SCENE 1.

KING HENRY IV.

sa bait for the old pike, I see no reason, in the law | Had not been here, to dress the ugly form
of nature, but I may snap at him. Let time shape, Of base and bloody insurrection
and there an end.

9 The old copies read from our most quiet there. Warburton made the alteration; I am not quite persuaded that it was necessary.

10 In Holinshed the Archbishop says, Where he and his companie were in armes, it was for feare of the king, to whom he could have no free accesse, by reason of such a multitude of flatterers as were about him.'

11 Examples of every minute's instance,' are Examples which every minute instances or supplies.' Which even the present minute presses on their notice. 12 Commotion's bitter edge? that is, the edge of bitter strife and commotion; the sword of rebellion. This line is omitted in the folio.

13 The second line of this very obscure speech is omitted in the folio. As the passage stands I can make nothing of it; nor do any of the explanations which have been offered appear to me satisfactory. I think with Malone that a line has been lost, though I do not agree with him in the sense he would give to it. It is with all proper humility I offer the following reading :

My quarrel general, the commonwealth,
Whose wrongs do loudly call out for redress;
To brother born an household cruelty,
I make my quarrel in particular.'

i. e. my general cause of discontent is public wrongs,
my particular cause the death of my own brother,
who was beheaded by the king's order. This circum
stance is referred to in the first part of this play :-

"The archbishop-who bears hard

His brother's death at Bristol, the Lord Scroop.' The answer of Westmoreland makes it obvious that

West. You speak, Lord Mowbray, now you know Our peace shall stand as firm as rocky mountains.

Moush. Ay, but our valuation shall be such, That every slight and false-derived cause, Yea, every idle, nice," and wanton reason,

Who knows, on whom fortune would then have Shall, to the king, taste of this action:

something about redress of public wrongs should have 8 The old copy reads confin'd. Johnson proposed to fallen from the archbishop. Johnson proposed to read read consign'd; which must be understood in the Latin quarrel instead of brother in the first line, and explain-sense, consignatus, signed, sealed, ratified, confirm ed the passage much as I have done. I have merely ed; which was indeed the old meaning according to the superadded the line, which seems to me necessary to dictionaries. Shakspeare uses consign and consigning complete the sense, and make Westmoreland's reply in other places in this sense. intelligible.

West. The prince is here at hand: Pleaseth your lordship,

To meet his grace just distance 'tween our armies? Mowb. Your grace of York, in God's name then se forward.

come.

Mowb. If not, we ready are to try our fortunes
To the last man.
Hast.

And though we here fall down
We have supplies to second our attempt;
If they miscarry, theirs shall second them:
And so, success of mischief shall be born;
And heir from heir shall hold this quarrel up,
Whiles England shall have generation.

P. John. You are too shallow, Hastings, much
too shallow,

To sound the bottom of the after-times.
West. Pleaseth your grace to answer them di

rectly,

How far-forth do you like their articles?

P. John. I like them all, and do allow them well. And swear here by the honour of my blood, My father's purposes have been mistook; Arch. Before, and greet his grace: my lord, we And some about him have too lavishly [Exeunt. Wrested his meaning, and authority.My lord, these griefs shall be with speed redress'd; SCENE II. Another Part of the Forest. Enter, Upon my soul, they shall. If this may please you, from one side, MOWBRAY, the Archbishop, HAST-Discharge your powers unto their several counties, INGS, and others: from the other side, PRINCE As we will ours: and here, between the armies, JOHN of Lancaster, WESTMORELAND, Officers, Let's drink together friendly, and embrace; That all their eyes may bear those tokens home, Of our restored love and amity.

and Attendants.

P. John. You are well encounter'd here, my
cousin Mowbray :-

Good day to you, gentle lord archbishop ;-
And so to you, Lord Hastings,—and to all.-
My lord of York, it better show'd with you,
When that your flock, assembled by the bell,
Encircled you, to hear with reverence
Your exposition on the holy text;
Than now to see you here an iron man,1
Cheering a rout of rebels with your drum,
Turning the word to sword, and life to death.
That man that sits within a monarch's heart,
And ripens in the sunshine of his favour,
Would he abuse the countenance of the king,
Alack, what mischiefs might he set abroach,
In shadow of such greatness! With you, lord

bishop,

It is even so :-Who hath not heard it spoken,
How deep you were within the books of God?"
To us, the speaker in his parliament:
To us, the imagin'd voice of God himself:
The very opener, and intelligencer,
Between the grace, the sanctities of heaven,
And our dull workings: O, who shall believe,
But you misuse the reverence of your place;
Employ the countenance and grace of heaven,
As a false favourite doth his prince's name,
In deeds dishonourable? You have taken up ;4
Under the counterfeited zeal of God,
The subjects of the substitute, my father;
And, both against the peace of heaven and him,
Have here up-swarm'd them.

Arch.

Good, my
lord of Lancaster,
I am not here against your father's peace:
But, as I told my lord of Westmoreland,
The time misorder'd doth, in common sense,'
Crowd and crush us, to this monstrous form,
To hold our safety up. I sent your grace
The parcels and particulars of our grief;

us,

Arch. I take your princely word for these ro

dresses.

P. John. I give it you, and will maintain my word; And thereupon I drink unto your grace.

Hast. Go, captain [To an Officer,] and deliver to

the army

This news of peace; let them have pay, and part;
I know, it will well please them; Hie thee, captain.
[Exit Officer
Arch. To you, my noble lord of Westmoreland.
West. I pledge your grace: And, if you knew
what pains

I have bestow'd to breed this present peace,
You would drink freely: but my love to you
Shall show itself more openly hereafter.
Arch. I do not doubt you.

West.
I am glad of it.--
Health to my lord, and gentle cousin, Mowbray.
Mowb. You wish me health in very happy season;
For I am, on the sudden, something ill.

Arch Against ill chances, men are ever merry;
But heaviness foreruns the good event.

West. Therefore be merry, coz: since sudden`

sorrow

Serves to say thus,-Some good thing, comes to

morrow.

Arch. Believe me, I am passing light in spirit. Mowb. So much the worse, if your own rule be [Shouts within.

true.

P. John. The word of peace is render'd; Hark,
how they shout!"

Mowb. This had been cheerful, after victory.
Arch. A peace is of the nature of a conquest;
For then both parties nobly are subdued,
And neither party loser.

P. John.
Go, my lord,
And let our army be discharged too.-
[Exit WESTMORELAND

The which hath been with scorn shov'd from the And, good my lord, so please you, let our trains

court,

Whereon this Hydra son of war is born:

Whose dangerous eyes may well be charm'd
asleep,

With grant of our most just and right desires:
And true obedience of this madness cur'd,
Stoop tamely to the foot of majesty.

1 Holinshed says of the Archbishop, that, coming foorth amongst them clad in armour, he encouraged and pricked them foorth to take the enterprize in hand.' 2 This expression has been adopted by Milton :Around him all the sanctities of heaven

Stood thick as stars.'

8 Dull workings are labours of thought.

4 Raised up in arms.

7 Succession. 9 It was Westmoreland who made this deceitful propo sal, as appears from Holinshed: The earl of Westmoreland, using more policie than the rest, said, whereas our people have been long in armour, let them depart home to their woonted trades: In the mean time let us drink togither in signe of agreement, that the people

5 Common sense is the general sense of general on both sides may see it, and know that it is true, that

danger.

we be light at a point.'

Re-enter WESTMORELAND.

Now, cousin, wherefore stands our army still?
West. The leaders, having charge from you to
stand,

Will not go off until they hear you speak.
P. John. They know their duties."

Re-enter HASTINGS.

Now, Falstaff, where have you been all this while?
When every thing is ended, then you come :
These tardy tricks of yours will, on my life,
One time or other break some gallows' back.

Fal. I would be sorry, my lord, but it should be thus; I never knew yet, but rebuke and check was the reward of valour. Do you think me a swallow, an arrow, or a bullet? have I, in my poor and old motion, the expedition of thought? I have speeded hither with the very extremest inch of possibility; I have foundered nine score and odd posts: and here, travel-tainted as I am, have, in my pure and immaculate valour, taken Sir John Colevile of the dale, a most furious knight, and valorous enemy: But what of that? he saw me, and yielded; that I Mow-may justly say with the hook-nosed fellow of Rome,' I came, saw, and overcame.

Hast. My lord, our army is dispers'd already: Like youthful steers unyok'd, they take their courses East, west, north, south; or, like a school broke up, Each hurries toward his home, and sporting-place. West. Good tidings, my Lord Hastings; for the which

I do arrest thee, traitor, of high treason:-
And you, lord archbishop,-and you, Lord
bray,

Of capital treason I attach you both.
Mowb. Is this proceeding just and honourable?
West. Is your assembly so?

Arch. Will you thus break your faith?
P. John.
I pawn'd thee none
I promis'd you redress of these same grievances,
Whereof you did complain; which, by mine honour,
I will perform with a most christian care.
But, for you, rebels,-look to taste the due
Meet for rebellion, and such acts as yours.
Most shallowly did you these arms commence,
Fondly brought here, and foolishly sent hence.-
Strike up our drums, pursue the scatter'd stray;
Heaven, and not we, have safely fought to-day.
Some guard these traitors to the block of death;
Treason's true bed, and yielder up of breath.

[Exeunt.2 SCENE III. Another Part of the Forest. Alarums: Excursions. Enter FALSTAFF and COLEVILE,

meeting.

Fal. Well then, Colevile is your name; a knight is your degree; and your place, the dale: Colevile shall still be your name; a traitor your degree; and the dungeon your place,-a place deep enough: so shall you still be Colevile of the dale.'

Cole. Are not you Sir John Falstaf."?

P. John. It was more of his courtesy than your deserving.

Fal. I know not; here he is, and here I yield him: and I beseech your grace, let it be booked with the rest of this day's deeds; or, by the Lord, I will have it in a particular ballad else, with mine own picture on the top of it, Coleville kissing my foot: To the which course, if I be enforced, if you do not all show like gilt two-pences to me; and I, in the clear sky of fame, o'ershine you as much as the full moon doth the cinders of the element,* which show like pins' heads to her; believe not the word of the noble : Therefore let me have right, and let desert mount.

P. John. Thine's too heavy to mount.
Fal. Let it shine then.

P. John. Thine's too thick to shine.
Fal. Let it do something, my good lord, that may
do me good, and cali it what you will.
P. John. Is thy name Colevile ?>

Cole.

It is, my lord.
P. John. A famous rebel art thou, Colevile.
Fal. And a famous true subject took him.

Cole. I am, my lord, but as my betters are,
That led me hither: had they been rul'd by me,
You should have won them dearer than you have.

thou, like a kind fellow, gavest thyself away; and Fal. I know not how they sold themselves: but thank thee for thee.

I

Re-enter WESTMORELAND.

Fal. As good a man as he, sir, whoe'er I am.
Do ye yield, sir? or shall I sweat for you? If I do
sweat, they are drops of thy lovers, and they weep
for thy death: therefore rouse up fear and trem-To York, to present execution :-

P. John. Now, have you left pursuit ?
West. Retreat is made, and execution stay'd
P. John. Send Colevile, with his confederates,

bling, and do observance to my mercy.

Cole. I think, you are Sir John Falstaff; and in that thought, yield me.

Fal. I have a whole school of tongues in this belly of mine; and not a tongue of them all speaks any other word but my name. An I had but a belly of any indifferency, I were simply the most active follow in Europe: My womb, my womb, my womb undoes me.-Here comes our general.

Blunt, lead him hence; and see you guard him sure.

I

[Exeunt some with COLEVILE. hear, the king my father is sore sick : And now despatch we toward the court, my lords; Our news shall go before us to his majesty,Which, cousin, you shall bear,-to comfort him; And we with sober speed will follow you.

Fal. My lord, I beseech you, give me leave to go through Glostershire: and, when you come to Enter PRINCE JOHN of Lancaster, WESTMORE-Court, stand my good lord,' 'pray, in your good LAND, and others.

P. John. The heat is past, follow no further now;Call in the powers, good cousin Westmoreland.[Exit WEST.

I i. e.

foolishly.

report.

6 At the king's coming to Durham the Lord Hast. ings, Sir John Colevile of the dale, &c. being convicted of the conspiracy, were there beheaded.'-Holinshed, p. 530. It is to be observed that there are two accounts of the termination of the archbishop of York's conspira cy, both of which are given by Holinshed. He states 2 It cannot but raise some indignation to find this that on the archbishop and earl marshal submitting to horrid violation of faith passed over thus slightly by the the king and to his son Prince John, there present, poet without any note of censure or detestation.'-John-their troopes skaled and fledde their wayes; but being That Shakspeare followed the historians is no pursued, many were taken, many slain, &c.; the archexcuse; for it is the duty of a poet always to take the bishop and earl marshall were brought to Pomfret to the side of virtue.-I had some doubt whether I should re-king, who from thence went to Yorke, whyther the pri tain this reflection upon the poetical justice of Shaks-soners were also brought, and there beheaded. It is peare; but I have been determined to do so by the hope this last account that Shakspeare has followed, but with that it may lead to the discussion of the passage. I would some variation; for the names of Colevile and Hastings not willingly believe that the poet approved this abomi- are not mentioned among those who were beheaded at nable picce of treachery York.

son.

3 Cæsar. 5 It appears Colevile was designed to be pronounced as a riable; it is often spelt Colleville in the old copies

4 A ludicrous term for the stars.

7 Johnson was so much unacquainted with ancient phraseology as to make difficolties about this phrase, which is one of the most common petitionary forms of our ancestors. Stand my good lord or be my good

P. John. Fare you well, Falstaff: I, in my con- | And draw no swords but what are sanctified. dition,'

Our navy is address'd," our power collected,
Our substitutes in absence well invested,
And every thing hes level to our wish:
Only, we want a little personal strength;
And pause us, till those rebels, now afoot,
Come underneath the yoke of government.
War. Both which, we doubt not but your ma-
jesty

K. Hen.

Humphrey, my son of Gloster,
Where is the prince your brother?
P. Humph. I think, he's gone to hunt, my lord,
at Windsor.

K. Hen. And how accompanied?
P. Humph.

do not know, my lord. K. Hen. Is not his brother, Thomas of Clarence, with him?

P. Humph. No, my good lord; he is in presence here.

Cla. What would my lord and father?

K. Hen. Nothing but well to thee, Thomas of
Clarence.

Shall better speak of you than you deserve. [Exit. Fal. I would you had but the wit; 'twere better than your dukedom.-Good faith, this same young sober-blooded boy doth not love me: nor a man cannot make him laugh ;—but that's no marvel, he drinks no wine. There's never any of these demure boys come to any proof: for thin drink doth so over-cool their blood, and making many fish-Shall soon enjoy. meals, that they fall into a kind of male green-sickness; and then, when they marry, they get wenches: they are generally fools and cowards;-which some of us should be too, but for inflammation. A good sherris sack hath a two-fold operation in it. It ascends me into the brain; dries me there all the foolish and dull, and crudy vapours which environ it makes it apprehensive, quick, forgetive,3 full of nimble, fiery, and delectable shapes; which delivered o'er to the voice (the tongue,) which is the birth, becomes excellent wit. The second property of your excellent sherris is,-the warming of the blood; which, before cold and settled, left the liver white and pale, which is the badge of pusillanimity How chance, thou art not with the prince thy broand cowardice: but the sherris warms it, and makes ther? it course from the inwards to the parts extreme. It He loves thee, and thou dost neglect him, Thomas; lumineth the face: which, as a beacon, gives Thou hast a better place in his affection, warning to all the rest of this little kingdom, man, to Than all thy brothers: cherish it, my boy; arm and then the vital commoners, and inland And noble offices thou may'st effect petty spirits, muster me all to their captain, the Of mediation, after I am dead, heart; who, great, and puffed up with this retinue, Between his greatness and thy other brethren :doth any deed of courage; and this valour comes Therefore, omit him not: blunt not his love: of sherris: So that skill in the weapon is nothing, Nor lose the good advantage of his grace, without sack; for that sets it a-work; and learning, By seeming cold or careless of his will. a mere hoard of gold kept by a devil; till sack For he is gracious, if he be observ'd ; commences it,' and sets it in act and use. Hereof He hath a tear for pity, and a hand comes it, that Prince Harry is valiant: for the cold Open as day for melting charity: blood he did naturally inherit of his father, he hath, like lean, steril, and bare land, manured, husbanded, and tilled, with excellent endeavour of drinking good, and good store of fertile sherris; that he is Become very hot, and valiant. If I had a thousand sons, the first human principle I would teach them, should be,--to forswear thin potations, and addict themselves to sack.

Enter BARDolph.

How now, Bardolph?

Bard. The army is discharged all, and gone. Fal. Let them go. I'll through Glostershire; and there will I visit master Robert Shallow, esquire: I have him already tempering between my finger and my thumb, and shortly will I seal with him. Come away. [Exeunt. SCENE IV. Westminster. A Room in the Palace. Enter KING HENRY, CLARENCE, PRINCE HUMPHREY, WARWICK, and others.

K. Hen. Now, lords, if heaven doth give suc-
cessful end

To this debate that bleedeth at our doors,
We will our youth lead on to higher fields,

Lord, means stand my friend, be my patron or bene-
factor, report well of me.

1 Condition is most frequently used by Shakspeare for nature, disposition. The prince may therefore mean, I shall in my good nature speak better of you than you deserve.'

2 Vide note on King Henry IV. Part 1. Act. i. Sc. ii. 3 Inventive, imaginative.

4 It was anciently supposed that all the mines of gold, &c. were guarded by evil spirits. See the Secret Wonders of Nature and Art, by Edw. Fenton, 1569, p. 91.

5 Commences it, that is brings it into action. Tyrwhitt thinks it is probable that there is an allusion to the commencement and act of the universities, which give w students a complete authority to use those hoards of learning which have entitled them to their degrees. As the dictionaries of the poet's time explain this matter, the conjecture seems probable.

6 A pleasant allusion to the old use of soft war for sealing.

7 Ready, prepared.

To-morrow for our march are we address'd.
King Henry V.

Yet, notwithstanding, being incens'd, he's flint,
As humorous as winter, and as sudden
As flaws congealed in the spring of day, 10
His temper, therefore, must be well observ'd:
Chide him for faults, and do it reverently,
When you perceive his blood inclin'd to mirth:
But, being moody, give him line and scope;
Till that his passions, like a whale on ground,
Confound themselves with working. Learn this,
Thomas,

And thou shalt prove a shelter to thy friends;
A hoop of gold, to bind thy brothers in;
That the united vessel of their blood,
Mingled with venom of suggestion,"
(As, force perforce, the age will pour it in,)
Shall never leak, though it do work as strong
As aconitum,12 or rash gunpowder.

Cla. I shall observe him with all care and
love.

K. Hen. Why art thou not at Windsor with him,
Thomas?

Cla. He is not there to-day; he dines in London.
K. Hen. And how accompanied? canst thou tell

that?

Cla. With Poins, and other his continual followers.

Si. e. if he has respectful attention shown him
9 His qualities were beauteous as his form,
For maiden-tongu'd he was, and therefore free,
Yet if men mov'd him, was he such a storm
As oft 'twixt May and April is to see,
When winds breathe sweet, unruly though they be.'
Shakspeare's Lover's Complaint.
Humorous was used for capricious, as humoursome
now is.

10 A flaw is a sudden gust of violent wind; alluding to the opinion of some philosophers, that the vapours oeing congealed in the air by cold (which is the most intense in the morning,) and being afterwards rarefied and let loose by the warmth of the sun, occasion those sudden and impetuous gusts of wind which are called flaws. Shakspeare uses the word again in King Henry VI. and in his Venus and Adonis.

11 Though their blood be inflamed by the temptations to which youth is peculiarly subject.

12 Aconitum, or aconite, wolfs-bane, a poisonous berb Rush is sudden, hasty, violent.