DRAMATIS PERSONA. KING HENRY THE FOURTH. HENRY, Prince of Wales; afterwards K. Hen. V., THOMAS, Duke of Clarence, PRINCE JOHN of Lancaster, PRINCE HUMPHREY OF GLOSTER, EARL OF WARWICK, EARL OF WESTMORELAND, Of the KING'S Party. EARL OF SURREY, GOWER, HARCOURT, His Sons. SIR WILLIAM GASCOIGNE, Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench. EARL OF NORTHUMBERLAND, SCROOP, Archbishop of York, LORD MOWBRAY, LORD HASTINGS, Opposites to the KING. LORD BARDOLPH, SIR JOHN COLEVILE, TRAVERS and MORTON, Retainers of NORTHUMBERLAND, SIR JOHN FALstaff. His Page. BARDOLPH. PISTOL. POINS. PETO. SHALLOW and SILENCE, Country Justices. DAVY, Servant to SHALLOW. MOULDY, SHADOW, WART, FEEBLE, and BULL-CALF, Recruits. FANG and SNARE, Sheriff's Officers. RUMOUR, the Presenter. A Porter. A Dancer, Speaker of the Epilogue. LADY NORTHUMBERLAND. LADY PERCY. HOSTESS QUICKLY. DOLL TEAR-SHEET. Lords and Attendants; Officers, Soldiers, Messenger, Drawers, Beadles, Grooms, &c. SCENE, ENGLAND. SECOND PART OF KING HENRY IV. INDUCTION. WARKWORTH. Before NORTHUMBERLAND'S Castle. Rum. Open your ears; for which of you will stop Upon my tongues continual slanders ride, Make fearful musters, and prepar'd defence? That the blunt monster with uncounted heads, Can play upon it. But what need I thus Among my household? Why is Rumour here? Who, in a bloody field at Shrewsbury, Hath beaten down young Hotspur and his troops, Even with the rebels' blood. But what mean I And not a man of them brings other news Than they have learn'd of me: from Rumour's tongues ACT I. SCENE I.-The Same. Enter LORD BARDOLPH. L. Bard. Who keeps the gate here? ho!— Enter Porter above the gate. [Exit. Where is the earl? Port. What shall I say you are? L. 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. L. Bard. Here comes the earl. [Exit Porter above. Enter NORTHUMBERLAND. North. What news, lord Bardolph? every minute now Should be the father of some stratagem. The times are wild: contention, like a horse L. Bard. Noble earl, I bring you certain news from Shrewsbury. L. Bard. As good as heart can wish : The king is almost wounded to the death; North. Saw How is this deriv'd? you the field? came you from Shrewsbury? : L. Bard. I spake with one, my lord, that came from thence; A gentleman well bred, and of good name, That freely render'd me these news for true. North. Here comes my servant, Travers, whom I sent On Tuesday last to listen after news. L. Bard. My lord, I over-rode him on the way; And he is furnish'd with no certainties, More than he haply may retail from me. Enter TRAVERS. North. Now, Travers, what good tidings come with you? With joyful tidings; and, being better hors'd, Said he, young Harry Percy's spur was cold? Had met ill luck? L. Bard. My lord, I'll tell you what ; If my young lord your son have not the day, Upon mine honour, for a silken point I'll give my barony: never talk of it. North. Why should the gentleman, that rode by Travers, Give, then, such instances of loss? L. Bard. Who, he? He was some hilding fellow, that had stolen The horse he rode on; and, upon my life, Spoke at a venture.-Look, here comes more news. Enter MORTON. North. Yea, this man's brow, like to a title-leaf, Say, Morton, didst thou come from Shrewsbury? North. How doth my son and brother? Thou tremblest; and the whiteness in thy cheek Is apter than thy tongue to tell thy errand. So dull, so dead in look, so woe-begone, And would have told him, half his Troy was burn'd; Ending with-brother, son, and all are dead. But, for my lord your son,— North. Why, he is dead. See, what a ready tongue suspicion hath! He that but fears the thing he would not know, Hath, by instinct, knowledge from others' eyes, s; That what he fear'd is chancèd. Yet speak, Morton; Tell thou thy earl his divination lies, And I will take it as a sweet disgrace, And make thee rich for doing me such wrong. Your spirit, is too true, your fears too certain. |