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Of dainty and such picking' grievances:
For he hath found,-to end one doubt by death,
Revives two greater in the heirs of life.
And therefore will he wipe his tables2 clean ;
And keep no tell-tale to his memory,
That may repeat and history his loss

To new remembrance: For full well he knows,
He cannot so precisely weed this land,
As his misdoubts present occasion:
His foes are so enrooted with his friends,
That, plucking to unfix an enemy,
He doth unfasten so, and shake a friend.
So that this land, like an offensive wife,
That hath enrag'd him on to offer strokes ;
As he is striking, holds his infant up,
And hangs resolv'd correction in the arm
That was uprear'd to execution.

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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;

Hast. Besides, the king hath wasted all his rods And true obedience of this madness cur'd,

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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 set forward.

Arch. Before, and greet his grace:-my lord,

we come.

[Exeunt.

Stoop tamely to the foot of majesty.

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
directly,

How far forth you do 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; And some about him have too lavishly Wrested his meaning, and authority.SCENE II-Another part of the forest. Enter My lord, these griefs shall be with speed redress'd, from one side, Mowbray, the Archbishop, Hast- Upon my soul, they shall. If this may please you, ings, and others; from the other side, Prince Discharge your powers unto their several counJohn of Lancaster, Westmoreland, officers, and attendants.

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

tics,

As we will ours: and here, between the armies,
my That all their eyes may bear those tokens home,
Let's drink together friendly, and embrace;
Of our restored love, and amity.

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,3
Cheering a rout of rebels with your drum,
Turning the word to sword, and life to death.
That inan, 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,

(1) Piddling, insignificant.
(2) Book for memorandums.
(3) Clad in armour.

Arch. I take your princely word for these redresses.

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, cap[Exit Officer.

tain.

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 sea

son;

For I am, on the sudden, something ill.
Arch. Against ill chances, men are ever merry;
But heaviness foreruns the good event.

(5) Raised in arms.

(4) Labours of thought. (7) Approve.

(6) Succession.
(8) Forces.

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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 Mowbray,
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, hath safely fought to-day.-
Some guard these traitors to the block of death;
Treason's true bed, and yielder up of breath.

[Exeunt. SCENE III-Another part of the Forest.— Alarums. Excursions. Enter Falstaff and Colevile, meeting.

Fal. What's your name, sir? of what condition are you; and of what place, I pray?

Cole. Are not you sir John Falstaff? Fal. As good a man as he, sir, whoc'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 trembling, 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 1 had but a belly of any indifferency, I were simply the most active fellow in Europe: My womb, my womb, my womb, undoes me.-Here comes our general. Enter Prince John of Lancaster, Westmoreland, and others.

now;

P. John. The heat is past, follow no further Call in the powers, good cousin Westmoreland.[Exit West. 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 know 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 may justly say with the hook-nosed fellow of Rome,-I came, saw, and overcame.

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 miné own picture on the top of it, Colevile 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 inount.

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 call 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 ruled by me,
You should have won them dearer than you have.
Fal. I know not how they sold themselves: but

Cole. I am a knight, sir; and my name is-thou, like a kind fellow, gavest thyself away; and Colevile of the dale.

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I thank thee for thee.

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430

SECOND PART OF KING HENRY IV.

To York, to present execution:-
Blunt, lead him hence; and see you guard him sure.
[Exeunt some with Colevile.

And now despatch we toward the court, my
lords;

I hear, the king my father is sore sick :
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 court, stand my good lord,' pray, in your good report.

P. John. Fare you well, Falstaff: I in my condition,2

a

SCENE IV.-Westminster.

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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,
And draw no swords but what are sanctified.
Our navy is address'd, our power collected,
Our substitutes in absence well invested,
And every thing lies level to our wish:
Only, we want a little personal strength;
And pause us, till these rebels, now afoot,
Come underneath the yoke of government.
War. Both which, we doubt not but your
majesty

Shall soon enjoy.

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.

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

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 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 fishmeals, 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 enveron it: makes it apprehensive, quick, forgetive, full of nimble, fiery, and delectable shapes; which delivered o'er to the voice, (the tongue,) which is He loves thee, and thou dost neglect him, Thomas; the birth, becomes excellent wit. The second pro- Thou hast a better place in his affection, perty of your excellent sherris is, the warming of Than all thy brothers: cherish it, my boy;

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.

How chance, thou art not with the prince thy

brother?

the blood; which, before cold and settled, left the And noble oilices thou may'st effect

liver white and pale, which is the badge of pusilla- Of mediation, after I am dead,

nimity and cowardice: but the sherris warms it, Between his greatness and thy other brethren:and makes it course from the inwards to the parts Therefore, omit him not; blunt not his love: extreme. It illumineth the face; which, as a bea- Nor lose the good advantage of his grace, con, gives warning to all the rest of this little king- By seeming cold, or careless of his will. dom, man, to arm; and then the vital commoners, For he is gracious, if he be observ’d;" and inland petty spirits, muster me all to their cap- He hath a tear for pity, and a hand tain, the heart; who, great, and puffed up with Open as day for melting charity:

this retinue, doth any deed of courage; and this Yet notwithstanding, being incens'd, he's flint; valour comes of sherris: So that skill in the wea-As humorous as winter, and as sudden pon is nothing, without sack; for that sets it a-As flaws congealed in the spring of day. work and learning, a mere hoard of gold kept by His temper, therefore, must be well observ'd: a devil; till sack commences it, and sets it in act Chide him for faults, and do it reverently, and use. Hereof comes it, that prince Harry is When you perceive his blood inclin'd to mirth : valiant: for the cold blood he did naturally inherit But, being moody, give him line and scope; of his father, he hath, like lean, steril, and bare Till that his passions, like a whale on ground, land, manured, husbanded, and tilled, with excel-Confound themselves with working. Learn this, lent endeavour of drinking good, and good store of

Thomas,

fertile sherris, that he is become very hot, and va-And thou shalt prove a shelter to thy friends; liant. If I had a thousand sons, the first human A hoop of gold, to bind thy brothers in; principle I would teach them, should be,-to for- That the united vessels of their blood, swear thin potations, and addict themselves to Mingled with venom of suggestion,

sack.

Enter Bardolph.

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(As, force perforce, the age will pour it in,)
Shall never leak, though it do work as strong
As aconitum, 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.

K. Hen. Most subject is the fattest soil to weeds;

(6) Ready, prepared.

(7) Has an attention shown him.
(8) Wolf's-bane, a poisonous herb,

And he, the noble image of my youth,

14 overspread with them: Therefore my grief
Stretches itself beyond the hour of death;
The blood weeps from my heart, when I do shape,
In forms imaginary, the unguided days,
And rotten times, that you shall look upon
When I am sleeping with my ancestors.
For when his headstrong riot hath no curb,
When rage and hot blood are his counsellors,
When means and lavish manners meet together,
O, with what wings shall his affections fly
Towards fronting peril and oppos'd decay!

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Are with his highness very ordinary.

Stand from him, give him air; he'll straight be well.
Cla. No, no; he cannot long hold out these pangs;
The incessant care and labour of his mind
Hath wrought the mure, that should confine it in,
So thin, that life looks through, and will break out.
P. Humph. The people fear me; for they do
observe

War. My gracious lord, you look beyond him Unfather'd heirs, and loathly birds of nature:

quite:

The prince but studies his companions,
Like a strange tongue: wherein, to gain the lan-

guage,

'Tis needful, that the most immodest word

Be look'd upon, and learn'd: which once attain'd,
Your highness knows, comes to no further use,
But to be known, and hated. So, like gross terms,
The prince will, in the perfectness of time,
Cast off his followers: and their memory
Shall, as a pattern or a measure, live,

By which his grace must mete the lives of others;
Turning past evils to advantages.

K. Hen. 'Tis seldom, when the bee doth leave

her comb

In the dead carrion.-Who's here? Westmoreland?

Enter Westmoreland.

The seasons change their manners, as the years
Had found some months asleep, and leap'd them

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K. Hen. I pray you, take me up, and bear me hence,

Into some other chamber: softly, 'pray.

[They convey the king into an inner part of the room, and place him on a bed. Let there be no noise made, my gentle friends; Unless some dull' and favourable hand

West. Health to my sovereign! and new happi-Will whisper music to my weary spirit.

ness

Added to that that I am to deliver!

Prince John, your son, doth kiss your grace's hand:
Mowbray, the bishop Scroop, Hastings, and all,
Are brought to the correction of your law;
There is not now a rebel's sword unsheath'd,
But peace puts forth her olive every where.
The manner how this action hath been borne,
Here at more leisure may your highness read;
With every course, in his particular.'

K. Hen. O Westmoreland, thou art a summer
bird,

Which ever in the haunch of winter sings
The lifting up of day. Look! here's more news.

Enter Harcourt.

Har. From enemies heaven keep your majesty;
And, when they stand against you, may they fall
As those that I am come to tell you of!
The earl Northumberland, and the lord Bardolph,
With a great power of English, and of Scots,
Are by the sheriff of Yorkshire overthrown:
The manner and true order of the fight,
This packet, please it you, contains at large.

K. Hen. And wherefore should these good news
make me sick?

Will Fortune never come with both hands full,
But write her fair words still in foulest letters?
She either gives a stomach, and no food,-
Such are the poor, in health; or else a feast,
And takes away the stomach,-such are the rich,
That have abundance, and enjoy it not.
I should rejoice now at this happy news;
And now my sight fails, and my brain is giddy
O me! come near me, now I am much ill.

War. Call for the music into the other room.
K. Hen. Set me the crown upon my pillow here.
Cla. His eye is hollow, and he changes much.
War. Less noise, less noise.

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none abroad!

How doth the king?

P. Humph. Exceeding ill.

P. Hen.

Tell it him.

Heard he the good news yet?

P. Humph. He alter'd much upon the hearing it.
P. Hen. If he be sick

With joy, he will recover without physic.
War. Not so much noise, my lords:-sweet
prince, speak low;

The king your father is dispos'd to sleep.
Cla. Let us withdraw into the other room.
Wor. Will't please your grace to go along with
us?

P. Hen. No; I will sit and watch here by the
king.
[Exeunt all but P. Henry.
Why doth the crown lie there upon his pillow,
Being so troublesome a bedfellow?
O polish'd perturbation! golden care!
That keep'st the ports of slumber open wide
To many a watchful night-sleep with it now!
Yet not so sound, and half so deeply sweet,
As he, whose brow, with homely biggin' bound,
Snores out the watch of night. O majesty!
:-When thou dost pinch thy bearer, thou dost sit
Like a rich armour worn in heat of day,
That scalds with safety. By his gates of breath
There lies a downy feather, which stirs not:
Did he suspire, that light and weightless down

[Swoons. my royal father!

P. Humph. Comfort, your majesty!
Cla.

(1) The detail contained in prince John's letter.
(2) Worked the wall. (3) Make me afraid.
Monsters,
(5) As if the year,

(6) An historical fact, on October 12, 1411,
(7) Melancholy, soothing.
(8) Gates,
(9) Cap,

432

Perforce must move.—My gracious lord! my fa-With gentle eye-drops. He is coming hither. K. Hen. But wherefore did he take away the crown?

ther!

This sleep is sound indeed; this is a sleep,
That from this golden rigol' hath divore'd'
So many English kings. Thy due, from me,
Is tears, and heavy sorrows of the blood;
Which nature, love, and filial tenderness,
Shall, O dear father, pay thee plenteously:
My due, from thee, is this imperial crown;
Which, as immediate from thy place and blood,
Derives itself to me. Lo, here it sits,-
[Putting it on his head.
Which heaven shall guard: And put the world's
whole strength

Into one giant arm, it shall not force

This lineal honour from me: This from thee
Will I to mine leave, as 'tis left to me.
K. Hen. Warwick! Gloster! Clarence!

Re-enter Warwick, and the rest.

[Exit.

Doth the king call?
Cla.
War. What would your majesty? How fares
your grace?

K. Hen. Why did you leave me here alone, my
lords?

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Cla. We left the prince my brother here, my liege,
Who undertook to sit and watch by you.
K. Hen. The prince of Wales? Where is he?
let me see him:

He is not here.

War. This door is open; he is gone this way. P. Humph. He came not through the chamber where we stay'd.

K. Hen. Where is the crown? who took it from my pillow?

War. When we withdrew, my liege, we left it here.

K. Hen. The prince hath ta'en it hence :-go,
seck him out.

Is he so hasty, that he doth suppose
My sleep my death ?--

Find him, my lord of Warwick; chide him hither.
[Exit Warwick.
This part of his conjoins with my disease,
And helps to end nie.-Sec, sons, what things you
are!

How quickly nature falls into revolt,
When gold becomes her object!

For this the foolish over-careful fathers

I

Re-enter Prince Henry.

Lo, where he comes.-Come hither to me, Harry:-
Depart the chamber, leave us here alone.

[Exe. Clarence, Prince Humphrey, Lords, &c. P. Hen. I never thought to hear you speak again. K. Hen. Thy wish was father, Harry, to that thought:

stay too long by thee, I weary thee.
Dost thou so hunger for my empty chair,

That thou wilt needs invest thee with mine honours
Before thy hour be ripe? O foolish youth!
Thou seek'st the greatness that will overwhelm thee.
Stay but a little; for my cloud of dignity
Is held from falling with so weak a wind,
That it will quickly drop: my day is dim.
Thou hast stol'n that, which, after some few hours,
Were thine without offence; and, at my death,
Thou hast seal'd up my expectation:
Thy life did manifest, thou lov'dst me not,
And thou wilt have me die assured of it.
Thou hid'st a thousand daggers in thy thoughts;
Which thou hast whetted on thy stony heart,
To stab at half an hour of my life.
What! canst thou not forbear me half an hour?
Then get thee gone; and dig my grave thyself;
And bid the merry bells ring to thine ear,
That thou art crowned, not that I am dead.
Let all the tears that should bedew my hearse,
Be drops of baim, to sanctify thy head:
Only compound me with forgotten dust;
Give that, which gave thee life, unto the worms.
Pluck down my officers, break my decrees;
For now a time is come to mock at form,
Harry the Fifth is crown'd:-Up, vanity!
Down, royal state! all you sage counsellors, hence!
And to the Enlish court assemble now,
Froin every region, apes of idleness!
Now, neighbour confines, purge you of your scum:
Have you a ruffian, that will swear, drink, dance,
Revel the night; rob, murder, and commit
The oldest sins the newest kind of ways?
Be happy, he will trouble you no more:
England sha', double gild his treble guilt;
England shail give him office, honour, might:
For the fifth Harry from curb'd license plucks

Have broke their sleep with thoughts their brains The muzzle of restraint, and the wild dog

with care,

Their bones with industry;

For this they have engrossed and pil'd up,
The canker'd heaps of strange-achieved gold;
For this they have been thoughtful to invest
Their sons with arts, and martial exercises:
When, like the bee, tolling from every flower
The virtuous sweets;

Our thighs pack'd with wax, our mouths with honey,
We bring it to the hive; and, like the bees,
Are murder'd for our pains. This bitter taste
Yield his engrossments to the ending father.-
Re-enter Warwick.

Now, where is he that will not stay so long
Till his friend sickness hath determin'd' me?
War. My lord, I found the prince in the

room,

next

Washing with kindly tears his gentle checks;
With such a deep demeanour in great sorrow,
That tyranny, which never quaff'd but blood,"
Would, by beholding him, have wash'd his knife

(1) Circle, (2) Taking toll, (5) Accumulations,

Shall flesh his tooth in every innocent.

O my poor kingdom, sick with civil blows!
When that my care could not withhold thy riots,
What wilt thou do, when riot is thy care?
O, thou wilt be a wilderness again,
Peopled with wolves, thy old inhabitants!
P. Hen. O, pardon me, my liege! but for my
[Kneeling.
tears,

The moist impediments unto my speech,
I had forestall'd this dear and deep rebuke,
Ere you with grief had spoke, and I had heard
The course of it so far. There is your crown;
And He that wears the crown immortally,
Long guard it yours! If I affect it more,
Than as your honour, and as your renown,
Let me no more from this obedience rise,
(Which my most true and inward-duteous spirit
Teacheth,) this prostrate and exterior bending!
Heaven witness with me, when I here came in,
And found no course of breath within your majesty,
How cold it struck my heart! if I do feign,
O, let me in my present wildness die;

(4) Ended,

(5) Confirmed my opinion,

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