agged than an old faced ancient:* and such have I, to fill up the rooms of them that have bought out their services, that you would think, that I had a hundred and fifty tattered prodigals, lately come from swine-keeping, from eating draff and husks. A mad fellow met me on the way, and told me, I had unloaded all the gibbets, and pressed the dead bodies. No eye hath seen such scare-crows. I'll not march through Coventry with them, that's flat:-Nay, and the villains march wide betwixt the legs, as if they had gyvest on; for, indeed, I had the most of them out of prison. There's but a shirt and a half in all my company: and the half-shirt is two napkins, tacked together, and thrown over the shoulders like a herald's coat without sleeves; and the shirt, to say the truth, stolen from my host at Saint Alban's, or the red-nose inn-keeper of Daintry.+ But that's all one; they'll find linen enough on every hedge.
Enter Prince HENRY and WESTMORELAND.
P. Hen. How now, blown Jack? how now, quilt? Ful. What, Hal? How now, mad wag? what a devil dost thou in Warwickshire?-My good lord of Westmoreland, I cry you mercy; I thought, your honour had already been at Shrewsbury.
West. 'Faith, Sir John, 'tis more than time that I were there, and you too; but my powers are there already: The king, I can tell you, looks for us all; we must away all night.
Fal. Tut, never fear me; I am as vigilant as a cat to steal cream.
P. Hen. I think, to steal cream indeed; for thy theft hath already made thee butter. But tell me, Jack; Whose fellows are these that come after?
P. Hen. I did never see such pitiful rascals. Fal. Tut, tut; good enough to toss; food for powder, food for powder; they'll fill a pit, as well as better: tush, man, mortal men, mortal
West. Ay, but, Sir John, methinks they are exceeding poor and bare; too beggarly. Fal. 'Faith, for their poverty, I know not where they had that: and for their bareness, -I am sure, they never learned that of me.
P. Hen. No, I'll be sworn; unless you call three fingers on the ribs, bare. But, sirrah, make haste; Percy is already in the field. Fal. What, is the king encamped? West. He is, Sir John; I fear, we shall stay too long.
To the latter end of a fray, and the beginning
Fits a dull fighter, and a keen guest. [Excunt.
SCENE III.-The Rebel Camp near Shrews- bury.
Enter HOTSPUR, WORCESTER, Douglas, and VERNON.
Hot. We'll fight with him to-night. Wor. It may not be.
Doug. You give him then advantage.
Hot. Why say you so? looks he not for supply?
Hot. His is certain, ours is doubtful.
Doug. Yea, or to-night. Ver. Content.
Hot. To-night, say I.
wonder much, being men of such great lead- Ver. Come, come, it may not be. ing,"
That you foresee not what impediments Drag back our expedition: Certain horse Of my cousin Vernon's are not yet come up: Your uncle Worcester's horse came but to- day;
Their courage with hard labour tame and dull, And now their pride and mettle is asleep, That not a horse is half the half himself.
Hot. So are the horses of the enemy In general, journey-bated, and brought low; The better part of ours is full of rest.
Wor. The number of the king exceedeth
For God's sake, cousin, stay till all come in. [The Trumpet sounds a parley.
Enter Sir WALTER BLUNT. Blunt. I come with gracious offers from the king,
If you vouchsafe me hearing, and respect. Hot. Welcome, Sir Walter Blunt; And 'would to God,
You were of our determination! Some of us love you well: and even those some Envy your great deserving, and good name; Because you are not of our quality,t But stand against us like an enemy.
Blunt. And God defend, but still I should standa,
So long as, out of limit and true rule, You stand against anointed majesty! [know But, to my charge.-The king hath sent to The nature of your griefs; and whereupon You conjure from the breast of civil peace Such bold hostility, teaching this duteous land Audacious cruelty: If that the king Have any way your good deserts forgot,- Which he confesseth to be manifold, He bids you name your griefs, and, with all speed,
You shall have your desires, with interest; Herein misled by your suggestion. And pardon absolute yourself, and these,
Hot. The king is kind; and, well we know,
Knows at what time to promise, when to pay. My father, and my uncle, and myself, Did give him that same royalty he wears: And,-when he was not six and twenty strong. Sick in the world's regard, wretched and low A poor unminded outlaw sneaking home,- My father gave him welcome to the shore: And,-when he heard him swear, and vow to God,
He came but to be duke of Lancaster, To sue his livery, and beg his peace;
With tears of innocency, and terms of zeal,- My father, in kind heart and pity mov'd, Swore him assistance, and perform'd it too. Now, when the lords, and barons of the realm Perceiv'd Northumberland did lean to him, The more and less came in with cap and knee; Met him in boroughs, cities, villages; Attended him on bridges, stood in lanes, Laid gifts before him, proffer'd him their oaths, Gave him their heirs; as pages follow'd him, Even at the heels, in golden multitudes. He presently, as greatness knows itself,- Steps me a little higher than his vow Made to my father, while his blood was poor, Upon the naked shore at Ravenspurg; And now, forsooth, takes on him to reform Some certain edicts, and some strait decrees, That lie too heavy on the commonwealth : Cries out upon abuses, seems to weep Over his country's wrongs; and, by this face, This seeming brow of justice, did he win The hearts of all that he did angle for. Proceeded further; cut me off the heads Of all the favourites, that the absent king In deputation left behind him here, When he was personal in the Irish war. Blunt. Tut, I came not to hear this. Hot. Then, to the point.
In short time after, he deposed the king; Soon after that, depriv'd him of his life; And, in the neck of that, task'd the whole state: To make that worse, suffer'd his kinsman
(Who is, if every owner were well plac'd, Indeed his king,) to be incag'd in Wales, There without ransom to lie forfeited; Disgrac'd me in my happy victories; Sought to entrap me by intelligence; Rated my uncle from the council-board: In rage dismiss'd my father from the court; Broke oath on oath, committed wrong on wrong: And, in conclusion, drove us to seek out This head of safety; and, withal, to pry Into his title, the which we find Too indirect for long continuance.
Blunt. Shall I return this answer to the king? Hot. Not so, Sir Walter; we'll withdraw awhile.
Go to the king; and let there be impawn'd Some surety for a safe return again, And in the morning early shall mine uncle Bring him our purposes: and so farewell. Blunt. I would, you would accept of grace
Hot. And, may be, so we shall. Blunt. 'Pray heaven, you do!
As I am truly given to understand, The king, with mighty and quick-raised power, Meets with lord Harry: and I fear, Sir Michael,-
What with the sickness of Northumberland, (Whose power was in the first proportion,) And what with Owen Glendower's absence, thence,
(Who with them was a rated sinew too,* And comes not in, o'er-rul'd by prophecies,)- I fear, the power of Percy is too weak To wage an instant trial with the king. Gent. Why, good my lord, you need not fear; there's Douglas,
Arch. No, Mortimer's no' there.
Gent. But there is Mordake, Vernon, lord Harry Percy,
And there's my lord of Worcester; and a head Of gallant warriors, noble gentlemen.
Arch. And so there is: but yet the king hath drawn
The special head of all the land together;-- The prince of Wales, lord John of Lancaster, The noble Westmoreland, and warlike Blunt; And many more corrivals, and dear men Of estimation and command in arms.
Gent. Doubt not, my lord, they shall be well
Arch. I hope no less, yet needful 'tis to fear And, to prevent the worst, Sir Michael, speed: For, if lord Percy thrive not, ere the king Dismiss his power, he means to visit us,- For he hath heard of our confederacy,- And 'tis but wisdom to make strong against him;
Therefore, make haste: I must go write again To other friends; and so farewell, Sir Michael. [Exeunt severally.
ACT V. SCENE I.-The King's Camp near Shrewsbury. Enter King HENRY, Prince HENRY, Prince JOHN of Lancaster, Sir WALTER BLUNT, and Sir JOHN FALSTAFF.
K. Hen. How bloodily the sun begins to peer Above yon buskyt hill! the day looks pale At his distemperature,
P. Hen. The southern wind Doth play the trumpet to his purposes; And, by his hollow whistling in the leaves, Foretells a tempest, and a blustering day.
K. Hen. Then with the losers let it sym- pathize;
[Exeunt. For nothing can seem foul to those that win.Trumpet.—Enter WORCESTER and VERNON.
SCENE IV.-York.-A Room in the Arch
How now, my lord of Worcester? 'tis not well, That you and I should meet upon such terms
Enter the ARCHBISHOP OF YORK, and a GENTLE- As now we meet: You have deceiv'd our trust;
And made us dofft our easy robes of peace, To crush our old limbs in ungentle steel: This is not well, my lord, this is not well. What say you to't? will you again unknit This churlish knot of all-abhorred war? And move in that obedient orb again, Where you would give a fair and natural light; And be no more an exhal'd meteor,
A prodigy of fear and a portent
Of broached mischief to the unborn times? Wor. Hear me, my liege:
For mine own part, I could be well conteni To entertain the lag-end of my life With quiet hours; for, I do protest,
A strength on which they reckoned
I have not sought the day of this dislike. K. Hen. You have not sought for it! how comes it then?
al. Rebellion lay in his way, and he found it. 2. Hen. Peace, chewet, peace.
Wor. It pleas'd your majesty, to turn your looks
of favour, from myself, and all our house; And yet I must remember you, my lord, We were the first and dearest of your friends. For you, my staff of office did I break
In Richard's time; and posted day and night To meet you on the way, and kiss your hand, When yet you were in place and in account Nothing so strong and fortunate as I. It was myself, my brother, and his son, [dare That brought you home, and boldly did out- The dangers of the time: You swore to us,- And you did swear that oath at Doncaster,-- That you did nothing purpose 'gainst the state; [right, Nor claim no further than your new-fall'n The seat of Gaunt, dukedom of Lancaster: To this we swore our aid. But, in short space, It rain'd down fortune showering on your head;
And such a flood of greatness fell on you,What with our help; what with the absent king;
What with the injuries of a wanton time; The seeming sufferances that you had borne; And the contrarious winds, that held the king So long in his unlucky Irish wars,
That all in England did repute him dead,- And, from this swarm of fair advantages, You took occasion to be quickly woo'd To gripe the general sway into your hand: Forgot your oath to us at Doncaster; And, being fed by us, you us'd us so As that ungentle gull, the cuckoo's bird, Useth the sparrow: did oppress our nest; Grew by our feeding to so great a bulk, That even our love durst not come near your sight,
For fear of swallowing; but with nimble wing We were enforc'd, for safety sake, to fly Out of your sight, and raise this present head: Whereby we stand opposed by such means As you yourself have forg'd against yourself; By unkind usage, dangerous countenance, And violation of all faith and troth Sworn to us in your younger enterprize. K. Hen. These things, indeed, you have ar- ticulated,+
Proclaim'd at market-crosses, read in churches; To face the garment of rebellion With some fine colour, that may please the eye Of fickle changelings, and poor discontents, Which gape, and rub the elbow, at the news Of hurlyburly innovation :
And never yet did insurrection want Such water-colours, to impaint his cause; Nor moody beggars, starving for a time Of pellmell havoc and confusion.
P. Hen. In both our armies, there is many a soul
Shall pay full dearly for this encounter,
If once they join in trial. Tell your nephew, The prince of Wales doth join with all the
In praise of Henry Percy; By my hopes,- This present enterprize set off his head,- I do not think, a braver gentleman, Mcre active-valiant, or more valiant-young, More daring, or more bold, is now alive,
A chattering bird, a pie. + Exhibited in articles.
For my part, I may speak it to my shame, To grace this latter age with noble deeds. I have a truant been to chivalry; And so, I hear, he doth account me too: Yet this before my father's majesty,- I am content, that he shall take the odds Of his great name and estimation; And will, to save the blood on either side, Try fortune with him in a single fight.
K. Hen. And, prince of Wales, so dare we venture thee,
Albeit, considerations infinite
Do make against it:-No, good Worcester, no, We love our people well; even those we love, That are misled upon your cousin's part: And, will they take the offer of our grace, Both he, and they, and you, yea, every man Shall be my friend again, and I'll be his: So tell your cousin, and bring me word What he will do:-But if he will not yield, Rebuke and dread correction wait on us, And they shall do their office. So, be gone; We will not now be troubled with reply: We offer fair, take it advisedly.
[Exeunt WORCESTER and VERNON. P. Hen. It will not be accepted, on my life: The Douglas and the Hotspur both together Are confident against the world in arms.
K. Hen. Hence, therefore, every leader. his charge;
And God befriend us, as our cause is just! For, on their answer, will we set on them:
[Exeunt KING, BLUNT, and Prince JOHN. Fal. Hal, if thou see me down in the battle, and bestride me, so; 'tis a point of friendship. P. Hen. Nothing but a colossus can do thee that friendship. Say thy prayers, and farewell.
Fal. I would it were bed-time, Hal, and all well.
P. Hen. Why, thou owest God a death.
Fal. 'Tis not due yet; I would be loath to forward with him that calls not on me? Well, pay him before his day. What need I be so 'tis no matter; Honour pricks me on. Yea, but how if honour prick me off when I come Or an arm? No. Or take away the grief of a on; how then? Can honour set to a leg? No. wound? No. Honour hath no skill in surgery then? No. What is honour? A word. What is in that word, honour? What is that honour? Air. A trim reckoning!-Who hath it? He Doth he hear it? No. Is it insensible then? that died o'Wednesday. Doth he feel it? No. Yea, to the dead. But will it not live with the living? No. Why? Detraction will not suffer it: therefore I'll none of it: Honour is a mere scutcheon,* and so ends my catechism.
SCENE II.-The Rebel Camp.-Enter WORCESTER and VERNON.
Wor. O, no, my nephew must not know, Sir Richard,
The liberal kind offer of the king. Ver. "Twere best he did.
Wor. Then are we all undone. It is not possible, it cannot be, The king should keep his word in loving us; He will suspect us still, and find a time To punish this offence in other faults: Suspicion shall be all stuck full of eyes: For treason is but trusted like the fox;
* Painted heraldry in funerals
Who, ne'er so tame, so cherish'd, and lock'd up, | Of any prince, so wild, at liberty :— Will have a wild trick of his ancestors. Look how we can, or sad, or merrily, Interpretation will misquote our looks; And we shall feed like oxen at a stall, The better cherish'd, still the nearer death. My nephew's trespass may be well forgot, It hath the excuse of youth, and heat of blood; And an adopted name of privilege,- A hare-brain'd Hotspur, govern'd by a spleen: All his offences live upon my head, And on his father's ;-we did train him on; And, his corruption being ta'en from us, We, as the spring of all, shall pay for all. Therefore, good cousin, let not Harry know, In any case, the offer of the king.
But, be he as he will, yet once ere night I will embrace him with a soldier's arm, That he shall shrink under my courtesy.- Arm, arm, with speed:And, fellows, sol diers, friends,
Better consider what you have to do, Than I, that have not well the gift of tongue, Can lift your blood up with persuasion.
Ver. Deliver what you will, I'll say, 'tis so. Here comes your cousin.
Enter HOTSPUR and DOUGLAS; and Officers and Soldiers, behind.
Hot. My uncle is return'd :-Deliver up My lord of Westmoreland.-Uncle, what news?
Wor. The king will bid you battle presently. Doug. Defy him by the lord of Westmore- land.
Hot. Lord Douglas, go you and tell him so. Doug. Marry, and shall, and very willingly. [Exit. Wor. There is no seeming mercy in the king. Hot. Did you beg any? God forbid ! Wor. I told him gently of our grievances, Of his oath-breaking; which he mended thus,-
By now forswearing that he is forsworn: He calls us rebels, traitors; and will scourge With haughty arms this hateful name in us.
Doug. Arm, gentlemen; to arms! for I have thrown
A brave defiance in King Henry's teeth, And Westmoreland, that was engag'd, did bear it; [on. Which cannot choose but bring him quickly Wor. The prince of Wales stepp'd forth be- fore the king,
And, nephew, challeng'd you to single fight. Hot. O, 'would the quarrel lay upon our heads; [day, And that no man might draw short breath to- But 1, and Harry Monmouth! Tell me, tell [tempt?
How show'd his tasking? seem'd it in con- Ver. No, by my soul; I never in my life Did hear a challenge urg'd more modestly, Unless & brother should a brother dare To gentic exercise and proof of arms. He gave you all the duties of a man; [tongue; Trimm'd up your praises with a princely Spoke your deservings like a chronicle; Making you ever better than his praise, By still dispraising praise, valued with you; And, which became him like a prince indeed, He made a blushing cital of himself; And chid his truant youth with such a grace, As if he master'd there a double spirit, Of teaching, and of learning, instantly. There did he pause: But let me tell the If he outlive the envy of this day, [world,- England did never owet so sweet a hope, So much misconstrued in his wantonness. Hot. Cousin, I think, thou art enamoured Upon his follies; never did I hear
Enter a MESSENGER.
Mess. My lord, here are letters for you. Hot. I cannot read them now.-
O gentlemen, the time of life is short; To spend that shortness basely, were too long If life did ride upon a dial's point, Still ending at the arrival of an hour. An if we live, we live to tread on kings; Now for our conscience, the arms are fair, If die, brave death, when princes die with us! When the intent of bearing them is just.
Enter another MESSENGER.
Mess. My lord, prepare; the king comes on
Hot. I thank him, that he cuts me from my tale,
For I profess not talking; Only this- Let each man do his best and here draw I A sword, whose temper I intend to stain With the best blood that I can meet withal In the adventure of this perilous day. Now,-Esperance!-Percy!-And set on.- Sound all the lofty instruments of war, And by that music let us all embrace: For, heaven to earth, some of us never shall A second time do such a courtesy. [The Trumpets sound. They embrace, ans
SCENE III.-Plain near Shrewsbury. Excursions, and Parties fighting. Alarum to the Battle. Then enter DOUGLAS and BLUNT, meeting.
Blunt. What is thy name, that in the battle thus
Thou crossest me? what honour dost thou seek Upon my head?
And I do haunt thee in the battle thus, Doug. Know then, my name is Douglas; Because some tell me that thou art a king. Blunt. They tell thee true.
Doug. The lord of Stafford dear to-day hath bought
Thy likeness; for, instead of thee, king Harry, This sword hath ended him: so shall it thee, Unless thou yield thee as my prisoner.
Blunt. I was not born a yielder, thou proud Scot;
And thou shalt find a king that will revenge Lord Stafford's death.
[They fight, and BLUNT is slain,
Other Alarums.-Enter FALSTAFF. Fal. Though I could 'scape shot-free at London, I fear the shot here; here's no scoring, but upon the pate.-Soft! who art thou? Sir Walter Blunt;-there's honour for you: Here's no vanity!-I am as hot as molten lead, and as heavy too: God keep lead out of me! I need no more weight than mine own bowels.-I have led my raggamuffins where they are peppered: there's but three of my hundred and fifty left alive; and they are for the town's end, to beg during life. But who comes here?
West. Come, my lord, I will lead you to your tent.
P. Hen. Lead me, my lord? I do not need your help: [drive And heaven forbid, a shallow scratch should The prince of Wales from such a field as this; Where stain'd nobility lies trodden on, And rebels' arms triumph in massacres!
P. John. We breathe too long:-Come, cousin Westmoreland,
Our duty this way lies; for God's sake, come. [Exeunt Prince JOHN and WESTMORELAND. P. Hen. By heaven, thou hast deceiv'd me, Lancaster,
I did not think thee lord of such a spirit: Before, I lov'd thee as a brother, John; But now, I do respect thee as my soul. K. Hen. I saw him hold lord Percy at the point,
With lustier maintenance than I did look for Of such an ungrown warrior. P. Hen. O, this boy Lends mettle to us all!
Alarums.-Enter DOUGLAS. Doug. Another king! they grow like Hydra's I am the Douglas, fatal to all those [heads: That wear those colours on them.-What art That counterfeit'st the person of a king? [thou, K. Hen. The king himself; who, Douglas grieves at heart,
So many of his shadows thou hast met,
P. Hen. What, stand'st thou idle here? lend And not the very king. I have two boys,
Many a nobleman lies stark and stiff Under the hoofs of vaunting enemies, Whose deaths are unreveng'd: Pr'ythee, lend thy gword.
Fal. O Hal, I pr'ythee, give me leave to breathe a while.-Turk Gregory never did such deeds in arms, as I have done this day. I have paid Percy, I have made him sure.
P. Hen. He is, indeed; and living to kill thec. Lend me thy sword, I pr'ythee.
Ful. Nay, before God, Hal, if Percy be alive, thou get'st not my sword; but take my pistol, if thou wilt.
P. Hen. Give it me: What, is it in the case? Fal. Ay, Hal; 'tis hot, 'tis hot; there's that will sack a city.
[The Prince draws out a bottle of sack. P. Hen. What, is't a time to jest and dally [Throws it at him and exit. Fal. Well, if Percy be alive, I'll pierce him. If he do come in my way, so: if he do not, if I come in his, willingly, let him make a carbonadot of me. I like not such grinning honour as Sir Walter hath: Give me life: which if I can save, so; if not, honour comes unlooked for, and there's an end. [Exit.
SCENE IV.-Another part of the Field. Alarums.-Excursions.—Enter the KING, Prince HENRY, Prince JOHN, and WESTMORELAND. K. Hen. I pr'ythee, Harry, withdraw thyself; thou bleed'st too much:-
Lord John of Lancaster, go you with him. P. John. Not I, my lord, unless I did bleed
P. Hen. I do beseech your majesty, make up, Lest your retirement do amaze your friends. K. Hen. I will do so:
My lord of Westmoreland, lead him to his tent.
A piece of meat cut crossways for the gridiron.
Seek Percy, and thyself, about the field: But, seeing thou fall'st on me so luckily, I will assay thee; so defend thyself.
Doug. I fear, thou art another counterfeit; And yet, in faith, thou bear'st thee like a king: But mine, I am sure, thou art, whoe'er thou be, And thus I win thee.
[They fight; the KING being in danger, enter Prince HENRY.
P. Hen. Hold up thy head, vile Scot, or thou art like
Never to hold it up again! the spirits Of Shirley, Stafford, Blunt, are in my arms: It is the prince of Wales, that threatens thee; Who never promiseth, but he means to pay.- [They fight; DOUGLAS flies. Cheerly, my lord; How fares your grace?- Sir Nicholas Gawsey hath for succour sent, And so hath Clifton; I'll to Clifton straight.
K. Hen. Stay, and breathe a while:- Thou hast redeem'd thy lost opinion;* [life, And show'd, thou mak'st some tender of my In this fair rescue thou hast brought to me. P. Hen. O heaven! they did me too much
That ever said, I hearken'd for your death. If it were so, I might have let alone The insulting hand of Douglas over you; Which would have been as speedy in your end As all the poisonous potions in the world, And sav'd the treacherous labour of your son. K. Hen. Make up to Clifton, I'll to Sir Nich olas Gawsey. [Exit King HENRY.
Flot. If I mistake not, thou art Harry Monmouth.
P. Hen. Thou speak'st as if I would deny my name.
Hot. My name is Harry Percy. P. Hen. Why, then I see A very valiant rebel of the name.
I am the prince of Wales; and think not, Percy
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