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Sought to entrap me by intelligence;
Rated my uncle from the council-board;
In rage difmifs'd my father from the court;
Broke oath on oath, committed wrong on wrong
And, in conclufion, drove us to feek out
This head of fafety; and, withal, to pry
Into his title, the which we find
Too indirect for long continuance.

Blunt. Shall I return this anfwer to the king?
Hot. Not fo, Sir Walter; we'll withdraw a while.
Go to the king; and let there be impawn'd
Some furety for a fafe return again,
And in the morning early fhall my uncle
Bring him our purposes: and fo farewel.

[love.

The king, with mighty and quick-raised power,
Meets with lord Harry: and I fear, Sir Michael,-
What with the fickness of Northumberland,,
(Whofe power was in the firft proportion)
And what with Owen Glendower's abfence thence,
(Who with them was a rated finew 3 too,
And comes not in, o'er-rul'd by prophecies)-
I fear, the power of Percy is too weak
To wage an inftant trial with the king.
Sir Mich. Why, my good lord, you need not
There's Douglas and lord Mortimer.

York. No, Mortimer is not there.

[fear;

Sir Mich. But there is Mordake, Vernon, lord Harry Percy,

Blunt. I would, you would accept of grace and And there's my lord of Worcester, and a head Hot. And, may be, fo we fhall.

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Of gallant warriors, noble gentlemen.

[drawn York. And fo there is: but yet the king hath The fpecial head of all the land together ;-The prince of Wales, lord John of Lancafter, The noble Weftmoreland, and warlike Blunt; And many more corrivals, and dear men Of eftimation and command in arms.

Sir Mich. Doubt not, my lord, they fhall be well oppos'd.

York. I hope no lefs, yet needful 'tis to fear;

How much they do import, you would make hafte. And, to prevent the worit, Sir Michael, fpeed:

Sir Mich. My good lord,

I guess their tenor.

York. Like enough, you do.

To-morrow, good Sir Michae', is a day,
Wherein the fortune of ten thousand men

Muft 'bide the touch: For, fir, at Shrewsbury,
As I am truly given to understand,

For, if lord Percy thrive not, ere the king
Difmifs his power, he means to vifit us,-
For he hath heard of our confederacy,-

And 'tis but wifdom to make ftrong against him;
Therefore, make hafte: I must go write again
To other friends; and fo farewel, Sir Michael.
[Exeunt

SCENE I.

ACT V.

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OW bloodily the fun begins to peer!
Above yon bufky 4 hill the day
looks pale

At his diftemperature.

P. Henry. The fouthern wind
Doth play the trumpet to his purposes;
And, by his hollow whiftling in the leaves,
Foretells a tempeft, and a bluftering day.

K. Henry. Then with the lofers let it fympathize; For nothing can feem foul to thofe that win.-Trumpet. Enter Worcester, and Vernon.

How now, my lord of Worcester ? 'tis not well,
That you and I fhould meet upon fuch terms
As now we meet: You have deceiv'd our truft;
And made us doff our eafy robes of peace,"

To crufh our old limbs in ungentle fteel:
This is not well, my lord, this is not well.
What fay you to't? Will you again unknit
This churlish knot of all-abhorred war ?
And move in that obedient orb again,
Where you did give a fair and natural light;
And be no more an exhal'd meteor,
A prodigy of fear, and a portent

Of broached mifchief to the unborn times?
War. Hear me, my liege:

For mine own part, I could be well content
To entertain the lag-end of my life
With quiet hours; for, 1 do protest,

I have not fought the day of this diflike.
K. Henry. You have not fought it! how cômes it
then?

Fal. Rebellion lay in his way, and he found it. P. Henry. Peace, chewer 5, peace.

Wor. It pleas'd your majefty, to turn your looks Of favour from myfelf, and all our house;

3 i. e. ac

Meaning, this army, from which I hope for protection. 2 A brief is fimply a letter. counted a strong aid. 4 i. e. woody, from bofquet, Fr. 5 Theobald explains chewet, or chuet, to inean, a noify chattering bird, a pie'; while Mr. Steevens thinks it alludes to a kind of fat greaty puddings called chewets.

Hh 2

And

And yet I must remember you, my lord,
We were the first and dearest of your friends.
For you, my staff of office did I break

In Richard's time; and potted day and night
To meet you on the way, and kifs your hand,
When yet you were in place and in account
Nothing fo ftrong and fortunate as I.
It was myfelf, my brother, and his fon,
That brought you home, and boldly did outdare
The dangers of the time: You fwore to us,-
And you did fwear that oath at Doncaster,-
That you did nothing purpofe 'gainst the state;

For my part, I may fpeak it to my shame,
I have a truant been to chivalry;
And fo, I hear, he doth account me too :
Yet this before my father's majefty,—

I am content, that he fhall take the odds
Of his great name and eftimation;
And will, to fave the blood on either fide,
Try fortune with him in a single fight.

K. Henry. And, prince of Wales, fo dare we
venture thee,

Albeit, confiderations infinite

Do make against it :--No, good Worcester, no,

Nor claim no further than your new-fall'n right,We love our people well; even thofe we love,

The feat of Gaunt, dukedom of Lancaster :

To this we fware our aid. But, in fhort (pace,
It rain'd down fortune fhowering on your head;
And fuch a flood of greatnefs fell on you,-
What with our help; what with the abfent king;
What with the injuries of a wanton time 1;
The feeming fufferances that you had borne;
And the contrarious winds, that held the king
"So long in his unlucky Irish wars,

That are mi-led upon your coufin's part:
And, will they take the offer of our grace,
Both be, and they, and you, yea, every man
Shall be my friend again, and I'll be his :
So tell your coufin, and bring me word
What he will do:-But if he will not yield,
Rebuke and dread correction wait on us,
And they fhall do their office. So, be gone;
We will not now be troubled with reply:
We offer fair, take it advisedly.

[Exe. Wo cefler and Vernon.
P. Henry. It will not be accepted, on my life:
The Douglas and the Hotspur both together
Are confident against the world in arms.

K. Henry. Hence, therefore, every leader to his
charge:

For, on their antwer, we will fet on them:
And God befriend us, as our caufe is jut!

That all in England did repute him dead ;--
And, from this fwarm of fair advantages,
You took occafion to be quickly woo'd
To gripe the general fway into your hand:
Forgot your oath to us at Doncaster;
And, being fed by us, you us'd us fo
As that ungentle gull, the cuckow's bird,
Ufeth the fparrow 2: did oppress our neft;
Grew by our feeding to fo great a bulk,
That even our love durft not come near your fight,
For fear of fwallowing; but with nimble wing
We were enforc'd, for fafety fake, to fly
Out of your fight, and raife this prefent head:
Wherchy we ftand oppofed 3 by fuch means
As you yourself have forg'd against yourfelf;
By unkind ufage, dangerous countenance,
And violation of all faith and troth
Sworn to us in your younger enterprize. [lated 4,
K. Henry. Thefe things, indeed, you have articu-him before his day. What need I be fo forward
Proclaim'd at market-croffes, read in churches;
To face the garment of rebellion

With fome fine colour, that may please the eye
Of fickle changelings, and poor difcontents,
Which gape, and rub the elbow, at the news
Of hurly-burly innovation:

And never yet did infurrection want
Such water-colours to impaint his caufe ;
Nor moody beggars, starving for a time
Of pell-mell havock and confufion.

[foul

P. Henry. In both our armies, there is many
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 praife of Henry Percy: by my hopes,-
This prefent enterprize fet 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.

a

Extant King, Blunt, and Prince John. Fal. Hal, if thou fee me down in the battle, and beftride me, fo; 'tis a point of friendship.

P. Henry. Nothing but a coloffus can do thee that friendship. Say thy prayers, and farewel.

Fal. I would it were bed-time, Hal, and all well.
P. Henry. Why, thou oweft heaven a death.
[Exit Prince Heni y.
Fal. 'Tis not due yet; I would be loth to pay

with him that calls not on me? Well, 'tis no mat-
ter: Honour pricks me on. Yea, but how if ho-
nour prick me off when I come on? how then?
Can honour fet to a leg? No. Or an arm? No.
Or take away the grief of a wound? No. Honour
hath no fkill in furgery then? No. What is honour?
A word. What is that word, honour? Air. A
trim reckoning -Who hath it? He that dy'd oʻ
Wednesday. Doth he feel it? No. Doth he hear it?
No. Is it infenfible then? Yea, to the dead. But
will it not live with the living? No. Why? De-
traction will not fuffer it :-therefore I'll none of
it: Honour is a mere fcutcheon, and fo ends my
catechifm..
[Exil

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i. e. the injuries done by king Richard in the wantonnefs of profperity. 2 The cuckow's chicken, who, being hatched and fed by the fparrow, in whofe neft the cuckow's egg was laid, grows in time able to devour her nurse. 3 i. c. we ftand in oppolition to you. 4. e. cxhibited in articles.

The

The liberal kind offer of the king.
Ver. 'Twere beft, he did.
Wor. Then are we all undone.

It is not poflible, it cannot be,

The king fhould keep his word in loving us;
He will fufpect us ftill, and find a time
To punith this offence in other faults:
Sufpicion, all our lives, fhall be fuck full of eyes:
For treafon is but trufted like the fox';

Who, ne'er fo tame, fo cherish'd, and lock'd up,
Will have a wild trick of his ancestors.
Look how we can, or fad, or merrily,
Interpretation will mifquote our looks;
And we fhall feed like oxen at a ftall,
The better cherish'd, ftill the nearer death.
My nephew's trespass may be well forgot,
It hath the excufe of youth, and heat of blood;
And an adopted name of privilege,-

A hare-brain'd Hotípur, govern'd 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, thall pay for all.
Therefore, good coufin, let not Harry know,
In any cafe, the offer of the king.

Ver. Deliver what you will, I'll say, 'tis fo.
Here comes your cousin.

Enter Hotipur, and Douglas.

Hot. My uncle is return'd,-Deliver up
My lord of Weftmoreland.-Uncle, what news?
Wor. The king will bid you battle presently.
Doug. Defy him by the lord of Weftmoreland.
Hot. Lord Douglas, go you and tell him fo.
Doug. Marry, and fhall, and very willingly.
[Exit Douglas.
Wor. There is no feeming 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 forfwearing that he is forfworn.
He calls us, rebels, traitors; and will fcourge
With haughty arms this hateful name in us.
Re-enter Douglas.

Doug. Arm, gentlemen, to arms! for I

thrown

Trimm'd up your praifes with a princely tongue;
Spoke your defervings like a chronicle ;
Making you ever better than his praife,
By ftill difpraifing praife, valu'd with you:
And, which became him like a prince indeed,
He made a blushing cital 2 of himself;
And chid his truant youth with such a grace,
As if he master'd 3 there a double fpirit,
Of teaching, and of learning, inftantly,
There did he paufe: But let me teli the world,—
If he out-live the envy of this day,
England did never owe so sweet a hope,
So much misconstrued in his wantonnefs.

Het. Coufin, I think, thou art enamoured
Upon his follies; never did I hear
Of any prince fo wild, at liberty 4 :-
But, be he as he will, yet once ere night
I will embrace him with a foldier's arm,
That he fhall fhrink under my courtely.-
Arm, arm, with speed: -And, fellows, fol.

diers, friends,

Better confider what you have to do,
Than I, that have not well the gift of tongue,
Can lift your blood up with perfuafion,
Enter a

Melenger.

Meff. My lord, here are letters for you.
Hot. I cannot read them now.—

O gentlemen, the time of life is fhort;
If life did ride upon a dial's point,
To spend that fhortnefs bafely, were too long,

Still ending at the arrival of an hour.

An if we live, we live to tread on kings;
If die, Brave death, when princes die with us!
Now for our confciences, the arms are fair,
When the intent for bearing them is juft.
Enter another Messenger.

Maff. My lord, prepare; the king comes on

apace.

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Hot. I thank him, that he cuts me from my tale,
For I profefs not talking; Only this-

Let each man do his best: and here draw I
A fword, whofe temper I intend to stain
With the beft blood that I can meet withal
have In the adventure of this perilous day.

A brave defiance in king Henry's teeth,
And Weftmoreland, that was engag'd 1, did hear it
Which cannot chufe but bring him quickly on.
Wor. The prince of Wales ftept forth before the
king,

And, nephew, challeng'd you to single fight.

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 fhew'd his talking? feem'd it in contempt?
Ver. No, by my foul; I never in my life
Did hear a challenge urg'd more modeftly,
Unless a brother should a brother dare
To gentle exercife and proof of arms.
He gave you all the duties of a man ;

Engag'd is deliver'd as an hoftage.

;

Now,-Efperance 5 !--Percy!--and fet on.--
And by that mufic let us all embrace :
Sound all the lofty inftruments of war,
A fecond time do fuch a courtesy.
For, heaven to earth, fome of us never fhall

[The trumpets found. They embrace, then excunt,

SCENE

Plain near Shrewsbury.

III.

The King entereth with his power. Alarum to the
battle. Then enter Douglas and Blunt.
Blunt. What is thy name, that in the battle thus
Thou croffeft me? what honour doft thou seek
Upon my head?

Doug. Know then, my name is Douglas ;
And I do haunt thee in the battle thus,

2 i. e. recital.

3 i. e. was master of.

prince who played fuch pranks, and was not confined as a madman. battle on Percy's fide, and has always been the motto of the Percy family. prefent motto of the duke of Northumberland, and has been long used by his might wager heaven to earth,

4 i. e. of any

Efperance en Dieu is the predecessors, Pi.e. one

5 This was the word of

Becaufo

Because fome tell me that thou art a king.

Blunt. They tell thee true.
[bought
Doug. The lord of Stafford dear to-day hath
Thy likeneis; for, inftead of thee, king Harry,
This word hath ended him: fo thall it thee,
Unless thou yield thee as my prifoner.

P. Henry. What, is it a time to jeft and dally now ? [Throws it at him, and exit.

Fal. If Percy be alive, I'll pierce him. If he do come in my way, fo: if he do not,-if I come in his, willingly, let him make a carbonado? of me. I like not fuch grinning honour as Sir Walter hath : Bit. I was not born a yielder, thou proud Scot;Give me life: which if I can fave, fo; if not, hoAnd thou shalt find a king that will revenge nour comes unlook'd for, and there's an end. [Exit.

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Dang. Here.

[the king.
[well:

Hot. This, Douglas? no, I know this face full A galiant knight he was, his name was Blunt ; Semblably furnish'd like the king himself.

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Drug. A fool go with thy foul, whither it goes!
A borrow'd title haft thou bought too dear.
Why did thou tell me that thou wert a king?
Hot. The king hath many marching in his coats.
Doug. Now by my fword I will kill all his coats;
I'll murder all his wardrobe, piece by piece,
Until I meet the king.

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SCEN E IV.

Another part of the Field,
Excursions. Enter the King, the Prince,
Lord Jon of Lancaster, and the Earl of W‹ji-

moreland.

K. Henry, Harry, withdraw thyfelf; thou bleed'it too much :

Lord John of Lancafter, go you with him.

Lan. Not I, my lord, unless I did bleed too.
P. Henry. I befeech your majesty, make up,
Left your retirement do amaze your friends.
K. Henry. I will do fo :---

My lord of Weftmoreland, lead him to his tent.
W. Come, my lord, I will lead you to your tent.
P. Henry. Lead me, my lord? I do not need
your help:

And heaven forbid, a fhallow fcratch fhould drive
The prince of Wales from fuch a field as this ;
Where ftain'd nobility lies trodden on,

Fal. Though I could 'scape fhot-free at Lon-And rebels' arms triumph in maflacres ! don, I fear the fhot here; here's no fcoring, but Lan. We breathe too long:-Come, coufin upon the pate.-Soft! who at thou? Sir Walter

Westmoreland,

[Exeunt P. John and Weft. P. Henry. By heaven, thou haft deceiv'd me, Lancaster,

Blunt; there's honour for you: Here's no vani-Our duty this way lies; for heaven's fake, come. ty 3-I am as hot as molten lead, and as heavy too: Heaven keep lead out of me! I need no more weight than mine own bowels.-I have led my raggains where they are pepper'd; there's I did not think thee lord of fuch a fpirit: net, the my hundred and fifty left alive; and Before, I lov'd thee as a brother, John ; they are for the town's end, to beg daring life. But now, I do refpect thee as my foul. But who comes here?

Futer Prince Henry.

K. Henry. I faw him hold lord Percy at the point, With luthier maintenance than I did look for

P. Hon. What, ftand't thou idle here? lend Of fuch an ungrown warrior.

me thy fword:

Many a nobleman lies ftark and stiff
Under the hoofs of vaunting enemies,
Whofe deaths are uneveng'd: lend me thy fword.
Fal. O Ha, I pr'ythes, give me leave to breathe
awhile.---Turk, Gregory never did fuch deeds in
arms, as I have done this day. I have paid Percy,
I have made him fure 5.

P. H. He is, indeed; and living to kill thee.
I pryther, lend me thy fword.

6

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I am the Douglas, fatal to all thofe
That wear thote colours on them.--What art thou,
That counterfeit the perton of a king?

K. Hmy. The king hirofelf: who, Douglas,
grieves at heart,
So many of his fhadows thou hast met,
And not the very king. I have two boys
Scek Percy, and thyfelf, about the field:
But, feeing thou fall'it on me so luckily,
1 will affay thee; fo defend thyfelf.

Fal. Nay, Hal, if Percy be alive, thou get'it not my fword; but take my piftol, if thou wilt. P. Her. Give it me: What, is it in the cafe? Fal. Ay, Hal; 'tis hot, 'tis hot: there's that will fack a city. [The Prince draws out a bottle of fack. I i. e. in resemblance, alike. A play upon fet, as it means the part of a reckoning, and a piiffive weapon ditcharged from artillery. 3. In our author's time, the negative, in common fpeech, was used to defign, monically, the exccfs of a thing. 4 Meaning Gregory the Seventh, called Hildebrand. This furioa, friar furmounted almott invincible obitacles to deprive the emperor of his 1ight of inveltiture of byhops, which his prede: cflors had long attempted in vain. Fox, in his IIiftory, hath made this Gregory do odious, that I don't doubt but the good Projeitan's of that time wue weli pleak to hear him thus characterized, as uniting the attributes of their two great enemies, the Turk and Pop, in one. 5, Sure has two fignifications→certamb disposed of, and fife. "Falitafi ules it in the eule; the prince replies to it in the later. A quibble on the word fack. 7 A carts*. is a piece of meat cut crois-wile for the gridnon. Hiftory fays, the prince was wounded in the eye by 21 arról,

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Doug. I fear thou art another counterfeit ; And yet, in faith, thou bear it thee like a king : But mine, I am fure, thou art, whoe'er thou be, And thus I win thee.

[They fight; the King being in danger, enter Prince Henry.

P. Henry. Hold up thy head, vile Scot, or thou art like

Never to hold it up again! The fpirits

Of valiant Shirley, Stafford, Blunt, are in my arms:
It is the prince of Wales that threatens thee;
Who never promifeth but he means to pay.-
[They fight; Douglas flyeth.
Cheerly, my lord; How fares
your grace-
Sir Nicholas Gawfey hath for fuccour fent,
And fo hath Clifton; I'll to Clifton ftraight.
K. Henry. Stay, and breathe a-while :--
Thou haft redeem'd thy loft opinion:

They wound my thoughts, worfe than thy fword my fieth:

But thought's the flave of life, and life time's fool;
And time, that takes furvey of all the world,
Muft have a stop 1. O, I could prophesy,
But that the earthy and cold hand of death
Lies on my tongue :-No, Percy, thou art dust,
And food for
[Dies.

P. Henry. For worms, brave Percy: Fare thee
well, great heart!-

Ill-weav'd ambition, how much art thou shrunk !
When that this body did contain a spirit,
A kingdom for it was too fmall a bound;
But now two paces of the vileft earth

is room enough :--This earth, that bears thee dead, Bears not alive fo ftout a gentleman.

If thou wert fenfible of courtesy,

I fhould not make fo great a fhow of zeal :

And fhew'd, thou mak'it fome tender of my life, But let my favours 2 hide thy mangled face;

In this fair refcue thou haft brought to me.

P. Henry. O heaven; they did me too much injury,

And, even in thy behalf, I'll thank myself
For doing thefe fair rites of tenderness.
Adieu, and take thy praife with thee to heaven!
Thy ignominy fleep with thee in the grave,
But not remember'd in thy epitaph !---
[He fies Falstaf on the ground.
What old acquaintance! could not all this refl
Keep in a little life? Poor Jack, farewel!
I could have better spar'd a better man.
Sir Ni-O, I should have a heavy miss of thee,
[Exit. If I were much in love with vanity.

That ever faid, I hearken'd for your death.
If it were fo, I might have let alone
The infulting hand of Douglas over you;
Which would have been as fpeedy in your end,
As all the poisonous potions in the world,
And fav'd the treacherous labour of your fon.
K. Honry, Make up to Clifton, I'll to
cholas Gawicy.
Enter Hotspur.

Hot. If I mistake not, thou art Harry Monmouth.
P. Henry. Thou speak'ft as if I would deny my

name.

Hot. My name is Harry Percy.

P. Henry. Why, then I fee

A very valiant rebel of that name.

Death hath not ftruck fo fat a deer to-day,
Though many dearer, in this bloody fray
Imbowell'd will I fee thee by and by;
Till then, in blood by noble Percy lie.
Falfieff, rifing flowly.

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Fal. Imbowell'd! if thou imbowel me to-day, I'll give you leave to powder me 3, and eat me

I am the prince of Wales; and think not, Percy, too, to-morrow. 'Sblood, 'twas time to counter-
To fhare with me in glory any more:
Two itars keep not their motion in one fphere;
Nor can one England brook a double reign,
Of Harry Percy, and the prince of Wales..

Hot. Nor thall it, Harry, for the hour is come To end the one of us; And would to heaven, . Thy name in arms were now as great as mine! P. Henry. I'll make it greater, ere I part from

thee;

And all the budding honours on thy creft.
I'll crop, to make a garland for my head.
Hot. I can no longer brook thy vanities. [Fight.
Enter Falflaff.

Fal. Well faid, Hal! to it, Hai-Nay, you
fhall find no boy's play here, I can tell you.
Enter Douglas; be fights with Falstaff, who fall.
down as if he were dead. Percy is wounded, and
falls.

Het. O, Harry, thou haft robb'd me of my youth:)
I better brook the lofs of brittle life,
Than thofe proud titles thou haft won of me;

feit, or that hot termagant Scot had paid nie fcot and lot too. Counterfeit ! Ilie, I am no counterfeit: To die, is to be a 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--difcretion; in the which better part, I have faved my life. I am afraid of this gunpowder Percy, though he be dead: How if he fhould counterfeit too, and rite? I am afraid, he would prove the better counterfeit. Therefore I'll make him fure: yea, and I'll fwear I kill'd him. Why may he not rife, as well as I? Nothing confutes me but eyes, and no body fees me.-—————— Therefore, firrah, with a new wound in your thigh, come you along with me.

[Takes Hotspur on bis back. Re-enter Prince Henry, and John of Lancafe,. P. Henry. Come, brother John, full bravely

haft thou fiefh'd

1 Dr. Johnfon comments on this paffage thus: "Hotspur in his laft moments endeavours to confole himfelf. The glory of the prince wounds his thoughts; but thought, being dependent on life, muit ccale with it, and will foon be at an end. Life, on which thought depends, is itfelf of no great value, being the fool and fport of time; of time, which, with all its dominion over fublunary things, muft itfelf at lait be jtopped." 2 See note 3, p. 461. 3. To powder is to falt.

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