It rain'd down fortune show'ring on your head,
And such a flood of greatness fell on you,
What with our help, what with the absent King,
What with the Injuries of a wanton time,
The seeming suff'rances that you had borne,
And the contrarious winds ihat held the King
So long in the unlucky Irish wars,
That all in England did repute him dead :
And from this swarm of fair advantages
You took occasion to be quickly woo's,
To gripe the gen'ral 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 Cuckow's bird,
Useth the Sparrow; did oppress our neft,
Grew by our feeding to so great a bulk,
That ev'n our love durft not come near your light
For fear of swallowing; but with nimble wing
We were inforc'd for safety's sake to fly
Out of your sight, and raise this present head :
Whereby we stand opposed by such ineans
As you yourself have forg'd against yourself,
By unkind usage, dangerous countenance,
And violation of all faith and troth,
Sworn to us in your younger enterprize.

K. Henry. These things, indeed, you havearticulated,
Proclaim'd at market-crofles, and read in churches,
To face the garment of Rebellion
With some fine colour, that may please the eye
Of fickle Changelings 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 hayock and confusion.

P. Henry. In both our armies there is many a soul Shall pay full dearly for this bold 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 enterprize set off his head)
I do not think a braver gentleman,
More active, valiant, or more valued

young,
More daring, or more bold, is now alive,
To grace this latter

age

with noble deed.
For my part, 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. Henry. And, Prince of Wales, so dare we venture

thee,
Albeit, Confiderations infinite
Do make against it: No, good Worster, no,
We love our People well ; even those we love,
That are mis-led upon your Cousin's

part :
And, will they take the offer of our Grace,
Both he, and ihey, and you, yea, every man
Shall be my friend again, and I'll be his.
So tell your Cousin, and return 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.

[Exit Worcester, with Vernon. P. Henry. It will not be accepted, on my life. The Dowglas and the Hot-Spur both together Are confident against the world in arms. K. Henry. Hence, therefore, every Leader to his Charge. E 6

For

For on their answer we will set on them.
And God befriend us, as our cause is just! [Exeunt.

SCENE II.

Manent Prince Henry and Falstaff. Fal. HAL if thou see me down in the battel, and

beltride me, so ; 'tis a point of friendship. P. Henry. Nothing but a Colossus 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 owest heav'n a death.

Fal. '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. 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 dy'd. a 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? Detradion will not suffer it. Therefore, I'll none of it; honour is a mere scutcheon, and so ends my catechism.

[Exit S CE N E III.

Changes to Percy's Camp. Enter Worcester, and Sir Richard Vernon. Wor. No, my nephew must not know, Sir Richard,

The'liberal kind offer of the King. Ver. 'Twere beft, he did.

Wor. Then we are all undone. It is not possible, it cannot be,

The

ON

The King shou'd keep his word in loving us ;
He will suspect us ftill, and find a time
To punish this offence in other faults:
Suspicion, all our lives, shall be stuck full of eyes ;
For treason is but trusted like a Fox,
Who ne'er so tame, so cherishd, and lock'd up,
Will have a wild trick of his ancestors.
Look how we can, or sad, or merrily,
Interpretation will misquote our looks;
And we shall feed like Oxen at a stall,
The better cherish'd, still the nearer death.
My nephew's trespass may be well forgot,
It hath th' excuse of youth and heat of blood;
And an adopted name of privilege,
A hair-brain'd Hot-spur, 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 fo.
Here comes your cousin.

Enter Hot-spur and Dowglas.
Hot. Y uncle is return'd:

Deliver

up my
Uncle, what news ?

Wor. The King will bid you battle presently.
Dowg. Defy him by the lord of Westmorland.
Hot. Lord Douglas, go you then and tell him so.
Dowg. Marry, I shall; and very willingly.

[Exit Dowglas.
Wor. There is no seeming mercy in the King.
Hot. Did you beg any? God forbid !

Wor.

Wor. I told him gently of our grievances,
Of his oath-breaking; which he mended thus,
By now forfwearing that he is forsworn.
He calls us rebels, traitors, and will scourge
With haughty arms this hateful name in us.

Enter Dowglas.
Dowg. Arm. gentlemen, to arms; for I have thrown
A brave defiance in King Henry's teeth:
And Westmorland, that was engag'd, did bear it;
Which cannot chuse but bring him quickly on.
Wor. The Prince of Wales ftept forth before the

King,
And, Nephew, challeng'd you to fingle 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 shew'd his talking ? seemd it in contempt?

Ver. No, by my soul : I never in my life
Did hear a challenge urg'd more modestly,
Unless a brother should a brother dare,
To gentle exercise and proof of arms.
He gave you all the duties of a man,
Trim'd up your praises with a princely tongue,
Spoke your deservings like a chronicle,
Making you ever beiter than his Praise:
[By still dispraising Praise, valued with You.]
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'; never did I hear

But

: