West. This will I show the general. Please you, lords, In sight of both our battles we may meet: And either end in peace, which heaven so frame! Or to the place of difference call the swords Which must decide it. Arch. My lord, we will do so. [Exit WEST. Mowb. There is a thing within my bosom, tells me, That no conditions of our peace can stand. Hast. Fear you not that: if we can make our peace Our peace shall stand as firm as rocky mountains. Arch. No, no, my lord; Note this, the king is weary Of dainty and such picking 26 grievances: For he hath found,-to end one doubt by death, 23 To consist, to rest; consisto.-Baret. So in Pericles :Then welcome peace, if he on peace consist.' 24 Trivial. 25 The faith due to a king. So in King Henry VIII. :-' The citizens have shown at full their royal minds,' i. e. their minds well affected to the king. 26 Piddling, insignificant. 27 Alluding to the table books of slate, ivory, &c. used by our ancestors. That may repeat and history his loss, To new remembrance: For full well he knows, Hast. Besides, the king hath wasted all his rods On late offenders, that he now doth lack The very instruments of chastisement: So that his power, like to a fangless lion, May offer, but not hold. Arch. Our peace will, like a broken limb united, Mowb. Be it so. Here is return'd my lord of Westmoreland. Re-enter WESTMORELAND. West. The prince is here at hand: Pleaseth your lordship, To meet his grace just distance 'tween our armies? Mowb. Your grace of York, in God's name then set forward. Arch. Before, and greet his grace: my lord, we [Exeunt. come. VOL. V. G G SCENE ILI Another Part of the Forest. Enter, from one side, MOWBRAY, the Archbishop, HASTINGS, and Others: from the other side, PRINCE JOHN of Lancaster, WESTMORELAND, Officers, and Attendants. P. John. You are well encounter'd here, my cousin Mowbray : Good day to you, gentle lord archbishop ;- Than now to see you here an iron man1, To us, the speaker in his parliament; To us, the imagin'd voice of God himself; Between the grace, the sanctities of heaven, 6 1 Holinshed says of the Archbishop, that, coming foorth amongst them clad in armour, he encouraged and pricked them foorth to take the enterprize in hand.' 2 This expression has been adopted by Milton: 'Around him all the sanctities of heaven Stood thick as stars.' 3 Dull workings are labours of thought. So in King Henry V. : The forge and working-house of thought.' But you misuse the reverence of your place; The subjects of his substitute, my father; Arch. Good my lord of Lancaster, I am not here against your father's peace: But, as I told my lord of Westmoreland, The time misorder'd doth, in common sense 5, Crowd us, and crush us, to this monstrous form, To hold our safety up. I sent your grace The parcels and particulars of our grief; The which hath been with scorn shov'd from the court, Whose dangerous eyes may well be charm'd asleep", Mowb. If not, we ready are to try our fortunes To the last man. Hast. And though we here fall down, We have supplies to second our attempt; If they miscarry, theirs shall second them: And so, success of mischief shall be born; And heir from heir shall hold this quarrel up, Whiles England shall have generation. P. John. You are too shallow, Hastings, much too shallow, To sound the bottom of the after-times. 4 Raised up in arms. 5 Common sense is the general sense of general danger. 6 Alluding to the dragon charmed to rest by the spells of Medea. 7 Succession. West. Pleaseth your grace, to answer them di rectly, How far-forth do you like their articles? P. John. I like them all, and do allow them well : My lord, these griefs shall be with speed redress'd; Arch. I take your princely word for these redresses. P. John. I give it you, and will maintain my word: And thereupon I drink unto your grace. Hast. Go, captain [To an Officer], and deliver to the army This news of peace; let them have pay, and part: I know, it will well please them; Hie thee, captain. [Exit Officer. Arch. To you, my noble lord of Westmoreland. West. I pledge your grace: And, if you knew what pains I have bestow'd, to breed this present peace, Arch. I do not doubt 8 Approve. you. 9 It was Westmoreland who made this deceitful proposal, as appears from Holinshed :— The earl of Westmoreland, using more policie than the rest, said, whereas our people have been long in armour, let them depart home to their woonted trades: In the mean time let us drink togither in signe of agreement, that the people on both sides may see it, and know that it is true, that we be light at a point.' |