Than hope enjoy'd: by this the weary lords
Shall make their way seem short; as mine hath done
By sight of what I have, your noble company.
Boling. Of much less value is my company,
Than your good words. But who comes here?
Enter HARRY PERCY.

North. It is my son, young Harry Percy,
Sent from my brother Worcester, whencesoever.—
Harry, how fares your uncle?

Percy. I had thought, my lord, to have learn'd his health of you.

North. Why, is he not with the queen?

Percy. No, my good lord; he hath forsook the court, Broken his staff of office, and dispers'd

The household of the king.

What was his reason?

North.
He was not so resolv'd, when last we spake together.
Percy. Because your lordship was proclaimed traitor.
But he, my lord, is gone to Ravenspurg,

To offer service to the duke of Hereford;
And sent me o'er by Berkley, to discover
What power the duke of York had levied there;
Then with direction to repair to Ravenspurg.

North. Have you forgot the duke of Hereford, boy?
Percy. No, my good lord; for that is not forgot,
Which ne'er I did remember: to my knowledge,
I never in my life did look on him.

North. Then learn to know him now; this is the duke. Percy. My gracious lord, I tender you my service, Such as it is, being tender, raw, and young; Which elder days shall ripen, and confirm

To more approved service and desert.

Boling. I thank thee, gentle Percy; and be sure, I count myself in nothing else so happy, As in a soul rememb'ring my good friends; And, as my fortune ripens with thy love, It shall be still thy true love's recompense: My heart this covenant makes, my hand thus seals it.

7 He was not so resolv'd, when last we spake together.] i. e. conversed: together is an interpolation sufficiently evident from the redundancy of the metre. Steevens.

North. How far is it to Berkley? And what stir Keeps good old York there, with his men of war?

Percy. There stands the castle, by yon tuft of trees, Mann'd with three hundred men, as I have heard: And in it are the lords of York, Berkley, and Seymour; None else of name, and noble estimate.

Enter Ross and WILLOUGHBY.

North. Here come the lords of Ross and Willoughby, Bloody with spurring, fiery-red with haste.

Boling. Welcome, my lords: I wot, your love pursues A banish'd traitor; all my treasury

Is yet but unfelt thanks, which, more enrich'd,
Shall be your love and labour's recompense.

Ross. Your presence makes us rich, most noble lord.
Willo. And far surmounts, our labour to attain it.
Boling. Evermore thanks, the exchequer of the poor;
Which, till my infant fortune comes to years,
Stands for my bounty. But who comes here?
Enter BERKLEY.

North. It is my lord of Berkley, as I guess.
Berk. My lord of Hereford, my message is to you.
Boling. My lord, my answer is-to Lancaster;"

And I am come to seek that name in England:
And I must find that title in your tongue,

Before I make reply to aught you say.

8

Berk. Mistake me not, my lord; 'tis not my meaning, To raze one title of your honour out:1

To you, my lord, I come, (what lord you will)

8 My lord of Hereford, my message is to you.] I suspect that our author designed this for a speech rendered abrupt by the impatience of Bolingbroke's reply; and therefore wrote:

My lord of Hereford, my message is

The words to you, only serve to destroy the metre. Steevens.

9

my answer is to Lancaster;] Your message, you say, is to my lord of Hereford. My answer is, It is not to him; it is to the Duke of Lancaster. Malone.

1 To raze one title of your honour out:] "How the names of them which for capital crimes against majestie were erazed out of the publicke records, tables, and registers, or forbidden to be borne by their posteritie, when their memorie was damned, I could show at large." Camden's Remains, p. 136, edit. 1605.

Malone.

From the most glorious regent of this land,2
The duke of York; to know, what pricks you on
To take advantage of the absent time,3

And fright our native peace with self-born arms.

Enter YORK, attended.

Boling. I shall not need transport my words by you; Here comes his grace in person. My noble uncle!

[Kneels. York. Show me thy humble heart, and not thy knee, Whose duty is deceivable and false.

Boling. My gracious uncle!

York. Tut, tut!

Grace me no grace, nor uncle me no uncle:"
I am no traitor's uncle; and that word-grace,
In an ungracious mouth, is but profane.

Why have those banish'd and forbidden legs
Dar'd once to touch a dust of England's ground?
But then more why;5-

Why have they dar'd to march

2 From the most glorious regent of this land,] Thus the first quarto, 1597. The word regent was accidentally omitted in the quarto, 1598, which was followed by all the subsequent copies.

Malone.

3 the absent time,] i. e. time of the king's absence. Johnson. 4 Grace me no grace, nor uncle me no uncle:] In Romeo and Juliet we have the same kind of phraseology:

"Thank me no thankings, nor proud me no prouds." Again, in Microcynicon, Six snarling Satires, &c. 16mo. 1599: "Hower me no howers; howers break no square." Malone. The reading of the folio is preferable:

Tut, tut! grace me no grace, nor uncle me.

Ritson.

5 But then more why;] This seems to be wrong. We might read:

But more than this; why, &c. Tyrwhitt.

But then more why;] But, to add more questions. This is the reading of the first quarto, 1597, which in the second, and all the subsequent copies, was corrupted thus: But more than why. The expression of the text, though a singular one, was, I have no doubt, the author's. It is of a colour with those immediately preceding:

"Grace me no grace, nor uncle me no uncle."

A similar expression occurs in Twelfth Night:

"More than I love these eyes, more than my life,

"More, by all mores, than I shall e'er love wife." Malone.

So many miles upon her peaceful bosom;
Frighting her pale-fac'd villages with war,
And ostentation of despised arms?6

Com'st thou because the anointed king is hence?
Why, foolish boy, the king is left behind,
And in my loyal bosom lies his power.

Were I but now the lord of such hot youth,
As when brave Gaunt, thy father, and myself,
Rescued the Black Prince, that young Mars of men,
From forth the ranks of many thousand French;
O, then, how quickly should this arm of mine,
Now prisoner to the palsy, chastise thee,
And minister correction to thy fault!

Boling. My gracious uncle, let me know my fault; On what condition" stands it, and wherein?

York. Even in condition of the worst degree,

In gross rebellion, and detested treason:
Thou art a banish'd man, and here art come,
Before the expiration of thy time,

In braving arms against thy sovereign.

Boling. As I was banish'd, I was banish'd Hereford;

There seems to be an error in this passage, which I believe should run thus:

But more then: Why? why have they dar'd, &c. This repetition of the word why, is not unnatural for a person speaking with much warmth. M. Mason.

6 And ostentation of despised arms?] But sure the ostentation of despised arms would not fright any one. We should read: disposed arms, i. e. forces in battle array. Warburton. This alteration is harsh. Sir T. Hanmer reads despightful. Mr. Upton gives this passage as a proof that our author uses the passive participle in an active sense. The copies all agree. Perhaps the old duke means to treat him with contempt as well as with severity, and to insinuate that he despises his power, as being able to master it. In this sense all is right. Johnson. So, in this play:

"We'll make foul weather with despised tears." Steevens. The meaning of this probably is-a boastful display of arms which we despise. M. Mason.

7 On what condition] It should be, in what condition, i. e. in what degree of guilt. The particles in the old editions are of little credit. Johnson.

York's reply supports Dr. Johnson's conjecture:

"Even in condition," &c. Malone.

But as I come, I come for Lancaster.
And, noble uncle, I beseech your grace,
Look on my wrongs with an indifferent eye:
You are my father, for, methinks, in you
I see old Gaunt alive; O, then, my father!
Will you permit that I shall stand condemn'd
A wand'ring vagabond; my rights and royalties
Pluck'd from my arms perforce, and given away
To upstart unthrifts? Wherefore was I born?9
If that my cousin king be king of England,
It must be granted, I am duke of Lancaster.
You have a son, Aumerle, my noble kinsman;
Had you first died, and he been thus trod down,
He should have found his uncle Gaunt a father,
To rouse his wrongs, and chase them to the bay.1
I am denied to sue my livery here,2

And yet my letters-patent give me leave:
My father's goods are all distrain'd, and sold;
And these, and all, are all amiss employ'd.
What would you have me do? I am a subject,
And challenge law: Attornies are denied me;
And therefore personally I lay my claim

To my inheritance of free descent.

North. The noble duke hath been too much abus'd. Ross. It stands your grace upon, to do him right.3

8 Look on my wrongs with an indifferent eye:] i. e. with an impartial eye. "Every juryman (says Sir Edward Coke) ought to be impartial and indifferent." Malone.

9- Wherefore was I born?] To what purpose serves birth and lineal succession? I am duke of Lancaster by the same right of birth as the king is king of England. Johnson.

1 To rouse his wrongs, and chase them to the bay.] By his wrongs are meant the persons who wrong him. This explanation is supported by a passage in Fletcher's Double Marriage, where Juliana says

"With all my youth and pleasure I'll embrace you, "Make tyranny and death stand still, affrighted, "And, at our meeting souls, amaze our mischiefs." M. Mason. 2- to sue my livery here,] A law phrase belonging to the feudal tenures. See notes on K. Henry IV, P. I, Act IV, sc. iii. Steevens.

3 It stands your grace upon, to do him right.] i. e. it is your in