It were not good: for therein should we read
The very bottom and the soul of hope;
The very list, the very utmost bound
Of all our fortunes.

Doug. 'Faith, and so we should!
Where now remains a sweet reversion:
We may boldly spend upon the hope of what
Is to come in:

A comfort of retirement lives in this.

Hot. A rendezvous, a home to fly unto, If that the devil and mischance look big Upon the maidenhead of our affairs.

[here,

Wor. But yet, I would your father had been
The quality and hair of our attempt
Brooks no division: It will be thought
By some, that know not why he is away,
That wisdom, loyalty, and mere dislike
Of our proceedings, kept the earl from hence;
And think, how such an apprehension
May turn the tide of fearful faction,
And breed a kind of question in our cause:
For, well you know, we of the offering side
Must keep aloof from strict arbitrement;
And stop all sight-holes, every loop, from
whence

The eye of reason may pry in upon us :
This absence of your father's draws a curtain,
That shows the ignorant a kind of fear
Before not dreamt of.

Hot. You strain too far.

I, rather, of his absence make this use ;-
It lends a lustre, and more great opinion,
A larger dare to our great enterprize, [think,
Than if the earl were here: for men must
If we, without his help, can make a head
To push against the kingdom; with his help,
We shall o'erturn it topsy-turvy down.-
Yet all goes well, yet all our joints are whole.
Doug. As heart can think: there is not such
a word

Spoke of in Scotland, as this term of fear.
Enter Sir RICHARD VERNON.

Hot. My cousin Vernon! welcome, by my soul.

Ver. Pray God, my news be worth a welcome, lord. [strong, The earl of Westmoreland, seven thousand Is marching hitherwards; with him, prince

John.

Hot. No harm: What more?

Ver. And further, I have learn'd,The king himself in person is set forth, Or hitherwards intended speedily, With strong and mighty preparation. Hot. He shall be welcome too.

his son,

Where is

The nimble-footed mad-cap prince of Wales, And his comrades, that daff'd the world aside, And bid it pass?

Ver. All furnish'd, all in arms,
All plum'd like estridges that wing the wind;
Bated like eagles having lately bath'd;¶
Glittering in golden coats, like images;
As full of spirit as the month of May,
And gorgeous as the sun at midsummer;
Wanton as youthful goats, wild as young
bulls.

I saw young Harry, with his beaver on,
His cuisses on his thighs, gallantly arm'd,
Rise from the ground like feather'd Mercury,
And vaulted with such ease into his seat,
As if an angel dropp'd down from the clouds,
+ Whereas.
Threw off.

Line.

The complexion, the character.
Dressed with Ostrich feathers.
Fresh as birds just washed. ** Armour.

To turn and wind a fiery Pegasus, [ship.
And witch the world with noble horseman-
Hot. No more, no more; worse than the sun
in March,
[come;
This praise doth nourish agues. Let them
They come like sacrifices in their trim,
And to the fire-ey'd maid of smoky war,
All hot, and bleeding, will we offer them:
The mailed Mars shall on his altar sit,
Up to the ears in blood. I am on fire,
To hear this rich reprisal is so nigh, [horse,
And yet not ours-Come, let me take my
Who is to bear me, like a thunderbolt,
Against the bosom of the prince of Wales:
Harry to Harry shall, hot horse to horse,
Meet, and ne'er part, till one drop down a

corse.

O, that Glendower were come!
Ver. There is more news:

I learn'd in Worcester, as I rode along,
He cannot draw his power this fourteen days.
Doug. That's the worst tidings that I hear

of yet.

Wor. Ay, by my faith, that bears a frosty sound.

Hot. What may the king's whole battle reach unto?

Ver. To thirty thousand.
Hot. Forty let it be;

My father and Glendower being both away,
The powers of us may serve so great a day.
Come, let us make a muster speedily:
Doomsday is near; die all, die merrily.

Doug. Talk not of dying; I am out of fear Of death, or death's hand, for this one half year. [Exeunt.

SCENE II.-A Public Road near Coventry. Enter FALSTAFF and BARDOLPH. Fal. Bardolph, get thee before to Coventry; fill me a bottle of sack: our soldiers shall march through; we'll to Sutton-Colfield tonight.

Bard. Will you give me money, captain?
Fal. Lay out, lay out.

Bard. This bottle makes an angel.

if it make twenty, take them all, I'll answer Fal. An if it do, take it for thy labour; and the coinage. Bid my lieutenant Peto meet

me at the town's end.

Bard. I will, captain: farewell. [Exit. Fal. If I be not ashamed of my soldiers, I am a souced gurnet. I have misused the king's press damnably. I have got, in exexchange of a hundred and fifty soldiers, three hundred and odd pounds. I press me none but good householders, yeomen's such as had been asked twice on the bans; sons: inquire me out contracted bachelors, such a commodity of warm slaves, as had as report of a caliver, worse than a struck fowl, lief hear the devil as a drum; such as fear the or a hurt wild duck. I pressed me none but such toasts and butter, with hearts in their bellies no bigger than pins' heads, and they whole charge consists of ancients, corporals, have bought out their services; and now my lieutenants, gentlemen of companies, slaves as the glutton's dogs licked his sores: and such ragged as Lazarus in the painted cloth, where as, indeed, were never soldiers; but discarded brothers, revolted tapsters, and ostlers tradeunjust serving-men, younger sons to younger fallen; the cankers of a calm world, and a long peace; ten times more dishonourably

Bewitch, charm. A fish. : A gun.

ragged 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?

Fal. 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?

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.

Fal. Well,

To the latter end of a fray, and the beginning of a feast,

Fits a dull fighter, and a keen guest. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.-The Rebel Camp near Shrewsbury.

Enter HOTSPUR, WORCESTER, DOUGLAS, and

VERNON.

I

Doug. Yea, or to-night. Ver. Content.

Hot. To-night, say I.

Ver. Come, come, it may not be.
wonder much, being men of such great lead-
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;

And now their pride and mettle is asleep,
Their courage with hard labour tame and dull,
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

ours:

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 stand so,

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;
And pardon absolute yourself, and these,
Herein misled by your suggestion.

Hot. The king is kind; and, well we know,

the king

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;

* Conduct, experience.

↑ Daventry.

↑ Grievances.

+ Fellowship.

The delivery of his land.

I have not sought the day of this dislike. K. Hen. You have not sought for it! how comes it then?

Fal. Rebellion lay in his way, and he found it. P. 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

world

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.

To grace this latter age with noble deeds.
For my part, I may speak it to my shame,
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 to his charge;

For, on their answer, will we set on them:
And God befriend us, as our cause is just!

[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 fare

well.

Fal. I would it were bed-time, Hal, and all well.

P. Hen. Why, thou owest God a death.

[Exit.

Fal. 'Tis not due yet; I would be loath to pay him before his day. What need I be so forward with him that calls not on me? Well, 'tis no matter; Honour pricks me on. Yea, but how if honour prick me off when I come on; how then? Can honour set to a leg? No. Or an arm? No. Or take away the grief of a 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 that died o'Wednesday. Doth he feel it? No., Doth he hear it? No. Is it insensible then? 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.

[Exit.

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,
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.

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

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 before 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 toBut I, and Harry Monmouth! Tell me, tell [tempt?

me,

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 a brother should a brother dare
To gentle 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.

Enter another MESSENGER.

Mess. My lord, prepare; the king comes ou apace.

Hot. I thank him, that he cuts me from my tale,

Let each man do his best: and here draw I
For I profess not talking; Only this-
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, and

exeunt.

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?

Doug. Know then, my name is Douglas; And I do haunt thee in the battle thus, 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 slats.