In rage dismiss'd my father from the court; Blunt. Shall I return this answer to the king? SCENE IV. [Exeunt. York.-A Room in the Archbishop's House. Enter the Archbishop of YORK, and a Gentleman. Arch. Hie, good sir Michael; bear this sealed brief, With winged haste, to the lord mareschal; This to my cousin Scroop; and all the rest To whom they are directed: if you knew How much they do import, you would make haste. Gent. My good lord, I guess their tenor. Arch. Like enough, you do. The king, with mighty and quick-raised power, Gent. Why, good my lord, you need not fear; there's [Douglas. [Percy, Gent. But there is Mordake, Vernon, lord Harry And there's my lord of Worcester; and a head Of gallant warriors, noble gentlemen. And lord Mortimer. Arch. No, Mortimer's not there. Arch. And so there is: but yet the king hath drawn The special head of all the land together ;The prince of Wales, lord John of Lancaster, The noble Westmoreland, and warlike Blunt; And many more cor-rivals, and dear men Of estimation and command in arms. [pos'd. Cent. Doubt not, my lord, they shall be well opArch. I hope no less, yet needful 'tis to fear; And, to prevent the worst, sir Michael, speed: For, if lord Percy thrive not, ere the king Dismiss his power, he means to visit us,— For he hath heard of our confederacy,And 'tis but wisdom to make strong against him; Therefore, make haste: I must go write again To other friends; and so farewell, sir Michael. [Exeunt, severally. ACT V. SCENE I.—The King's Camp near Shrewsbury. Enter KING HENRY, PRINCE HENRY, PRINCE JOHN of Lancaster, Sir WALTER BLUNT, and Sir JOHN ALSTAFF. & Hen. How bloodily the sun begins to peer Doth play the trumpet to his purposes; And, by his hollow whistling in the leaves, Foretels a tempest, and a blustering day. K. Hen. Then with the losers let it sympathize; For nothing can seem foul to those that win. Trumpet. Enter WORCESTER and VERNON. A prodigy of fear, and a portent Of broached mischief to the unborn times? For mine own part, I could be well content I have not sought the day of this dislike. K. Hen. You have not sought it! how comes it then? Wor. It pleas'd your majesty, to turn your looks Sworn to us in your younger enterprize. K. Hen. These things, indeed, you have articulated, With some fine colour, that may please the eye And never yet did insurrection want P. Hen. In both our armies, there is many a soul Of his great name and estimation; And will, to save the blood on either side, K. Hen. And, prince of Wales, so dare we venture Albeit, considerations infinite Do make against it :-No, good Worcester, no. [thee, [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 farewell. 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; 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 hea、 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. Hy uncle is return'd:-Deliver up My lord of Westmoreland.-Uncle, what news! Wor. The king will bid you battle presently. Doug. Defy him by the lord of Westmoreland Hot. Lord Douglas, go you and tell him so. Doug. Marry, and shall, and very willingly. [Ex. Wor. There is no seeming mercy in the king. Hot. Did you beg any? God forbid ! Wor. I told him gently of our grievances, Of his oath-breaking; which he mended thus,By now forswearing that he is forsworn: He calls us rebels, traitors; and will scourge With haughty arms this hateful name in us. Re-enter DOUGLAS. 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 its Which cannot choose but bring him quickly on. Wor. The prince of Wales stepp'd forth before the And, nephew, challeng'd you to single fight. [king, Fal. I would it were bed-time, Hal, and all well. P. Hen. Why, thou owest God a death. [Exit. Hot. O, 'would the quarrel lay upon our heads; Fal. 'Tis not due yet; I would be loath to pay him And that no man might draw short breath to-day, before his day. What need I be so forward with him But I, and Harry Monmouth! Tell me, tell me, that calls not on me? Well, 'tis no matter; Honour How shew'd his tasking? seem'd it in contempt? pricks me on. Yea, but how if honour pricks me off Ver. No, by my soul; I never in my life, when I come on? how then? Can honour set to a Did hear a challenge urg'd more modestly, leg? No. Or an arm? No. Or take away the grief Unless a brother should a brother dare of a wound? No. Honour hath no skill in surgery To gentle exercise and proof of arms. then? No. What is honour? A word. What is in He gave you all the duties of a man; that word, honour? What is that honour? Air. A Trimm'd up your praises with a princely tongue; trim reckoning!-Who hath it? He that died o' Wed-Spoke your deservings like a chronicle; nesday. Doth he feel it? No. Doth he hear it? Making you ever better than his praise, No. Is it insensible then? Yea, to the dead. But By still dispraising praise, valued with you. will it not live with the living? No. Why? Detrac- And, which became him like a prince indeed, tion will not suffer it:➡herefore I'll none of it: He made a blushing cital of himself ; And chid his truant youth with such a grace, There did he pause; But let me tell the world,- Hot. Cousin, I think, thou art enamoured Enter a Messenger. Mess. My lord, here are letters for you. O gentlemen, the time of life is short; Enter another Messenger. Mess. My lord, prepare; the king comes on apace. Let each man do his best; and here draw I [The trumpets sound. They embrace, and exeunt. SCENE III.-Plain near Shrewsbury. Doug. The lord of Stafford dear to-day hath bought Blunt. I was not born a yielder, thou proud Scot; Hot. O Douglas, hadst thou fought at Holmedon Doug. Here. Hot. This, Douglas? no, I know this face full well: Up, and away; Hot. Fal. Though I could 'scape shot-free at London, I fear the shot here: here's no scoring, but upon the pate.-Soft! who art thou? Sir Walter Blunt ;there's honour for you: Here's no vanity!-I am as hot as molten lead, and as heavy too: God keep lead out of me! I need no more weight than my own bowels. I have led my raggamuffins where they are peppered there's but three of my hundred and fifty left alive; and they are for the town's end, to beg during life. But who comes here? Enter PRINCE HENRY. P. Hen. What, stand'st thou idle here? lend me Many a nobleman lies stark and stiff [thy sword: Under the hoofs of vaunting enemies, [sword. Whose deaths are unreveng'd: Pr'ythee, lend me thy Fal. O Hal, I pr'ythee, give me leave to breathe awhile.-Turk Gregory never did such deeds in arms, made him sure. as I have done this day. I have paid Percy, I have P. Hen. He is, indeed: and living to kill thee. Lend me thy sword, I pr'ythee. Fal. Nay, before God, Hal, if Percy be alive, thou get'st not my sword; but take my pistol, if thou wilt. P. Hen. Give it me: What, is it in the case? Fal. Ay, Hal; 'tis hot, 'tis hot; there's that will sack a city. [The PRINCE draws out a bottle of sack. P. Hen. What, is't a time to jest and dally now? [Throws it at him, and exit. I he do come in my way, so if he do not, if I come SCENE IV. Another part of the Field. Harry, withdraw thyself; thou bleed'st too much P. John. Not I, my lord, unless I did bleed too. My lord of Westmoreland, lead him to his tent. West. Come, my lord, I will lead you to your tent. P. John. We breathe too long:-Come, cousin [Exeunt PRINCE JOHN and WESTMORELAND. [caster, down as if he were dead, and exit DOUGLAS. HorSPUR is wounded and falls. P. Hen. By heaven, thou hast deceiv'd me, Lan- | Enter DOUGLAS; he fights with FALSTAFF, who falls I did not think thee lord of such a spirit: Before, I lov'd thee as a brother, John; But now, I do respect thee as my soul. K. Hen. I saw him hold lord Percy at the point, With lustier maintenance than I did look for Of such an ungrown warrior. P. Hen. Iands mettle to us all. O, this boy, Hot. O, Harry, thou hast robb'd me of my youth: Than those proud titles thou hast won of me; [flesh; Alarums. Enter DOUGLAS. Doug. Another King! they grow like Hydras' I am the Douglas, fatal to all those [heads: That wear those colours on them.-What art thou, That counterfeit'st the person of a king? K. Hen. The king himself; who, Douglas, grieves So many of his shadows thou hast met, [at heart, And not the very king. I have two boys, Seek Percy, and thyself, about the field: But, seeing thou fall'st on me so luckily, I will assay thee; so defend thyself. Doug. I fear, thou art another counterfeit ; And yet, in faith, thou bear'st thee like a king: But mine, I am sure, thou art, whoe'er thou be, And thus I win thee. [They fight; the KING being in danger, enter PRINCE HENRY. P. Hen. Hold up thy head, vile Scot, or thou art Never to hold it up again! the spirits [like Of Shirley, Stafford, Blunt, are in my arms : It is the prince of Wales, that threatens thee; Who never promiseth, but he means to pay. [They fight; DOUGLAS flies. Cheerly, my lord; How fares your grace?— Sir Nicholas Gawsey hath for succour sent, And so hath Clifton; I'll to Clifton straight. K. Hen. Stay, and breathe awhile: Thou hast redeem'd thy lost opinion; And shew'd, thou mak'st some tender of my life, In this fair rescue thou hast brought to me. P. Hen. O heaven! they did me too much injury, That ever said, I hearken'd for your death. If it were so, I might have let alone The insulting hand of Douglas over you; Which would have been as speedy in your end, As all the poisonous potions in the world, And sav'd the treacherous labour of your son. K. Hen. Make up to Clifton, I'll to sir Nicholas Gawsey. [Exit KING HENRY. Enter HOTSPUR. Hot. If I mistake not, thou art Harry Monmouth. Why, then I see A very valiant rebel of the name. Hot. Nor shall it, Harry, for the hour is come P. Hen. For worms, brave Percy: Fare thee well, great heart! Ill-weav'd ambition, how much art thou shrunk! Is room enough :-This earth, that bears thee dead If thou wert sensible of courtesy, I should not make so dear a show of zeal:- [He sees FALSTAFF on the ground [Exu. Fal. [Rising slowly.] Embowell'd! if thou embowel me to-day, I'll give you leave to powder me, and eat me too, to-morrow. 'Sblood, 'twas time to counterfeit, or that hot termagant Scot had paid me scot and lot too. Counterfeit? I lie, I am no counterfeit To die is to be a counterfeit; for he is but the counterfeit of a man, who hath not the life of a man: but to counterfeit dying, when a man thereby liveth, is to be no counterfeit, but the true and perfect image of life indeed. The better part of valour is-discretion; in the which better part I have saved my life. 'Zounds, I am afraid of this gunpowder Percy, though he be dead: How, if he should counterfeit too, and rise! I am afraid, he would prove the better counterfeit. Therefore I'll make him sure: yea, and I ll swear I killed him. Why may not he rise, as well as I? Nothing confutes me but eyes, and nobody sees me. Therefore, sirrah, [stabbing him.] with a new wound in your thigh, come you along with me. [Takes HOTSPUR on his back. Re-enter PRINCE HENRY and PRINCE JOHN. P.Hen. Come, brother John, full bravely hast thou Thy maiden sword. [flesh'd But, soft! whom have we here? Did you not tell me this fat man was dead? P. Hen. I did; I saw him dead, breathless and Upon the ground.[bleeding P. John. Hot. I can no longer brook thy vanities. [They fight. Art thou alive? or is it phantasy Enter FALSTAFF. That plays upon our eye-sight? I pr'ythee, speak; Fal. Well said, Hal! to it, Hal!-Nay, you shall Thou art not what thou seem'st. find no boy's play here, I can tell you. Fal. No, that's certain; I am not a double man but if I be not Jack Falstaff, then am I a Jack. There | Misuse the tenor of thy kinsman's trust? P. Hen. Why, Percy I killed myself, and saw thee dead. Fal. Didst thou?-Lord, lord, how this world is [A retreat is sounded. [Exeunt PRINCE HENRY and PRINCE JOHN. Fal. I'll follow, as they say, for reward. He that rewards me, God reward him! If I do grow great, I'll grow less; for I'll purge, and leave sack, and live cleanly, as a nobleman should do. [Exit, bearing off the body. SCENE V.-Another part of the field. K. Hen. Thus ever did rebellion find rebuke.— If, like a christian, thou hadst truly borne Wor. What I have done, my safety urg'd me to, P. Hen. The noble Scot, lord Douglas, when he saw K. Hen. - K. Hen. Then this remains, that we divide our [Exeunt. SECOND PART OF KING HENRY THE first edition of this play was the quarto of 1600, in which year it was twice reprinted in the same form. As it is mendoned in Nares Wits' Treasury, 1598, and contains an allusion to the murder of the sons of Amurath the l'hird by their brother Mahomet, which took place Feb. 1596; the tragedy must have been written in the intervening period. It was IV. entered at Stationers' Hall, August 23, 1600. The transactions comprised in the history take up almost ame years. The action commences with the account of Hotspur's being defeated and killed, 1403; and closes with the death of Henry the Fourth, and the coronation of Heary the Fifth, 1412-13. |