Wor. Who struck this heat up after I was Send danger from the east unto the west, gone? [ers; So honour cross it from the north to south, Hot. He will, forsooth, have all my prison-And let them grapple :-O, the blood more stirs And when I urg'd the ransom once again To rouse a lion, than to start a hare. Of my wife's brother, then his cheek look'd North. Imagination of some great exploit Drives him beyond the bounds of patience. Hot. By heaven, methinks, it were an easy leap,

pale,

And on my face he turn'd an eye of death,
Trembling even at the name of Mortimer.

Wor. I cannot blame him: was he not pro-To pluck bright honour from the pale-fac'd claim'd Or dive into the bottom of the deep, [moon; Where fathom-line could never touch the ground,

:

By Richard, that dead is, the next of blood?
North. He was; I heard the proclamation
And then it was when the unhappy king
(Whose wrongs in us God pardon!) did set
Upon his Irish expedition;
[forth
From whence he, intercepted, did return
To be depos'd, and shortly murdered.
Wor. And for whose death, we in the world's
wide mouth

Live scandaliz'd, and foully spoken of. [then
Hot. But, soft, I pray you, did king Richard
Proclaim my brother Edmund Mortimer
Heir to the crown?

And pluck up drowned honour by the locks,
So he that doth redeem her thence might wear
Without corrival all her dignities:
But out upon this half-fac'd fellowship!

Wor. He apprehends a world of figures here,
But not the form of what he should attend.-
Good cousin, give me audience for a while.
Hot. I cry you mercy.
Wor.

Those same noble Scots,

That are your prisoners,--
Hot.

I'll keep them all;
By heaven, he shall not have a Scot of them;
No, if a Scot would save his soul, he shall not:
I'll keep them, by this hand.
Wor.
You start away,
And lend no ear unto my purposes.-
Those prisoners you shall keep.

Hot.

Nay, I will; that's flat :--
He said, he would not ransom Mortimer;
Forbade my tongue to speak of Mortimer;
But I will find him when he lies asleep,
And in his ear I'll holla-" Mortimer!
Nay, I'll have a starling shall be taught to speak
Nothing but Mortimer," and give it him,
To keep his anger still in motion.

"

North.
He did; myself did hear it.
Hot. Nay, then, I cannot blame his cousin
king,
[starv'd.
That wish'd him on the barren mountains
But shall it be, that you, that set the crown
Upon the head of this forgetful man,
And for his sake wear the detested blot
Of murd'rous subornation, shall it be,
That you a world of curses undergo,
Being the agents, or base second means,
The cords, the ladder, or the hangman rather?
O, pardon me, that I descend so low,
To show the line, and the predicament,
Wherein you range under this subtle king.
Shall it, for shame, be spoken in these days,
Or fill up chronicles in time to come,
That men of your nobility and power,
Did gage them both in an unjust behalf,-
As both of you, God pardon it! have done,-
To put down Richard, that sweet lovely rose,
And plant this thorn, this canker, Bolingbroke?
And shall it, in more shame, be farther spoken,
That you are fooled, discarded, and shook off I'd have him poison'd with a pot of ale.
By him, for whom these shames ye underwent ?
No; yet time serves, wherein you may redeem
Your banish'd honours, and restore yourselves
Into the good thoughts of the world again;
Revenge the jeering and disdain'd contempt
Of this proud king, who studies day and night
To answer all the debt he owes to you,
Even with the bloody payment of your deaths.
Therefore, I say,-
Wor.
Peace, cousin, say no more:
And now I will unclasp a secret book,
And to your quick-conceiving discontents
I'll read you matter deep and dangerous;
As full of peril and adventurous spirit,
As to o'er-walk a current, roaring loud,
On the unsteadfast footing of a spear.

Wor. Hear you, cousin; a word.
Hot. All studies here I solemnly defy,
Save how to gall and pinch this Bolingbroke:
And that same sword-and-buckler prince of
Wales,-

Hot. If he fall in, good night;---or sink or
swim :-

But that I think his father loves him not,
And would be glad he met with some mis-
chance,

Wor. Farewell, kinsman: I will talk to you, When you are better temper'd to attend.

North. Why, what a wasp-tongue and im-
patient fool

Art thou to break into this woman's mood,
Tying thine ear to no tongue but thine own!

Hot. Why, look you, I am whipp'd and

scourg'd with rods,

Nettled, and stung with pismires, when I hear
Of this vile politician, Bolingbroke. [place?---
In Richard's time,-what do ye call the
A plague upon't-it is in Gloucestershire ;-
"Twas where the mad-cap duke his uncle kept, -
His uncle York ;--where I first bow'd my knee
Unto this king of smiles, this Bolingbroke,
When you and he came back from Ravenspurg.
North. At Berkley castle.

Hot. You say true:

Scene 3.

Why, what a candy deal of courtesy
This fawning greyhound then did proffer me!
Look," when his infant fortune came to age."
And,-"gentle Harry Percy,"--and,

cousin,"

kind [me!

0, the devil take such cozeners!-God forgive
Good uncle, tell your tale: for I have done.
Wor. Nay, if you have not, to't again;
We'll stay your leisure.
I have done, i' faith.
Hot.
Wor. Then once more to your Scottish
prisoners.

Deliver them up without their ransom straight,
And make the Douglas' son your only mean
For powers in Scotland; which, for divers

reasons

Which I shall send you written, be assur'd,
Will easily be granted.-[To North.] You, my

lord,

Your son in Scotland being thus employ'd,
Shall secretly into the bosom creep

Of that same noble prelate, well belov'd,
The Archbishop.

Hot. Of York, is it not?

Wor. True; who bears hard

His brother's death at Bristol, the lord Scroop.
I speak not this in estimation,

As what I think might be, but what I know
Is ruminated, plotted, and set down ;
And only stays but to behold the face
Of that occasion that shall bring it on.
Hot. I smell it.

Upon my life, it will do wondrous well.
North. Before the game's afoot, thou still
lett'st slip.

ACT II.

SCENE I.-Rochester. An Inn-Yard.
Enter a Carrier, with a lantern in his hand.

1 Car. Heigh ho! An't be not four by the
day, I'll be hanged: Charles' wain is over the
new chimney, and yet our horse not pack'd.-
What, ostler !

Ost. [Within.] Anon, anon.

1 Car. I pr'ythee, Tom, beat Cut's saddle, put a few flocks in the point; the poor jade is wrung in the withers out of all cess.

Enter another Carrier.

2 Car. Peas and beans are as dank here as
a dog, and that is the next way to give poor
down, since Robin ostler died.
jades the bots: this house is turned upside

1 Car. Poor fellow! never joyed since the
price of oats rose; it was the death of him.
2 Car. I think this be the most villainous
house in all London road for fleas : I am stung
like a tench.

1 Car. Like a tench! by the mass, there is
than I have been since the first cock.
ne'er a king in Christendom could be better bit

2 Car. Why, they will allow us ne'er a jorden, and then we leak in your chimney; and your chamber-lie breeds fleas like a loach.

1 Car. What, ostler! come away and be hanged; come away.

1 Car. 'Odsbody! the turkeys in my pannier are quite starved.-What, ostler !-A plague on thee! hast thou never an eye in thy head? canst not hear? An 'twere not as good a deed as drink, to break the pate of thee, I am a faith in thee? very villain.-Come and be hanged :-hast no

Enter Gadshill.

What's

2 Car. I have a gammon of bacon, and two razes of ginger, to be delivered as far as Char[plot-ing-Cross. Hot. Why, it cannot choose but be a noble And then the power of Scotland, and of York,To join with Mortimer, ha? And so they shall. Wor. Hot. In faith, it is exceedingly well aim'd. Wor. And 'tis no little reason bids us speed, To save our heads by raising of a head; For, bear ourselves as even as we can, The king will always think him in our debt, And think we think ourselves unsatisfied, Till he hath found a time to pay us home: And see already how he doth begin To make us strangers to his looks of love. [this, Hot. He does, he does : we'll be reveng'd on him. Wor. Cousin, farewell :-No further go in Than I by letters shall direct your course. When time is ripe, (which will be suddenly,) I'll steal to Glendower and lord Mortimer; Where you and Douglas, and our powers at

once.

(As I will fashion it,) shall happily meet,
To bear our fortunes in our own strong arms,
Which now we hold at much uncertainty.
North. Farewell, good brother: we shall
[short,
thrive, I trust.

Gads. Good morrow, carriers. 1 Car. I think it be two o'clock. [o'clock? Gads. I pr'ythee, lend me thy lantern, to see my gelding in the stable.

1 Car. Nay, soft, I pray ye: I know a trick worth two of that, i' faith.

Gads. I pr'ythee, lend me thine.

2 Car. Ay, when? canst tell?-Lend me the lantern, quotha ?—marry, I'll see thee hanged first.

Gads. Sirrah carrier, what time do you mean to come to London?

2 Car. Time enough to go to bed with a candle, I warrant thee.-Come, neighbor Mugs, we'll call up the gentlemen: they will along with company, for they have great charge. [Exeunt Carriers. [purse. Gads. What, lo! chamberlain. Cham. [Within.] At hand, quoth pickGads. That's even as fair as--at hand, quoth [Exeunt. the chamberlain; for thou variest no more from

Hot. Uncle, adieu :-O, let the hours be Till fields, and blows, and groans applaud our sport!

:

Enter Falstaff.

Fal. Poins! Poins, and be hanged! Poins!
P. Hen. [Coming forward.] Peace, ye fat-

keep!

Cham. Good morrow, master Gadshill. It kidneyed rascal! What a brawling dost thou holds current, that I told you yesternight Fal. Where's Poins, Hal? there's a franklin in the wild of Kent hath P. Hen. He is walked up to the top of the brought three hundred marks with him in gold: hill: I'll go seek him. I heard him tell it to one of his company, last night at supper; a kind of auditor; one that hath abundance of charge too, God knows what. They are up already, and call for eggs and butter: they will away presently. Gads. Sirrah, if they meet not with saint Nicholas' clerks, I'll give thee this neck.

[Pretends to seek Poins, and retires. Fal. I am accursed to rob in that thief's company; the rascal hath removed my horse, and tied him I know not where. If I travel but four foot by the squire farther afoot, I shall break my wind. Well, I doubt not but to die a fair death for all this, if I 'scape hanging for Cham. No, I'll none of it: I pr'ythee, keep killing that rogue. I have forsworn his comthat for the hangman; for I know thou pany hourly any time this two-and-twenty years, worship'st saint Nicholas as truly as a man of and yet I am bewitched with the rogue's comfalsehood may. pany. If the rascal have not given me medicines Gads. What talkest thou to me of the hang- to make me love him, I'll be hanged; it could man? If I hang, I'll make a fat pair of gal-not be else; I have drunk medicines.-Poins! lows; for if I hang, old Sir John hangs with-Hal!—a plague upon you both!--Bardolph! me, and thou knowest he's no starveling. Tut!| -Peto! I'll starve, ere I'll rob a foot farther. there are other Trojans that thou dreamest not An 'twere not as good a deed as drink, to turn of, the which, for sport sake, are content to do true man, and leave these rogues, I am the the profession some grace; that would, if mat- veriest varlet that ever chewed with a tooth. ters should be looked into, for their own credit Eight yards of uneven ground is threescore sake, make all whole. I am joined with no and ten miles afoot with me; and the stonyfoot land-rakers, no long-staff, sixpenny hearted villains know it well enough: a plague strikers, none of these mad, mustachio, purple-upon't, when thieves cannot be true one to hued malt-worms; but with nobility and tran-another! [They whistle.] Whew!—A plague quillity, burgomasters and great oneyers, such upon you all! Give me my horse, you rogues; as can hold in; such as will strike sooner than give me my horse, and be hanged. speak, and speak sooner than drink, and drink | P Hen. [Coming forward.] Peace, ye fatsooner than pray and yet I lie; for they pray guts! lie down; lay thine ear close to the continually to their saint, the commonwealth; ground, and list if thou canst hear the tread of or, rather, not pray to her, but prey on her, for travellers. they ride up and down on her, and make her their boots.

Fal. Have you any levers to lift me up again, being down? 'Sblood! I'll not bear mine own flesh so far afoot again, for all the coin in thy father's exchequer. What a plague mean ye to colt me thus?

P. Hen. Thou liest; thou art not colted, thou art uncolted.

Fal. I pr'ythee, good prince Hal, help me to my horse, good king's son. [ostler?

P. Hen. Out, you rogue! shall I be your Fal. Go, hang thyself in thine own heirapparent garters! If I be ta'en, I'll peach for this. An I have not ballads made on you all, and sung to filthy tunes, let a cup of sack be my poison-when a jest is so forward, and afoot too!-I hate it.

Gads. Case ye, case ye; on with your visors: there's money of the king's coming down the hill; 'tis going to the king's exchequer.

Fal. You lie, you rogue; 'tis going to the [They retire. king's tavern.

Gads. There's enough to make us all.
Fal. To be hanged.

P. Hen. Sirs, you four shall front them in the narrow lane; Ned Poins and I will walk lower if they 'scape from your encounter, then they light on us.

Peto. How many be there of them?
Gads. Some eight, or ten.

Fal. Zounds! will they not rob us?

P. Hen. What, a coward, Sir John Paunch? Fal. Indeed, I am not John of Gaunt, your grandfather; but yet no coward, Hal.

P. Hen. Well, we leave that to the proof. Poins. Sirrah Jack, thy horse stands behind the hedge: when thou need'st him, there thou shalt find him. Farewell, and stand fast. Fal. Now cannot I strike him, if I should be hanged. four disguises? P. Hen. [Aside to Poins.] Ned, where are Poins. Here, hard by: stand close.

[Exeunt P. Henry and Poins. Fal. Now my masters, happy man be his dole, say I: every man to his business.

Enter Travellers.

Enter Hotspur, reading a letter. "-But for mine own part, my lord, I could be well contented to be there, in respect of the love I bear your house."-He could be contented,-why is he not, then? In respect of the love he bears our house :--he shows in this, he loves his own barn better than he loves our

house. Let me see some more. The purpose you undertake, is dangerous :"-Why, that's certain: 'tis dangerous to take a cold, to sleep, to drink; but I tell you, my lord fool, out of this nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety.

1 Trav. Come, neighbour: the boy shall lead our horses down the hill; we'll walk afoot" The purpose you undertake, is dangerous;

a while, and ease our legs. Fal. Gads. &c. Stand! Travellers. Jesu bless us !

Fal. Strike; down with them; cut the villains throats-ah, whoreson caterpillars! bacon-fed knaves! they hate us youth-down with them; fleece them.

the friends you have named, uncertain; the time itself unsorted; and your whole plot too light for the counterpoise of so great an opposition."-Say you so, say you so? I say unto you again, you are a shallow, cowardly hind, and you lie. What a lack-brain is this! By the Lord, our plot is a good plot as ever was laid; our friends true and constant: a good plot, good friends, and full of expectation; an Fal. Hang ye, gorbellied knaves, are ye excellent plot, very good friends. undone? No, ye fat chuffs; I would your frosty-spirited rogue is this! Why, my lord of store were here! On, bacons, on! What, ye York commends the plot, and the general knaves! young men must live. You are grand-course of the action. 'Zounds! an I were now jurors are ye? We'll jure ye, i' faith.

Travellers. O! we are undone, both we and ours, for ever.

[Exeunt Fal., Gads., &c., driving the
Travellers out.

Re-enter Prince Henry and Poins, in buckram
suits.

P. Hen. The thieves have bound the true men. Now could thou and I rob the thieves, and go merrily to London, it would be argument for a week, laughter for a month, and a good jest for ever.

Poins. Stand close; I hear them coming.
[They retire.
Re-enter Falstaff, Gadshill, Bardolph, and
Peto.

Fal. Come, my masters, let us share, and then to horse before day. An the prince and Poins be not two arrant cowards, there's no equity stirring: there's no more valour in that Poins, than in a wild duck.

What a

by this rascal, I could brain him with his lady's fan. Is there not my father, my uncle, and myself? lord Edmund Mortimer, my lord of York, and Owen Glendower? Is there not, besides, the Douglas? Have I not all their letters, to meet me in arms by the ninth of the next month? and are they not, some of them, set forward already? What a pagan rascal is this! an infidel! Ha! you shall see now, in very sincerity of fear and cold heart, will he to the king and lay open all our proceedings. O, I could divide myself, and go to buffets, for moving such a dish of skimmed milk with so honourable an action! Hang him! let him tell the king: we are prepared. I will set forward to-night.

Enter Lady Percy.

How now, Kate! I must leave you within these two hours. [alone? P. Hen. Your money! Poins. Villains! Lady. O, my good lord, why are you thus [As they are sharing, the Prince and Poins For what offence have I this fortnight been rush out and set upon them. Gadshill, A banish'd woman from my Harry's bed? Bardolph, and Peto run away; and Tell me, sweet lord, what is't that takes from Falstaff, after a blow or two, runs away too, leaving the booty behind.

thee

Thy stomach, pleasure, and thy golden sleep?

Why dost thou bend thine eyes upon the What say'st thou, Kate? what wouldst thou earth,

And start so often when thou sitt'st alone?
Why hast thou lost the fresh blood in thy
cheeks;

And given my treasures, and my rights of thee,
To thick-ey'd musing and curs'd melancholy?
In thy faint slumbers, I by thee have watch'd,
And heard thee murmur tales of iron wars;
Speak terms of manage to thy bounding steed;
Cry, Courage! to the field !"-And thou

hast talk'd

Of sallies and retires, of trenches, tents,
Of palisadoes, frontiers, parapets,
Of basilisks, of cannon, culverin,
Of prisoners' ransom, and of soldiers slain,
And all the 'currents of a heady fight.

Thy spirit within thee hath been so at war,
And thus hath so bestirr'd thee in thy sleep,
That beads of sweat have stood upon thy brow,
Like bubbles in a late-disturbed stream;
And in thy face strange motions have appear'd,
Such as we see when men restrain their breath
On some great sudden haste. O, what portents
are these?

Some heavy business hath my lord in hand,
And I must know it, else he loves me not.

have with me?
[indeed?
Lady. Do you not love me? do you not,
Well, do not, then; for since you love me not,
I will not love myself. Do you not love me?
Nay, tell me if you speak in jest or no.
Hot. Come, wilt thou see me ride?
And when I am on horseback, I will swear
I love thee infinitely. But hark you, Kate;
I must not have you henceforth question me
Whither I go, nor reason whereabout;
Whither I must, I must; and, to conclude,
This evening must I leave you, gentle Kate.
know you wise; but yet no farther wise
Than Harry Percy's wife: constant you are;
But yet a woman: and for secrecy,
No lady closer; for I well believe
Thou wilt not utter what thou dost not know;
And so far will I trust thee, gentle Kate.
Lady. How! so far?
[Kate:
Hot. Not an inch farther. But, hark you,
Whither I go, thither shall you go too;
To-day will I set forth, to-morrow you.—
Will this content you, Kate?
Lady.

It must, of force. [Exeunt.

Hot. What, ho! [Enter Servant.] Is Gil- SCENE IV.-Eastcheap. A Room in the

liams with the packet gone? Serv. He is, my lord, an hour ago. Hot. Hath Butler brought those horses from the sheriff?

Serv. One horse, my lord, he brought even

now.

Hot. What horse? a roan, a crop-ear, is it
Serv. It is, my lord.
Hot.

[not?

[Exit Servant.

Lady. But hear you, my lord.
Hot. What say'st thou, my lady?
Lady. What is it carries you away?
Hot. Why, my horse,
My love, my horse.

Lady.

Boar's Head Tavern.
Enter Prince Henry.

P. Hen. Ned, pr'ythec, come out of that fat room, and lend me thy hand to laugh a little. Enter Poins.

Poins. Where hast been, Hal?

P. Hen. With three or four loggerheads, amongst three or four score hogsheads. I have That roan shall be my throne. sounded the very base string of humility. Well, I will back him straight: O, esperance!-Sirrah, I am sworn brother to a leash of Bid Butler lead him forth into the park. drawers; and can call them all by their Christian names, as-Tom, Dick, and Francis. They take it already upon their salvation, that though I be but Prince of Wales, yet I am the king of courtesy; and tell me flatly I am no proud Jack, like Falstaff; but a Corinthian, a lad of mettle, a good boy, (by the Lord, so they call me,) and when I am King of England, I shall command all the good lads in Eastcheap. They call drinking deep, dying scarlet; and when you breathe in your watering, they cry "Hem!" and bid you play it off. To conclude, I am so good a proficient in one quarter of an hour, that I can drink with any tinker in his own language during my life. I tell thee, Ned, thou hast lost much honour, that thou wert not with me in this action. But, sweet Ned, -to sweeten which name of Ned, I give thee this pennyworth of sugar, clapped even now into my hand by an underskinker, one that never spake other English in his life, than-" Eight shillings and sixpence," and-" You are welcome," with this shrill addi

Out, you mad-headed ape!
A weasel hath not such a deal of spleen,
As you are toss'd with.
In faith,
I'll know your business, Harry, that I will.
I fear my brother Mortimer doth stir
About his title, and hath sent for you
To line his enterprise: but if you go,—

Hot. So far afoot, I shall be weary, love.
Lady. Come, come, you paraquito, answer
Directly unto this question that I ask :- [me
In faith, I'll break thy little finger, Harry,
An if thou wilt not tell me all things true.
Hot. Away,

Away, you trifler !-Love?-I love thee not,
I care not for thee, Kate; this is no world
To play with mammets, and to tilt with lips:
We must have bloody noses and crack'd tion,-" Anon, anon, sir! Score a pint of
[horse!-bastard in the Half-moon," or so:-But, Ned,
And pass them current too.--Gods me, my to drive away the time till Falstaff come, I

crowns,