The First Part Of King Henry The Fourth

1 Enter the King, Lord John of Lancaster, Earl of Westmoreland with
2 others.
3 KING.
4 So shaken as we are, so wan with care,
5 Find we a time for frighted peace to pant,
6 And breathe short-winded accents of new broils
7 To be commenced in strands afar remote.
8 No more the thirsty entrance of this soil
9 Shall daub her lips with her own children’s blood,
10 No more shall trenching war channel her fields,
11 Nor bruise her flow’rets with the armed hoofs
12 Of hostile paces: those opposed eyes,
13 Which, like the meteors of a troubled heaven,
14 All of one nature, of one substance bred,
15 Did lately meet in the intestine shock
16 And furious close of civil butchery,
17 Shall now, in mutual well-beseeming ranks,
18 March all one way, and be no more opposed
19 Against acquaintance, kindred, and allies.
20 The edge of war, like an ill-sheathed knife,
21 No more shall cut his master. Therefore, friends,
22 As far as to the sepulchre of Christ—
23 Whose soldier now, under whose blessed cross
24 We are impressed and engaged to fight—
25 Forthwith a power of English shall we levy,
26 Whose arms were molded in their mothers’ womb
27 To chase these pagans in those holy fields
28 Over whose acres walked those blessed feet
29 Which fourteen hundred years ago were nailed
30 For our advantage on the bitter cross.
31 But this our purpose now is twelve month old,
32 And bootless ’tis to tell you we will go;
33 Therefore we meet not now. Then let me hear
34 Of you, my gentle cousin Westmoreland,
35 What yesternight our Council did decree
36 In forwarding this dear expedience.
37 WESTMORELAND.
38 My liege, this haste was hot in question,
39 And many limits of the charge set down
40 But yesternight, when all athwart there came
41 A post from Wales loaden with heavy news,
42 Whose worst was that the noble Mortimer,
43 Leading the men of Herefordshire to fight
44 Against the irregular and wild Glendower,
45 Was by the rude hands of that Welshman taken,
46 A thousand of his people butchered,
47 Upon whose dead corpse there was such misuse,
48 Such beastly shameless transformation,
49 By those Welshwomen done, as may not be
50 Without much shame retold or spoken of.
51 KING.
52 It seems then that the tidings of this broil
53 Brake off our business for the Holy Land.
54 WESTMORELAND.
55 This, matched with other did, my gracious lord,
56 For more uneven and unwelcome news
57 Came from the North, and thus it did import:
58 On Holy-rood day the gallant Hotspur there,
59 Young Harry Percy, and brave Archibald,
60 That ever-valiant and approved Scot,
61 At Holmedon met, where they did spend
62 A sad and bloody hour;
63 As by discharge of their artillery,
64 And shape of likelihood, the news was told;
65 For he that brought them, in the very heat
66 And pride of their contention did take horse,
67 Uncertain of the issue any way.
68 KING.
69 Here is a dear and true-industrious friend,
70 Sir Walter Blunt, new lighted from his horse,
71 Stained with the variation of each soil
72 Betwixt that Holmedon and this seat of ours;
73 And he hath brought us smooth and welcome news.
74 The Earl of Douglas is discomfited;
75 Ten thousand bold Scots, two-and-twenty knights,
76 Balked in their own blood, did Sir Walter see
77 On Holmedon’s plains; of prisoners Hotspur took
78 Mordake, Earl of Fife and eldest son
79 To beaten Douglas, and the Earl of Athol,
80 Of Murray, Angus, and Menteith.
81 And is not this an honourable spoil,
82 A gallant prize? Ha, cousin, is it not?
83 WESTMORELAND.
84 In faith, it is a conquest for a prince to boast of.
85 KING.
86 Yea, there thou mak’st me sad, and mak’st me sin
87 In envy that my Lord Northumberland
88 Should be the father to so blest a son,
89 A son who is the theme of honour’s tongue,
90 Amongst a grove the very straightest plant,
91 Who is sweet Fortune’s minion and her pride;
92 Whilst I, by looking on the praise of him,
93 See riot and dishonour stain the brow
94 Of my young Harry. O, that it could be proved
95 That some night-tripping fairy had exchanged
96 In cradle-clothes our children where they lay,
97 And called mine Percy, his Plantagenet!
98 Then would I have his Harry, and he mine:
99 But let him from my thoughts. What think you, coz,
100 Of this young Percy’s pride? The prisoners,
101 Which he in this adventure hath surprised
102 To his own use he keeps, and sends me word
103 I shall have none but Mordake, Earl of Fife.
104 WESTMORELAND.
105 This is his uncle’s teaching, this is Worcester,
106 Malevolent to you in all aspects,
107 Which makes him prune himself, and bristle up
108 The crest of youth against your dignity.
109 KING.
110 But I have sent for him to answer this;
111 And for this cause awhile we must neglect
112 Our holy purpose to Jerusalem.
113 Cousin, on Wednesday next our Council we
114 Will hold at Windsor, so inform the lords:
115 But come yourself with speed to us again,
116 For more is to be said and to be done
117 Than out of anger can be uttered.
118 WESTMORELAND.
119 I will, my liege.
120 [_Exeunt._]