Wor. Good cousin, be advis'd: stir not to- | And,-when he was not six and twenty strong, night.

Ver. Do not, my lord.

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

Doug. You do not counsel well;
You speak it out of fear, and cold heart.
Ver. Do me no slander, Douglas: by my life,
(And I dare well maintain it with my life,)
If well-respected honour bid me on,

I hold as little counsel with weak fear,
As you, my lord, or any Scot that lives:
Let it be seen to-morrow in the battle,
Which of us fears.

God,

He came but to be duke of Lancaster,
To sue his livery, and beg his peace;
With tears of innocency, and terms of zeal,-
My father, in kind heart and pity mov'd,
Swore him assistance, and perform'd it too.
Now, when the lords and barons of the realm
Perceiv'd Northumberland did lean to him,
The more and less came in with cap and knee ;
Met him in boroughs, cities, villages;
Attended him on bridges, stood in lanes,
Laid gifts before him, proffer'd him their oaths,
Gave him their heirs; as pages follow'd him,
Even at the heels, in golden multitudes.
He presently,- -as greatness knows itself,-
Steps me a little higher than his vow
Made to my father, while his blood was poor,
Upon the naked shore at Ravenspurg;
And now, forsooth, takes on him to reform
Some certain edicts, and some strait decrees,
That lie too heavy on the commonwealth:
Cries out upon abuses, seems to weep
Over his country's wrongs; and, by this face,
This seeming brow of justice, did he win
The hearts of all that he did angle for.
Proceeded further; cut me off the heads
Of all the favourites, that the absent king

Enter Sir WALTER BLUNT.

king,

Blunt. I come with gracious offers from the In deputation left behind him here,
When he was personal in the Irish war.
Blunt. Tut, I came not to hear this.
Hot. Then, to the point.-

In short time after, he depos'd the king;
Soon after that, depriv'd him of his life;
And, in the neck of that, task'd the whole state:
To make that worse, suffer'd his kinsman March
(Who is, if every owner were well plac'd,
Indeed his king,) to be incag'd in Wales,
There without ransome to lie forfeited:
Disgrac'd me in my happy victories;
Sought to intrap me by intelligence;
Rated my uncle from the council-board;
In rage dismiss'd my father from the court;
Broke oath on oath, committed wrong on wrong:
And, in conclusion, drove us to seek out
This head of safety; and, withal, to pry
Into his title, the which we find
Too indirect for long continuance.

Doug. Yea, or to-night.

Ver. Content.

Hot. To-night, say I.

Ver. Come, come, it may not be.
I wonder much, being men of such great leading,
That you foresee not what impediments
Drag back our expedition: Certain horse
Of my cousin Vernon's are not yet come up:
Your uncle Worcester's horse came but to-day;
And now their pride and mettle is asleep,
Their
courage with hard labour tame and dull,
That not a horse is half the half himself.
Hot. So are the horses of the enemy
In general, journey-bated, and brought low;
The better part of ours is full of rest.

Wor. The number of the king exceedeth ours:
For God's sake, cousin, stay till all come in.
[The trumpet sounds a parley.

If you vouchsafe me hearing, and respect.
Hot. Welcome, sir Walter Blunt; and 'would
to God,

You were of our determination!
Some of us love you well: and even those some
Envy your great deserving, and good name ;
Because you are not of our quality,
But stand against us like an enemy.
Blunt. And God defend, but still I should
stand so,

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 his duteous land
Audacious cruelty: If that the king
Have any way your good deserts forgot,—
Which he confesseth to be manifold,-

He bids you name your griefs; and, with all
speed,

You shall have your desires, with interest;
And pardon absolute for yourself and these,
Herein misled by your suggestion.

Hot. The king is kind; and, well we know,
the king

Knows at what time to promise, when to pay.
My father, and my uncle, and myself,
Did give him that same royalty he wears:

3

Nor claim no further than your new-fall’n right, | Do make against it :-No, good Worcester, no,
The seat of Gaunt, dukedom of Lancaster: We love our people well ; even those we love,
To this we swore our aid. But, in short space, That are misled upon your cousin's part :
It rain'd down fortune showering on your head; And, will they take the offer of our grace,
And such a flood of greatness fell on you, - Both he, and they, and you, yea, every man
What with our help;

what with the absent king; Shall be my friend again, and I'll be his :
What with the injuries of a wanton time ; So tell your cousin, and bring me word
The seeming sufferances, that you had borne ; What he will do :-But if he will not yield,
And the contrarious winds, that held the king Rebuke and dread correction wait on us,
So long in his unlucky Irish wars,

And they shall do their office. So, be gone; That all in England did repute him dead. We will not now be troubled with reply: And, from this swarm of fair advantages, We offer fair, take it advisedly. You took occasion to be quickly woo'd

[Exeunt Worcester and Vernon. To gripe the general sway into your hand; P. Hen. It will not be accepted, on my life: Forgot your oath to us at Doncaster ;

The Douglas and the Hotspur both together And, being fed by us, you us'd us so

Are confident against the world in arms. As that ungentle gull, the cuckoo's bird,

K. Hen. Hence, therefore, every leader to his Useth the sparrow: did oppress our nest;

charge ; Grew by our feeding to so great a bulk, For, on their answer, will we set on them : That even our love durst not come near your And God befriend us, as our cause is just ! sight,

[Exeunt King, Blunt, and Prince John. For fear of swallowing ; but with nimble wing Fal. Hal, if thou see me down in the battle, We were enforc'd, for safety's sake, to fly and bestride me, so ; 'tis a point of friendship. Out of your sight, and raise this present head : P. Hen. Nothing but a colossus can do thee Whereby we stand opposed by such means that friendship: Say thy prayers, and farewell. As you yourself have forg'd against yourself ; Fal. I would it were bed-time, Hal, and all By unkind usage, dangerous countenance, well. And violation of all faith and troth

P. Hen. Why, thou owest God a death. Sworn to us in your younger enterprize.

Erit. K. Hen. These things, indeed, you have arti- Fal. 'Tis not due yet; I would be loath to culated,

pay him before his day. What need I be so forProclaim'd at market-crosses, read in churches; ward with him that calls not on me? Well, 'tis To face the garment of rebellion

no matter; Honour pricks me on.

Yea, but With some fine colour, that may please the eye how if honour prick me off when I come on? Of fickle changelings, and poor

discontents, how then? Can honour set to a leg? No. Or Which

gape and rub the elbow, at the news an arm? No. Or take away the grief of a wound ? Of hurlyburly innovation :

No. Honour hath no skill in surgery then ? No. And never yet did insurrection want

What is honour? A word. What is in that word, Such water-colours, to impaint his cause ; honour? What is that honour ? Air. A trim Nor moody beggars, starving for a time reckoning !-Who hath it? He that died o’WedOf pell-mell havock and confusion.

nesday. Doth he feel it? No. Doth he hear P. Hen. In both our armies, there is many a it? No. Is it insensible then? Yea, to the soul

dead. But will it not live with the living ? No. Shall pay full dearly for this encounter, Why? Detraction will not suffer it :-therefore If once they join in trial. Tell your nephew, I'll ndne of it: Honour is a mere scutcheon, and The prince of Wales doth join with all the world so ends my catechism.

[Exit. In praise of Henry Percy : By my hopes,– This present enterprize set off his head,

SCENE II.-The rebel camp.
I do not think, a braver gentleman,
More active-valiant, or more valiant-young,

Enter WORCESTER and VERNON.
More daring, or more bold, is now alive,

Wor. O, no, my nephew must not know, sir Το this latter

age
with noble deeds.

Richard,
For my part, I may speak it to my shame, The liberal kind offer of the king.
I have a truant been to chivalry ;

Ver. 'Twere best, he did.
And so, I hear, he doth account me too :

Wor. Then are we all undone. Yet this before my father's majesty,

It is not possible, it cannot be, I am content, that he shall take the odds The king should keep his word in loving us; of his great name and estimation ;

He will suspect us still, and find a time And will, to save the blood on either side, To punish this offence in other faults : Try fortune with him in a single fight.

Suspicion shall be all stuck full of eyes : K. Hen. And, prince of Wales, so dare we For treason is but trusted like the fox; venture thee,

Who, ne'er so tame, so cherish’d, and lock'd up, Albeit, considerations infinite

Will have a wild trick of his ancestors.

grace

Look how we can, or sad, or merrily,

England did never owe so sweet a hope, Interpretation will misquote our looks;

So much misconstrued in his wantonness. And we shall feed like oxen at a stall,

Hot. Cousin, I think, thou art enamoured The better cherish’d, still the nearer death. Upon his follies; never did I hear My nephew's trespass may be well forgot, Of any prince, so wild, at liberty :It hath the excuse of youth, and heat of blood; But, be he as he will, yet once ere night And an adopted name of privilege,

I will embrace him wit a soldier's arm, A hare-brain'd Hotspur, govern'd by a spleen: That he shall shrink under my courtesy:All his offences live upon my head,

Arm, arm, with speed :-And, fellows, soldiers, And on his father's ;-we did train him on;

friends, And, his corruption being ta'en from us, Better consider what you have to do, We, as the spring of all, shall

pay

for all. Than I, that have not well the gift of tongue, Therefore, good cousin, let not Harry know, Can lift your blood up with persuasion. In any case, the offer of the king. Ver. Deliver what you will, l'll say, 'tis so.

Enter a Messenger. Here comes your cousin.

Mess. My lord, here are letters for you.

Hot. I cannot read them now. Enter Hotspur and Douglas; and Officers o gentlemen, the time of life is short; and Soldiers, behind.

To spend that shortness basely, were too long, Hot. My uncle is return’d :--Deliver up If life did ride upon a dial's point, My lord of Westmoreland.—Uncle, what news? Still ending at the arrival of an hour.

Wor. The king will bid you battle presently, An if we live, we live to tread on kings; Doug. Defy him by the lord of Westmoreland. If die, brave death, when princes die with us! Hot. Lord Douglas, go you and tell him so. Now for our conscience,-the arms are fair, Doug. Marry, and shall, and very willingly. When the intent of bearing them is just.

[Erit. Wor. There is no seeming mercy in the king.

Enter another Messenger. Hot. Did you beg any ? God forbid !

Mess. My lord, prepare ; the king comes 02 Wor. I told him gently of our grievances,

apace. Of his oath-breaking ; which he mended thus, Hot. I thank him, that he cuts me from my tale, By now forswearing that he is forsworn : For I profess not talking ; Only thisHe calls us rebels, traitors; and will scourge Let each man do his best : and here draw I With haughty arms this hateful name in us. A sword, whose temper I intend to stain

With the best blood that I can meet withal Re-enter DOUGLAS.

In the adventure of this perilous day. Doug; Arm, gentlemen ; to arms ! for I have Now,-Esperance !--Percy !—and set on.thrown

Sound all the lofty instruments of war, A brave defiance in King Henry's teeth, And by that music let us all embrace: And Westmoreland, that was engag’d, did bearit; For, heaven to earth, some of us never shall Which cannot choose but bring him quickly on. A second time do such a courtesy, Wor. The prince of Wales stepp'd forth before

[The trumpets sound. They embruce, the king,

and exeunt. And, nephew, challeng'd you to single fight.

Hot. O, 'would the quarrel lay upon our heads; SCENE III.- Plain near Shrewsbury.
And that no man might draw short breath to-cay,
But I, and Harry Monmouth! Tell me, tell me, Excursions, and parties fighting. Alarum to the
How show'd his tasking? seem'd it in contempt?

baitle. Then enter DOUGLAS and Blrxi, Ver. No, by my soul ; I never in my life

meeting Did hear a challenge urg'd more modestly, Blunt. What is thy name, that in the battle Unless a brother should a brother dare

thus To gentle exercise and proof of arms.

Thou crossest me? What honour dost thou sæk He gave you all the duties of a man;

Upon my head ? Trimm'd up your praises with a princely tongue; Doug. Know then, my name is Douglas ; Spoke your deservings like a chronicle;

And I do haunt thee in the battle thus, Making you ever better than his praise, Because some tell me, that thou art a king. By still dispraising praise, valued with you: Blunt. They tell thee true. And, which became him like a prince indeed, Doug. The lord of Stafford dear to-day He made a blushing cital of himself ;

bought And chid his truant youth with such a grace, Thy likeness; for, instead of thee, king Ilarry, As if he master'd there a double spirit,

This sword hath ended him: so shall it the, Of teaching, and of learning, instantly.

Unless thou yield thee as my prisoner. There did he pause : But let me tell the world, Blunt. I was not born a yielder, thou proud If he outlive the envy of this day,

Scot;