PROLOGUE.

Enter RUMOUR, painted full of Tongues.

PEN 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 poft-horse, ftill unfold The Acts commenced on this Ball of Earth. Upon my tongues continual flanders ride, The which in every language I pronounce; Stuffing the ears of men with false reports. "I fpeak of Peace, while covert enmity, "Under the smile of fafety, wounds the world: "And who but Rumour, who but only I, "Make fearful mufters and prepar'd defence, "Whilft the big year, fwoll'n with some other griefs, "Is thought with child by the ftern tyrant War, "And no fuch matter? Rumour is a pipe Blown by furmises, jealoufies, conjectures; And, of so easie and so plain a stop,

That the blunt monster with uncounted heads,
The still-difcordant wavering multitude,

Can play upon it. But what need I thus
My well-known body to anatomize

Among my houfhold? Why is Rumour here?
I run before King Harry's victory;
Who in a bloody field by Shrewsbury

1 painted full of Tongues.] This direction, which is only to be found in the first Edition in Quarto of 1600, explains a paffage in what follows, otherwife obfcure.

Mr. Pope.

Hath

Hath beaten down young Hot-fpur and his troops;
Quenching the flame of bold Rebellion
Ev'n with the rebels' blood. But what mean I
To speak so true at firft? my office is
To noife abroad, that Harry Monmouth fell
Under the wrath of noble Hot-fpur's fword;
And that the King before the Dowglas' 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 (a) Hold of ragged ftone ;
Where Hot-fpur's father, old Northumberland,
Lies crafty fick. The Pofts 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 falfe, worfe than true

wrongs,

[(a) Hold. Mr. Theobald.-Vulg. Hole.]

[Exit

Dramatis

Dramatis Perfonæ.

KING Henry the Fourth.

Prince Henry, afterwards crowned King Henry the Fifth.

Prince John of Lancaster,
Humphrey of Gloucefter,
Thomas of Clarence,
Northumberland,

The Archbishop of York,

Mowbray,

Haftings,

Lord Bardolph,

Travers,

Morton,

Colevile,

Warwick,

Weftmorland,

Surrey,

of the King's Party,

Gower,

The SECOND PART of

Η Ε Ν RY

IV.

ACT I. SCENE I.

Northumberland's Caftle.

Enter Lord Bardolph; the Porter at the door.

W

BARDOLPH.

HO keeps the gate here, hoa? where is

the Earl?

Port. What fhall I say you are?
Bard. Tell thou the Earl,

That the lord Bardolph doth attend him
here.

Port. His lordship is walk'd forth into the Orchard; Please it your Honour, knock but at the gate,

And he himself will answer.

Enter Northumberland.

Bard. Here's the Earl.

North. What news, lord Bardolph ? " ev'ry minute

now

"Should

"Should be the father of fome stratagem.
"The times are wild: Contention, like a horse
"Full of high feeding, madly hath broke loofe,
"And bears down all before him.

Bard. Noble Earl,

I bring you certain news from Shrewsbury.
North. Good, if heav'n will!

Bard. As good as heart can wish:

The King is almost wounded to the death:
And in the fortune of my lord your fon,

Prince Harry flain outright; and both the Blunts
Kill'd by the hand of Dowglas: young Prince John,
And Westmorland, and Stafford, fled the field.
And Harry Monmouth's brawn, the hulk Sir John,
Is prisoner to your fon. O, fuch a day,
"So fought, fo follow'd, and fo fairly won,
"Came not till now, to dignifie the times,
"Since Cafar's fortunes!

North. How is this deriv'd?

Saw you the field? came you from Shrewsbury? Bard. I fpake with one, my lord, that came from

thence,

A gentleman well bred, and of good name;

That freely render'd me these news for true.

[fent

North. Here comes my fervant Travers, whom I

On Tuesday laft to liften after news.

Bard. My lord, I over-rode him on the way.

And he is furnifh'd with no certainties,

More than he, haply, may retail from me.

North. Now, Travers, what good tidings come with you?

1 father of fome stratagem.] Stratagem, for vigorous action.

Tra.