And then it was, when the unhappy king (Whose wrongs in us God pardon !) did set forth Upon his Irish expedition; From whence he, intercepted, did return To be depos'd, and shortly murthered. Wor. And for whose death, we in the world's wide mouth Live scandaliz'd, and foully spoken of. Hot. But, soft, I pray you; Did king Richard then Proclaim my brother Mortimer Heir to the crown? North. He did; myself did hear it. Hot. Nay, then I cannot blame his cousin king, To show the line and the predicament And let them grapple ;-the blood more stirs North. Imagination of some great exploit Hot. By heaven, methinks, it were an easy leap Where fathom-line could never touch the ground, But out upon this half-fac'd fellowship! Wor. He apprehends a world of figures here, But not the form of what he should attend.Good cousin, give me audience for a while, And list to me. He said he would not ransom Mortimer; And in his ear I'll holla-Mortimer! Nay, I'll have a starling shall be taught to speak To keep his anger still in motion. Wor. Hear you, cousin ; a word. Hot. All studies here I solemnly defy, Save how to gall and pinch this Bolingbroke: And that same sword-and-buckler prince of Wales, But that I think his father loves him not, And would be glad he met with some mischance, I'd have him poison'd with a pot of ale. Wor. Farewell, kinsman ! I will talk to you, When you are better temper'd to attend. North. Why, what a wasp-tongued and impatient fool Art thou, to break into this woman's mood; Tying thine ear to no tongue but thine own! Hot. Why, look you, I am whipp'd and scourg'd with rods, Nettled, and stung with pismires, when I hear Of this vile politician, Bolingbroke. In Richard's time,-What d' ye call the place →→→→ A plague upon 't-it is in Gloucestershire ;— "T was where the madcap duke his uncle kept; Hot. You say true : Why, what a candy deal of courtesy This fawning greyhound then did proffer me ! Wor. Nay, if you have not, to 't again Wor. Then once more to your Scottish prisoners. For powers in Scotland; which, for divers reasons, Hot. Of York, is 't not? True; who bears hard His brother's death at Bristol, the lord Scroop. As what I think might be, but what I know Is ruminated, plotted, and set down; And only stays but to behold the face Upon my life it will do wond'rous well. North. Before the game's a-foot thou still lett'st slip. And then the power of Scotland and of York,— To join with Mortimer, ha? Wor. For, bear ourselves as even as we can, Hot. He does, he does; we'll be reveng'd on him Than I by letters shall direct your course, iTo North When time is ripe, which will be suddenly. To bear our fortunes in our own strong arms, Which now we hold at much uncertainty. North. Farewell, good brother; we shall thrive, I trust. [Exeunt. 124. THE BATTLE OF SHREWSBURY. SHAKSPERE. ["King Henry," says Holinshed, "advertised of the proceedings of the Percies, forthwith gathered about him such power as he might make, and passed forward with such speed that he was in sight of his enemies lying in camp near to Shrewsbury before they were in doubt of any such thing." The Percies, according to the Chronicler, sent to the king the celebrated manifesto which is contained in Hardyng's Chronicle. The interview of Worcester with the king, and its result, are thus described by Holinshed: "It was reported for a truth that now when the king had condescended unto all that was reasonable at his hands to be required, and seemed to humble himself more than was meet for his estate, the Earl of Worcester, upon his return to his nephew, made reation clean contrary to that the king had said: " In the Chroniclers, Hotspur exhorts the troops; Shakspere clothes the exhortation with his own poetical spirit. 66 Now, Esperancé!-Percy!-and set on," is found in the Chroniclers :-"The adversaries cried Esperance Percy." The danger of the king, and the circumstance of others being caparisoned like him, are also mentioned by Holinshed. The prowess of Prince Henry in this his first great battle is thus described by Holinshed: "The Prince that day holp his father like a lusty young gentleman, for although he was hurt in the face with an arrow, so that divers noble men that were about him would have conveyed him forth of the field, yet he would in no wise suffer them so to do, lest his departure from his men might haply have stricken some fear into their hearts; and so, without regard of his hurt, he continued with his men, and never ceased, either to fight where the battle was most hottest, or to encourage his men where it seemed most need." The personal triumph of Henry over Hotspur is a dramatic creation, perfectly warranted by the obscurity in which the Chroniclers leave the matter.] SCENE.-King Henry, Prince Henry, Prince John of Lancaster, Sir Walter Blunt, and Sir John Falstaff. K. Hen. How bloodily the sun begins to peer Above yon busky hill! the day looks pale At his distemperature. That you and I should meet upon such termis Of broached mischief to the unborn times ? For mine own part I could be well content To entertain the lag end of my life With quiet hours; for, I do protest, I have not sought the day of this dislike. K. Hen. You have not sought it! how comes it then ? Fal. Rebellion lay in his way, and he found it. P. Hen. Peace, chewet, peace. Wor. It pleas'd your majesty to turn your looks Of favour from myself, and all our house ; In Richard's time; and posted day and night It was myself, my brother, and his son, |