You took occasion to be quickly wooed To gripe the general sway into your hand; Forgot your oath to us at Doncaster; And, being fed by us, you used us so As that ungentle gull the cuckoo's bird Useth the sparrow: did oppress our nest; Grew by our feeding to so great a bulk That even our love durst not come near your sight, For fear of swallowing; but with nimble wing We were enforced, for safety sake, to fly Out of your sight, and raise this present head: Whereby we stand opposéd by such means As you yourself have forged against yourself, By unkind usage, dangerous countenance, And violation of all faith and troth Sworn to us in your younger enterprise. K. Hen. These things, indeed, you have articulated, Proclaimed at market-crosses, read in churches, With some fine colour that may please the eye And never yet did insurrection want P. Hen. In both our armies there is many a soul Of his great name and estimation, K. Hen. And, Prince of Wales, so dare we venture thee, Albeit considerations infinite Do make against it.-No, good Worcester, no, Rebuke and dread correction wait on us, [Exeunt WORCESTER and VERNON. K. Hen. Hence, therefore, every leader to his charge, For on their answer will we set on them: [Exeunt KING, BLUNT, and PRINCE JOHN. Fal. Hal, if thou see me down in the battle, and bestride me, so: 't is a point of friendship. P. Hen. Nothing but a colossus can do thee that friendship. Say thy prayers, and farewell. Fal. I would it were bed-time, Hal, and all well. P. Hen. Why, thou owest Heaven a death. [Exit. Fal. 'Tis not due yet: I would be loath to pay him before his day. What need I be so forward with him that calls not on me? Well, 't is no matter: honour pricks me on. Yea, but how if honour prick me off when I come on; how then? Can honour set-to a leg? No. Or an arm? No. Or take away the grief of a wound? No. Honour hath no skill in surgery, then? No. What is honour? A word. What is in that word honour? What is that honour? Air. A trim reckoning!-Who hath it? He that died o' Wednesday. Doth he feel it? No. Doth he hear it? No. Is it insensible, then? Yea, to the dead. But will it not live with the living? No. Why? Detraction will not suffer it.-Therefore I'll none of it. Honour is a mere scutcheon: and so ends my catechism. SCENE II.-The Rebel Camp. Enter WORCESTER and VERNON. [Exit. Wor. O no, my nephew must not know, Sir Richard, The liberal kind offer of the King. Ver. "T were best he did. Then are we all undone. It is not possible, it cannot be, The King should keep his word in loving us : Interpretation will misquote our looks; And on his father's:-we did train him on; Ver. Deliver what you will, I'll say 't is so. Here comes your cousin. Enter HOTSPUR and DOUGLAS; Officers and Soldiers, behind. Hot. My uncle is returned :-deliver up My lord of Westmorland.-Uncle, what news? Wor. The King will bid you battle presently. Doug. Defy him by the lord of Westmorland. 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, Of his oath-breaking: which he mended thus,— 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, the King, And, nephew, challenged 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 shewed his tasking; seemed it in contempt? Ver. No, by my soul: I never in my life Did hear a challenge urged 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; Trimmed 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 Better consider what you have to do, Enter a Messenger. Mess. My lord, here are letters for you. O gentlemen, the time of life is short: Enter another Messenger. Mess. My lord, prepare: the King comes on apace. Hot. I thank him that he cuts me from my tale, For I profess not talking: only this,— Let each man do his best: and here draw Ia sword Whose worthy temper I intend to stain With the best blood that I can meet withal In the adventure of this perilous day. Now, "Esperancé! Percy!" and set on.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. SCENE III.-Plain near Shrewsbury. Excursions, and parties fighting. Alarum to the battle. Then enter DOUGLAS and BLUNT, meeting. Blunt. What is thy name, that in the battle thus Thou crossest me? What honour dost thou seek Upon my head? Doug. Know, then, my name is Douglas : And I do haunt thee in the battle thus, Because some tell me that thou art a king. Blunt. They tell thee true. Doug. The Lord of Stafford dear to-day hath bought Thy likeness: for, instead of thee, King Harry, This sword hath ended him. So shall it thee, 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 Holmedon thus, I never had triumphed upon a Scot. Doug. All's done, all 's won: here breathless lies the King. Hot. Where? Doug. Here. Hot. This, Douglas? no; I know this face full well. A gallant knight he was, his name was Blunt: Semblably furnished like the King himself. Doug. A fool go with thy soul whither it goes! A borrowed 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. 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: Heaven keep lead out of me! I need no more weight than mine own bowels. I have led my ragamuffins where they are peppered: there's but 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 PRINCE HENRY. P. Hen. What, stand'st thou idle here! lend me thy sword: Many a nobleman lies stark and stiff Fal. O Hal, I pr'y thee give me leave to breathe awhile. 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. I pr'y thee lend me thy sword. Fal. Nay, before Heaven, Hal, if Percy be alive, thou gett'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: 't is hot, 't is 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 carbonado 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. Anotner part of the Field. Alarums. Excursions. Enter the KING, PRINCE HENRY, PRINCE JOHN, and WESTMORLAND. K. Hen. I pr'y thee, 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 Westmorland, lead him to his tent. West. Come, my lord, I will lead you to your tent. P. Hen. Lead me, my lord! I do not need your help: And heaven forbid a shallow scratch should drive The Prince of Wales from such a field as this; Where stained nobility lies trodden on, And rebels' arms triumph in massacres. P. John. We breathe too long.-Come, cousin Westmorland, Our duty this way lies: for God's sake, come. [Exeunt PRINCE JOHN and WESTMORLAND. P. Hen. By heaven, thou hast deceived me. Lancaster: I did not think thee lord of such a spirit. K. Hen. I saw him hold Lord Percy at the point, P. Hen. [Exit. Alarums. Enter DOUGLAS. Doug. Another king! they grow like Hydras' heads: I am the Douglas, fatal to all those That wear those colours on them.-What art thou That counterfeit'st the person of a king? K. Hen. The King himself: who, Douglas, grieves at heart So many of his shadows thou hast met, 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. P. Hen. Hold up thy head, vile Scot, or thou art like Never to hold it up again! The spirits P. Hen. O heaven! they did me too much injury That ever said I hearkened for your death. Ill-weaved ambition, how much art thou shrunk! Is room enough.-This earth that bears thee dead, I should not make so dear a show of zeal: [He sees FALSTAFF on the ground. [Exit. Fal. [rising slowly.] Embowelled! If thou embowel me to-day, I'll give you leave to powder me, and eat me too, to-morrow.-'S blood, 't was 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 Percy, though he be dead. How if he should counterfeit too, and rise? I am afraid he would prove the better counterfeit. Therefore I'll make him sure: yea, and I'll swear I killed him. Why may not he rise, as well as I? Nothing confutes 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. That plays upon our eyesight?-I pr'y thee 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 I a 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 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 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 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, |