SCENE III. York. A room in the Archbishop's palace. Enter ARCHBISHOP OF YORK, THE LORDS HASTINGS, MOWBRAY, and BARDOLPH. Arch. Thus have you heard our cause, and known our means; And, my most noble friends, I pray you all, Mow. I well allow the occasion of our arms; Has. Our present musters grow upon the file Bar. The question then, lord Hastings, standeth Whether our present five and twenty thousand Bar. Ay, marry, there's the point. But if without him we be thought too feeble, Till we had his assistance by the hand: For, in a theme so bloody-faced as this, Conjecture, expectation, and surmise Of aids uncertain should not be admitted. Arch. 'Tis very true, lord Bardolph; for, indeed, It was young Hotspur's case at Shrewsbury. Bar. It was, my lord; who lined himself with hope, Eating the air on promise of supply, Flattering himself with project of a power Much smaller than the smallest of his thoughts; And so, with great imagination, Proper to madmen, led his powers to death, Has. But, by your leave, it never yet did hurt, We see the appearing buds; which, to prove fruit, Hope gives not so much warrant, as despair, That frosts will bite them. When we mean to build, We first survey the plot, then draw the model; And when we see the figure of the house, Then must we rate the cost of the erection ; What do we then, but draw anew the model To build at all? Much more, in this great work, (Which is almost to pluck a kingdom down, And set another up) should we survey The plot of situation, and the model; Consent upon a sure foundation; Question surveyors; know our own estate, To weigh against his opposite; or else, Like one, that draws the model of a house Beyond his power to build it; who, half through, A naked subject to the weeping clouds, Has. Grant, that our hopes (yet likely of fai. birth) Should be still-born, and that we now possess'd I think, we are a body strong enough, Even as we are, to equal with the king. Bar. What! is the king but five and twent thousand? Has. To us, no more; nay, not so much, lora Bardolph: For his divisions, as the times do brawl, Are in three heads; one power against the French, And one against Glendower; perforce, a third Must take up us. So is the unfirm king In three divided; and his coffers sound With hollow poverty and emptiness. Arch. That he should draw his several strengths together, And come against us in full puissance, Need not be dreaded. He leaves his back unarm'd, the French and Welsh Baying him at the heels: never fear that. Bar. Who, is it like, should lead his forces hither? Has. The duke of Lancaster and Westmoreland; Against the Welsh, himself and Harry Monmouth : But who is substituted 'gainst the French, I have no certain notice. And publish the occasion of our arms. The commonwealth is sick of their own choice; An habitation giddy and unsure Hath he, that buildeth on the vulgar heart. O thou fond many!1 with what loud applause times? They that, when Richard lived, would have him die Are now become enamor'd on his grave: Foolish multitude. Thou, that threw'st dust upon his goodly head, When through proud London he came sighing on After the admired heels of Bolingbroke, Criest now, 'O earth, yield us that king again, And take thou this!' O thoughts of men accursed! Past, and to come, seem best; things present, worst. Mow. Shall we go draw our numbers, and set on ? Has. We are Time's subjects, and Time bids be gone. ACT II. [Exeunt. SCENE I. London. A street. Enter HOSTESS; FANG and his Boy with her, and SNARE following. Host. Master Fang, have you entered the action? Fang. It is entered. Host. Where is your yeoman? Is it a lusty yeoman? will a' stand to 't? Fang. Sirrah, where 's Snare? Host. O lord, ay; good master Snare. Snare. Here, here. A bailiff's follower, in our author's time, was called a yeoman. |