And suffer the condition of these times West. O my good lord Mowbray, Construe the times to their necessities, And you shall say indeed,-it is the time, And not the king, that doth you injuries. Yet, for your part, it not appears to me, Either from the king, or in the present time, That you should have an inch of any ground To build a grief on: Were you not restor❜d To all the duke of Norfolk's signories, Your noble and right well remember'd father's? Mowb. What thing in honour had my father lost, That need to be reviv'd and breath'd in me? The king that lov'd him as the state stood then, Was, force perforce, compell'd to banish him: And then, when Harry Bolingbroke, and he,Being mounted, and both roused in their seats, Their neighing coursers daring of the spur, Their armed staves in charge, their beavers down, Their eyes of fire sparkling through sights of steel, And the loud trumpet blowing them together; Then, then, when there was nothing could have staid My father from the breast of Bolingbroke, The earl of Hereford was reputed then But, if your father had been victor there, Were set on Hereford, whom they doted on, And bless'd, and grac'd indeed, more than the king. But this is mere digression from my purpose.- To know your griefs; to tell you from his grace, And it proceeds from policy, not love. West. Mowbray, you overween to take it so; Say you not then, our offer is compell'd. parley. Hast. Hath the Prince John a full commission, In very ample virtue of his father, To hear, and absolutely to determine Arch. Then take, my lord of Westmoreland, For this contains our general grievances; All members of our cause, both here and hence, In sight of both our battles we may meet: Arch. My lord, we will do so. [Exit WEST. Mowb. There is a thing within my bosom, tells me, That no conditions of our peace can stand. Hast. Fear you not that: if we can make our peace Upon such large terms, and so absolute, Arch. No, no, my lord; Note this,-the king Of dainty and such picking grievances: To new remembrance: For full well he knows, Hast. Besides, the king hath wasted all his rods Arch. 'Tis very true; And therefore be assur'd, my good lord marshal, Mowb. Be it so. Here is return'd my lord of Westmoreland. Re-enter WESTMORELAND. West. The prince is here at hand: Pleaseth your lordship, To meet his grace just distance 'tween our armies? Mowb. Your grace of York, in God's name then set forward. Arch. Before, and greet his grace: my lord, we come. [Exeunt. SCENE II. Another Part of the Forest. Enter, from one side, MOWBRAY, the Archbishop, HASTINGS, and Others: from the other side, PRINCE JOHN of Lancaster, WESTMORELAND, Officers, and Attendants. P. John. You are well encounter'd here, my cousin Mowbray : Good day to you, gentle lord archbishop ;- It is even so:-Who hath not heard it spoken, To us, the imagin'd voice of God himself; And our dull workings: O, who shall believe, Arch. Good my lord of Lancaster, I am not here against your father's peace: But, as I told my lord of Westmoreland, The time misorder'd doth, in common sense, Crowd us, and crush us, to this monstrous form, To hold our safety up. I sent your grace The parcels and particulars of our grief; The which hath been with scorn shov'd from the court, Whereon this Hydra son of war is born: Whose dangerous eyes may well be charm'd asleep, With grant of our most just and right desires: And true obedience of this madness cur'd, Stoop tamely to the foot of majesty. Mowb. If not, we ready are to try our fortunes To the last man. Hast. And though we here fall down, We have supplies to second our attempt; If they miscarry, theirs shall second them: And so, success of mischief shall be born; And heir from heir shall hold this quarrel up, Whiles England shall have generation. P. John. You are too shallow, Hastings, much too shallow, To sound the bottom of the after-times. West. Pleaseth your grace, to answer them directly, How far-forth you do like their articles? P. John. I like them all, and do allow them well: And swear here by the honour of my blood, My lord, these griefs shall be with speed redress'd; VOL. IV. X |