His own army orders them executed for high treason. falls upon the scattering bands of insurgents and many are slain and taken prisoners. Messengers carry the news to the king, but he is too ill to care much about the tidings, and his condition grows rapidly worse. The Prince of Wales comes to attend his father; he is told that the king is sleeping and sits down beside him. The sleep, however, is so deep that the Prince believes his father dead and goes into another room, carrying with him the crown which had been on the pillow beside the king. The king awakes and accuses his son of being anxious for his death. The Prince explains his conduct and father and son are at peace again. ACT V After Henry IV's death, the Prince of Wales ascends the throne as Henry V. With his assumption of the crown, he dismisses from his companionship Falstaff and his friends, sending them to the navy until "their conversation appear more wise and modest to the world." THE SECOND PART OF KING HENRY IV INDUCTION Warkworth. Before the castle. Enter Rumor, painted full of tongues. Rum. Open your ears; for which of you will stop Upon my tongues continual slanders ride, INDUCTION. "Enter Rumor, painted full of tongues"; so Q.; Ff., "Enter Rumor." In ancient pageants Rumor was often represented as apparelled in a robe "full of toongs"; Stephen Hawes, in his Pastime of Pleasure, describes Rumor as "A goodly lady, environed about Similarly Chaucer, House of Fame, 298–300. Probably the idea was ultimately derived from Virgil, Æneid, IV. 173–188.—I. G. In a masque on St. Stephen's Night, 1614, by Thomas Campion, Rumor comes on in a skin coat full of winged tongues.-H. N. H. INDUCT. 6. "tongues”; so Q.; Ff., “tongue.”—I. G. INDUCT. 8. "men"; so Q.; Ff., "them.”—I. G. I speak of peace, while covert enmity Make fearful musters and prepared defense, Whiles the big year, swoln with some other grief, Is thought with child by the stern tyrant war, And no such matter? Rumor is a pipe Blown by surmises, jealousies, conjectures, And of so easy and so plain a stop That the blunt monster with uncounted heads, Can play upon it. But what need I thus 20 Among my household? Why is Rumor here? Hath beaten down young Hotspur and his troops, Quenching the flame of bold rebellion Even with the rebels' blood. But what mean I To speak so true at first? my office is To noise abroad that Harry Monmouth fell Under the wrath of noble Hotspur's sword, 30 And that the king before the Douglas' rage Stoop'd his anointed head as low as death. This have I rumor'd through the peasant towns Between that royal field of Shrewsbury And this worm-eaten hold of ragged stone, Where Hotspur's father, old Northumberland, 35. "hold of ragged stone"; Northumberland's castle.-H. N. H. Lies crafty-sick: the posts come tiring on, They bring smooth comforts false, worse than true wrongs. [Exit. 40 37. "tiring on"; probably riding hard, without a pause.-C. H. H. ACT FIRST SCENE I The same. Enter Lord Bardolph. L. Bard. Who keeps the gate here, ho? Where is the earl? Tell thou the earl Port. What shall I say you are? L. Bard. 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. Enter Northumberland. L. Bard. Here comes the earl. [Exit Porter. North. What news, Lord Bardolph? every minute now Should be the father of some stratagem: The times are wild; contention, like a horse L. Bard. Noble earl, I bring you certain news from Shrewsbury. |