry Percy, and brave Archibald,
That ever-valiant and approved Scot,
At Holmeden spent a fad and bloody hour:
As by discharge of their artillery,

And shape of likelihood, the news was told;
For he, that brought it, in the very heat
And pride of their contention, did take horse,
Uncertain of the iffue any way.

K. Henry. Here is a dear and true-industrious friend, Sir Walter Blunt, new lighted from his horse, (3) Stain'd with the variation of each foil

Betwixt that Holmedon, and this Seat of ours:
And he hath brought us smooth and welcome news.

(3) Sir Walter Blunt, new lighted from his Harfe,

Stain'd with the Variation of each Soil,

Betwixt that Holmedon, &c.] This Circumftance of Blunt's Speed, and being befpatter'd with the different Dirt of each County, was look'd on, I apprehend, in a ludicrous Light by fome Carpers; at leaft, I find it parodied in an old Comedy, and apply'd to a Perfon in a Scuffle tumbled into the Dirt.

your Band and Doublet

Torn from your Neck and Back; and your brave Breeches
Stain'd with the Variation of each Soil.

Merry Milk-maids. Ac. 2. Sc. 2.

The

The Earl of Dowglas is difcomfited,

Ten thousand bold Scots, three and twenty Knights,
Balk'd in their own blood did Sir Walter fee
On Holmedon's plains. Of prifoners, Hot-fpur took
Mordake the Earl of Fife, and eldest fon

To beaten Dowglas, and the Earls of Athol,
Of Murry, Angus, and Menteith.

And is not this an honourable spoil?

A gallant prize? ha, coufin, is it not?

Weft. In faith, a conqueft for a Prince to boast of. K. Henry. Yea, there thou mak'ft me fad, and mak'st me fin

In Envy, that my lord Northumberland

Should be the father of fo bleft a fon:

A fon, who is the theam of Honour's tongue:
Amongst a grove, the very ftreighteft plant;
Who is fweet Fortune's Minion, and her Pride:
Whilft I, by looking on the praise of him,
See riot and dishonour ftain the brow

Of my young Harry. O could it be prov'd,
That fome night-tripping Fairy had exchang'd,
In cradle-cloaths, our children where they lay,
And call'd mine Percy, his Plantagenet;

Then would I have his Harry, and he mine.
But let him from my thoughts.

1

Coufin,

What think you,

Of this young Percy's pride? the prisoners,
Which he in this adventure hath furpriz'd,
To his own use he keeps, and fends me word,
I shall have none but Mordake Earl of Fife.

Weft. This is his uncle's teaching, this is Worcester, Malevolent to you in all aspects;

Which makes him prune himself, and bristle up
The Crest of youth against your Dignity.

K. Henry. But I have fent for him to answer this;
And for this cause a while we must neglect
Our holy purpose to Jerufalem.

Coufin, on Wednesday next, our Council we
Will hold at Windfor, fo inform the lords:
But come your self with speed to us again;

For