Hot. What may the king's whole battle reach unto? Ver. To thirty thousand. Hot. Forty let it be; My father and Glendower being both away, The powers of as may serve so great a day. Come, let us make a muster speedily: Doomsday is near; die all, die merrily. Doug. Talk not of dying; I am out of fear Of death, or death's hand, for this one half-year. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-A Public Road near Coventry. Enter FALSTAFF and BARDOLPH. Fal. Bardolph, get thee before to Coventry; fill me a bottle of sack; our soldiers shall march through; we'll to Sutton-Colfield tonight. Bard. Will you give me money, captain? Bard. This bottle makes an angel. Fal. An if it do, take it for thy labour; and if it make twenty, take them all: I'll answer the coinage. Bid my lieutenant Peto meet me at the town's end. Bard. I will, captain: farewell. [Exit. Fal. If I be not ashamed of my soldiers, I am a soused gurnet. I have misused the king's press vilely. I have got, in exchange of a hundred and fifty soldiers, three hundred and add pounds. I press me none but good housenolders, yeomen's sons: inquire me out conracted bachelors, such as had been asked twice on the bans; such a commodity of warm slaves, as had as lief hear the devil as a drum; such as fear the report of a caliver worse than a struck fowl, or a hurt wild duck. I pressed me none but such toasts and butter, with nearts no bigger than pins' heads, and they have bought out their services; and now my whole charge consists of ancients, corporals, lieutenants, gentlemen of companies, slaves as ragged as Lazarus in the painted cloth, and such as, indeed, were never soldiers; but discarded unjust serving-men, younger sons to younger brothers, revolted tapsters, and ostlers tradefallen; the cankers of a calm world, and a long peace; ten times more dishonourably ragged than an old faced ancient :+ and such have I, to fill up the rooms of them that have bought out their services A mad fellow met me on the way, and told me I had unloaded all the gibbets, and pressed the dead bodies. No eye hath seen such scare-crows. I'll not march through Coventry with them, that's flat:--Nay, and the villains march wide betwixt the legs, as if they had gyves on; for, indeed, I had the most of them out of prison. There's but a shirt and a half in all my company and the half shirt is two napkins, tacked together, and thrown over the shoulders like a herald's coat without sleeves; and the shirt, to say the truth, stolen from my host at Saint Albans, or the red-nose innkeeper of Daintry. But that's all one; they'll find linen enough on every hedge. Enter PRINCE HENRY and WESTMORELAND. P. Hen. How now, blown Jack? how now, quilt? Fal. What, Hal? How now, mad wag? what a devil dost thou in Warwickshire?-My good lord of Westmoreland, I cry you mercy; I thought your honour had already been at Shrewsbury. West. 'Faith, Sir John, 'tis more than time that I were there, and you too; but my powers are there already: The king, I can tell you, looks for us all; we must away all night. Fal. Tut, never fear me; I am as vigilant as a cat to steal cream. P. Hen. I think, to steal cream indeed; for thy theft hath already made thee butter. But tell me, Jack; Whose fellows are these that come after? Fal. Mine, Hal, mine. P. Hen. I did never see such pitiful rascals. Fal. Tut, tut; good enough to toss; food for powder, food for powder; they 'll fill a pit as well as better: tush, man, mortal men, mortal men. West. Ay, but, Sir John, methinks they are exceeding poor and bare, too beggarly. Fal. 'Faith, for their poverty, - I know not where they had that: and for their bareness, I am sure they never learned that of me. P. Hen. No, I'll be sworn; unless you call three fingers on the ribs, bare. But, sirrah, make haste; Percy is already in the field. Fal. What, is the king encamped? [too long. West. He is, Sir John; I fear we shall stay Fal. Well, [a feast, To the latter end of a fray, and the beginning of Fits a dull fighter, and a keen guest. [Exeunt. SCENE III.- The Rebel Camp near Shrewsbury. Enter HOTSPUR, WORCESTER, DOUGLAS, and VERNON. Hot. To-night, say I. Ver. Content. Come, come, it may not be. Hot. So are the horses of the enemy Wor. The number of the king exceedeth ours. For heaven's sake, cousin, stay till all come in. [The Trumpet sounds a par Enter Sir WALTER BLUNT. Sought to entrap me by intelligence; Blunt. I come with gracious offers from the Rated my uncle from the council-board; king, If you vouchsafe me hearing and respect. [stand so, Blunt. And God defend but still I should So long as, out of limit, and true rule, You stand against anointed majesty! But, to my charge. The king hath sent to know The nature of your griefs;+ and whereupon You conjure from the breast of civil peace Such bold hostility, teaching this duteous land Audacious cruelty: If that the king Have any way your good deserts forgot, Which he confesseth to be manifold, - [speed, He bids you name your griefs; and, with all You shall have your desires, with interest; And pardon absolute for yourself, and these, Herein misled by your suggestion. [king Hot. The king is kind; and well we know, the Knows at what time to promise, when to pay. My father, and my uncle, and myself, Did give him that same royalty he wears: And, when he was not six-and-twenty strong, Sick in the world's regard, wretched and low, A poor unminded outlaw sneaking home, My father gave him welcome to the shore: And, when he heard him swear, and vow to He came but to be Duke of Lancaster, To sue his livery, and beg his peace; [God, With tears of innocency, and terms of zeal,- Blunt. I came not to hear this. Then, to the point.- In rage dismiss'd my father from the court; Blunt. Shall I return this answer to the king? Go to the king; and let there be impawn'd SCENE IV. York. A Room in the Archbishop's House. Enter the ARCHBISHOP OF YORK, and a Gentleman. Arch. Hie, good Sir Michael; bear this sealed With winged haste, to the lord mareshal; [brief, 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 Gent. My good lord, I guess their tenor. Arch. [haste. Like enough, you do. To-morrow, good Sir Michael, is a day Wherein the fortune of ten thousand men Must 'bide the touch for, sir, at Shrewsbury, As I am truly given to understand, The king, with mighty and quick-raised power, Meets with Lord Harry: and I fear, Sir Michael, What with the sickness of Northumberland, (Whose power was in the first proportion,) And what with Owen Glendower's absence (Who with them was a rated sinew too, [thence, And comes not in, o'er-ruled by prophecies,) I fear, the power of Percy is too weak To wage an instant trial with the king. Gent. Why, good my lord, you need not fear; there's Douglas, And Mortimer. No, Mortimer's not there. [Percy, Of estimation and command in arms. [oppos'd. Act Fifth. SCENE I. The King's Camp near Shrewsbury. Enter KING HENRY, PRINCE HENRY, PRINCI JOHN OF LANCASTER, Sir WALTER BLUNT and Sir JOHN FALSTAFF. K. Hen. How bloodily the sun begins to peer Above yon busky hill! the day looks pale At his distemperature. P. Hen. The southern wind 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 sympathise; For nothing can seem foul to those that win.- Trumpet. Enter WORCESTER and VERNON. How now, my lord of Worcester? 'tis not well That you and I should meet upon such terms As now we meet: You have deceiv'd our trust; And made us doff our easy robes of peace, To crush our old limbs in ungentle steel: This is not well, my lord, this is not well. What say you to't? will you again unknit This churlish knot of all-abhorred war? And move in that obedient orb again, Where you did give a fair and natural light; And be no more an exhal'd meteor, A prodigy of fear, and a portent Of broached mischief to the unborn times? Wor. Hear me, my liege: I have not sought the day of this dislike. K. Hen. You have not sought for it! how comes it, then? Fal. Rebellion lay in his way, and he found it. P. Hen. Peace, chewet, peace. Wor. It pleas'd your majesty to turn your looks Of favour from myself and all our house; In Richard's time and posted day and night To this we swore our aid. But, in short space, And violation of all faith and troth K. Hen. These things, indeed, you have articu- [soul P. Hen. In both our armies, there is many a 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 active-valiant, or more valiant-young, 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 Albeit, considerations infinite [venture thee, 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, be gone; We will not now be troubled with reply: We offer fair, take it advisedly. [Exeunt WOR. 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. [charge; K. Hen. Hence, therefore, every leader to his For, on their answer, will we set on them: And God befriend us, as our cause is just! [Exeunt KING, BLUNT, and P. 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. 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 before the 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. Oran 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 in that word, honour? What is that honour? Air. A trim reckoning!-Who hath it? He that died 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. [Exit. 2 т 2 It is not possible, it cannot be, The king should keep his word in loving us; A hare-brain'd Hotspur, governed by a spleen : And on his father's; -we did train him on; Ver. Deliver what you will, I'll say 'tis so. Here comes your cousin. Enter HOTSPUR and DOUGLAS; and Officers and Soldiers, behind. 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, 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? 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 A brave defiance in King Henry's teeth, [thrown And Westmoreland, that was engag'd, did bear it; Which cannot choose but bring him quickly on. Wor. 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 tasking? 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, By still dispraising praise, valued with you: 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, Hot. Cousin, I think thou art enamoured Enter a Messenger. Mess. My lord, here are letters for you. Hot. I cannot read them now.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! Now for our consciences, the arms are fair, When the intent of bearing them is just. Enter another Messenger. Mess. My lord, prepare; the king comes on [tale, apace. Hot. I thank him, that he cuts me from my For I profess not talking; Only this Let each man do his best and here draw I [The Trumpets sound. They embrace, and exeun: SCENE III.-Plain near Shrewsbury. Excursions, and Parties fighting. Alarum to the Battle. Then enter DOUGLAS and BLUNT, meeting. Blunt. What is thy name, that in the battle thus Thou crossest me? what honour dost thou seek Upon my head? Doug. Know then, my name is Douglas; And I do haunt thee in the battle thus, Because some tell me that thou art a king. Blunt. They tell thee true. [bought Doug. The lord of Stafford dear to-day hath Thy likeness; for, instead of thee, King Harry, This sword hath ended him so shall it thee, Unless thou yield thee as my prisoner. (Scot; Blunt. I was not born a yielder, thou proud And thou shalt find a king that will revenge Lord Stafford's death. [They fight, and BLUNT is slain. Enter HoTSPUR. Hot. O Douglas, hadst thou fought at Holmedon thus, I never had triúmph'd upon a Scot. Doug. All's done, all's won; here breathless lies the king. Hot. Where? Doug. Here. [full well: Hot. This, Douglas? no, I know this face A gallant knight he was, his name was Blunt; Semblably furnish'd like the king himself. |