And therefore will he wipe his tables 20 clean, That may repeat and history his loss To new remembrance. For full well he knows His foes are so enrooted with his friends, Hast. Besides, the king hath wasted all his rods Arch. "Tis very true; And therefore be assur'd, my good lord marshal, If we do now make our atonement well, Our peace will, like a broken limb united, Mowb. Be it so. Here is return'd my lord of Westmoreland. Re-enter WESTMORELAND. 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. 20 Alluding to the table books of slate, ivory, &c., used by our ancestors for keeping memoranda. Arch Before, and greet his grace: my lord, we come. [Exeunt. SCENE II. Another Part of the Forest. Enter, from one side, MOWBRAY, the Archbishop, HASTINGS, and Others: from the other side, Prince JOHN, WESTMORELAND, Officers, and Attendants. 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. Than now to see you here an iron man,' It is even so: Who hath not heard it spoken, To us, the imagin'd voice of God Himself; Between the grace, the sanctities of heaven, lord Holinshed says of the Archbishop, that, "coming foorth amongst them clad in armour, he encouraged and pricked them foorth to take the enterprise in hand." And our full workings: O! who shall believe, The subjects of His substitute, my father; And, both against the peace of heaven and him, 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 us, and crush us to this monstrous form, To hold our safety up. I sent your grace The parcels and particulars of our grief; The which hath been with scorn shov'd from the court, Whereon this Hydra son of war is born; Whose dangerous eyes may well be charm'd asleep, 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, Whi.es England shall have generation. 3 John. You are too shallow, Hastings, much too shallow, To sound the bottom of the after-times. Raised up in arms • Succession West. Pleaseth your grace, to answer them d rectly, How far-forth you do like their articles? John. I like them all, and do allow them well: My lord, these griefs shall be with speed redress'd Arch. I take your princely word for these re- John. I give it you, and will maintain my word; And thereupon I drink unto your grace. Hast. [To an Officer.] Go, captain, 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, morrow. some good thing comes to Arch. Believe me, I am passing light in spirit. Mowb. So much the worse, if your own rule be [Shouts within. John. The word of peace is render'd: Hark, how true. 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. John. Go, my lord, [Exit WESTMORELAND And let our army be discharged too. And, good my lord, so please you, let our trains We should have cop'd withal. Arch. Go, good lord Hastings; And, ere they be dismiss'd, let them march by. [Exit HASTINGS. John. I trust, lords, we shall lie to-night together. Re-enter WESTMORELAND. Now, cousin, wherefore stands our army still? stand, Will not go off until they hear you speak. John. They know their duties. Re-enter HASTINGS. Hast. My lord, our army is dispers'd already • |