“The” Plays of William Shakespeare

P. Hen. Why, Percy I kill'd myself, and saw thee dead.

Fal. Didst thou?-Lord, lord, how this world is given to lying!-I grant you, I was down, and out of breath; and so was he; but we rose both at an instant, and fought a long hour hy Shrewsbury clock. If I may be believ'd, so; if not, let them, that should reward valour, bear the sin 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 sword.

P. John. This is the strangest tale that e'er I

heard,

P. Hen. 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 happiest terms I have.

[A retreat is sounded. The trumpet sounds retreat, the day is ours. Come, brother, let's to the highest of the field, To see what friends are living, who are dead.

[Exeunt Prince HENRY and Prince JoHN. Fal. I'll follow, as they say, for reward. He that rewards me, God reward him! If I do grow great, I'll grown less; for I'll purge, and leave sack, and live cleanly, as a nobleman should [Exit, bearing off the body.

do.

SCENE V.

Another Part of the Field.

The trumpets sound. Enter King HENRY, Prince HENRY, Prince JOHN, WESTMORELAND, and Others, with WORCESTER and VERNON, pri

soners.

K. Hen. Thus ever did rebellion find rebuke,
Ill-spirited Worcester! did we not send grace,
Pardon, and terms of love to all of you?
And would'st thou turn our offers contrary?
Misuse the tenor of thy kinsman's trust?
Three knights upon our party slain to-day,
A noble Earl, and many a creature else,
Had been alive, this hour,

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

Wor. What I have done, my safety urg'd me

to;

And I embrace this fortune patiently,

Since not to be avoided it falls on me,"

K. Hen. Bear Worcester 10 the death, and Vernon too: Other offenders we will pause upon.

[Exeunt WORCESTER and VERNON, guarded.

How goes the field?
P. Hen. The noble Scot,

lord Douglas, when he saw turn'd from him, all his men fled with the rest;

The fortune of the day quite
The noble Percy slain, and
Upon the foot of fear,

And, falling from a hill, he was so bruis'd,
That the pursuers took him. At my tent

The Douglas is; and I beseech your Grace,
I may dispose of him.

K. IIen. With all my heart. I

P. Hen. Then brother John of Lancaster, to you

This honourabe bounty shall belong

Go to the Douglas, and deliver him
Up to his pleasure, ransomless,' and free:
His valour, shown upon our crests to-day,
Hath taught us how to cherish such high deeds,
Even in the bosom of our adversaries."

K. Hền. Then this remains that we divide
our power.-

You, son John, and my cousin Westmoreland,
Towards York shall bend you, with your dearest
speed,

To meet Northumberland, and the Prelate Scroop,
Who, as we hear, are busily in arms:
Myself, and you, son Harry, will towards
Wales >

To fight with Glendower, and the Earl of March,
Rebellion in this land shall lose his sway,
Meeting the check of such another day;
And since this business so fair is done,
Let us not leave till all our own be won.—