To speak so true at first? my office is
To noise abroad, that Harry Monmouth fell
Under the wrath of noble Hotspur's sword;
And that the king before the Douglas' rage
Stoop'd his anointed head as low as death.
This have I rumour'd through the peasant towns
Between that royal field of Shrewsbury
And this worm-eaten hold of ragged stone,
Where Hotspur's father, old Northumberland,
Lies crafty-sick the posts come tiring on,
And not a man of them brings other news

Than they have learn'd of me; From Rumour's tongues
They bring smooth comforts false, worse than true wrongs.

[Exit.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

King HENRY the Fourth:

HENRY, Prince of Wales, afterwards
King Henry V;

THOMAS, Duke of Clarence;

Prince JOHN of Lancaster, afterwards
(2 Henry V.) Duke of Bedford;
Prince HUMPHREY of Gloster, after-
wards (2 Henry V.) Duke of Gloster;
Earl of WARWICK ;

Earl of WESTMORELAND ;

GOWER; HARCOURT ;

his sons.

of the king's party.

Lord Chief Justice of the king's bench.

A Gentleman attending on the chief justice.

Earl of NORTHUMBERLAND;

SCROOP, Archbishop of York;

Lord MOWBRAY; Lord HASTINGS;

Lord BARDOLPH; Sir John Colevile;

enemies

to the

king.

TRAVERS and MORTON, domestics of Northumberland.

FALSTAFF, BARDOLPH, PISTOL, and Page.

POINS and PETO, attendants on Prince Henry.

SHALLOW and SILENCE, country justices.

DAVY, servant to Shallow.

MOULDY, SHADOW, WART, FEEBLE, and BULLCALF, re

cruits.

FANG and SNARE, sheriff's officers.

Rumour. A Porter.

A Dancer, speaker of the Epilogue.

Lady NORTHUMBERLAND. Lady PERCY.

Hostess QUICKLY. DOLL TEAR-SHEET.

Lords and other Attendants; Officers, Soldiers, Messenger, Drawers, Beadles, Grooms, &c.

SCENE-England.

SECOND PART OF

KING HENRY IV.

ACT I.

SCENE I. The same. The Porter before the gate; Enter

Lord BARDOLPH.

Bardolph.

WHO keeps the gate here, ho?—Where is the earl? Port. What shall I say you are?

Bard. Tell thou the earl,

That the lord Bardolph doth attend him here.

Port. His lordship is walk'd forth into the orchard; Please it your honour, knock but at the gate,

And he himself will answer.

Enter Northumberland.

Bard. Here comes the earl.

North. What news, lord Bardolph ? every minute now Should be the father of some stratagem :'

The times are wild; contention, like a horse

Full of high feeding, madly hath broke loose,
And bears down all before him.

Bard. Noble earl,

I bring you certain news from Shrewsbury.
North. Good, an heaven will!

Bard. As good as heart can wish :-
The king is almost wounded to the death;
And, in the fortune of my lord your son,

Prince Harry slain outright; and both the Blunts
Kill'd by the hand of Douglas: young prince John,
And Westmoreland, and Stafford, fled the field;
And Harry Monmouth's brawn, the hulk sir John,
Is prisoner to your son: O, such a day,
So fought, so follow'd, and so fairly won,
Came not, till now, to dignify the times,
Since Cæsar's fortunes!

[1] Stratagem means here some important or dreadful event.

VOL. V.

MASON.

M