Wor. Who struck this heat up, after I was gone? Wor. I cannot blame him: Was he not proclaim'd, 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 deposed, and shortly, murdered. Wor. And for whose death, we in the world's wide mouth Live scandalized, and foully spoken of. Hot. But soft, I pray you; Did king Richard then Proclaim my brother Edmund Mortimer Heir to the crown? North. He did; myself did hear it. Hot. Nay, then I cannot blame his cousin king, That wish'd him on the barren mountains starved. But shall it be, that you,-that set the crown Even with the bloody payment of your deaths. Wor. Peace, cousin, say no more: Hot. If he fall in, good night:-or sink or swim 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-faced fellowship !+ Wor. He apprehends a world of figures here, Wor. Those same noble Scots, That are your prisoners, Hot. 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.- - Hot. Nay, I will: that's flat: He said, he would not ransom Mortimer; Nay, I'll have a starling shall be taught to speak 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. * Rival. + Friendship. + Shapes. A blustering, quarrelsome fellow. But that I think his father loves him not, Wor. Farewell, kinsman! I will talk to you, North. Why, what a wasp-stung and impatient fool Art thou, to break into this woman's mood; Tying thine ear to no tongue but thine own? Hot. Why, look you, I am whipp'd and scourged with rods, Nettled and stung with pismires, when I hear Of this vile politician, Bolingbroke. In Richard's time-What do you call the place ?— A plague upon't!-it is in Glostershire; "Twas where the mad-cap duke his uncle kept; Hot. You say true: Why, what a candy* deal of courtesy This fawning greyhound then did proffer me! -God forgive me! Good uncle, tell your tale, for I have done. We'll stay your leisure. Hot. I have done, i' faith. Wor. Then once more to your Scottish prisoners. [To NORTHUMBERLAND. Your son in Scotland being thus employ'd,- Hot. Of York, is't not? Wor. True; who bears hard His brother's death at Bristol, the lord Scroop. I speak not this in estimation,† As what I think might be, but what I know Is ruminated, plotted, and set down; And only stays but to behold the face Of that occasion that shall bring it on. Hot. I smell it; upon my life, it will do well. North. Before the game 's a-foot, thou still let'st slip. And then the power of Scotland, and of York,- Wor. And so they shall. Hot. In faith, it is exceedingly well aim'd. To make us strangers to his looks of love. North. Farewell, good brother: we shall thrive, I trust. Till fields, and blows, and groans applaud our sport! [Exeunt. ACT II. SCENE I-Rochester. An Inn Yard. Enter a CARRIER, with a Lantern in his hand. 1 Car. Heigh ho! An't be not four by the day, I'll be hang'd: Charles' wain is over the new chimney, and yet our horse not packed. What, ostler! Ost. [within]. Anon, anon. 1 Car. I pry'thee, Tom, beat Cut's saddle, put a few flocks in the point; the poor jade is wrung in the withers out of all cess.† Enter another CARRIER. 2 Car. Pease and beans are as dank‡ here as a dog, and that is the next way to give poor jades the bots:§ this house is turned upside down, since Robin ostler died. 1 Car. Poor fellow! never joyed since the price of oats rose; it was the death of him. 2 Car. I think, this be the most villanous house in all London road for fleas: I am stung like a tench.|| *A body of forces. § Worms. † Measure. + Wet. 1 Car. Like a tench? by the mass, there is ne'er a king in Christendom could be better bit than I have been since the first cock. 2 Car. Why, they will allow us ne'er a jorden, and then we leak in your chimney; and your chamber-lie breeds fleas like a loach.* 1 Car. What, ostler! come away and be hanged, come away. 2 Car. have a gammon of bacon, and two razes of ginger, to be delivered as far as Charingcross. 1 Car. 'Odsbody! the turkies in my pannier are quite starved. -What, ostler!-A plague on thee! hast thou never an eye in thy head? canst not hear? An 'twere not as good a deed as drink, to break the pate of thee, I am a very villain.-Come, and be hanged:-Hast no faith in thee? Enter GADSHILL. Gads. Good morrow, carriers. What's o'clock? 1 Car. I think it be two o'clock. Gads. I pr'ythee, lend me thy lantern, to see my gelding in the stable. 1 Car. Nay, soft, I pray ye; I know a trick worth two of that, i' faith. Gads. I pr'ythee, lend me thine. 2 Car. Ay, when? canst tell?-Lend me thy lantern, quoth a? -marry, I'll see thee hanged first. Gads. Sirrah carrier, what time do you mean to come to London ? 2 Car. Time enough to go to bed with a candle, I warrant thee.-Come, neighbour Mugs, we'll call up the gentlemen; they will along with company, for they have great charge. [Exeunt CARRIERS. Gads. What ho! chamberlain ! Gads. That's even as fair as-at hand, quoth the chamberlain : for thou variest no more from picking of purses, than giving direction doth from labouring; thou lay'st the plot how. Enter CHAMBERLAIN. Cham. Good morrow, master Gadshill. It holds current, that I told you yesternight: There's a franklint in the wild of Kent, hath brought three hundred marks with him in gold: I heard him tell it to one of his company, last night at supper; a kind of auditor; one that hath abundance of charge too, God knows what. They are up already, and call for eggs and butter: They will away presently. Gads. Sirrah, if they meet not with saint Nicholas' clerks,‡ I'll give thee this neck. Cham. No, I'll none of it: I pr'ythee, keep that for the hangman; for, I know, thou worship'st saint Nicholas as truly as a man of falsehood may. Gads. What talkest thou to me of the hangman? If I hang, * A very prolific little fish. † Freeholder. Highwaymen. |