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Who, ne'er so tame, so cherish'd, and lock'd up,
Will have a wild trick of his ancestors.
Look how we can, or sad, or merrily,
Interpretation will misquote our looks;
And we shall feed like oxen at a stall,

The better cherish'd, still the nearer death.
My nephew's trespass may be well forgot,
It hath the excuse of youth, and heat of blood;
And an adopted name of privilege,-

A hare-brain'd Hotspur, 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 spring of all, shall pay for all.
Therefore, good cousin, let not Harry know,
In any case, the offer of the king.

Ver. Deliver what you will, I'll say, 'tis so.
Here comes your cousin.

I will embrace him with a soldier's arm,
That he shall shrink under my courtesy.-
Arm, arm, with speed:-And, fellows, soldiers,
friends,

Better consider what you have to do,
Than I, that have not well the gift of tongue,
Can lift your blood up with persuasion.

Enter a MESSENGER.

Mess. My lord, here are letters for you.
Hot. I cannot read them now.-
gentlemen, the time of life is short;
To spend that shortness basely, 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 conscience, -the arms are fair,

Enter HOTSPUR and DOUGLAS; and Officers and When the intent of bearing them is just.

Soldiers, behind.

Hot. My uncle is return'd :-Deliver up
My lord of Westmoreland.-Uncle, what news?
Wor. The king will bid you battle presently.
Doug. Defy him by the lord of Westmoreland.
Hot. Lord Douglas, go you and tell him so.
Doug. Marry, and shall, and very willingly.
[Exit.
Wor. There is no seeming mercy in the king.
Hot. Did you beg any? God forbid!
Wor. I told him gently of our grievances,

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For I profess not talking; Only this-
Let each man do his best and here draw I
A sword, whose temper I intend to stain
With the best blood that I can meet withal
In the adventure of this perilous day.

Of his oath-breaking; which he mended thus,-Now,-Esperance!*-Percy!-And set on.-

By now forswearing that he is forsworn:
He calls us rebels, traitors; and will scourge
With haughty arms this hateful name in us.

Re-enter DOUGLAS.

Doug. Arm, gentlemen; to arms! for I have
thrown

A brave defiance in King Henry's teeth,
And Westmoreland, that was engag'd, did bear it.
Which cannot choose but bring him quickly on.
Wor. The prince of Wales stepp'd 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 show'd his tasking? seem'd it in contempt?
Ver. No, by my soul; I never in my life
Did hear a challenge urg'd more modestly,
Unless a brother should a brother dare
To gentle exercise and proof of arms.
He gave you all the duties of a man;
Trimm'd up your praises with a princely tongue;
Spoke your deservings like a chronicle;
Making you ever better than his praise,
By still dispraising praise, valued with you;
And, which became him like a prince indeed,
He made a blushing cital* of himself;

And chid his truant youth with such a grace,
As if he master'd there a double spirit,
Of teaching, and of learning, instantly.
There did he pause: But let me tell the world,-
If he outlive the envy of this day,
England did never owet so sweet a hope,
So much misconstrued in his wantonness.
Hot. Cousin, I think thou art enamoured
Upon his follies; never did I hear
Of any prince, so wild, at liberty:-
But be he as he will, yet once ere night

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Sound all the lofty instruments of war,
And by that music let us all embrace :
For, heaven to earth, some of us never shall
A second time do such a courtesy.

[The Trumpets sound. They embrace,
and exeunt.

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bought

This sword hath ended him: so shall it thee,
Thy likeness; for, instead of thee, king Harry,
Unless thou yield thee as my prisoner.

Blunt. I was not born a yielder, thou proud
Scot;

And thou shalt find a king that will revenge
Lord Stafford's death.

[They fight, and BLUNT is slain.
Enter HOTSPur.

Hot. O Douglas, hadst thou fought at Holme-
don thus,

I never had triumph'd upon a Scot.
Doug. All's done, all's won; here breathless
lies the king.
Hot. Where?
Doug. Here.

*The motto of the Percy family.

Hot. This, Douglas? no, I know this face full
well:

A gallant knight he was, his name was Blunt;
Semblably furnish'd like the king himself.
Doug. A fool go with thy soul, whither it goes!
A borrow'd title hast thou bought too dear.
Why didst thou tell me that thou wert a king?
Hot. The king hath many marching in his coats.
Doug. Now, by my sword, I will kill all his
coats;

I'll murder all his wardrobe, piece by piece,
Until I meet the king.

Hot. Up, and away;

Our soldiers stand full fairly for the day.

[Exeunt.I

Other Alarums.-Enter FALSTAFF. Fal. Though I could 'scape shot-free at London, I fear the shot here; here's no scoring, but upon the pate.-Soft! who art thou? Sir Walter Blunt;-there's honour for you: Here's no vanity!-I am as hot as molten lead, and as heavy too: God keep lead out of me! I need no more weight than mine own bowels.-I have led my raggamuffins where they are peppered: there's but three of my hundred and fifty left alive; and I they are for the town's end, to beg during life.

But who comes here?

Enter Prince HENRY.

West. Come, my lord, I will lead you to your

tent.

P. Hen. Lead me, my lord? I do not need
your help:
[drive
And heaven forbid, a shallow scratch should
The prince of Wales from such a field as this:
Where stain'd nobility lies trodden on,
And rebels' arms triumph in massacres!

P. John. We breathe too long:-Come, cousin
Westmoreland,

Our duty this way lies; for God's sake, come.
[Exeunt Prince JOHN and WESTMORELAND.
P. Hen. By heaven, thou hast deceiv'd me,
Lancaster,

did not think thee lord of such a spirit:
Before, I lov'd thee as a brother, John;
But now, I do respect thee as my soul. [point,

K. Hen. I saw him hold lord Percy at the
With lustier maintenance than I did look for
Of such an ungrown warrior.

P. Hen. O, this boy
Lends mettle to us all!

Alarums.-Enter DOUGLAS.

Doug. Another king! they grow like Hydra's am the Douglas, fatal to all those [heads: That wear those colours on them.-What art That counterfeit'st the person of a king? [thou, K. Hen. The king himself; who, Douglas, grieves at heart,

P. Hen. What, stand'st thou idle here? lend So many of his shadows thou hast met,

me thy sword :

Many a nobleman lies stark and stiff
Under the hoofs of vaunting enemies,
Whose deaths are unreveng'd: Pr'ythee, lend
thy sword.

Fal. O Hal, I pr'ythee, give me leave to breathe a while.-Turk Gregory never did such deeds in arms, as I have done this day. I have paid Percy, I have made him sure.

P. Hen. He is, indeed; and living to kill thee. Lend me thy sword, I pr'ythee.

Fal. Nay, before God, Hal, if Percy be alive, thou get'st not my sword; but take my pistol, if thou wilt.

P. Hen. Give it me: What, is it in the case? Fal. Ay, Hal; 'tis hot, 'tis hot; there's that will sack a city.

[The prince draws out a bottle of sack.
P. Hen. What, is't a time to jest and dally
now?
[Throws it at him and exit.
Fal. Well, if Percy be alive, I'll pierce him.
If he do come in my way, so: if he do not, if I
come in his, willingly, let him make a carbonadot❘
of me. I like not such grinning honour as Sir
Walter hath: Give me life: which if I can save,
so; if not, honour comes unlooked for, and there's
an end.
[Exit.

SCENE IV-Another part of the Field.
Alarums.-Excursions.-Enter the KING, Prince
HENRY, Prince JOHN, and WESTMORELAND.
K. Hen. I pr'ythee,
Harry, withdraw thyself; thou bleed'st too
much :-

Lord John of Lancaster, go you with him.

P. John. Not I, my lord, unless I did bleed too.
P. Hen. I do beseech your majesty, make up,
Lest your retirement do amaze your friends.
K. Hen. I will do so :-

My lord of Westmoreland, lead him to his tent.
* In resemblance.

↑ A piece of meat cut crossways for the gridiron.

I

And not the very king. I have two boys,
Seek Percy, and thyself, about the field:
But, seeing thou fall'st on me so luckily,
will assay thee; so defend thyself.

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

[They fight; the KING being in danger, enter

Prince HENRY.

[art like
P. Hen. Hold up thy head, vile Scot, or thou
Never to hold it up again! the spirits
Of Shirley, Stafford, Blunt, are in my arms:
It is the prince of Wales, that threatens thee;
Who never promiseth, but he means to pay.--
[They fight; DoUGLAS flies.
Cheerly, my lord; How fares your grace?
Sir Nicholas Gawsey hath for succour sent,
And so hath Clifton; I'll to Clifton straight.

K. Hen. Stay, and breathe a while :-
Thou hast redeem'd thy lost opinion;*
And show'd, thou mak'st some tender of my life,
In this fair rescue thou hast brought to me.
P. Hen. O heaven! they did me too much
injury,

That ever said, I hearken'd for your death.
If it were so, I might have let alone
The insulting hand of Douglas over you;
Which would have been as speedy in your end,
As all the poisonous potions in the world,
And sav'd the treacherous labour of your son.
K. Hen. Make up to Clifton, I'll to Sir Nicho-
las Gawsey. [Exit King HENRY.

Enter HOTSPur.

Hot. If I mistake not, thou art Harry Mon-
mouth.
[name.

P. Hen. Thou speak'st as if I would deny my
Hot. My name is Harry Percy.
P. Hen. Why, then I see

A very valiant rebel of the name.

I am the prince of Wales; and think not, Percy, * Reputation.

To share with me in glory any more:
Two stars keep not their motion in one sphere;
Nor can one England brook a double reign,
Of Harry Percy, and the prince of Wales.

Hot. Nor shall it, Harry, for the hour is come
To end the one of us; And 'would to God,
Thy name in arms were now as great as mine!
P. Hen. I'll make it greater, ere I part from
And all the budding honours on thy crest [thee;
I'll crop, to make a garland for my head.
Hot. I can no longer brook thy vanities.

Enter FALSTAFF.

[They fight.

Fal. Well said, Hal! to it, Hal!-Nay, you shall find no boy's play here, I can tell you. Enter DOUGLAS; he fights with FALSTAFF, who falls down as if he were dead, and exit DOUGLAS. HOTSPUR is wounded, and fails.

Hot. O, Harry, thou hast robb'd me of my
I better brook the loss of brittle life, [youth,
Than those proud titles thou hast won of me
They wound my thoughts, worse than thy sword
my flesh:-
[fool;

But thought's the slave of life, and life time's
And time, that takes survey of all the world,
Must have a stop. O, I could prophesy,
But that the earthy and cold hand of death
Lies on my tongue :-No, Percy, thou art dust,
[Dies.
P. Hen. For worms, brave Percy: Fare thee
well, great heart!-

And food for

Ill-weav'd ambition, how much art thou shrunk!
When that this body did contain a spirit,
A kingdom for it was too small a bound;
But now, two paces of the vilest earth

Is room enough:-This earth, that bears thee dead,
Bears not alive so stout a gentleman.
If thou wert sensible of courtesy,

I should not make so dear a show of zeal :-
But let my favours* hide thy mangled face;
And, even in thy behalf, I'll thank myself
For doing these fair rites of tenderness.
Adieu, and take thy praise with thee to heaven!
Thy ignomy sleep with thee in the grave,
But not remember'd in thy epitaph!

futes me but eyes, and nobody sees me. Therefore, sirrah, [Stabbing him.] with a new wound in your thigh, come you along with me.

[Takes HOTSPUR on his back.

Re-enter Prince HENRY and Prince JOHN.

P. Hen. Come, brother John, full bravely hast thou flesh'd

Thy maiden sword.

P. John. But, soft! whom have we here?
Did you not tell me, this fat man was dead?
P. Hen. I did; I saw him dead, breathless and
bleeding

Art thou alive? or is it fantasy
Upon the ground.-

That plays upon our eyesight? I pr'ythee speak;
We will not trust our eyes, without our ears:-
Thou art not what thou seem'st.

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

P. Hen. Why, Percy I killed myself, and saw thee dead.

Fal. Didst thou?-Lord, lord, how this world out of breath; and so was he: but we arose both is given to lying!-I grant you, I was down, and at an instant, and fought a long hour by Shrewsbury clock. If I may be believed, 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 !
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 grow less; for I'll purge, and leave sack, and live cleanly, as a nobleman should do. [Exit, bearing off the body.

SCENE V.-Another part of the Field. The Trumpets sound.-Enter King HENRY, Prince HENRY, Prince JOHN, WESTMORELAND, and others, with WORCESTER, and VERNON, prisoners.

[He sees FALSTAFF on the ground. What! old acquaintance! could not all this flesh Keep in a little life? Poor Jack, farewell! I could have better spar'd a better man. O, I should have a heavy miss of thee, If I were much in love with vanity. Death hath not struck so fat a deer to-day, Though many dearer, in this bloody fray :Embowell'd will I see thee by and by; Till then, in blood by noble Percy lie. [Exit. Fal. [Rising slowly.] Embowelled! if thou embowel me to-day, I'll give you leave to powdert me, and eat me too, to-morrow. 'Sblood, 'twas time to counterfeit, or that hot termagant Scot had paid me scot and lot too. Counterfeit ? I lie, I am no counterfeit: 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 man thereby liveth, is to be no counterfeit, but the true and perfect image of life indeed. The better part of valour is-discretion; in the which better part, I have saved my life. 'Zounds, I am afraid of this gunpowder If, like a Christian, thou hadst truly borne Percy, though he be dead: How, if he should Betwixt our armies true intelligence, counterfeit too, and rise? I am afraid, he would Wor. What I have done, my safety urg'd me prove the better counterfeit. Therefore I'll And I embrace this fortune patiently, [to; make him sure: yea, and I'll swear I killed him. Since not to be avoided it falls on me. Why may not he rise, as well as I? Nothing con- K. Hen. Bear Worcester to the death, and * Scarf, with which he covers Percy's face." + Salt. Vernon too:

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,

Other offenders we will pause upon.

[Exeunt WORCESTER and VERNON, guarded. How goes the field? [he saw P. Hen. The noble Scot, lord Douglas, when The fortune of the day quite turn'd from him, The noble Percy slain, and all his men Upon the foot of fear,-fled with the rest; 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. Hen. With all my heart."

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Hath taught us how to cherish such high deeds, Even in the bosom of our adversaries.

K. Hen. 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.

[Exeunt.

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KING HENRY THE FOURTH.

HENRY, Prince of Wales, afterwards

King Henry V.

THOMAS, Duke of Clarence,

PRINCE JOHN OF LANCASTER, after

TRAVERS and MORTON, Domestics of Northum-
berland.

FALSTAFF, BARDOLPH, PISTOL, and PAGE.
POINS and PETO, Attendants on Prince Henry.
SHALLOW and SILENCE, Country Justices.

wards (2 Henry V.) Duke of Bed- His Sons. DAVY, Servant to Shallow.

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MOULDY, SHADOW, WART, FEEBLE, and BULL-
CALF, Recruits.

FANG and SNARE, Sheriff's Officers.
RUMOUR.-A PORTER.

A DANCER, Speaker of the Epilogue.

LADY NORTHUMBERLAND.-LADY PERCY.
Hostess QUICKLY.-DOLL TEAR-SHEET.

Lords, and other Attendants; Officers, Soldiers,
Messengers, Drawers, Beadles, Grooms, &c.
SCENE, England.

INDUCTION.

Warkworth.-Before Northumberland's Castle.
Enter RUMOUR, painted full of Tongues.
Rum. Open your ears; For which of you will
stop

The vent of hearing, when loud Rumour speaks?
I, from the orient to the drooping west,
Making the wind my post-horse, still unfold
The acts commenced on this ball of earth:
Upon my tongues continual slanders ride;
The which in every language I pronounce,
Stuffing the ears of men with false reports.
I speak of peace, while covert enmity,
Under the smile of safety, wounds the world:
And who but Rumour, who but only I,
Make fearful musters, and prepar'd defence;
Whilst the big year, swol'n with some other
grief,

Is thought with child by the stern tyrant war,
And no such matter? Rumour is a pipe
Blown by surmises, jealousies, conjectures;
And of so easy and so plain a stop,
That the blunt monster with uncounted heads,
The still-discordant wavering multitude,
Can play upon it. But what need I thus
My well-known body to anatomize
Among my household? Why is Rumour here?

I run before king Harry's victory;
Who, in a bloody field by Shrewsbury,
Hath beaten down young Hotspur, and his troops,
Quenching the flame of bold rebellion
Even with the rebel's blood. But what mean I
To speak so true at first? my office is
To noise abroad,-that Harry Monmouth fell
Under the wrath of noble Hotspur's sword;
And that the king before the Douglas' rage
Stoop'd his anointed head as low as death.
This have I rumour'd through the peasant towns
Between that royal field of Shrewsbury
And this worm-eaten hold of ragged stone,*
Where Hotspur's father, old Northumberland,
Lies crafty-sick the posts come tiring on,
And not a man of them brings other news
Than they have learn'd of me; From Rumour's
tongues

:

They bring smooth comforts false, worse than true wrongs. [Exit.

ACT I.

SCENE I.—The same.-The PORTER before the Gate; Enter Lord BARDOLPH.

Bard. Who keeps the gate here, ho?-Where is the earl?

Port. What shall I say you are?

Northumberland castle.

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