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Enter EARL OF WORCESTER, SIR RICHARD Vernon, and a Flag of Truce.

K. Hen. How now, my lord of Worcester? 'tis not well

That you and I should meet upon such terms

As now we meet: you have deceiv'd our trust;
And made us doff our easy robes of peace,
To crust our old limbs in ungentle steel:
This is not well, my lord, this is not well.
What say you to't?

Wor. (L.) 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, I do protest,

I have not sought the day of this dislike.

K. Hen. You have not sought it, sir! how comes it

then?

Fal. (R.) Rebellion lay in his way, and he found it.
P. Hen. [To Fals.] Peace, chewet, peace.

Wor. It pleas'd your majesty, to turn your looks
Of favour from myself, and all our house:
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 posted day and night
To meet you on the way, and kiss your hand,
When yet you were in place and in account
Nothing so strong and fortunate as I.

It was myself, my brother, and his son,
That brought you home, and boldly did outdare
The dangers of the time: you, swore to us,-
And you did swear that oath at Doncaster,-
That you did nothing purpose 'gainst the state;
Nor claim no further than your new-fall'n right,
The seat of Gaunt, dukedom of Lancaster:
To this we sware our aid. But, in short space,
It rain'd down fortune showering on your head;
And such a flood of greatness fell on you-
What with our help, what with the absent king-
You took occasion to be quickly woo'd
To gripe the general sway into your hand;
Forgot your oath to us at Doncaster ;
And, being fed by us, you us'd us so
As that ungentle gull, the cuckoo's bird,

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 enforc'd, for safety sake, to fly
Out of your sight, and raise this present head,
Whereby we stand oppos'd by such means
As you yourself have forg'd against yourself;
By unkind usage, dangerous countenance,
And violation of all faith and truth

Sworn to us in your younger enterprise.

K. Hen. These things, indeed, you have articulated, Proclaim'd at market crosses, read in churches,

To face the garment of rebellion

With some fine colour that may please the eye
Of fickle changlings, and poor discontents,
Which gape, and rub the elbow, at the news'
Of hurly burly innovation;

And never yet did insurrection want
Such water-colours, to impaint his cause;
Nor moody beggars, starving for a time
Of pell mell 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 daring, or more bold, is now alive,
To grace this latter age with noble deeds.

For my part, (R.) 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. [Rising.] And, Prince of Wales, so dare we venture thee; [Advancing.]

Albeit considerations infinite

Do make against it:-no, good Worcester, no; (c.)
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,
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, Vernon, and Flag of Truce, L. P. Her.. 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 heaven befriend us, as our cause is just!

[Exeunt the King, Prince John, Sir W. Blunt, Gentlemen, and Soldiers, L.

Fal. [Tapping the Prince on his back as he is going L.] Hal, if thou see me down in the battle, and bestride me, so: 'tis a point of friendship.

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

Fal. (L.) I would it were bed-time, Hal, and all well. P. Hen. Why, thou owest heaven a death. [Exit, L. Fal. (c.) 'Tis not due yet; I would be loth to pay him before his day. What need I be so forward with him that calls. not on me? Well, 'tis no matter: Honour pricks me on. Yea; but how if honour prick me off when I come on? How then? Can honour set-to a leg? No. Or an arm? No. Or take away the grief of a wound? No. Honour hath no skill in surgery then? No. What is honour? A word. What is that word honour? 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. Honour is a mere scutcheon; and so ends my catechism.

SCENE II.-Hotspur's Camp.

[Exit, L.

Enter EARL OF WORCESTER and SIR RICHARD

VERNON, L.

Wor. O, no; my nephew must not know, Sir Richard, The liberal kind offer of the king.

Ver. "Twere best he did.

Wor. Then are we all undone :

It is not possible, it cannot be,

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:
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 hair-brain'd Hotspur, 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, shall pay for all :
Therefore, good cousin, let not Harry know,
In any case, the offer of the king. ↑

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

Enter HOTSPUR, EARL OF DOUGLAS, Gentlemen,
Standards, and Soldiers, R.

Hot. (c.) My uncle is return'd ;-deliver up
My Lord of Westmoreland.- Uncle, what news?
Wor. (R.) The king will bid you battle presently.
Doug. (R. c.) Defy him by the Lord of Westmoreland.
Hot. Lord Douglas, then go you and tell him so.
Doug. Marry, and shall, and very willingly.

[Exit, R. Wor. There is no seeming mercy in the king. Hot. Did you beg any? Heaven 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. The Prince of Wales stepp'd forth before the king, And, nephew, challeng'd you to single fight..

Hot. (R. C.) 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 show'd his talking? seemed it in contempt ?
Ver. (L.) No, by my soul: I never in my life
Did hear a challenge urg'd more modestly;
Unless a brother should a brother dare,

F

To gentle exercise and proof of arms.
He gave you all the duties of a man ;

Trimm'd up your praises with a princely tongue;
Spoke your deservings like a chronicle,
Making you ever better than his praise :
And, which became him like a prince indeed,
He made a blushing cital of himself;
And chid his truant youth with such a grace,
As if he master'd there a double-spirit,
Of teaching, and of learning, instantly.
There did he pause: but let me tell the world,
If he out-live the envy of this day,

England did never owe so sweet a hope,
So much misconstrued in his wantonness.
Hot. Cousin, I think thou art enamoured
Upon his follies.

But, be he as he will, yet once ere night
I will embrace him with a soldier's arm
That he shall shrink under my courtesy.'

Enter EARL OF DOUGLAS, R.

Doug. Arm, gentlemen, to arms! for I have thrown. A brave defiance in King Henry's teeth,

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

Hot. Arm, arm with speed!

O, gentlemen, the time of life is short;

To spend that shortness basely, were too long,
If life did ride upon a dial's point,

Still ending at the arrival of an hour.

And, if we live, we live to tread on kings;
If die-brave death, when princes die with us!

Enter RABY, R.

Rab. I have a letter."

Hot. Away, I have not time to read them.

Rab. My lord, prepare; the king comes on apace. Hot. I thank him, that he cuts me from my tale;.

For I profess not talking: only this

Let each man do his best; and here draw I
A sword, whose temper I intend to stain
With the best blood that I can meet withal
In the adventure of this perilous day.
Sound all the lofty instruments of war,
And by that music let us all embrace ;