'ACT V. SCENE I.

The Camp of SHREWSBURY.

Enter King Henry, Prince of Wales, Lord John of Lancaster, Earl of Weftmorland, Sir Walter Blunt, and Falstaff.

HOW

K. HENRY.

OW bloodily the Sun begins to peer Above yon busky hill! the day looks pale At his diftemperature.

P. Henry. The fouthern wind

Doth play the trumpet to his purposes,
And, by his hollow whiftling in the leaves,
Foretels a tempeft, and a bluft'ring day.

K. Henry. Then with the lofers let it fympathize,
For nothing can feem foul to thofe that win.

[The Trumpet founds.

Enter Worcester, and Sir Richard Vernon.

K. Henry. How now, my lord of Wor'fter? 'tis not well

That

you

and I fhould meet upon fuch terms
As now we meet. You have deceiv'd our. Truft,
And made us doff our eafie robes of peace,
To crush our old limbs in ungentle fteel;

7 A& V.] It seems proper to be remarked, that in the editions printed while the authour lived, this play is not broken into acts. The divifion which was made by the players in the first folio feems commodious enough; but, being without authority, may

be changed by any editor who thinks himself able to make a better.

To his purpofes.] That is, to the fun's, to that which the fun portends by his unusual appearance.

This is not well, my lord, this is not well.
What fay 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 mifchief, to the unborn times?
-Wor. Hear me, my Liege.

For mine own part, I could be well content
To entertain the lag end of my life
With quiet hours, for I do proteft,

I have not fought the day of this diflike.

K. Henry. You have not fought it, Sir? how comes
it then?

Fal. Rebellion lay in his way, and he found it.
P. Henry. Peace, Chewet, peace.

Wor. It pleas'd your Majefty, to turn your looks
Of favour from myfelf, and all our Houfe,
And yet I must remember you, my lord,
We were the firft and deareft of your friends;

9 Fal. Rebellion lay in his way, and he found it.

Prince. Peace, Chevet, peace.] This, I take to be an arbitrary Refinement of Mr. Pope's nor can I eafily agree, that Chevet it Shakespeare's Word here. Why fhould Prince Henry call Falstaff Bolfter, for interpofing in the Difcourfe betwixt the King and Worcester? With Submiffion, he does not take him up here for his unreasonable Size, but for his illtim'd and unfeasonable Chattering. I therefore have preferv'd the Reading of the old Books. A Chewet, or Chuet, is a noify This chattering Bird, a Pie. carries a proper Reproach to Fal

ftoff for his medling and impertinent Jeft. And befides, if the Poet had intended that the Prince fhould ficer at Falstaff, on Account of his Corpulency, I doubt not, but he would have called him Bolfter in plain English, and not have wrapp'd up the Abufe in the French Word Chevet. In another Paffage of this Play, the Prince honelly calls him Quilt? As to Prince Henry, his Stock in this Language was fo fmall, that when he comes to be King, he hammers out one fmall Sentence of it to Princess Catharine, and tells her, It is as eafy for him to conquer the Kingdom as to speak jo much more French. THEOBALD.

For

For you, my ftaff of office I did break
In Richard's time, and posted day and night
To meet you on the way, and kifs your hand;
When yet you were in place and in account
Nothing fo ftrong and fortunate, as I:

It was myself, my brother, and his fon,
That brought you home, and boldly did out-dare
The dangers of the time. You fwore to us,
And you did fwear that Oath at Doncaster,
That you did nothing purpose 'gainst the State,
Nor claim no further than your new-fall'n Right;
The Seat of Gaunt, Dukedom of Lancaster.
To this, we fware our aid; but in short space
It rain'd down fortune fhow'ring on your head,
*And fuch a flood of greatness fell on you,
What with our help, what with the abfent King,
What with the injuries of a wanton time,
The feeming fuff'rances that you had borne,
And the contraricus 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 Sway into your hand;
Forgot your oath to us at Doncafter,

2

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 durit 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,

1

My foff of office.] See Richard the fecond.

As that ungentle gull, the cuckow's bird.] The cuckow's chicken, who, being hatch

ed and fed by the fparrow, in whofe neft the cuckow's egg was laid, grows in time able to devour her nurse.

Whereby

3

Whereby we ftand oppofed by fuch means.
As you yourself have forg'd against yourself,
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 Difcontents;
Which gape, and rub the elbow at the news
Of hurly-burly innovation.

And never yet did Infurrection 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 prefent enterprize fet 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 deed.
For my part, I may fpeak it to my fhame,
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 Eftimation,
And will, to fave the blood on either fide,
Try fortune with him, in a fingle fight..

3 We fand oppofed, &c.] We fland in oppofition to you.

4 More active-valiant, or more valiant-young.] Sir T. Han

P 3

mer reads, more valued young. I think the prefent gingle has more of Shakespeare.

K. Henry.

K. Henry. And, Prince of Wales, fo dare we venture thee,

Albeit, Confiderations infinite

Do make against it. No, good Wor'fter, no,
We love our People well; even those we love,
That are misled 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 fhall 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 Hotfpur both together
Are confident against the world in arms.

K. Henry. Hence, therefore, every Leader to his Charge.

For on their anfwer we will fet on them.

And God befriend us, as our caufe is juft! [Exeunt.

SCEN E II.

Manent Prince Henry and Falstaff.

Fal. Hal, if thou fee me down in the battle, and beftride me, fo; 'tis a point of friendship.

P. Henry. Nothing but a Coloffus can do thee that Friendship. Say thy prayers, and farewel.

Fal. I would it were bed-time, Hal, and all well. P. Henry. Why, thou oweft heav'n a death. [Exit P. Henry *. 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

* This exit is remarked by Mr. Upton.