What with our help, what with the abfent King,
What with the injuries of a wanton time,
The feeming suff'rances that you had born,
And the contrarious winds that held the King
So long in the unlucky Irish wars,
That all in England did repute him dead;
And from this fwarm of fair advantages
You took occafion to be quickly woo'd
To gripe the gen'ral fway into your hand;
Forgot your oath to us at Doncafter;
And being fed by us, you us'd us fo,
As that ungentle gull, the Cuckow's bird,
Ufeth the Sparrow; did opprefs our neft,
Grew by our feeding to fo great a bulk,
That ev'n our love durft not come near your fight
For fear of fwallowing; but with nimble wing
We were inforc'd for fafety's fake to fly
Out of your fight, and raife this prefent head :
Whereby we stand oppofed by fuch means
As you yourself have forg'd against your self,
By unkind ufage, dangerous countenance,
And violation of all faith and troth,
Sworn to us in your younger enterprize.
K. Henry. These things indeed you have articulated, Proclaim'd at market-croffes, read in churches,
To face the garment of rebellion
With fome fine colour, that may please the eye
Of fickle changelings and poor discontents;
Which gape, and rub the elbow at the news
Of hurly-burly innovation :
And never yet did Insurrection want
Such water-colours, to impaint his caufe;
Nor moody beggars, ftarving for a time
Of pell-mell havock and confufion.
P. Henry. In both our armies there is many a foul
Shall pay full dearly for this bold encounter,
If once they join in tryal. Tell your nephew,
The Prince of Wales doth join with all the world
In praife of Henry Percy: By my hopes,
(This present enterprize fet off his head)
I do not think a braver gentleman,
More active, valiant, or more valued 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 fo, I hear, he doth account me too.
Yet this before my father's Majefty,
I am content that he fhall take the odds
Of his great name and estimation,
And will, to fave the blood on either fide,
Try fortune with him in a single fight.
K. Henry. And, Prince of Wales, fo dare we venture thee, Albeit confiderations infinite
Do make againft it: No, good Wor'fter, no,
We love our people well; even those we love
That are mif-led upon your coufin'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 coufin, and return 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.
[Exit Worcester, with Vernon,
P. Henry. It will not be accepted, on my life.
The Douglas and the Hot-fpur both together
Are confident against the world in arms.
K. Henry. Hence therefore, every leader to his charge.
For on their answer will we fet on them:
And God befriend us, as our cause is juft!
SCENE II.
Manent Prince Henry and Falstaff.
Fal. Hal, if thou fee me down in the battel, and beftride me, fo; 'tis a point of friendship.
P. Henry: Nothing but a Coloffus can do thee that
Say thy prayers, and farewel.
Fal. I would it were bed-time, Hal, and all well.
P. Henry. Why, thou ow'ft heav'n a death.
Fal. 'Tis not due yet: I would be loth to pay him before his day. What need I be fo forward with him that calls not on me? well, 'tis no matter, honour pricks me on. But how if honour prick me off when I come on ? how then?. can honour fet to a leg? no: or an arm? no: or take away the grief of a wound? no: honour hath no fkill in furgery 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 infenfible then? yea, to the dead. But will it not live with the living? no. Why? Detraction will not fuffer it. Therefore I'll none of it. Honour is a meer fcutcheon, and fo ends my catechism. [Exit. SCENE III. Changes to Percy's Camp. Enter Worcester, and Sir Richard Vernon. Wor. O no, my nephew must not know, Sir Richard, The liberal kind offer of the King.
Ver. 'Twere beft he did.
Wor. Then we are all undone.
It is not poffible, it cannot be,
The King fhou'd keep his word in loving us;
He will fufpect us ftill, and find a time
To punifh this offence in other faults:
Sufpicion, all our lives, shall be stuck full of eyes ;
For treafon is but trufted like the Fox,
Who ne'er fo tame, fo cherifh'd, and lock'd up,
Will have a wild trick of his ancestors.
Look how we can, or fad, or merrily,
Interpretation will mifquote our looks;
And we fhall feed like Oxen at a tall,
The better cherifh'd, ftill the nearer death.
My nephew's trespass may be well forgot,
It hath th' excufe of youth and heat of blood,
And an adopted name of privilege,
A hare-brain'd Hot-fpur, 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, fhall pay for all.
Therefore, good coufin, let not Harry know,
In any cafe, the offer of the King.
Ver. Deliver what you will, I'll fay 'tis fo.
Here comes your coufin.
SCENE IV. Enter Hot-fpur and Dowglas. Hot. My uncle is return'd:
Deliver up my Lord of Westmorland.
Uncle, what news?
Wor. The King will bid you battel presently. Dow. Defie him by the Lord of Westmorland. Hot. Lord Douglas, go you then and tell him so. Dew. Marry, I fhall, and very willingly. [Exit Dow. Wor. There is no feeming mercy in the King. Hot. Did you beg any of him? God forbid! Wor. I told him gently of our grievances, Of his oath-breaking; which he mended thus, By now forfwearing that he is for worn. He calls us rebels, traitors, and will scourge With haughty arms this hateful name in us. Enter Dowglas.
Dow. Arm, gentlemen, to arms! for I have thrown A brave defiance in King Henry's teeth:
And Weftmorland that was ingag'd did bear it,
Which cannot chufe but bring him quickly on.
Wor. The Prince of Wales ftept forth before the King, And, nephew, challeng'd you to fingle fight.
Hot. O, would the quarrel lay upon our heads,
And that no man might draw fhort breath to-day,
But I and Harry Monmouth! Tell me, tell me,
How fhew'd his talking? feem'd it in contempt ?
Ver. No, by my foul: I never in my life
Did hear a challenge urg'd more modeftly,
Unless a brother should a brother dare
To gentle exercise and proof of arms.
He gave you all the duties of a man,
Trim'd up your praifes with a princely tongue,
Spoke your defervings like a chronicle,
G 2
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 fuch a grace,
As if he mafter'd there a double spirit,
Of teaching, and of learning infiantly.
There did he paufe; But let me tell the world,
If he out-live the envy of this day,
England did never owe so sweet a hope,
So much mifconftrued in his wantonnefs.
Hot. Coufin, I think thou art enamoured
Upon his follies; never did I hear
Of any Prince fo wild in liberty.
But be he as he will, yet once ere night
I will embrace him with a foldier's arm,
That he fhall fhrink under my courtefie.
Arm, arm with fpeed! And fellows, foldiers, friends,
Better confider what you have to do,
Than I, that have not well the gift of tongue,
Can lift your blood up with perfuafion.
SCENE V. Enter a Messenger.
Me. My Lord, here are letters for you.
Hot. I cannot read them now.
O Gentlemen, the time of life is fhort:
To spend that shortnefs bafely, 'twere too long
Tho' life did ride upon a dial's point
Still ending at th' arrival of an hour.
And if we live, we live to tread on Kings:
If die; brave death, when Princes die with us.
Now for our confciences, the arms are fair,
When the intent for bearing them is juft.
Enter another Messenger.
Meff. My Lord, prepare, the King comes on apace. Hot. I thank him, that he cuts me from my tale, For I profefs not talking: only this,
Let each man do his best.
A fword, whofe temper I intend to stain
With the beft blood that I can meet withal,
In the adventure of this perilous day.
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