Such water-colours, to impaint his cause;
No moody beggars starving for a time
Of pall-mall havoc and confusion.
P. Hen. In both our armies there is many a soul, Shall pay full dearly for this encounter,
If once they join in trial. Tell your nephew,
The Prince of Wales doth join with all the world
In praise of Henry Percy: By my hopes,-
This present enterprise set off his head,-
I do not think, a braver gentleman,
More daring, or more bold, is now alive,
To grace this latter age with noble deeds.
For my part, I may speak it to my shame,
I have a truant been to chivalry;
And so, I hear, he doth account me too:
Yet this, before my father's majesty,-
I am content, that he shall take the odds
Of his great name and estimation;
And will, to save the blood on either side,
Try fortune with him in a single fight.
K. Hen. And, Prince of Wales, so dare we venture thee;
Albeit, consideration infinite
Do make against it:-No, good Worcester, no,
We love our people well; even those we love,
That are misled upon your cousin's part:
And, will they take the offer of our grace,
Both he, and they, and you, yea, every man
Shall be my friend again, and I'll be his
So tell your cousin, and bring me word
What he will do:-But, if he will not yield,
Rebuke and dread correction wait on us,
And they shall do their office. So, begone:
We will not now be troubled with reply:
We offer fair, take it advisedly.
[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, we will set on them:
And Heaven befriend us, as our cause is just!
[Exeunt the KING, PRINCE JOHN, SIR W.
BLUNT, GENTLEMEN, and SOLDIERS.
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.
Fal. I would it were bed time, Hal, and all well. P. Hen. Why, thou owest Heaven a death.
[Exit. Fal. 'Tis not due yet; I would be loath to pay him before his day. What need I be so forward with him that calls not on me? Well, 'tis no matter; Honour pricks me on. Yea, but how if honour prick me off when I come on? How then? Can honour set-to a leg? No. Or an arm? No. Or take away the grief of a wound? No. Honour hath no skill in surgery then? No. What is honour? A word. What is that word, honour? Air. A trim reckoning! Who hath it? He that dy'd o' Wednesday. Doth he feel it? No. Doth he hear it? No. Is it insensible then? Yea, to the dead. But will it not live with the living? No. Why? Detraction will not suffer it: therefore I'll none of it: Honour is a mere scutcheon; and so ends my catechism.
Enter EARL OF WORCESTER and SIR RICHARD 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:
My nephew's trespass may be well forgot,
It hath the excuse of youth, and heat of blood;
And an adopted name of privilege,-
A hair-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,
Here comes your cousin.
Enter HOTSPUR, EARL OF DOUGLAS, GENTLEMEN,
Hot. My 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, then go you, and tell him so.
Doug. Marry, and shall, and very willingly.
[Exit.
Wor. There is no seeming mercy in the king.
Hot. Did you beg any? Heaven 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.
The Prince of Wales stepp'd forth before the king,
And, nephew, challeng'd you to single fight.
Hot. O, 'would the quarrel lay upon our heads;
And that no man might draw short breath to-day,
But I, and Harry Monmouth! Tell me, tell me,
How show'd his talking? seem'd it in contempt ?
Ver. No, by my soul; I never in my life
Did hear a challenge urg'd more modestly,
Unless a brother should a brother dare
To gentle exercise and proof of arms.
He gave you all the duties of a man ;
Trimm'd up your praises with a princely tongue;
Spoke your deservings like a chronicle,
Making you ever better than his praise :
And, which became him like a prince indeed,
He made a blushing cital of himself;
And chid his truant youth with such a grace,
As if he master'd there a double spirit,
Of teaching, and of learning, instantly.
There did he pause: But let me tell the world,--
If he outlive the envy of this day,
England did never owe so sweet a hope,
So much misconstrued in his wantonness.
Hot. Cousin, I think thou art enamoured
Upon his follies.
But, be he as he will, yet once ere night
I will embrace him with a soldier's arm,
That he shall shrink under my courtesy.
Enter EARL OF 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 it;
Which cannot chuse but bring him quickly on.
Hot. Arm, arm with speed!-
O, gentlemen, the time of life is short;
To spend that shortness basely, were too long,
If life did ride upon a dial's point,
Still ending at the arrival of an hour.
An if we live, we live to tread on kings;
If die, brave death, when princes die with us!
Rab. My lord, prepare; the king comes on apace.
Hot. I thank him, that he cuts me from my tale,
For I profess not talking; only this,
Let each man do his best: and here draw I
A sword, whose temper I intend to stain
With the best blood that I can meet withal
In the adventure of this perilous day.
Sound all the lofty instruments of war,
And by that music let us all embrace:
For, heaven to earth, some of us never shall
A second time do such a courtesy.
[The Drums, Trumpets, &c. sound. They em
Now,-Esperanza!-Percy!-and set on.
[Trumpets, Drums, &c.-Exeunt.
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