of a calm world and a long peace; 7 ten times more difhonourably ragged, than an old, fac'd ancient; and fuch have I to fill up the rooms of them that have bought out their fervices; that you would think, I had a hundred and fifty tatter'd prodigals, lately come from fwine-keeping, from eating draff and husks. A mad fellow met me on the way, and told me, I had

7 ten times more dishonourably ragged, than an old, fac'd ancient; Shakespeare ufes this word fo promifcuously, to fignify an enfign or ftandard-bearer, and alfo the colours or ftandard borne, that I cannot be at a certainty for his allufion here. If the text be genuine, I think the meaning must be, as dishonourably ragged as one that has been an enfign all his days; that has let age creep upon him, and never had merit enough to gain preferment. Mr. Warburton, who understands it in the fecond conftruction, has fufpected the text, and given the following ingenious emendation." How is an old"fac'd ancient, or enfign, dishonourably ragged? on the con "trary, nothing is efteemed more honourable than a ragged

pair of colours. A very little alteration will restore it to its "original fenfe, which contains a touch of the ftrongest and "moft fine-turn'd fatire in the world;

Ten times more difhonourably ragged than an old feaft ancient: "i. e. the colours used by the city-companies in their feafts "and proceffions: for each company had one with its peculiar

device, which was ufually difplayed and borne about on "fuch occafions. Now nothing could be more witty or far"caftical than this comparison: for as Falftaff's raggamuffin's "were reduced to their tatter'd condition through their riotous "exceffes; fo this old feaft ancient became torn and fhatter'd, not in any manly exercife of arms, but amidst the revels of "drunken bacchanals." THEOBALD.

Dr. Warburton's emendation is very acute and judicious; but I know not whether the licentioufnefs of our author's diction may not allow us to fuppofe that he meant to reprefent his foldiers, as more ragged, though lefs honourably ragged, than an old ancient. JOHNSON.

An old, fac'd ancient, is an old ftandard mended with a different colour. It fhould not be written in one word, as old and fac'd are two diftinct epithets. To face a gown is to trim it; an expreffion at prefent in ufe. In our author's time the facings of gowns were always of a colour different from the ftuff itself. So in this play,

To face the garment of rebellion
With fome fine colour. STEEVENS.

2

unloaded

unloaded all the gibbets, and prefs'd the dead bodies. No eye hath feen fuch fcare-crows. I'll not march through Coventry with them, that's flat. Nay, and the villains march wide betwixt the legs, as if they had gyves on; for, indeed, I had the most of them out of prison. There's but a fhirt and a half in all my company and the half fhirt is two napkins tack'd together, and thrown over the fhoulders like a herald's coat without fleeves; and the fhirt, to fay the truth, stolen from my hoft of St. Albans, or the rednos'd inn-keeper of Daintry. But that's all one, they'll find linen enough on every hedge.

Enter prince Henry and Westmorland.

P. Henry. How now, blown Jack? how now, quilt?

Fal. What, Hal?-How now, mad wag, what a devil doft thou in Warwickshire ?-My good lord of Weftmorland, I cry you mercy; I thought your honour had already been at Shrewsbury.

Weft. 'Faith, Sir John, 'tis more than time that I were there, and you too; but my powers are there already. The king, I can tell you, looks for us all; we must away all to-night.

Fal. Tut, never fear me; I am as vigilant as a cat to steal cream.

P. Henry. I think, to steal cream, indeed; for thy theft hath already made thee butter. But tell me, Jack; whofe fellows are these that come after?

Fal. Mine, Hal, mine.

P. Henry. I did never fee fuch pitiful rascals.

Fal. Tut, tut; 9 good enough to tofs: food for powder, food for powder; they'll fill a pit, as well as better: tufh, man, mortal men, mortal men.

gyves on ;] i. e. fhackles. POPE.

good enough to tofs-That is, to toss upon a

pike. JOHNSON.

Weft.

Weft. Ay, but, Sir John, methinks they are exceeding poor and bare; too beggarly.

Fal. Faith, for their poverty, I know not where they had that and for their bareness, I am fure, they

never learn'd that of me.

P. Henry. No, I'll be fworn; unless you call three fingers on the ribs, bare. But, firrah, make haste. Percy is already in the field.

Fal. What, is the king encamp'd?

Weft. He is, Sir John; I fear we shall stay too

long.
Fal. Well,

To the latter end of a fray, and beginning of a feaft, Fits a dull fighter, and a keen guest.

SCENE III.

Changes to Shrewsbury.

[Exeunt.

Enter Hotspur, Worcester, Douglas, and Vernon.

Hot. We'll fight with him to-night.

Wor. It may not be.

Doug. You give him then advantage.

Ver. Not a whit.

Hot. Why fay you fo? looks he not for supply?

Ver. So do we.

Hot. His is certain, ours is doubtful.

Wor. Good coufin, be advis'd; ftir not to-night. Ver. Do not, my lord.

Doug. You do not counsel well;

You fpeak it out of fear, and cold heart.

Ver. Do me no flander, Douglas: by my life,
(And I dare well maintain it with my life)
If well-respected honour bid me on,

I hold as little counsel with weak fear,
As you, my lord, or any Scot that this day lives.

Let

Let it be seen to-morrow in the battle

Which of us fears.

Doug. Yea, or to-night.
Ver. Content.

Hot. To-night, fay I.

Ver. Come, come, it may not be. I wonder much,
Being men of fuch great leading as you are,
That you foresee not what impediments
Drag back our expedition: certain horse
Of my coufin Vernon's are not yet come up:
Your uncle Worcester's horse came but to-day;
And now their pride and mettle is asleep,
Their courage with hard labour tame and dull,
That not a horfe is half the half of himself.
Hot. So are the horses of the enemy,

In general, journey-bated, and brought low;
The better part of ours are full of rest.

Wor. The number of the king's exceedeth ours: For God's fake, coufin, ftay till all come in.

If

[The trumpets found a parley.

Enter Sir Walter Blunt.

Blunt. I come with gracious offers from the king, you vouchfafe me hearing, and refpect.

Hot. Welcome, Sir Walter Blunt; and would to

God,

You were of our determination!

Some of us love you well; and even those some
Envy your great defervings, and good name;
Because you are not of our quality,

But ftand against us like an enemy.

Blunt. And heaven defend, but still I should stand fo,

So long, as out of limit, and true rule,

You ftand against anointed majefty!

fuch great leading-] Such conduct, fuch expe

rience in martial bufinefs. JoHNSON.

But,

But, to my charge.-The king hath fent to know
The nature of your griefs; and whereupon
You conjure from the breaft of civil peace
Such bold hoftility, teaching his duteous land
Audacious cruelty: if that the king

Have any way your good deferts forgot,-
Which he confeffeth to be manifold,-

He bids you name your griefs, and with all speed
You shall have your defires, with interest;
And pardon abfolute for yourself, and these,
Herein mif-led by your fuggeftion.

Hot. The king is kind, and well we know the king

Knows at what time to promife, when to pay.
My father, and my uncle, and myself,
Did give him that fame royalty he wears:
And, when he was not fix-and-twenty ftrong,
Sick in the world's regard, wretched and low,
A poor unminded out-law, fneaking home,
My father gave him welcome to the shore:
And, when we heard him fwear, and vow to God,
He came to be but duke of Lancaster,
To fue his livery, and beg his peace,

With tears of innocence and terms of zeal,
My father, in kind heart and pity mov'd,
Swore him affistance, and perform'd it too.
Now, when the lords and barons of the realm
Perceiv'd Northumberland did lean to him,
They, more and lefs, came in with cap and knee;
Met him in boroughs, cities, villages:
Attended him on bridges, ftood in lanes,
Laid gifts before him, proffer'd him their oaths,
Gave him their heirs; as pages following him,
Even at the heels, in golden multitudes.
He presently, as greatnefs knows itself,
Steps me a little higher than his vow

Made to my father, while his blood was poor,

VOL. V.

Y

Upon