The liberal kind offer of the king.

Ver. 'Twere beft, he did.
Wor. Then are we all undone.

It is not poffible, it cannot be,

The king fhould keep his word in loving us ;
He will fufpect us ftill, and find a time
To punith this offence in other faults:
Sufpicion, all our lives, fhall be stuck full of eyes:
For treaton is but trufted like the fox;

Who, ne'er fo tame, fo cherish'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 aftall,
The better cherish'd, ftill the nearer death.
My nephew's trefpafs may be well forgot,
It hath the excufe of youth, and heat of blood;
And an adopted name of privilege,—

A hare-brain'd Hotfpur, 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 fpring 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.

Enter Hotspur, and Douglas.

Hot. My uncle is return'd;-Deliver up
My lord of Westmoreland.-Uncle, what news?
Wor. The king will bid you battie presently.
Doug. Defy him by the lord of Weltmoreland.
Hot. Lord Douglas, go you and tell him fo.
Doug. Marry, and fhall, and very willingly.
[Exit Douglas.
War. There is no feeming mercy in the king.
Hot. Did you beg any? 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 fcourge
With haughty arms this hateful name in us.
Re-enter Douglas.

Trimm'd up your praises with a princely tongue;
Spoke your defervings like a chronicle;
Making you ever better than his praise,
By ftill difpraifing praife, valu'd with you:
And, which became him like a prince indeed,
He made a blushing cital 2 of himself;
And chid his truant youth with fuch a grace,
As if he master'd 3 there a double spirit,
Of teaching, and of learning, instantly.
There did he paufe: But let me tell the world,
If he out-live the envy of this day,
England did never owe fo fweet 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, at liberty 4 :---
But, be he as he will, yet once ere night
I will embrace him with a foldier's arm,
That he shall shrink under my courtefy.--
Arm, arm, with fpeed:-And, fellows, fol.
diers, friends,

Better confider what you have to do,
Than 1, that have not well the gift of tongue,
Can lift your blood up with persuasion.
Enter a Mellenger.

Me. My lord, here are letters for you.
Hot. I cannot read them now.--

O gentlemen, the time of life is short;
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.

An 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 just.
Enter another Messenger.

Mef. 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: and here draw I
A fword, whofe temper I intend to ftain
With the best blood that I can meet withal

Doug. Arm, gentlemen, to arms! for I have In the adventure of this perilous day.

thrown

A brave defiance in king Henry's teeth,
And Weftmoreland, that was engag'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 single fight.

Hot. O, would the quarrel lay upon our heads;
And that no man might draw short 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 exercife and proof of arms.
He gave you all the duties of a man ;

Now,-Efperance 5 !Percy!--and fet on.-
Sound all the lofty inftruments of war,
And by that mufic let us all embrace :
For, heaven to earth, fome of us never fhall
A fecond time do fuch a courtesy.

[The trumpets found. They embrace, then excunt,
S CE NE III.
Plain near Shrewsbury.

The King entereth with bis power. Alarum to the
battle. Then enter Douglas and Blunt.
Blunt. What is thy name, that in the battle thus
Thou croffeft me? what honour doft thou feek
Upon my head?

Dong. Know then, my name is Douglas;
And I do haunt thee in the battle thus,

2 i. e. recital.

3 i. e. was master of.

1 Engag'd is deliver'd as an hostage. prince who played fuch pranks, and was not confined as a madman. battle on Percy's fide, and has always been the motto of the Percy family. prefent motto of the duke of Northumberland, and has been long used by his night wager heaven to earth.

Hh3

4 i. c. of any

5 This was the word of

Efperance en Dieu is the predeceffors. i. e. one

Because

Because fome tell me that thou art a king.

Blunt. They tell thee true.
[bought
Doug. The lord of Stafford dear to-day hath
Thy likeness; for, instead of thee, king Harry,
This fword hath ended him: fo fhall it thee,
Unless thou yield thee as my prifoner.

Blunt. I was not born a yielder, thou proud
And thou shalt find a king that will revenge
Lord Stafford's death.

P. Henry. What, is it a time to jeft and dally now ? [Throws it at him, and exit.

Fal. If Percy be alive, I'll pierce him. If he do come in my way, fo: if he do not,-if I come in his, willingly, let him make a carbonado 7 of me. I like not fuch grinning honour as Sir Walter hath : Scot;Give me life: which if I can fave, fo; if not, honour comes unlook'd for, and there's an end. [Exit. SCEN E

Fight, Blunt is flain. Enter Hotspur.
Hot. O Douglas, hadit thou fought at Holmedon
I never had triumph'd upon a Scot.

[thus,
Doug. All's done, all's won; here breathlefs lies
Hot. Where?
[the king.
[well:

Doug. Here.

Het. This, Douglas? no, I know this face full A gallant knight he was, his name was Blunt ; Semblably furnish'd like the king himself.

Dung. A fool go with thy foul, whither it goes!
A borrow'd title 'haft thou bought too-dear.
Why didft thou tell me that thou wert a king?
Hot. The king hath many marching in his coats.
Doug. Now by my fword I will kill all his coats;
I'll murder all his wardrobe, piece by piece,
Until I meet the king.

Ht. Up, and away :

Our foldiers ftand full fairly for the day. [Exeunt.
Other alarums. Enter Fallaff.

Fal. Though I could 'fcape thot-free at London, I fear the fhot here; here's no fcoring, but upon the pate.-Soft! who art thou? Sir Waiter

IV.

K. Henry Harry, withdraw thyfelf; thou
bleed't too much :-

Lord John of Lancaster, go you with him.
Lan. Not I, my lord, unless I did bleed too.
P. Henry. I beseech your majesty, make up,
Left your retirement do amaze your friends.
K. Henry. I will do fo :-

My lord of Weftmoreland, lead him to his tent.
Wed. Come, my lord, I will lead you to your tent.
P. fenry. Lead me, my lord? I do not need

your help:

And heaven forbid, a fhallow fcratch fhould drive
The prince of Wales from fuch a field as this;
Where itain'd nobility lies trodden on,
And rebels' arms triumph in maffacres !

Lan. We breathe too long:-Come, coufin
Weftmoreland,

[Exeunt P. John and Weft. P. Henry. By heaven, thou haft deceiv'd me, Lancaster,

Blunt ;-there's honour for you: Here's no vani-Our duty this way lies; for heaven's fake, come. ty 3!I am as hot as molten lead, and as heavy too: Heaven keep lead out of me! I need no more weight than mine own bowels.I have led my raggamuffins where they are pepper'd: there's not three of my hundred and fifty left alive; and they are-for the town's end, to beg during life. But who comes here?

Enter Pince Henry.

I did not think thee lord of fuch a spirit :
Before, I lov'd thee as a brother, John ;
But now, I do refpect thee as my foul.

K. Hemy. I faw him hold lord Percy at the point,
With luftier maintenance than I did look for

P. Hen. What, ftand it thou idle here? lend Of fuch an ungrown warrior.

me thy fword:

Many a nobleman lies ftark and stiff

Under the hoofs of vaunting enemies,

Whofe deaths are unreveng'd: lend me thy fword.
Fal. O Hal, I pr'ythee, give me leave to breathe

+

heads:

awhile.-Turk Gregory never did fuch deeds in I am the Douglas, fatal to all thofe

arms, as I have done this day. I have paid Percy, That wear thote colours on them.--What art thou,

I have made him fure 5.

P. Hon. He is, indeed; and living to kill thee.

I pr'ythe, lend me thy fword.

Fal. Nay, Hal, if Percy be alive, thou get'i. not my fword; but take my piftol, if thou wilt.

That counterfeit'ft the perfon of a king?

K. Henry, The king bimfelf: who, Douglas,
grieves at heart,

So many of his fhadows thou haft met,
And not the very king. I have two boys
P. Hen. Give it me: What, is it in the cafe?
Seek Percy, and thyself, about the field:
Fal. Ay, Hal; 'tis hot, 'tis hot : there's that will But, feeing thou fail'ft on me fo luckily,
6 fack a city. [The Prime draws out a bottle of fack. I will atlay thee; fo defend thyfelf.

1 i. e. in re femblance, alike. 2 A play upon fhot, as it means the part of a reckoning, and a millive weapon difcharged from artillery. 3 In our author's time, the negative, in common fpeech, was,ufed to defign, ironically, the excefs of a thing. 4 Meaning Gregory the Seventh, called Hildebrand. Tris fitious far furmounted almot invincible obftacles to deprive the emperor of bis right of invetiture of bithoss, which his prede, elfors had long attempted in vain. Fox, in his Hitory, hath made this Grigory to odiers, that I don't doubt but the good Proteliants of that time were well pleased to hear him, tau's characterized, as uniting the attributes of their two great enemies, the Turk and Pp, in one. 5. Se ha two guidications-certainly diffefed of, and fife. Falftaf pelos it in the me tente; the prince replies to it in the latter. A quibble on the word jack. 7 A carbo2. is a piece of mat cut crois-wile for the gridiron. 8 Hiltory fays, the prince was wounded in

Luc cặc by an arrow.

Dong. I fear thou art another counterfeit ;
And yet, in faith, thou bear it thee like a king:
But mine, I am fure, thou art, whoe'er thou be,
And thus I win thee.

[They fight; the King being in danger, enter
Prince Henry.

P. Henry. Hold up thy head, vile Scot, or thou
art like

Never to hold it up again! Th: fpirits

Of valiant Shirley, Stafford, Blunt, are in my arms:
It is the prince of Wales that threatens thee;
Who never promifeth but he means to pay.-
[They fight; Douglas flyeth.
Cheerly, my lord; How fares your grace?—
Sir Nicholas Gawley hath for fuccour fent,
And fo hath Clifton; I'll to Clifton ftraight.
K. Henry. Stay, and breathe a-while :-
Thou haft redeem'd thy loft opinion:
And thew'd, thou mak'st some tender of my life,
In this for rescue thou haft brought to me.
P. Heny. O heaven; they did me too much
injury,

That ever faid, I hearken'd for your death.
If it were fo, I might have let alone
The infulting hand of Douglas over you;
Which would have been as fpeedy in your end,
As all the poisonous potions in the world,
And fav'd the treacherous labour of your fon.

They wound my thoughts, worfe than thy fword
my fleth

But thought's the flave of life, and life time's fool;
And time, that takes furvey of all the world,
Muft have a stop 1. O, I could prophefy,
But that the earthy and cold hand of death
Lies on my tongue :-No, Percy, thou art duft,
And food for-
[Dies.

P. ilony. For worms, 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

Is room enough :-This earth, that bears thee dead,
Bears not alive fo ftout a gentleman.

If thou wert fenfible of courtefy,

I should not make fo great a show of zeal :-
But let my favours 2 hide thy mangled face;
And, even in thy behalf, I'll thank myfelf
For doing thefe fair rites of tendernefs.
Adieu, and take thy praife with thee to heaven!
Thy ignominy fleep with thee in the grave,
But not remember'd in thy epitaph !----

[He fies Fall'aff on the ground.
What old acquaintance! could not all this fiefh
Keep in a little life? Poor Jack, forewel!
I could have better fpar'd a better man.

K. Heary, Make up to Clifton, I'll to Sir Ni-0, I should have a heavy mifs of thee,

cholas Gawfey.
Enter Hotspar

[Exit. If I were much in love with vanity.

Het. If I mistake not, thou art Harry Monmouth.
P. Henry. Thou speak'st as if I would deny my

name.

Hot. My name is Harry Percy.

P. Hny. Why, then I fee

A very valiant rebel of that name.

I am the prince of Wales; and think not, Percy,
To there with me in glory any more:
Two ftars keep not their motion in one fphere;
Nor can one England brook a double reign,
Of Harry Percy, and the prince of Wales.

Hot. Nor hill it, Harry, for the hour is come
To end the one of us; 'And would to heaven,
Thy name in arms were now as great as mine!
P. Henry. I'll make it greater, ere I part from
thee;

And all the budding honours on thy creft
I'll crop, to make a garland for my head.
Hot. I can no longer brook thy vanities. [Fight.
Enter Falstaff.

Fal. Well faid, Hal! to it, Hal!--Nay, you
fhall find no boy's play here, I can tell you.
Enter Douglas; he fights with Falstaff, who fall:
down as if he were dead. Percy is wounded, and
falls.

Het. O, Harry, thou haft robb'd me of my youth: I better brook the lofs of brittle life,

Than thofe proud titles thou haft wou of me;

Fol. Imbowell'd! if thou imbowel me to-day, I'll give you Leave to powder me 3, and eat me too, to-morrow. 'Sblood, 'twas time to counterfeit, or that hot termagant Scot had paid me foot and lot too. Counterfeit! I lie, I am no counterfelt: To die, is to be a counterfeit; for he is but the counterfeit of a man, who hath not the life of a man: but to counterfeit dying, when a maifthereby liveth, is to be no counterfeit, but the true and perfect image of life indeed. The better pat of valour is-difcretion; in the which better part, I have faved my life. I am afraid of this guape wder Percy, though he be dead: How if he should counterfeit too, and rife? I am afraid, he would prove the better counterfeit. Therefore I'll make him fure: yea, and I'll fwear I kill'd him.-—-—Why may he not rife, as well as I? Nothing confutes nie but eyes, and no body fees me.Therefore, firrah, with a new wound in your thigh, come you along with me.

[Tak's Hotpur on his back. Re-enter Prince Henry, and John of Larmaper. P. Hoary. Come, brother John, full bravely haft thou flei'd

Dr. Johnfon comments on this paTage thus: "Hotfpur in his laft moments endeavours to confole himself. The glory of the prince wounds his thoughts, but thought, being dependent on life, muit ceafe with it, and will foon be at an end. Life, on winch thought depends, is itfelf of no great value, being the fool and sport of time; of time, which, with all its dominion over fublunary things, mujt itfeif at lalt be flopped.” 2 Sec note 3, p. 461. 3 To powder is to falt.

Hh4

Thy

Thy maiden fword.

Lan. But, foft! who have we here? Did you not tell me, this fat man was dead? faw him dead, breathlefs

P. Henry. I did; and bleeding

Upon the ground.

Art thou alive or is it fantafy

That plays upon our eye-fight? I pr'ythee, fpeak;
We will not truft our eyes, without our ears:
Thou art not what thou feem'st.

Fal. No, that's certain; I am not a double man: but if I be not Jack Falftaff, then am I a Jack. There is Percy: [throwing the body down] if your father will do me any honour, fo; if not, let him kill the next Percy himself. I look to be either earl or duke, I can affure you.

P. Henry. Why, Percy I kill'd myself, and faw thee dead.

Fal. Didft thou-Lord, lord, how this world is given to lying!-I grant you, I was down, and out of breath; and fo was he: but we rose both at an instant, and fought a long hour by Shrewfbury clock. If I may be believ'd, fo: if not, let them, that fhould reward valour, bear the fin upon their own heads. I'll take it upon my death, I gave him this wound in the thigh: if the man were alive, and would deny it, I would make him eat a piece of my fword.

Lan. This is the strangest tale that e'er I heard.
P. Henry. This is the strangest fellow, brother
John.

Come bring your luggage nobly on your back:
For my part, if a lie may do thee grace,
I'll gild it with the happieft terms I have.

[Aretreat is founded.
The trumpet founds retreat, the day is ours.
Come, brother, let's to the highest of the field,
To fee what friends are living, who are dead.
[Exeunt.
Fal. I'll follow, as they fay, for reward. He
that rewards me, heaven reward him! If I do
grow great, I'll grow lefs; for I'll purge, and leave
fack, and live cleanly, as a nobleman should do.
[Exit, bearing off the body.

Wales, Lord John of Lancaster, Earl of Weft-
moreland, with Worcester, and Vernon, prisoners.
K. Henry. Thus ever did rebellion find rebuke.-
Ill-fpirited Worcester! did we not fend grace,
Pardon, and terms of love to all of you?
And would'st thou turn our offers contrary?
Mifufe the tenor of thy kinfman's truft?
Three knights upon our party flain to-day,
A noble earl, and many a creature else,
Had been alive this hour,

If, like a chriftian, thou hadst truly borne
Betwixt our armies true intelligence.

Wor. What I have done, my fafety urg'd me to;
And I embrace this fortune patiently,
Since not to be avoided it falls on me. [non too:
K. Hen. Bear Worcester to the death, and Ver-
Other offenders we will paufe upon.-

[Exeunt Worcester and Vernon, guarded.

How goes the field?
[he faw
P. Henry. The noble Scot, lord Douglas, when
The fortune of the day quite turn'd from him,
The noble Percy flain, and all his men
Upon the foot of fear,--fled with the rest;
And, falling from a hill, he was fo bruis'd,
That the purfuers took him. At my tent
The Douglas is; and I beseech your grace,
may difpofe of him.

K. Hen. With all my heart.

P. Hen. Then, brother John of Lancaster, to you
This honourable bounty fhall belong:

Go to the Douglas, and deliver him
Up to his pleafure, ranfomlefs, and free:
His valour, fhewn upon our crests to-day,
Hath taught us how to cherish fuch high deeds,
Even in the bofom of our adverfaries.

K. Hen. Then this remains, that we divide
our power.-

You, fon John, and my coufin Westmoreland,
Towards York fhall bend you, with your dearest
speed,

To meet Northumberland, and the prelate Scroop,
Who, as we hear, are bufily in arms :
Myfelf, and you, fon Harry, will towards Wales,
To fight with Glendower, and the earl of March,
Rebellion in this land fhall lofe his fway,

Meeting the check of fuch another day:
And fince this bufinefs fo fair is done,

The trumpets found. Enter King Henry, Prince of Let us not leave 'till all our own be won. [Exeunt,

SECOND

KING HENRY

I N NDUCTIO N.

Enter Rumour, painted full of tongues.

PEN your ears; For which of you will
ftop

The tranfactions comprized in this Hiftory take up about nine years. The action commences with the account of Hotspur's being defeated and killed ; and closes with the death of king Henry IV. and the coronation of king Henry V,