And

you
did swear that oath at Doncaster,-
That you did nothing purpose 'gainst the state;
Nor claim no further than your new-fallen right,
The seat of Gaunt, dukedom of Lancaster.
To this we swore our aid. But, in short space,
It rained down fortune showering on your head;
And such a flood of greatness fell on you,-
What with our help; what with the absent king;
What with the injuries of a wanton time;
The seeming sufferances that you had borne;
And the contrarious winds, that held the king
So long in his unlucky Irish wars,

That all in England did repute him dead,—
And, from this swarm of fair advantages,
You took occasion to be quickly wooed
To gripe the general sway into your hand;
Forgot your oath to us at Doncaster;
And, being fed by us, you used us so
As that ungentle gull, the cuckoo's bird,1
Useth the sparrow; did oppress our nest;
Grew by our feeding to so great a bulk,
That even our love durst not come near your sight,
For fear of swallowing; but with nimble wing
We were enforced, for safety sake, to fly
Out of your sight, and raise this present head:
Whereby we stand opposed by such means
As you yourself have forged against yourself;
By unkind usage, dangerous countenance,
And violation of all faith and troth

Sworn to us in your younger enterprise.

K. Hen. These things, indeed, you have articulated,3 Proclaimed at market-crosses, read in churches,

To face the garment of rebellion

With some fine color, that may please the eye

1 "The Titling, therefore, that sitteth, being thus deceived, hatcheth the egge, and bringeth up the chicke of another bird:-and this she doth so long, untill the young cuckow being once fledge and readie to flie abroad, is so bold as to seize upon the old titling, and eat up her that hatched her."-Pliny's Nat. Hist. by Holland, b. x. ch. 9.

2 i. e. we stand in opposition to you.

3 The quartos read articulate. To articulate is to set down in articles.

Of fickle changelings, and poor discontents,
Which gape, and rub the elbow, at the news
Of hurly-burly innovation.

And never yet did insurrection want
Such water colors, to impaint his cause;

Nor moody beggars, starving' for a time
Of pellmell havock and confusion.

P. Hen. In both our armies, there is many a soul Shall pay full dearly for this encounter,

If once they join in trial. Tell your nephew,
The prince of Wales doth join with all the world
In praise of Henry Percy. By my hopes,-
This present enterprise set off his head,-
I do not think a braver gentleman,
More active-valiant, or more valiant-young,
More daring, or more bold, is now alive,
To grace this latter age with noble deeds.
For my part, I may speak it to my shame,
I have a truant been to chivalry;

And so, I hear, he doth account me too :
Yet this before my father's majesty,-
I am content, that he shall take the odds
Of his great name and estimation;
And will, to save the blood on either side,

Try fortune with him in a single fight.

K. Hen. And, prince of Wales, so dare we venture

thee,

Albeit, considerations infinite

Do make against it.-No, good Worcester, no,2
We love our people well; even those we love,
That are misled upon your cousin's part ;
And, will they take the offer of our grace,
Both he, and they, and you, yea, every man
Shall be my friend again, and I'll be his.
So tell your cousin, and bring me word
What he will do.-But if he will not yield,
Rebuke and dread correction wait on us,

1 i. e. anxiously expecting a time.

2 Mason suggests that we should read, "Know, good Worcester, know," &c.

And they shall do their office. So, be gone;
We will not now be troubled with reply:
We offer fair; take it advisedly.

[Exeunt WORCESTER and VERNON.

P. Hen. It will not be accepted, on my life. The Douglas and the Hotspur both together Are confident against the world in arms.

K. Hen. Hence, therefore, every leader to his charge;

For, on their answer, will we set on them.

And God befriend us, as our cause is just!

[Exeunt KING, BLUNT, and PRINCE JOHN. Fal. Hal, if thou see me down in the battle, and bestride me,' so; 'tis a point of friendship.

P. Hen. Nothing but a colossus can do thee that friendship. Say thy prayers, and farewell.

Fal. I would it were bed time, Hal, and all well. P. Hen. Why, thou owest God a death. [Exit. Fal. 'Tis not due yet; I would be loath to pay him before his day. What need I be so forward with him that calls not on me? Well, 'tis no matter; honor pricks me on. Yea, but how if honor prick me off when I come on? how then? Can honor set to a leg? No. Or an arm? No. Or take away the grief of a wound? No. Honor hath no skill in surgery then? No. What is honor? A word. What is in that word, honor? What is that honor? Air. A trim reckoning! -Who hath it? He that died o' Wednesday. Doth he feel it? No. Doth he hear it? No. Is it insensible then? Yea, to the dead. But will it not live with the living? No. Why? Detraction will not suffer it.Therefore I'll none of it; honor is a mere scutcheon, and so ends my catechism.

[Exit.

1 In the battle of Agincourt, Henry, when king, did this act of friendship for his brother the duke of Gloucester.

SCENE II. The Rebel Camp.

Enter WORCESTER and VERNON.

Wor. O, no, my nephew must not know, sir Richard,

The liberal, kind offer of the king.

Ver. 'Twere best, he did.
Wor.

It is not possible, it cannot be,

Then we are all undone.

The king should keep his word in loving us;
He will suspect us still, and find a time

To punish this offence in other faults:

Suspicion all our lives shall be stuck full of eyes;1
For treason is but trusted like the fox;

Who, ne'er so tame, so cherished, and locked up,
Will have a wild trick of his ancestors.
Look how we can, or sad, or merrily,
Interpretation will misquote our looks;
And we shall feed like oxen at a stall,
The better cherished, still the nearer death.
My nephew's trespass may be well forgot;
It hath the excuse of youth, and heat of blood;
And an adopted name of privilege,-

A hare-brained Hotspur, governed by a spleen.
All his offences live upon my head,

And on his father's ;-we did train him on ;
And, his corruption being ta'en from us,
We, as the spring of all, shall pay for all.
Therefore, good cousin, let not Harry know,
In any case, the offer of the king.

Ver. Deliver what you will,

you will, I'll say, 'tis so.

Here comes your cousin.

1 The folio reads thus:-" Supposition, all our lives, shall be stuck full of eyes."

Enter HOTSPUR and DOUGLAS; and Officers and Soldiers, behind.

Hot. My uncle is returned.-Deliver up My lord of Westmoreland.1-Uncle, what news? Wor. The king will bid you battle presently. Doug. Defy him by the lord of Westmoreland. Hot. Lord Douglas, go you and tell him so. Doug. Marry, and shall, and very willingly. [Exit. Wor. There is no seeming mercy in the king. Hot. Did you beg any? God forbid ! Wor. I told him gently of our grievances, Of his oath-breaking; which he mended thus,— By now forswearing that he is forsworn. He calls us rebels, traitors; and will scourge With haughty arms this hateful name in us.

Re-enter DOUGLAS.

Doug. Arm, gentlemen; to arms! for I have thrown

A brave defiance in king Henry's teeth,

And Westmoreland, that was engaged, did bear it;
Which cannot choose but bring him quickly on.

Wor. The prince of Wales stepped forth before the king,

And, nephew, challenged you to single fight.

2

Hot. O, 'would the quarrel lay upon our heads; And that no man might draw short breath to-day, But I and Harry Monmouth! Tell me, tell me, How showed his tasking? Seemed it in contempt? Ver. No, by my soul; I never in my life Did hear a challenge urged more modestly, Unless a brother should a brother dare To gentle exercise and proof of arms. He gave you all the duties of a man;

1 Westmoreland was impawned as a surety for the safe return of Wor

cester.

2 Tasking as well as taxing was used for reproof. We still say, "He took him to task."