As is deliver'd to your majesty: And 'twixt his finger and his thumb he held He gave his nose, and took 't away again;— With many holiday and lady terms He question'd me; among the rest, demanded My prisoners in your majesty's behalf. I then, all smarting, with my wounds being cold, Out of my grief and my impatience, Answer'd neglectingly, I know not what, He should, or he should not ;-for he made me mad To see him shine so brisk, and smell so sweet, And talk so like a waiting-gentlewoman, Of guns, and drums, and wounds,-God save the mark! And telling me, the sovereign'st thing on earth And that it was great pity, so it was, I answer'd indirectly, as I said; Blunt. The circumstance consider'd, good my lord, K. Hen. Why, yet he doth deny his prisoners, That we, at our own charge, shall ransom straight Who, on my soul, hath wilfully betray'd Hot. Revolted Mortimer! He never did fall off, my sovereign liege, But by the chance of war :-to prove that true, In single opposition, hand to hand, He did confound the best part of an hour In changing hardiment with great Glendower: Three times they breath'd, and three times did they drink, Upon agreement, of swift Severn's flood; Who then, affrighted with their bloody looks, Ran fearfully among the trembling reeds, And hid his crisp head in the hollow bank, Colour her working with such deadly wounds; Receive so many, and all willingly: Then, let him not be slander'd with revolt. K. Hen. Thou dost belie him, Percy, thou dost belie him; He never did encounter with Glendower: I tell thee, He durst as well have met the devil alone, Art thou not asham'd? But, sirrah, henceforth Send me your prisoners with the speediest means, As will displease you. My lord Northumberland, [Exeunt KING HENRY, BLUNT, and train. Hot. And if the devil come and roar for them, I will not send them :-I will after straight, And tell him so; for I will ease my heart, Albeit I make a hazard of my head. North. What! drunk with choler? stay, and pause a while: Here comes your uncle. Hot. Re-enter Worcester. Speak of Mortimer! 'Zounds! I will speak of him; and let my soul Want mercy, if I do not join with him : Yea, on his part, I'll empty all these veins, And shed my dear blood drop by drop i' the dust, But I will lift the down-trod Mortimer As high i' the air as this unthankful king, As this ingrate and canker'd Bolingbroke. North. [To WOR.] Brother, the king hath made your nephew Wor. Who struck this heat up after I was gone? Hot. He will, forsooth, have all my prisoners; And when I urg'd the ransom once again Of my wife's brother, then his cheek look'd pale, Trembling even at the name of Mortimer. Wor. I cannot blame him: was he not proclaim'd By Richard, that dead is, the next of blood? North. He was; I heard the proclamation: And then it was when the unhappy king (Whose wrongs in us God pardon!) did set forth Upon his Irish expedition; From whence he intercepted did return To be depos'd, and shortly murdered. [mad. Wor. And for whose death, we in the world's wide mouth Live scandaliz'd, and foully spoken of. Hot. But, soft, I pray you, did king Richard then brother Edmund Mortimer Proclaim my North. He did; myself did hear it. Hot. Nay then, I cannot blame his cousin king, That wish'd him on the barren mountains starve. But shall it be, that you, that set the crown Upon the head of this forgetful man, And for his sake wear the detested blot Of murd'rous subornation,-shall it be, That you a world of curses undergo, Being the agents, or base second means, The cords, the ladder, or the hangman rather O, pardon me, that I descend so low, To show the line, and the predicament, Wherein you range under this subtle king;Shall it, for shame, be spoken in these days, Or fill up chronicles in time to come, That men of your nobility and power, Did gage them both in an unjust behalf,As both of you, God pardon it! have done,To put down Richard, that sweet lovely rose, And plant this thorn, this canker, Bolingbroke? And shall it, in more shame, be farther spoken, That you are fool'd, discarded, and shook off By him, for whom these shames ye underwent ? No; yet time serves, wherein you may redeem Your banish'd honours, and restore yourselves Into the good thoughts of the world again; Revenge the jeering and disdain'd contempt Of this proud king, who studies day and night To answer all the debt he owes to you, Even with the bloody payment of your deaths: Therefore, I say,- Wor. Peace, cousin, say no more: On the unsteadfast footing of a spear. Hot. If he fall in, good night!—or sink or swim :— Send danger from the east unto the west, So honour cross it from the north to south, North. Imagination of some great exploit Hot. By heaven, methinks, it were an easy leap, Where fathom-line could never touch the ground, But out upon this half-fac'd fellowship! Wor. He apprehends a world of figures here, Wor. That are your prisoners, Hot. Those same noble Scots, I'll keep them all; By heaven, he shall not have a Scot of them; Wor. You start away, And lend no ear unto my purposes.— Those prisoners you shall keep. Hot. Nay, I will; that's flat He said, he would not ransom Mortimer; And in his ear I'll holla-" Mortimer!" Nay, I'll have a starling shall be taught to speak To keep his anger still in motion. Wor. Hear you, cousin ; a word. Hot. All studies here I solemnly defy, Save how to gall and pinch this Bolingbroke: And that same sword-and-buckler prince of Wales,- But that I think his father loves him not, And would be glad he met with some mischance, When you are better temper'd to attend. |