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toafts and butter, with hearts in their bellies no bigger than pins' heads, and they have bought out their fervices. And now my whole Charge confifts of ancients, corporals, lieutenants, gentlemen of companies, flaves as ragged as Lazarus in the painted cloth, where the Glutton's dogs licked his fores; and fuch as indeed were never foldiers, but difcarded unjuft fervingmen, younger fons to younger brothers; revolted tapfters, and oftlers trade-fall'n, the cankers of a calm world and a long peace; ten times more dishonourably

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7 Younger sons to younger brothers] Raleigh, in his difcourfe on war, ufes this very expreffion for men of defperate fortune and wild adventure. Which borrowed it from the other I know not, but I think the play was printed before the difcourfe.

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-ten times more d'fhonourably ragged than an old-fac'd Ancient.] Shakespeare ufes this Word fo promifcuoufly, to fignify an Enfign or Standard bearer, and alfo the Colours or Standard borne, that I cannot be at a Certainty for his Allufion here. If the Text be genuine, I think, the Meaning muft be; as difhonourably ragged as one that has been an Ensign all his days; that has let Age creep upon him, and never had Merit enough to gain Preferment. Mr Warburton, who understands it in the Second Conftruction, has fufpected the Text, and given the following ingenious Emendation. — "How " is an old-fac'd Ancient, or En

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Nothing could be more witty or fatirical than this Compa"rifon. For as Falstaff's Rag

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gamuffians were reduced to "their tatter'd Condition thro' "their riotous Exceffes; fo this "old Feaft Ancient became torn "and fhatter'd, not in any man"ly Exercife of Arms, but a"midft the Revels of drunken "Bachanals." THEOBALD.

Dr. Warburton's emendation is very acute and judicious, but I know not whether the licentioufnefs of our authour's diction may not allow us to fuppofe that he meant to reprefent his foldiers, as mere ragged, though lefs honou rably ragged, than an old ancient.

ragged,

ragged, than an old-feaft ancient; and fuch have I to up the rooms of them that have bought out their fervices; that you would think, I had a hundred and fifty tatter'd Prodigals, lately come from fwine-keeping, from eating draff and hufks. A mad fellow met me on the way, and told me, I had unloaded all the gibbets, and preft the dead bodies. No eye hath feen fuch fkare-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 gyves on; for, indeed, I had the most of them out of prifon. There's but a fhirt and a half in all my company; and the half fhirt is two napkins tack'd together, and thrown over the fhoulders like a herald's coat without sleeves; and the fhirt, to fay the truth, ftoll'n from my Hoft of St. Albans; or the red-nos'd Inn keeper of Daintry. But that's all one, they'll find linen enough on every hedge.

Enter Prince Henry, and Weftmorland.

P. Henry. How now, blown Jack? how now, quilt? Fel. What, Hal?-How now, mad wag, what a devil doft thou in Warwickshire ?-My good lord of Weftmorland, I cry you mercy; I thought, your Honour had already been at Shrewsbury.

Weft. '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 muft away all to night.

Fal. Tut, never fear me, I am as vigilant, as a Cat to steal cream.

P. Henry. I think, to fteal cream, indeed; for thy theft hath already made thee butter. But tell me, Jack, whofe fellows are thefe that come after?

Fal. Mine, Hal, mine.

P. Henry. I did never fee fuch pitiful rafcals.

9ves on ;] i. e. fhackles.

POFE.

Fal.

Fal. Tut, tut, 'good enough to tofs: food for powder, food for powder; they'll fill a pit, as well as better; tufh, man, mortal men, mortal men.

Weft. 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 fure, they never learn'd that of me.

P. Henry. No, I'll be fworn, unless you call three fingers on the ribs, bare. But, firrah, make hafte, Percy is already in the field.

Fal. What, is the King encamp'd?

Weft. He is, Sir John; I fear, we shall stay too long.

Fal. Well,

The latter end of a fray, and beginning of a feast, Fits a dull Fighter, and a keen Guest.

[Exeunt.

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Changes to SHREWSBURY.

Enter Hot-fpur, Worcester, Dowglas, and Vernon.

Hot.

E'll fight with him to night.

WE'

Wor. It may not be.

Dowg. You give him then advantage.

Ver. Not a whit.

Hot. Why fay you fo? looks he not for fupply? Ver. So do we.

Hot. He is certain, ours is doubtful.

Wor. Good coufin, be advis'd; ftir not to night. Ver. Do not, my lord.

Dowg. You do not counsel well;

You fpeak it out of fear, and from cold heart.
Ver. Do me no flander, Dowglas; by my life,

Good enough to tos.] That is, to tofs upon a pike.

And

And I dare well maintain it with my life,
If well-respected honour bid me on,
I hold as little counsel with weak fear,
As you, my lord, or any Scot that lives,
Let it be feen to morrow in the battle,
Which of us fears.

Dowg. Yea, or to night.
Ver. Content.

Hot. To night, fay I.

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Ver. Come, come, it may not be: I wonder much, Being men of fuch great Leading as you are, 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 afleep, Their courage with hard labour tame and dull, That not a horfe is half half of himself. Hot. So are the horfes of the enemy, In gen❜ral, journey-bated, and brought low; The better part of ours are full of Reft.

Wor. The number of the King's exceedeth ours : For God's fake, coufin, ftay till all come in.

[The trumpets found a parley.

SCENE V.

Enter Sir Walter Blunt.

Blunt. I come with gracious offers from the King, If you vouchfafe me hearing, and refpect.

Hot. Welcome, Sir Walter Blunt: and would to God, You were of our determination;

Some of us love you well; and ev'n those some
Envy your great defervings, and good name,

2 Such

great leading.] Such Conduct, fuch experience in mar

tial bufinefs.

Be

Because you are not of our quality;
But ftand against us like an enemy.

Blunt. And heav'n defend, but ftill I should stand fo,
So long as out of limit, and true rule,
You ftand against anointed Majefty!

But, to my Charge-The King hath fent to know
The nature of your griefs, and whereupon
You conjure from the breaft of civil peace
Such bold hoftility, teaching his duteous Land
Audacious cruelty. If that the King
Have any way your good deferts forgot,
Which he confeffeth to be manifold,

He bids you name your griefs, and with all speed
You shall have your defires, with intereft,

And pardon abfolute for your felf, and these,
Herein mif-led by your fuggeftion.

Hot. The King is kind, and well we know, the
King

Knows at what time to promife, when to pay.
My father and my uncle, and myself,
Did give him that fame Royalty he wears;
And when he was not fix and twenty ftrong,
Sick in the world's regard, wretched and low,
A poor unminded Out law, fneaking home,
My father gave him welcome to the fhore;
And when we heard him fwear, and vow to God,
He came to be but Duke of Lancaster,
To fue his livery and beg his peace,
With tears of innocence and terms of zeal,
My father, in kind heart and pity mov'd,
Swore him affiftance, and perform'd it too.
Now, when the Lords and Barons of the Realm
Perceiv'd, Northumberland did lean to him,
They, more and lefs, came in with cap and knee,
Met him in boroughs, cities, villages,
Attended him on bridges, flood in lanes,
Laid gifts before him, proffer'd him their oaths,
Gave him their heirs, as pages following him,

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