when the king had condescended vnto all that was resonable at his hands to be required, and seemed to humble himselfe more than was meet for his estate, the earle of Worcester (vpon his returne to his nephue) made relation cleane contrarie to that the king had said, in such sort that he set his nephues hart more in displeasure towards the king, than euer it was before; driuing him by that meanes to fight whether he would or not.

The armies are on the point of joining battle when Hotspur thus encourages his followers (V. ii. 82-89):

O Gentlemen, the time of life is short!

The ensuing excerpt contains a speech attributed to Hotspur, which has less martial ardour than is displayed in these lines. Henry's rapid advance obliged the rebels to desist

[Hol. iii. 522/2/60.] from assaulting the towne of Shrewesburie, which enterprise they were readie at that instant to haue taken in hand; and foorthwith the lord Persie (as a capteine of high courage) began to exhort the capteines and souldiers to prepare themselues to battell, sith the matter was growen to that point, that by no meanes it could be auoided, "so that" (said he) "this "daie shall either bring vs all to aduancement & honor, or else, if "it shall chance vs to be ouercome, shall deliuer vs from the kings "spitefull malice and cruell disdaine: for plaieng the men (as we ought to doo), better it is to die in battell for the common"wealths cause, than through cowardlike feare to prolong life, "which after shall be taken from vs, by sentence of the enimie."

Act V. sc. ii. 11. 97-101; sc. iii. ll. 1-29; sc. iv. ll. 1-86.-Hotspur, deceived by Worcester's false report of Henry's words, resolves to fight:

[Hol. iii. 523/1/57.] then suddenlie blew the trumpets, the kings part crieng, "S. George! vpon them!" the aduersaries cried, "Esperance! Persie !" and so the two armies furiouslie ioined. The archers on both sides shot for the best game, laieng on such load

L

Hall.
The Scots.

The Welsh

men come to

aid the Persies.

with arrowes, that manie died, and were driuen downe that never rose againe.

The Scots (as some write), which had the fore ward on the Persies side, intending to be reuenged of their old displeasures doone to them by the English nation, set so fiercelie on the kings fore ward, led by the earle of Stafford, that they made the same draw backe, and had almost broken their aduersaries arraie. The Welshmen also, which before had laine lurking in the woods, mounteines, and marishes, hearing of this battell toward, came to the aid of the Persies, and refreshed the wearied people with new succours. The king perceiuing that his men were thus put to distresse, what with the violent impression of the Scots, and the tempestuous stormes of arrowes, that his aduersaries discharged freely against him and his people,-it was no need to will him to stirre for suddenlie, with his fresh battell, he approched and relieued his men; so that the battell began more fierce than before. Here the lord Henrie Persie, and the earle Dowglas, a right stout and hardie capteine, not regarding the shot of the kings battell, nor the close order of the ranks, pressing forward togither, bent their whole forces towards the kings person; comming vpon The earle of him with speares and swords so fiercelie, that the earle of March, the Scot, perceiuing their purpose, withdrew the king from that side of the field (as some write) for his great benefit and safegard (as it appeared); for they gaue such a violent onset vpon them that stood about the kings standard, that, slaieng his standard-bearer sir Walter Blunt, and ouerthrowing the standard, they made the Earl of slaughter of all those that stood about it; as the earle of Stafford, that daie made by the king constable of the realme, and diuerse other.

[Valour of Hotspur and Douglas.]

March

[withdrew Henry from the side of the field

where Hotspur and Douglas fought].

Tho. Walsi.

[Sir Walter Blunt and

Stafford

slain.]

man;

The prince that daie holpe his father like a lustie yoong gentlefor although he was hurt in the face with an arrow, so that diuerse noble men, that were about him, would haue conueied him foorth of the field, yet he would not suffer them so to doo, least his departure from amongst his men might happilie haue striken some feare into their harts: and so, without regard of his hurt, he continued with his men, & neuer ceassed either to fight where the battell was most hot, or to incourage his men where it seemed

& well

The valiant
Douglas.

dooings of
the earle

most need. This battell lasted three long houres, with indifferent 4 sore battell fortune on both parts, till at length, the king, crieng, "saint maintained. "George! victorie!" brake the arraie of his enimies; and aduentured so farre, that (as some write) the earle Dowglas strake him downe, & at that instant slue sir Walter Blunt, and three other, apparelled in the kings sute and clothing, saieng: "I maruell to see so many kings thus suddenlie arise one in the necke of "other." The king, in deed, was raised, & did that daie manie noble feat of armes, for, as it is written, he slue that daie with his owne hands six and thirtie persons of his enimies. The other on his part, incouraged by his dooings, fought valiantlie, and slue the The lord lord Persie, called sir Henrie Hotspurre.1

an

a

Act V. sc. v.-Touching the numbers slain (11. 6-10), and the fates of Worcester and Vernon (1. 14), Holinshed says:

[He slew Blunt and three others

who wore

the King's

coat.]

The high

manhood of

the king.

Persie slaine,

Worcester

Knights kings part.

slaine on the

[Hol. iii. 523/2/52.] There was also taken the earle of The earle of Worcester, the procuror and setter foorth of all this mischeefe, sir taken. Richard Vernon, and . . . diuerse other. There were slaine vpon the kings part, beside the earle of Stafford, . . . sir Hugh Shorlie, sir John Clifton, . . . sir Robert2 Gausell, sir Walter Blunt,3. There died in all vpon the kings side sixteene hundred, and foure thousand were greeuouslie wounded. On the contrarie side were slaine, besides the lord Persie, the most part of the knights and esquiers of the countie of Chester, to the number of two hundred, besides yeomen and footmen: in all there died of those that fought on the Persies side, about fiue thousand. This battell was fought on Marie Magdalene euen, being saturdaie. Upon the mondaie folowing, the earle of Worcester, . . . and sir Richard Vernon... were condemned and beheaded. [p. 524] The earles head was sent to London, there to be set on the bridge.

Douglas is then released, "ransomlesse and free" (11. 27-31). Holinshed thus ends his account of the battle:

1 "Inter quos [the slain] Henricus Percy corruit interemptus, dubium cujus manu, suis, ignorantibus ejus casum, putantibus, ipsum regem captasse vel occidisse. Quamobrem se cohortantes, clamabant ingementes, 'Henry Percy Kinge.' Quorum clamores rex intelligens, ne vana spe deducti certarent ulterius, clamavit et ipse voce qua valuit, Mortuus est Henricus Percy.'" -Ott., 243. 2 Robert] Nicholas Hol. "Sir Nicholas Gawsey..

3 "Sherly, Stafford, Blunt" (V. iv. 41). Clifton" (V. iv. 45, 46).

The

slaughter of

Cheshire men

at this battell.

The earle of and others

Worcester

beheaded.

The earle Dowglas taken

prisoner.

[Hol. iii. 523/2/46.] To conclude, the kings enimies were vanquished, and put to flight; in which flight, the earle of Dowglas, for hast, falling from the crag of an hie mounteine, brake one of his cullions, and was taken, and for his valiantnesse, of the king frankelie and freelie deliuered.

VII. THE SECOND PART OF KING HENRY IV.

The Second part of Henrie the fourth is separated from the preceding play by a historic interval of nearly two years, which elapsed between the battle of Shrewsbury (July 21, 1403) and Archbishop Scrope's rebellion (May-June, 1405). Dramatic action pauses while Morton is speeding to the Earl of Northumberland with the news of Hotspur's defeat and death. The historic period dramatized in the two Parts of Henry IV. closes with Henry V.'s coronation on April 9, 1413.

Act I. sc. i.-For the brief space of time filled by Morton's warning -that a "speedy power" (1. 133) has been sent against Northumberland-historic and dramatic dates coincide. Though Sir Robert Waterton-not Prince John-was Westmoreland's colleague, we may fairly identify the "power" spoken of by Morton with the "armie " which, as the ensuing passage shows, was 'got on foot' to meet Northumberland.

[Hol. iii. 524/1/3.] The earle of Northumberland was now marching forward with great power, which he had got thither, either to aid his sonne and brother (as was thought) or at the least towards the king, to procure a peace; but the earle of Westmerland, and sir Robert Waterton, knight, had got an armie on foot, and meant to meet him. The earle of Northumberland, taking neither of them to be his freend, turned suddenlie backe, Northumber and withdrew himselfe into Warkewoorth castell.

The earle of
Westmer-

land raiseth

a power

earle of

land.

Northumberland's submission, however, averted a battle, and peace was restored until he gave countenance to Archbishop Scrope's revolt in 1405.

Act I. sc. iii.-Archbishop Scrope and his fellow-conspirators discuss their chances of success, and resolve to move at once, without waiting for Northumberland. Nothing in this scene admits of historical comment except Hasting's report (11. 70-73) that the King's

diuisions, as the times do brawle,

Are in three heads one power against the French,
And one against Glendower; perforce a third
Must take vp vs: ...

1

The third power is commanded by Prince John 1 and Westmoreland, the King and Prince Henry will encounter the Welsh, but "no certaine notice has been obtained of the leader who will oppose the French (11. 82-85).

Shakspere seems to have antedated some assistance rendered by the French to Glendower in the summer of 1405, after Archbishop Scrope's revolt had been suppressed. About this time 2

[Hol. iii. 531/1/8.] the French king had appointed one of the marshals of France, called Montmerancie, and the master of his crosbowes, with twelue thousand men, to saile into Wales to aid Owen Glendouer. They tooke shipping at Brest, and, hauing the wind prosperous, landed at Milford hauen, with an hundred and fourtie ships, as Thomas Walsingham saith; though Enguerant de Monstrellet maketh mention but of an hundred and twentie.

Failing to capture Haverfordwest,

Glendower at Denbigh.]

[Hol. iii. 531/1/37.] they departed towards the towne of They met Denbigh, where they found Owen Glendouer abiding for their comming, with ten thousand of his Welshmen. Here were the Frenchmen ioifullie receiued of the Welsh rebels, and so, when all things were prepared, they passed by Glamorganshire towards Worcester, and there burnt the suburbes: but, hearing of the kings approch, they suddenlie returned towards Wales.

Act II. sc. iii.-Moved by the prayers of his wife and daughter-inlaw the Earl of Northumberland determines to seek refuge for a while in Scotland, though he would fain "go to meete the Archbishop (1. 65). But the historical fact is that Scrope was executed before Henry marched against Northumberland, who,

[Hol. iii. 530/2/35.] hearing that his counsell was bewraied, and his confederats brought to confusion, through too much hast of the archbishop of Yorke, with three hundred horsse got him to Berwike. The king comming forward quickelie, wan the castell of

1 Wrongly styled "Duke of Lancaster" (1. 82) by Shakspere. This title was borne by Henry Prince of Wales.-Rot. Parl., iii. 428/i.

2 In a writ addressed to the Sheriff of Hereford, and dated from Pomfret Castle, "vii die Augusti" [1405], Henry says that the arrival of the French at Milford Haven "ad nostrum jam noviter pervenit intellectum."-Rymer, viii. 405. The French embarked about the end of July, 1405. When the wind favoured them, they set sail, and landed at Milford Haven.-St. Denys, iii. 328. According to Chron. Normande (370), they sailed on July 22, 1405, and remained in Wales until November 1 next following.

The suburbs burnt.

of Worcester

[The French

and Welsh

retreated when Henry approached.