The First Part Of King Henry The Fourth

1 Enter Worcester and Vernon.
2 WORCESTER.
3 O no, my nephew must not know, Sir Richard,
4 The liberal and kind offer of the King.
5 VERNON.
6 ’Twere best he did.
7 WORCESTER.
8 Then are we all undone.
9 It is not possible, it cannot be,
10 The King should keep his word in loving us;
11 He will suspect us still, and find a time
12 To punish this offence in other faults.
13 Suspicion all our lives shall be stuck full of eyes,
14 For treason is but trusted like the fox,
15 Who, ne’er so tame, so cherish’d and lock’d up,
16 Will have a wild trick of his ancestors.
17 Look how we can, or sad or merrily,
18 Interpretation will misquote our looks,
19 And we shall feed like oxen at a stall,
20 The better cherish’d still the nearer death.
21 My nephew’s trespass may be well forgot,
22 It hath the excuse of youth and heat of blood,
23 And an adopted name of privilege—
24 A hare-brain’d Hotspur, govern’d by a spleen.
25 All his offences live upon my head
26 And on his father’s. We did train him on,
27 And, his corruption being ta’en from us,
28 We as the spring of all shall pay for all.
29 Therefore, good cousin, let not Harry know
30 In any case the offer of the King.
31 VERNON.
32 Deliver what you will, I’ll say ’tis so.
33 Here comes your cousin.
34 Enter Hotspur and Douglas; Officers and Soldiers behind.
35 HOTSPUR.
36 My uncle is return’d.
37 Deliver up my Lord of Westmoreland.
38 Uncle, what news?
39 WORCESTER.
40 The King will bid you battle presently.
41 DOUGLAS.
42 Defy him by the Lord Of Westmoreland.
43 HOTSPUR.
44 Lord Douglas, go you and tell him so.
45 DOUGLAS.
46 Marry, I shall, and very willingly.
47 [_Exit._]
48 WORCESTER.
49 There is no seeming mercy in the King.
50 HOTSPUR.
51 Did you beg any? God forbid!
52 WORCESTER.
53 I told him gently of our grievances,
54 Of his oath-breaking; which he mended thus,
55 By now forswearing that he is forsworn.
56 He calls us rebels, traitors, and will scourge
57 With haughty arms this hateful name in us.
58 Enter Douglas.
59 DOUGLAS.
60 Arm, gentlemen; to arms! For I have thrown
61 A brave defiance in King Henry’s teeth,
62 And Westmoreland, that was engaged, did bear it,
63 Which cannot choose but bring him quickly on.
64 WORCESTER.
65 The Prince of Wales stepp’d forth before the King,
66 And, nephew, challenged you to single fight.
67 HOTSPUR.
68 O, would the quarrel lay upon our heads,
69 And that no man might draw short breath today
70 But I and Harry Monmouth! Tell me, tell me,
71 How show’d his tasking? Seem’d it in contempt?
72 VERNON.
73 No, by my soul. I never in my life
74 Did hear a challenge urged more modestly,
75 Unless a brother should a brother dare
76 To gentle exercise and proof of arms.
77 He gave you all the duties of a man,
78 Trimm’d up your praises with a princely tongue,
79 Spoke your deservings like a chronicle,
80 Making you ever better than his praise
81 By still dispraising praise valued with you,
82 And, which became him like a prince indeed,
83 He made a blushing cital of himself,
84 And chid his truant youth with such a grace
85 As if he master’d there a double spirit
86 Of teaching and of learning instantly.
87 There did he pause: but let me tell the world,
88 If he outlive the envy of this day,
89 England did never owe so sweet a hope
90 So much misconstrued in his wantonness.
91 HOTSPUR.
92 Cousin, I think thou art enamoured
93 Upon his follies. Never did I hear
94 Of any prince so wild a liberty.
95 But be he as he will, yet once ere night
96 I will embrace him with a soldier’s arm,
97 That he shall shrink under my courtesy.
98 Arm, arm with speed! And, fellows, soldiers, friends,
99 Better consider what you have to do
100 Than I that have not well the gift of tongue
101 Can lift your blood up with persuasion.
102 Enter a Messenger.
103 MESSENGER.
104 My lord, here are letters for you.
105 HOTSPUR.
106 I cannot read them now.—
107 O gentlemen, the time of life is short!
108 To spend that shortness basely were too long
109 If life did ride upon a dial’s point,
110 Still ending at the arrival of an hour.
111 And if we live, we live to tread on kings;
112 If die, brave death, when princes die with us!
113 Now, for our consciences, the arms are fair
114 When the intent of bearing them is just.
115 Enter another Messenger.
116 MESSENGER.
117 My lord, prepare. The King comes on apace.
118 HOTSPUR.
119 I thank him that he cuts me from my tale,
120 For I profess not talking. Only this:
121 Let each man do his best. And here draw I
122 A sword whose temper I intend to stain
123 With the best blood that I can meet withal
124 In the adventure of this perilous day.
125 Now, Esperance! Percy! And set on.
126 Sound all the lofty instruments of war,
127 And by that music let us all embrace,
128 For, Heaven to Earth, some of us never shall
129 A second time do such a courtesy.
130 [_The trumpets sound. They embrace, and exeunt._]