7

Mingled his Royalty with carping fools;
Had his great name profaned with their scorns;
And gave his countenance, against his name,
To laugh at gybing boys, and stand the push
Of every beardlefs, vain comparative;
Grew a companion to the common ftreets,
Enfeoff'd himself to popularity.

That, being daily fwallow'd by men's eyes,
They furfeited with honey, and began
To loath a taste of fweetness; whereof a little
More than a little is by much too much.
So when he had occafion to be feen,
He was but, as the Cuckow is in June,
Heard, not regarded; feen, but with fuch eyes,
As, fick and blunted with community,
Afford no extraordinary gaze;

Such as is bent on fun-like Majefty,

When it fhines feldom in admiring eyes;

But rather drowz'd, and hung their eye-lids down,
Slept in his face, and rendred fuch afpect

As cloudy, men ufe to their adverfaries,

Being with his prefence glutted, gorg'd and full.
And in that very line, Harry, stand'st thou;
For thou haft loft thy Princely privilege
With vile participation; not an eye,
But is a-weary of thy common fight,

Save mine, which hath defir'd to fee thee more;
Which now doth, what I would not have it do,
Make blind itfelf with foolish tenderness.

[Weeping.

why, with fo much wit, he never attempted raillery, he anfwered, that he who practifed raillery ought to bear it in his turn, and that to ftand the butt of raillery was not fuitable to the dignity of a King. Scudery's Converfation.

P. Henry.

P. Henry. I fhall hereafter, my thrice gracious lord, Be more myself.

K. Henry. For all the world,

As thou art at this hour was Richard then,
When I from France fet foot at Ravenfpurg;
And ev'n as I was then, is Percy now.
Now by my fcepter, and my foul to boot,
He hath more worthy intereft to the State,
Than thou, the fhadow of fucceffion!

For, of no Right, nor colour like to Right,
He doth fill fields with harnefs; in the Realm
Turns head against the Lion's armed jaws;
And, being no more in debt to years than thou,
Leads ancient lords and rev'rend bishops on,
To bloody battles, and to bruising arms.
What never dying honour hath he got
Against renowned Dowglas, whose high deeds,
Whofe hot incurfions, and great name in arms,
Holds from all foldiers chief majority,

And military Title capital,

Through all the Kingdoms that acknowledge Chrift?
Thrice hath this Hot-fpur, Mars in fwathing cloaths,
This infant warrior, in his enterprises,
Discomfited great Dowglas, ta'en him once,
Enlarged him, and made a friend of him,
To fill the mouth of deep defiance up,

And shake the peace and safety of our Throne.
And what fay you to this? Percy, Northumberland,
Th' Archbishop's Grace of York, Douglas, and Mor-
timer,

Capitulate against us, and are up.

But wherefore do I tell this news to thee?
Why, Harry, do I tell thee of my foes,

fpur hath a right to the kingdom more worthy than thou, who haft only the shadowy right of lineal fucceffion, while he has real and folid power.

?

Which art my near'ft and * dearest enemy
Thou that art like enough through vaffal fear,
Bafe inclination, and the start of spleen,
To fight againft me under Percy's pay,
To dog his heels, and curt'fie at his frowns,
To fhow how much thou art degenerate.

P. Henry. Do not think fo, you fhall not find it fo:
And heav'n forgive them, that so much have fway'd
Your Majefty's good thoughts away from me!
I will redeem all this on Percy's head.
And in the closing of fome glorious day,
Be bold to tell you, that I am your fon,
When I will wear a garment all of blood,
And ftain my favours in a bloody mask,
Which, wash'd away, fhall fcower my fhame with it.
And that fhall be the day, when e'er it lights,
That this fame child of honour and renown,
This gallant Hot-fpur, this all-praised Knight,
And your unthought of Harry, chance to meet.
For every honour fitting on his helm,
"Would they were multitudes, and on my head
My fhames redoubled! for the time will come,
That I fhall make this northern youth exchange
His glorious deeds for my indignities.
Percy is but my factor, good my lord,
T'engrofs up glorious deeds on my behalf;
And I will call him to fo ftrict account,
That he fhall render every glory up,
Yea, even the flightest worship of his time,
Or I will tear the reck'ning from his heart.
This in the name of heav'n I promise here;
The which, if I perform, and do furvive,
I do befeech your Majefty, may falve

The long-grown wounds of my intemperance.

If not, the end of life cancels all bonds;
And I will die an hundred thousand deaths,
Ere break the smallest parcel of this vow.

K. Henry. A hundred thousand Rebels die in this! Thou shalt have Charge, and fovereign Trust herein,

Enter Blunt.

How now, good Blunt? thy looks are full of speed.
Blunt. So is the bufinefs that I come to fpeak of,
Lord Mortimer of Scotland hath fent word,
That Douglas and the English rebels met
Th' eleventh of this month, at Shrewsbury:
A mighty and a fearful head they are,
If promises be kept on every hand,
As ever offer'd foul play in a State.

K. Henry. The Earl of Westmorland fet forth to day,
With him my fon, lord John of Lancaster;
For this advertisement is five days old.

On Wednesday next, Harry, thou fhalt fet forward: On Thursday, we ourselves will march: our meeting Is at Bridgnorth; and, Harry, you shall march Through Gloftershire: by which fome twelve days

hence

Our general forces at Bridgnorth shall meet.
Our hands are full of bufinefs: let's away,

Advantage feeds him fat, while men delay. [Exeunt,

SCENE V.

Changes to the Boar's-head Tavern in Eaft-cheap.

B

Enter Falstaff and Bardolph,

Fal. ARDOLPH, am not I fall'n away vilely, fince this laft action? Do I not bate? do I not dwindle? Why, my fkin hangs about me like an old lady's loofe gown; I am wither'd, like an old apple

John.

John. Well, I'll repent, and that fuddenly, while I am in fome liking; I fhall be out of heart shortly, and then I fhall have no ftrength to repent. An I have not forgotten what the infide of a church is made of, I am a pepper-corn, a brewer's horfe. The infide of a church! Company, villainous company hath been the fpoil of me.

2

Bard. Sir John, you are fo fretful, you cannot live long.

Fal. Why, there is it; come, fing me a bawdy fong, to make me merry. I was as virtuously given, as a gentleman need to be; virtuous enough; fwore little; diced not above feven times a week; went to a bawdy-house not above once in a quarter of an hour; paid mony that I borrow'd, three or four times; liv'd well, and in good compass; and now I live out of all order, out of all compafs.

Bard. Why, you are fo fat, Sir John, that you must needs be out of all compafs, out of all reafonable compafs, Sir John.

Fal. Do thou amend thy face, and I'll amend my life. Thou art our Admiral thou beareft the lanthorn in the poop, but 'tis in the nose of thee; thou art the knight of the burning lamp3.

Bard. Why, Sir John, my face does you no harm. Fal. No, I'll be fworn; I make as good use of it, as many a man doth of a death's head, or a memento mori. I never fee thy face, but I think upon hell-fire, and Dives that liv'd in purple; for there he is in his robes, burning, burning. If thou wert any way given to virtue, I would fwear by thy face; my oath

2 A brewer's horfe.] I fuppole a brewer's horfe was apt to be lean with hard work.

3 The knight of the burning lamp.] This is a natural picture. Every man who feels in himfelf the pain of deformity,

however, like this merry knight, he may affect to make fport with

it

among those whom it is his intereft to please, is ready to revenge any hint of contempt upon one whom he can ufe with freedom.

fhould