The First Part Of King Henry The Fourth

1 Enter Hotspur, Worcester, Douglas and Vernon.
2 HOTSPUR.
3 We’ll fight with him tonight.
4 WORCESTER.
5 It may not be.
6 DOUGLAS.
7 You give him then advantage.
8 VERNON.
9 Not a whit.
10 HOTSPUR.
11 Why say you so? Looks he not for supply?
12 VERNON.
13 So do we.
14 HOTSPUR.
15 His is certain, ours is doubtful.
16 WORCESTER.
17 Good cousin, be advised, stir not tonight.
18 VERNON.
19 Do not, my lord.
20 DOUGLAS.
21 You do not counsel well.
22 You speak it out of fear and cold heart.
23 VERNON.
24 Do me no slander, Douglas; by my life,
25 And I dare well maintain it with my life,
26 If well-respected honour bid me on,
27 I hold as little counsel with weak fear
28 As you, my lord, or any Scot that this day lives.
29 Let it be seen tomorrow in the battle
30 Which of us fears.
31 DOUGLAS.
32 Yea, or tonight.
33 VERNON.
34 Content.
35 HOTSPUR.
36 Tonight, say I.
37 VERNON.
38 Come, come, it may not be. I wonder much,
39 Being men of such great leading as you are,
40 That you foresee not what impediments
41 Drag back our expedition. Certain horse
42 Of my cousin Vernon’s are not yet come up.
43 Your uncle Worcester’s horse came but today,
44 And now their pride and mettle is asleep,
45 Their courage with hard labour tame and dull,
46 That not a horse is half the half himself.
47 HOTSPUR.
48 So are the horses of the enemy
49 In general, journey-bated and brought low.
50 The better part of ours are full of rest.
51 WORCESTER.
52 The number of the King exceedeth ours.
53 For God’s sake, cousin, stay till all come in.
54 [_The trumpet sounds a parley._]
55 Enter Sir Walter Blunt.
56 BLUNT.
57 I come with gracious offers from the King,
58 If you vouchsafe me hearing and respect.
59 HOTSPUR.
60 Welcome, Sir Walter Blunt, and would to God
61 You were of our determination!
62 Some of us love you well, and even those some
63 Envy your great deservings and good name,
64 Because you are not of our quality,
65 But stand against us like an enemy.
66 BLUNT.
67 And God defend but still I should stand so,
68 So long as out of limit and true rule
69 You stand against anointed majesty.
70 But to my charge. The King hath sent to know
71 The nature of your griefs, and whereupon
72 You conjure from the breast of civil peace
73 Such bold hostility, teaching his duteous land
74 Audacious cruelty. If that the King
75 Have any way your good deserts forgot,
76 Which he confesseth to be manifold,
77 He bids you name your griefs, and with all speed
78 You shall have your desires with interest
79 And pardon absolute for yourself and these
80 Herein misled by your suggestion.
81 HOTSPUR.
82 The King is kind, and well we know the King
83 Knows at what time to promise, when to pay.
84 My father and my uncle and myself
85 Did give him that same royalty he wears,
86 And when he was not six-and-twenty strong,
87 Sick in the world’s regard, wretched and low,
88 A poor unminded outlaw sneaking home,
89 My father gave him welcome to the shore:
90 And when he heard him swear and vow to God
91 He came but to be Duke of Lancaster,
92 To sue his livery, and beg his peace
93 With tears of innocence and terms of zeal,
94 My father, in kind heart and pity moved,
95 Swore him assistance, and performed it too.
96 Now, when the lords and barons of the realm
97 Perceived Northumberland did lean to him,
98 The more and less came in with cap and knee,
99 Met him in boroughs, cities, villages,
100 Attended him on bridges, stood in lanes,
101 Laid gifts before him, proffer’d him their oaths,
102 Give him their heirs as pages, follow’d him
103 Even at the heels in golden multitudes.
104 He presently, as greatness knows itself,
105 Steps me a little higher than his vow
106 Made to my father while his blood was poor
107 Upon the naked shore at Ravenspurgh;
108 And now forsooth takes on him to reform
109 Some certain edicts and some strait decrees
110 That lie too heavy on the commonwealth;
111 Cries out upon abuses, seems to weep
112 Over his country’s wrongs; and by this face,
113 This seeming brow of justice, did he win
114 The hearts of all that he did angle for;
115 Proceeded further—cut me off the heads
116 Of all the favourites that the absent King
117 In deputation left behind him here
118 When he was personal in the Irish war.
119 BLUNT.
120 Tut, I came not to hear this.
121 HOTSPUR.
122 Then to the point.
123 In short time after, he deposed the King,
124 Soon after that deprived him of his life,
125 And, in the neck of that, task’d the whole state.
126 To make that worse, suffer’d his kinsman March
127 (Who is, if every owner were well placed,
128 Indeed his king) to be engaged in Wales,
129 There without ransom to lie forfeited;
130 Disgraced me in my happy victories,
131 Sought to entrap me by intelligence,
132 Rated mine uncle from the Council-board,
133 In rage dismiss’d my father from the court,
134 Broke oath on oath, committed wrong on wrong,
135 And in conclusion drove us to seek out
136 This head of safety, and withal to pry
137 Into his title, the which now we find
138 Too indirect for long continuance.
139 BLUNT.
140 Shall I return this answer to the King?
141 HOTSPUR.
142 Not so, Sir Walter. We’ll withdraw awhile.
143 Go to the King, and let there be impawn’d
144 Some surety for a safe return again,
145 And in the morning early shall my uncle
146 Bring him our purposes. And so, farewell.
147 BLUNT.
148 I would you would accept of grace and love.
149 HOTSPUR.
150 And maybe so we shall.
151 BLUNT.
152 Pray God you do.
153 [_Exeunt._]