THE DEATH OF HENRY IV.

From Book IV. of Daniel's Poem on the Civil Wars (published in 1595).

LXXXI.

Whereby once more those parts are quieted;
When as the king (who never had his brow
Seen free from sweat, nor heart from trouble rid)
Was, with suspicion that his son grew now
Too popular, and forward, so much fed

By wicked instruments (who well knew how
To gain by princes' fears) as he thereby

Fell in his grief to great extremity.

LXXXII.

Which when that virtuous prince (who born to be The model of a glorious monarch) heard,

With humble protestations did so free

His father's fears, and his own honour cleared,
As that he plainly made the world to see
How base detraction and deceit appeared;
And that a heart so nobly built could not
Contain (within) a thought that wore a blot,

LXXXIII.

Wherewith the king betakes him to some peace;
Yet to a peace much like a sick man's sleep,
(Whose unrelenting pains do never cease,
But always watch upon his weakness keep),
That never any Sabbath of release

Could free his travails and afflictions deep :
But still his cares held working all his life,
Till death concludes a final end with strife.

LXXXIV.

Whose herald, sickness, being employed before,
With full commission to denounce his end;
And pain and grief enforcing more and more,
Besieged the hold that could not long defend ;
Consuming so all that resisting store

Of those provisions nature deigned to lend,
As that the walls (worn thin) permit the mind
To look out thorough, and his frailty find.

LXXXV.

For now (as if those vapours vanished were,
Which heat of boiling blood and health did breed
To cloud the judgment) things do plain appear
In their own colours, as they are indeed;
When as th' illightened soul discovers clear
Th' abusive shows of sense, and notes with heed
How poor a thing is pride; when all, as slaves,
Differ but in their fetters, not their graves.

LXXXVI.

And lying on his last, afflicted bed,

Pale death and conscience both before him stand;
Th' one holding out a book, wherein he read
In bloody lines the deeds of his own hand:
The other shows a glass, which figuréd

An ugly form of foul corrupted sand;

Both bringing horror in the high'st degree,

With what he was, and what he soon should be.

LXXXVII.

Which seeing (all trembling, and confused with fear), He lay a while amazed with this affright:

At last commands some that attending were,
To fetch the crown, and set it in his sight:
On which, with fixéd eye, and heavy cheer,
Casting a look-" O God," saith he,

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what right

I had to thee, I now in grief conceive!
Thee-which with blood I held, with horror leave!"

LXXXVIII.

And herewithal, the soul (rapt with the thought
Of mischiefs past) did so attentive weigh
These present terrors, whilst (as if forgot)
The dull oppressed body senseless lay;

That he as breathless quite, quite dead is thought:
When lo! the son comes in, and takes away
This fatal crown from thence; and out he goes,
As if impatient longer time to lose.

LXXXIX.

To whom (called back for this presumptuous deed) The king, returned from out his ecstasy,

Began-“O son, what need'st thou make such speed To be beforehand with thy misery?

Thou shalt have time enough, if thou succeed,

To feel the storms that beat on dignity.

And if thou coulds't but be (be any thing)

In liberty, then never be a king."

XC.

"Nay, father, since your fortune did attain So high a stand, I mean not to descend," Replies the prince, as if what you did gain, I were of spirit unable to defend.

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Time will appease them well, who now complain.
And ratify our interest in the end.

What wrong hath not continuance quite outworn?
Years make that right, which never was so born.»

XCI.

"If so, God work His pleasure," said the king: "Yet thou must needs contend with all thy might, Such evidence of virtuous deeds to bring,

That well may prove our wrong to be our right;
And let the goodness of the managing

Rase out the blot of soul attaining quite;
That discontent may all advantage miss,

To wish it otherwise than now it is.

XCII.

"And since my death my purpose doth prevent, Touching this Holy War I took in hand (An action wherewithal my soul had meant T' appease my God, and reconcile my land), To thee is left to finish my intent;

Who, to be safe, must never idly stand:
But some great actions entertain thou still,
To hold their minds, who else will practise ill.

XCIII.

"Thou hast not that advantage by my reign, To riot it, as they whom long descent Hath purchased love by custom: but with pain Thou must contend to buy the world's content, What their birth gave them thou hast yet to gain, By thine own virtues and good government; So that unless thy worth confirm the thing, Thou never shalt be father to a king.

XCIV.

"Nor art thou born in those calm days, where rest Hath brought asleep sluggish security:

But in tumultuous times, where minds addressed
To factions, are inured to mutiny;

A mischief, not by force to be suppressed,

Where rigour still begets more enmity.

Hatred must be beguiled with some new course,

Where states are stiff, and princes doubt their force.'

XCV.

This, and much more, affliction would have said,

Out of th' experience of a troublous reign,

For which his high desires had dearly paid

The int'rest of an ever-toiling pain,

But that this all-subduing pow'r here stayed

His falt'ring tongue; and pain (t' enforce 't again)
Barred up th' oppressed passages of breath,
To bring him quite under the state of death,

Warkworth.

Opposites
to the
King.

SHALLOW and Country
SILENCE,

Justices.

DAVY, Servant to Shallow.
MOULDY, SHADOW, WART,
FEEBLE, and BULL-CALF,
Recruits.

FANG and SNARE, Sheriff's
Officers.

A Porter.

LADY NORTHUMBERLAND.
LADY PERCY.
Hostess QUICKLY.
DOLL TEAR-SHEET.

Lords, and Attendants; Officers, Soldiers, Messenger, Drawers, Beadles, Grooms, &c., RUMOUR, the Presenter, A Dancer, Speaker of the Epilogue.

SCENE-ENGLAND.

INDUCTION.

Before NORTHUMBERLAND's Castle.

Enter RUMOUR, painted full of tongues.

Rum. Open your ears; for which of you will

stop