and nobody sees me: therefore, sirrah, [Stabbing him.] with a new wound in you, come you along with me. [He takes HOTSPUR on his back. Re-enter PRINCE HENRY and PRINCE JOHN. P. Hen. Come, brother John; full bravely hast thou flesh'd Thy maiden sword. P. John. But soft! whom have we here? Did you not tell me this fat man was dead? P. Hen. I did; I saw him dead, breathless, and bleeding On the ground Art thou alive? or is it fantasy That plays upon our eyesight? I pr'ythee, 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 honor, 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 valor bear the sin upon their own heads. I'll take it upon my death, I gave him this wound: if the man were alive, and would deny it, 'zounds, 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. [Exeunt PRINCE HENRY and PRINCE JOHN. Fal. I'll follow, as they say, for reward. He that rewards me, heaven reward him! If I do grow great, I'll grow less; for I'll reform, and leave sack, and live cleanly, as a nobleman should do. [Exit, bearing off the body. SCENE V.-Another Part of the Field. The trumpets sound. Enter KING HENRY, PRINCE HENRY, PRINCE K. Hen. Thus ever did rebellion find rebuke.- Since not to be avoided it falls on me. K. Hen. Bear Worcester to the death, and Vernon too: Other offenders we will pause on. How goes the field? [Exeunt WORCESTER and VERNON, guarded. P. Hen. The noble Scot, lord Douglas, when he saw K. Hen. With all my heart. P. Hen. Then, brother John of Lancaster, to you This honorable bounty shall belong: Go to the Douglas, and deliver him Up to his pleasure, ransomless, and free: His valor, shown upon our crests to-day, Hath taught us how to cherish such high deeds, Even in the bosom of our adversaries. P. John. I thank your grace for this high courtesy, Which I shall give away immediately. K. Hen. Then this remains,-that we divide our power. You, son John, and my cousin Westmoreland, Towards York shall bend you, with your dearest speed, To meet Northumberland, and the prelate Scroop, Who, as we hear, are busily in arms: Myself and you, son Harry, will towards Wales, [Exeunt. THE HISTORY OF KING HENRY IV. PART II. THE second portion of the History of Henry the Fourth is not considered equal to the opening part: the same fidelity of delineation in the strictly historical subjects is, however, preserved, as in the first part, and in the comic characters we have a rich addition in Justice Shallow, Silence, and their retainers. As a record of historical events, and in its truthful picture of the manners and habits of the times, the whole drama is, however, worthy of careful study by the youthful readers of Shakspeare. The action of this dramatic history takes up about nine years, commencing with the account of Hotspur's defeat and death at Shrewsbury, 1403, and closing with the death of Henry the Fourth, and the coronation of Henry the Fifth, 1412-13. EARL OF SURREY, GOWER HARCOURT, Sir WILLIAM GASCOIGNE, Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench. A Gentleman attending on the Chief Justice. EARL OF NORTHUMBERLAND, SCROOP, Archbishop of York. LORD MOWBRAY, LORD HASTINGS, LORD BARDOLPH, Sir JOHN COLEVILE, Opposites to the KING. TRAVERS and MORTON, Retainers of NORTHUMBERLAND. Sir JOHN FALSTAFF. His Page. BARDOLPH. PISTOL. POINS. PETO. SHALLOW and SILENCE, Country Justices. DAVY, Servant to SHALLOW. MOULDY, SHADOW, WART, FEEBLE, and BULL-CALF, Recruits. FANG and SNARE, Sheriff's Officers. A Porter. LADY NORTHUMBERLAND. LADY PERCY. Hostess QUICKLY. Lords and Attendants; Officers, Soldiers, Messenger, Drawers, Grooms, &c. SCENE, ENGLAND. ACT I. SCENE I.-Warkworth Castle. Enter LORD BARDOLPH. L. Bard. Who keeps the gate here? ho!— Enter Porter above the gate. Port. What shall I say you are? L. Bard. Where is the earl ? Tell thou the earl, That the lord Bardolph doth attend him here. Port. His lordship is walk'd forth into the orchard: Please it your honor, knock but at the gate, And he himself will answer. L. Bard. Here comes the earl. [Exit Porter above. Enter NORTHUMBERLAND. North. What news, lord Bardolph ? every minute now Should be the father of some stratagem. The times are wild: contention, like a horse Full of high feeding, madly hath broke loose, And bears down all before him. L. Bard. Noble earl, I bring you certain news from Shrewsbury. North. Good, an heaven will! L. Bard. As good as heart can wish:The king is almost wounded to the death; And, in the fortune of my lord your son, Prince Harry slain outright. O, such a day, So fought, so follow'd, and so fairly won, Came not till now to dignify the times, Since Cæsar's fortunes! North. How is this deriv'd? Saw you the field? came you from Shrewsbury? L. Bard. I spake with one, my lord, that came from thence; A gentleman well bred, and of good name, That freely render'd me these news for true. North. Here comes my servant, Travers, whom I sent On Tuesday last to listen after news. L. Bard. My lord, I over-rode him on the way; And he is furnish'd with no certainties, More than he haply may retail from me. Enter TRAVERS. North. Now, Travers, what good tidings come with you? Tra. My lord, Sir John Umfrevile turn'd me back With joyful tidings; and, being better hors'd, Out-rode me. After him came spurring hard A gentleman, almost forspent with speed, That stopp'd by me to breathe his bloodied horse. He ask'd the way to Chester; and of him I did demand, what news from Shrewsbury: He told me that rebellion had bad luck, And that young Harry Percy's spur was cold. North. Ha!-Again: Said he, young Harry Percy's spur was cold? Had met ill luck? L. Bard. My lord, I'll tell you what; If my young lord your son have not the day, Upon mine honor, for a silken point I'll give my barony: never talk of it. North. Why should the gentleman, that rode by Travers, Give, then, such instances of loss? L. Bard. Who, he? He was some hilding fellow, that had stolen The horse he rode on; and, upon my life, Spoke at a venture.-Look, here comes more news. Enter MORTON. North. Yea, this man's brow, like to a title-leaf, Say, Morton, didst thou come from Shrewsbury? |