What, old acquaintance! Could not all this flesh. We are now, in imagination, spectators of the bloody field, with nothing apparently in view,—now that the prince is for a moment gone, but the bodies of the slain. But look attentively, and you will see some signs of life in the mass before you. By degrees, the signs are more evident; and at length a figure that you cannot mistake for a ghost, stands erect before you, and speaks : [Falstaff] Embowelled !—if thou embowel me to-day, I ’ll give thee leave to powder me, and eat me too, to-morrow. 'Sblood! 'twas time to counterfeit, or that hot termagant Scot had paid me scot and lot too. Counterfeit ? I lie; I am no counterfeit: To die is to be counterfeit; for he is but the counterfeit of a man who hath not the life of a man; but to counterfeit dying, when a man thereby liveth, is to be no counterfeit, but the true and perfect image of life indeed. The better part of valour is discretion; in the which better part I have saved my life. I am afraid of this gunpowder Percy though he be dead :-how if he should counterfeit and rise too? I am afraid he would prove the better counterfeit : therefore I'll make him sure; yea, and I'll swear I killed him. Why may he not rise as well as I? Nothing confutes me but eyes, and nobody sees me. Therefore, sirrah His soliloquy is interrupted by the return of prince Henry, who brings with him John of Lancaster, with whom the elder prince is in conversation : [P. Hen.] Come, brother John, full bravely hast thou flesh'd Thy maiden sword. [P. John.] But soft! whom have we here? Did you not tell me this fat man was dead? [P. Henry.] I did indeed; I saw him dead and bleeding Upon the ground.— Art thou alive? or is it fantasy That plays upon our eye-sight? 'Prythee, speak, We will not trust our eyes without our ears: [Falstaff] No, that's certain; I'm not a double man, but if not Falstaff, then am I a Jack: There is Percy; an your father give me honour, so; if not, let him kill the next Percy himself. I look to be either earl or duke, I can tell you. [P. Henry.] Why Percy I killed myself, and saw thee dead. [Falstaff] Didst thou? Oh how this world is given to lying! I grant you I was down, and out of breath; and so was he: but we both rose at an instant, and fought a long hour by Shrewsbury clock. If I may be believed, so; if not, let them that should reward valour, bear the sin on their own heads. [P. John.] This is the strangest tale that e'er I heard. [P. Henry.] This is the strangest fellow, brother John.- And see what friends are living, who are dead. We follow the princes, and find the king surrounded by many of his own party, and by some of those he had contended against, who are now prisoners: among the latter are Worcester and Vernon: the king speaks: [K. Henry.] Thus ever did rebellion find rebuke. Ill spirited Worcester, did we not send grace, Other offenders we will pause upon. And now remains, that we divide our power: THE CONTINUANCE OF CIVIL AGITATIONS SUBSEQUENT TO THE BATTLE OF SHREWSBURY, INDICATED BY SCENES IMAGINED TO OCCUR NEAR THE OPPOSITE EXTREMITIES OF THE KINGDOM,AT WARKWORTH, THE CASTLE OF THE PERCIES IN NORTHUMBERLAND, AND AT THE ROYAL PALACE IN LONDON. HISTORICAL MEMORANDA. When the civil war was ready to break out, Northumberland was seized with sickness at Berwick, which by some was thought to be simulated. Recovering from his sickness, he was on his way to join his son, when he heard of the battle of Shrewsbury. After that event his conduct was vacillating. He pretended to the king that he had had no other intention in arming than to mediate between the parties; and the king thought proper to accept his apology. In the mean time, the rebellion proceeded, the parties in it still relying on the assistance of Northumberland. The chief of these parties were the earl of Nottingham, who was son of the duke of Norfolk, and the Archbishop of York, whose brother, the earl of Wiltshire, Henry, while only duke of Lancaster, had beheaded at Bristol. There was a lord Bardolf of the disaffected party; and it was with him that Northumberland subsequently fled into Scotland. We are to imagine an inner gate of the castle of Warkworth. Lord Bardólf calls to the porter, gives his name, and desires it may be signified to the earl. The porter refers him to the orchard, where the earl is walking; but before lord Burdólf has time to go thither, the earl comes from his walk, and speaks: [North.] What news, my lord Bardólf? each minute now Should be the father of some stratagem. The times are wild: contention, like a horse [L. Bardolf.] Noble earl, I bring you certain news from Shrewsbury. Prince Harry slain outright: the Blunts are both [Northumberland.] How is this deriv'd? Saw you the field? Came you from Shrewsbury? [L. Bardolf.] I spoke with one, my lord, who said he came, And freely render'd me this news for true. [North.] Here comes my servant Travers, whom I sent [L. Bardolf.] My lord, I over-rode him on the way, [Northumberland.] Well, we shall hear : Now, Travers, what good tidings come with you? [Travers.] My lord, Sir John Umfrevile turned me back With joyful tidings, and, being better hors'd, Outrode me. After him came spurring hard, A gentleman almost forespent with speed, That stopp'd by me to breathe his bloodied horse. He ask'd the way to Chester, and of him [Northumberland.] Ha! Said he young Harry Percy's spur was cold? [L. Bardolf.] My lord, I'll tell you what, your son has got the day, I'll give my barony:-never talk of it. [North.] Why should the gentleman that rode by Travers Give then such instances of loss? [L. Bardolf.] Tut, he? He was some hilding fellow, that had stolen Spoke at a venture.-Look, here comes more news. [North.] Yea, this man's brow, like to a title-leaf, Say, Morton, didst thou come from Shrewsbury? [North.] How doth my son,-and brother? Thou tremblest, and the whiteness of thy cheek And would have told him half his Troy was burn'd, |