I then, ali fmarting, with my wounds being cold, To be fo pefter'd with a popinjay, Out of my grief and my impatience Aniwer'd neglectingly, I know not what;
He thould, or he fhould not; for he made me mad, To fee him thine fo brifk, and fmell fo fweet, And talk fo like a waiting gentlewoman, Of guns, and drums, and wounds (God fave the mark!)
And telling me the fovereign'ft thing on earth Was parmacity, for an inward bruife; And that it was great pity, fo it was, That villanous falt-petre fhould be digg'd Out of the bowels of the harmlets earth, Which many a good tall fellow had deftroy'd So cowardly; and, but for thefe vile guns, He would himself have been a foldier.
I'll read you matter deep and dangerous; As full of peril and advent'rous fpirit, As to o'erwalk a current, roaring loud, On the unsteadfast footing of a spear.
By heaven, methinks, it were an eafy leap, To pluck bright honour from the pale-fac'd moon; Or dive into the bottom of the deep, Where fathom-line could never touch the ground, And pluck up drowned honour by the locks; So he, that doth redeem her thence, might wear, Without corrival all her dignities: But out upon this half-fae'd fellowship !
Lady Perry's pathetic Speech to her Husband. O my good lord, why are you thus alone? For what offence have I, this fortnight, been A banish'd woman from my Harry's bed? Tell me, fweet lord, what is't that takes from thee Thy ftomach, pleasure, and thy golden fleep? Why doft thou bend thine eyes upon the earth, And start so often when thou fitt'ft alone? Why haft thou lost the fresh blood in thy cheeks? And giv'n my treasures, and my rights of thee, To thick eyed mufing, and curs'd melancholy? In thy faint flumbers, I by thee have watch'd, And heard thee murmur tales of iron wars: Speak terms of manage to thy bounding fteed; Cry, "Courage! to the field!" and thou haft talk'd Of fallics, and retires; of trenches, tents, Of palifadoes, frontiers, parapets; Of bafilisks, of cannon, culverin; Of prifoners' ranfom, and of foldiers flain, And all the currents of a heady fight. Thy (pirit within thee hath been so at war, And thus hith fo beftirr'd thee in thy fleep, That beads of fweat have ftood upon thy brow, Like bubbles in a late-difturbed ftream: And in thy face ftrange motions have appear'd, Such as we fee, when men retrain their breath
Some heavy bufinefs hath my lord in hand, And I must know it, elfc he loves me not. Prodigies ridiculed.
I cannot blame him: at my nativity, The front of heaven was full of fiery shapes, Of burning creffets; and, at my birth, The frame and huge foundation of the earth Shak'd like a coward.
Hot. Why fo it would have done At the fame featon, if your mother's cat Had but kitten'd, tho' yourself had ne'er been born.
Difeafed nature oftentimes breaks forth In ftrange cruptions: oft the tecming earth Is with a kind of colic pinch'd and vex'd, By the impioning of unruly wind [ing, Within her womb; which, for enlargement ftriv- Shakes the old beldame earth, and topples down Siceples, and moss-grown towers.
I had rather be a kitten, and cry-mew, Than one of thefe fame metre-bailad-mongers: I had rather hear a brazen canslick turn'd, Or a dry wheel grate on the axle-tree; And that would fet my teeth nothing on edge, Nothing fo much as mincing poetry; 'Tis like the forc'd gait of a thuling nag. Purdinality in Bargain. I'll give thrice fo much land well-deferving friend; But, in the way of bargain, mark ye me, I'll cavil on the ninth part of a hair.
A Hufband fung to fleep by a fair Wife. She bids you
Upon the wanton rufhes lay you down, And reft your gentle head upon her lap, And the will fing the fong that pleafeth you, And on your eye-lids crown the god of fleep, Charming your blood with pleafing heaviness; Making fuch difference 'twixt wake and fleep, As is the difference betwixt day and night, The hour before the heavenly harness'd team Begins his golden progrefs in the east.
King Henry the IVth to his Son. Had I fo lavish of my prefence been, So common hackney'd in the eyes of men, So ftale and cheap to vulgar company; Opinion, that did help me to the crown, Had ftill kept loyal to poffeffion; And left me in reputelefs banishment, A fellow of no mark, nor likelihood. By being feldom feen, I could not stir, But, like a comet, I was wonder'd at: That men would tell their children, "This is he." Others would fay, "Where? which is Boling- broke?"
And then I ftole all courtefy from heaven, And dreft myself in fuch humility, That I did pluck allegiance from men's hearts, Loud fhouts and falutations from their mouths, Even in the prefence of the crowned king. Thus did I keep my perfon freth and new;
My prefence, like a robe pontifical, Ne er feen, but wonder'd at: and fo my ftate, Seldom, but fumptuous, fhewed like a feait; And won, by rarenefs, fuch folemnity. The ikipping king, he ambled up and down With fhallow jefters, and rafh bavin wits, Soon kindled, and foon burn'd: 'carded his state; Mingled his royalty with capering fools; Had his great name profaned with their fcorns; And gave his countenance, against his name, To laugh at gibing boys, and ftand the push Of ev'ry beardlefs vain comparative: Grew a companion to the common streets, Enfeoff'd himself to popularity:
That, being daily fwallow'd by men's eyes, They furfeited with honey; and began To loath the taste of sweetness, 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 majesty When it fhines feldom in admiring eyes: But rather drowz'd, and hung their eye-lids down,' Slept in his face, and render'd fuch afpe&t As cloudy men ufe to their adverfaries; Being with his prefence glutted, gorg'd, and full.
Prince Henry's modeft Defence of himself. God forgive them, that fo much have fway'd
Your Majefty's good thoughts away from me! I will redeem all this on Percy's head, And, in the cloting 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 mafk, Which, wath'd away, fhall four my fhame
And that fhall be the day, whene'er it lights, That this fame child of honour and renown, This gallant Hotfpur, this all-praised knight, And your unthought of Harry, chance to meet : For ev'ry honour fitting on his helm, Would they were multitudes: and on my head My thames 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, To engrofs up glorious deeds on my behalf; And I will call him to fo ftrict account, That he shall render ev'ry glory up, Yea, even the flighteft worthip of his time, Or I will tear the reckoning from his heart. This, in the name of God, I promise here: The which if he be pleas'd I fhall perform, 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 a hundred thoufand deaths, Ere break the finalleft parcel of this vow.
I faw young Harry-with his beaver on, His cuiffes on his thighs, gallantly arm'd— Rife from the ground like feather'd Mercury, And vaulted with fuch cafe into his feat, As if an angel dropt down from the clouds, To turn and wind a fiery Pegafus,
And witch the world with noble horfemanship.
Hotfpur's Impatience for the Battle. -Let them come;
They come like facrifices in their trim, And to the fire-eyed maid of fmoky war, All hot, and bleeding, will we offer them: The mailed Mars fhall on his altar fit, Up to the ears in blood. I am on fire, To hear this rich reprifal is so nigh, And yet not ours: Come, let me take Who is to bear me, like a thunderbolt, Against the bofom of the Prince of Wales: Harry to Harry fhall, hot horfe to horse, Meet, and ne'er part, till one drop down a corfe.- O, that Glendower were come !
Prince Henry's modeft Challenge. -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 deeds. For my part, I may fpeak it to my fhamc, I have a truant been to chivalry; And fo, I hear, he doth account me too : Yet this before my father's majesty- 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. Prince Henry's pathetic Speech on the Death of Hotfpur.
-Brave Percy-fare thee well, great heart! Ill-weav'd ambition, how much art thou fhrunk! When that this body did contain a fpirit, A kingdom for it was too fmall a bound, But now, two paces of the vileft earth Bears not alive fo ftout a gentleman. Is room enough:-This earth that bears thee dead,
If thou wert fenfible of courtesy,
I fhould not make fo dear a flow of zeal:- But let my favours hide thy mangled face; And, even in thy behalf, I'll thank myfelf For doing thefe fair rites of tenderness. Adieu, and take thy praife with thee to heaven! Thy ignominy fleep with thee in the grave, But not remember'd in thy epitaph!
O Gentlemen, the time of life is fhort; To spend that shortnefs bafely, were too long, If life did ride upon a dial's point, Still ending at the arrival of an hour.
20. THE SECOND PART OF HENRY IV. SHAKSPEARE.
FROM the orient to the drooping weft, Making the wind my posthorse, still unfold The acts commenced on this ball of earth: Upon my tongue's continual flanders ride; The which in ev'ry language I pronounce; Stuffing the ears of men with falfe reports. I fpeak of peace, while covert enmity, Under the fimile of fafety, wounds the world: And who but Rumour, who but only I, Make fearful mufters, and prepar'd defence, Whilft the big year, fwoln with fome other grief, Is thought with child by the ftern tyrant war, And no fuch matter? Rumour is a pipe Blown by furmifes, jealoufies, conjectures; And of so easy and so plain a stop,
That the blunt monfter with uncounted heads, The ftill-difcordant wavering multitude, Can play upon it.
Contention, like a horfe
Full of high feeding, madly hath broke loofe, And bears down all before him.
After him, came, fpurring hard, A gentleman almoft forefpent with speed, That stopp'd by me to breathe his bloodied horfe: He afk'd the way to Chefter; and of him I did demand, what news from Shrewsbury. He told me, that rebellion had il! luck, And that young Harry Percy's fpur was cold: With that, he gave his able horfe the head, And, bending forward, ftruck his armed heels Against the panting fides of his poor jade Up to the rowel head; and, starting fo, He feem'd in running to devour the way, Staying no longer question.
Meffenger with ill News.
Yea, this man's brow, like to a title-leaf, Foretels the nature of a tragic volume: So looks the ftrond, whercon th' imperious flood Hath left a witnefs'd ufurpation.
Thou trembleft; and the whitenefs in thy check Is apter than thy tongue to tell thy errand. Even fuch a man, fo faint, fo fpiritlefs, So dull, fo dead in look, fo woe-begone, Drew Priam's curtain in the dead of night, And would have told him, half his Troy was burn'd:
I fee a strange confeffion in thine eye:
Greater Griefs defroy the lefs.
As the wretch, whofe fever-weaken'd joints, Like ftrengthlefs hinges, buckle under life, Impatient of his fit, breaks like a fire
Out of his keeper's arms; even fo my limbs, Weaken'd with grief,being now enrag'd with grief, Are thrice themselves: Hence, therefore, thou nice crutch;
A fcaly gauntlet now, with joints of steel, Muft glove his hand and hence, thou fickly quoif; Thou art a guard too wanton for the head, Which princes, fieth'd with conqueft, aim to hit. Now bind my brows with iron; and approach The rugged' hour that time and spite dare bring To frown upon th' enrag'd Northumberland! Let heaven kifs earth! now let not nature's hand Keep the wild flood confin'd! Let order die ! And let this world no longer be a stage To feed contention in a ling'ring act; But let one spirit of the firft-born Cain Reign in all bofoms, that, each heart being fet On bloody courfes, the rude fcene may end, And darkness be the burier of the dead! The Fickleness of the Vulgar.
An habitation giddy and unfure Hath he, that buildeth on the vulgar heart. O thou fond many! with what loud applaufe Didit thou beat heaven with bleffing Bolingbroke, Before he was what thou wouldst have him be? And, being now trimm'd in thine own defires, Thou, beaftly feeder, art fo full of him, That thou provok it thyfelf to caft him up. On Sleep.
-O gentle fleep, Nature's foft nurfe, how have I frighted thee, That thou no more wilt weigh my eye-lids down, And steep my fenfes in forgetfulness! Why rather, fleep, lieft thou in fmoky cribs, Upon uneafy pallets ftretching thee,
And hufh'd with buzzingnight-flies to thy flumber; Than in the perfum'd chambers of the great, Under the canopies of coftly state,
And lull'd with founds of fweetest melody? O thou dull god, why lieft thou with the vile. In loathfome beds; and leav'ft the kingly couch, A watch-cafe, or a common larum-bell? Wilt thou, upon the high and giddy mast, Seal up the fhip-boy's eyes, and rock his brains In cradle of the rude imperious furge; And in the vifitation of the winds, Who take the ruffian billows by the top, Curling their monttrous heads, and hanging thera With deaf'ning clamours in the flipp'ry clouds, That, with the hurly, death itself awakes?
Thou fhak'it thy head; and hold 'ft it fear, or fin, Canft thou, O partial fleep! give thy repofe
To speak a truth. If he be flain, fay fo: The tongue offends
that not, reports his death: And he doth fin, that doth belie the dead; Not he, which fays the dead is not alive. Yet the firft bringer of unwelcome news Hath but a lofing office; and his tongue Sounds ever after as a fullen bell, Remember'd knolling a departed friend.
To the wet fea-boy in an hour fo rude; And, in the calmest and most stillest night, With all appliances and means to boot, Deny it to a king?
The Character of King Henry V. by his Father. He is gracious, if he be observ'd;
He hath a tear for pity, and a hand Open as day for melting charity:
Yet notwithstanding, being incens'd, he's flint; As humorous as winter, and as fudden As flaws congealed in the fpring of day. His temper, therefore, must be well obferv'd : Chide him for faults, and do it reverently, When you perceive his blood inclin'd to mirth: But, being moody, give him line and fcope; Till that his pailions, like a whale on ground, Confound themselves with working.
Will fortune never come with both hands full, But write her fair words ftill in fouleft letters? She either gives a ftomach, and no food-→→ Such are the poor in health; or else a feast, And takes away the ftomach ;-fuch the rich, That have abundance, and enjoy it not. Dialogue between Prince Henry and his Father. -Come hither to me, Harry:
Depart the chamber, leave us here alone.
What wilt thou do when riot is thy care? O, thou wilt be a wildernets again, Peopled with wolves, thy old inhabitants! P. Hen. O, pardon me, my liege! but for my [Kneeling.
The moift impediments unto my fpeech, I had foreftall'd this dear and deep rebuke, Ere you with grief had fpcke, and I had heard The courfe of it fo far. There is your crown; And he that wears the crown immortally, Long guard it yours! If I affect it more, Than as your honour, and as your renown, Let me no more from this obedience rife (Which my most true and inward-duteous fpirit Teacheth), this proftrate and exterior bending! Heaven witnefs with me, when I here came in, And found no courfe of breath within your Majefty, How cold it fruck my heart! If I do feign, O, let me in my prefent wildnets die; And never live to fhew the incredulous world The noble change that I have purposed! Coming to lock on you, thinking you dead (And dead almoft, my liege, to think you were), I fpake unto the crown, as having fenfe, And thus upbraided it. "The care on thee de- pending,
"Hath fed upon the body of my father;
[Ex. Lords. P. H. I never thought to hear you fpeak again. K. Hen. Thy with was father, Harry, to that I ftay too long by thee, I weary thee. [thought: Doft thou fo hunger for my empty chair, That thou wilt needs inveft thee with mine honours, Before thy hour be ripe? O foolish youth! Thoufeck ft the greatnefs thatwill overwhelm thee." Stay but a little; for my cloud of dignity Is held from falling with fo weak a wind, That it will quickly drop; my day is dim. Thou haft ftolen that, which after fome few hours Were thine without offence; and, at my death, Thou haft feal'd ap my expectation: Thy life did manifeft, thou lov'dft me not, And thou wilt have me die affur'd of it. Thou hid'ft a thousand daggers in thy thoughts, Which thou haft whetted on thy ftony heart, To ftab at half an hour of my life.
What! canft thou not forbear me half an hour? Then get thee gone, and dig my grave thyfelf; And bid the merry bells ring to thine ear That thou art crowned, not that I am dead. Let all the tears that should bedew my hearfe, Be drops of balm, to fanctify thy head: Only compound ine with forgotten duft; Give that, which gave thec life, unto the worms. Pluck down my officers, break my decrees; For now a time is come to mock at form, Henry the Fifth is crown'd:-up, vanity: Down, royal ftate! All you fage counfeilors, hence! And to the English court affemble now, From ev'ry region, apes of idlenefs! Now, neighbour-confines, purge you of your fcum: Have you a ruffian that will fear, drink, dance, Revel the night; rob, murder, and commit The oldett fins the newest kind of ways? Be happy, he will trouble you no more: England fall double gild his treble guilt; England hall give him office, lionour, might: For the fifth Harry from curb'd licence plucks The muzzle of restraint, and the wild dog Shall flesh his tooth in ev'ry innocent. O my poor kingdom, fick with civil blows! When that my care could not with-hold thy riots,
Therefore, thou, beft of gold, ait worft of gold. "Other, lefs fine in currat, is more precious, "Preferving life in med'cine potable: [nown'd, "But thou, moft fine, moft honour'd, moft re"Haft cat thy bearer up." Thus, my moft royal Accufing it, I put it on my head; To ty with it--as with an enemy That had before my face murder'd my The quarrel of a true inheriter. But if it did infect my blood with joy, Or fwell my thoughts to any ftrain of pride; If any rebel or vain spirit of mine
Did, with the least affection of a welcome, Give entertainment to the might of it, Let God for ever keep it from my head! And make me as the pooreft vaffal is, That doth with awe and terror kneel to it! K. Hen. O my fon!
Heaven put it in thy mind, to take it hence, That thou might't win the more thy father's love, Pleading fo wifely in excufe of it. Come hither, Hairy, fit thou by bed; my And hear, I think, the very lateft counfel That ever I fall breathe. Heaven knows, my fon, By what by-paths, and indirect crook'd ways, I met this crown; and I myfelf know well, How troublefome it fat upon my head: To thee it thall defcend with better quiet, Better opinion, better confirmation; For all the foil of the achievment goes With me into the earth. It foem'd, in me, But as an honour fnatch'd with boisterous han!; And I had many living, to upbraid My gain of it by their affiftances; Which daily grew to quarrel, and to bloodthe 1, Wounding fuppofed peace: All thefe bold fears, Thou feeft, with peril I have anfwered : For all my reign hath been but as a fccne
Acting that argument; and now my death Changes the mode: for what in me was purchas'd, Falls upon thee in a much fairer fort: So thou the garland wear'ft fucceffively. Yet, tho' thou ftand'ft more fure than I could do, Thou art not firm enough, fince griefs are green; And all thy friends, which thou must make thy friends,
Have but their ftings and teeth newly ta'en out; By whofe fell-working I was firft advanc'd, And by whofe pow'r I well might lodge a fear To be again difplac'd: which to avoid, I cut them off; and had a purpose now To lead out many to the Holy Land; Left reft, and lying ftill, might make them look Too near unto my ftate. Therefore, my Harry, Be it thy courfe, to bufy giddy minds With foreign quarrels, that action, hence borne May wafte the memory of the former days. [out, More would I, but my lungs are wasted so, That ftrength of fpeech is utterly denied me. How I came by the crown, O God, forgive! And grant it may with thee in true peace live! P. Hen. My gracious liege,
You won it, wore it, kept it, gave it me; Then plain, and right, must my poffeffion be: Which I, with more than with a common pain, 'Gainft all the world will rightfully maintain. Reflections on a Crown.
O polifh'd perturbation! golden care! That keeps the ports of flumber open wide To many a watchful night!-fleep with it now! Yet not fo found, and half fo deeply fweet, As he, whofe brow, with homely biggen bound, Snores out the watch of night. O Majefty! When thou doft pinch thy bearer, thou doft fit Like a rich armour worn in heat of day, That fcalds with fafety.
How quickly nature falls into revolt, When gold becomes her object!
For this, the foolish, over-careful fathers
Have broke their fleep with thoughts, their brains
Their bones with induftry;
For this they have engroffed and pil'd up The canker'd heaps of strange achieved gold; For this they have been thoughtful to invest Their fons with arts, and martial exercises: When like the bee, tolling from ev`ry flow'r The virtuous fweets,
[honey, Our thighs pack'd with wax, our mouths with We bring it to the hive; and, like the bees, Are murder'd for our pains.
Crouch for employment.
Confideration.
Confideration, like an angel, came, And whipt th' offending Adam out of him: Leaving his body as a Paradife, To envelope and contain celeftial fpirits. King Henry V. bis Perfections. Hear him but reafon in divinity, You would defire the king were made a prelate : And, all-admiring, with an inward wish Hear him debate of common-wealth affairs, You would fay, it hath been all-in-all his ftudy: Lift his difcourfe of war, and you shall hear A fearful battle render'd you in mufic. Turn him to any caufe of policy,
The gordian knot of it he will unloofe, Familiar as his garter; that, when he speaks, The air, a charter'd libertine, is still, And the mute wonder lurketh in men's ears, To fteal his fweet and honey'd fentences. The Common-wealth of Bees.
So work the honey bees: Creatures that, by a rule in nature, teach The act of order to a peopled kingdom. They have a king, and officers of forts: Where fome, like magiftrates, correct at home; Others, like merchants, venture trade abroad; Others, like foldiers, armed in their ftings, Make boot upon the fummer's velvet buds; Which pillage they with merry march bring home To the tent-royal of their emperor : Who, bufied in his majefty, furveys The finging mafons, building roofs of gold; The civil citizens kneading up the honey; The poor mechanic porters crowding in Their heavy burthens at his narrow gate; The fad-eyed justice, with his furly hum,
The Chief Juftice to King Henry V. whom he Delivering o'er to executors pale
had imprisoned.
-If the deed were ill,
Pe you contented, wearing now the garland, To have a fon fet your decrees at nought; To pluck down justice from your awful bench; To trip the courie of law, and blunt the fword That guards the peace and fafety of your perfon: Nay, more; to fpurn at your most royal image, And mock your workings in a fecond body. Queition your royal thoughts, make the cafe yours,
The lazy yawning drone.
Warlike Spirit.
Now all the youth of England are on fire, And filken dalliance in the wardrobe lics; Now thrive the armourers, and honour's thought Reigns folely in the breaft of ev'ry man: They fell the pafture now, to buy the horse; Following the mirror of all Chriftian kings, With winged heels, as English Mercuries. For now fits expectation in the air;
« PreviousContinue » |