And of so easy and fo plain a stop,

That the blunt monfter with uncounted heads,
The ftill-difcordant wavering multitude,

Can play upon it. But what need I thus
My well-known body to anatomize

Among my houfhold? Why is Rumour here?
I run before king Harry's victory;
Who, in a bloody field by Shrewsbury,

Hath beaten down young Hotfpur, and his troops,
Quenching the flame of bold rebellion

Even with the rebels' blood. But what mean I
To speak fo true at firft? my office is

To noife abroad, that Harry Monmouth fell
Under the wrath of noble Hotspur's fword;
And that the king before the Douglas' rage
Stoop'd his anointed head as low as death.
This have I rumour'd through the peasant towns
Between that royal field of Shrewsbury
And this worm-eaten hold of ragged ftone,"

6-fo eafy and fo plain a ftop,] The ftops are the holes in a flute or pipe. So, in Hamlet: "Govern thefe ventages with your finger and thumb :-Look you, these are the stops." Again : "You would feem to know my stops." STEEvens.

7 And this worm-eaten hold of ragged ftone,] The old copies read-worm-eaten hole. MALONE.

Northumberland had retired and fortified himself in his castle, a place of strength in those times, though the building might be impaired by its antiquity; and, therefore, I believe our poet

wrote:

And this worm-eaten hold of ragged Stone. THEOBALD. Theobald is certainly tight. So, in The Wars of Cyrus, &c. 1594:

Befieg'd his fortrefs with his men at arms,

"Where only I and that Libanio stay'd

66

By whom I live. For when the hold was loft," &c.

Again, in King Henry VI. P. III :

"She is hard by with twenty thousand men,

"And therefore fortify your hold, my lord." STEEVENS.

Where Hotspur's father, old Northumberland,
Lies crafty-fick: the pofts come tiring on,
And not a man of them brings other news
Than they have learn'd of me; From Rumour's

tongues

They bring smooth comforts falfe, worse than true

wrongs.

[Exit.

SECOND PART OF

KING HENRY IV.

ACT I. SCENE I.

The fame.

The Porter before the Gate; Enter Lord. BARDOLPH.

BARD. Who keeps the gate here, ho?-Where is the earl?

PORT. What shall I fay you are?

BARD.

Tell thou the earl,

That the lord Bardolph doth attend him here.

PORT. His lordship is walk'd forth into the or

chard;

Please it your honour, knock but at the gate,

And he himself will anfwer.

Enter NORTHUMBERLAND.

BARD.

Here comes the earl.

NORTH. What news, lord Bardolph? every mi

nute now

Where Hotspur's father, old Northumberland,
Lies crafty-fick: the pofts come tiring on,
And not a man of them brings other news
Than they have learn'd of me; From Rumour's

tongues

They bring smooth comforts false, worse than true

wrongs.

[Exit.

SECOND PART OF

KING HENRY IV.

ACT I. SCENE I.

The fame.

The Porter before the Gate; Enter Lord BARDOLPH.

BARD. Who keeps the gate here, ho?-Where is the earl?

PORT. What shall I fay you are?

BARD.

Tell thou the earl,

That the lord Bardolph doth attend him here.

PORT. His lordship is walk'd forth into the or

chard;

Please it your honour, knock but at the gate,

And he himself will answer.

Enter NORTHUMBERLAND.

BARD.

Here comes the earl.

NORTH. What news, lord Bardolph? every mi

nute now