(1) The FIRST PART of

HEN

i

R Y

IV.

A C T
ст I.

SCENE, the Court in London.

Enter King Henry, Lord John of Lancaster, Earl of Weftmorland, and others.

S

King HENRY.

O fhaken as we are, fo wan with care,

Find we a time for frighted peace to pant,

And breathe short-winded accents of new broils

To be commenc'd in fronds afar remote,
No more the thirsty entrance of this foil (2)

Shall

(1) The 1ft Part of Henry IV.] The tranfactions, contain'd in this hiftorical drama, are comprized within the period of about 10 months: For the action commences with the news brought of Hotspur having defeated the Scots under Archibald Earl Douglas at Holmedon, (or Hair down hill) which battle was fought on Holyrood day; (the 14th of September, 1402) and it clofes with the defeat and death of Hotspur at Shrewsbury; which engagement happen'd on Saturday the 21st of July (the eve of St. Mary Magdalen) in the year 1403.

(2) No more the thirty entrance of this foil

Sball daub ber lips ber own children's blood:] Thus the oldeft Quarto and the firft Folio. I have chofe to read with fome of the more recent impreffions, damp : And if I do not mistake the sense of

*

the

Shall damp her lips with her own children's blood:
No more fhall trenching war channel her fields,
Nor bruise her flowrets with the armed hoofs
Of hostile paces. Thofe oppofed eyes,
Which, like the meteors of a troubled Heav'n,
All of one nature, of one substance bred,
Did lately meet in the inteftine shock
And furious close of civil butchery,
Shall now in mutual well-befeeming ranks
March all one way; and be no more oppos'd
Against acquaintance, kindred, and allies:
The edge of war, like an ill-fheathed knife,
No more fhall cut his mafter. Therefore, friends,
As far as to the fepulchre of Chrift,

(Whofe foldier now, under whose blessed cross
We are impreffed, and engag'd to fight)
Forthwith a power of English fhall we leavy;
Whofe arms were moulded in their mothers' womb,
To chafe thefe pagans, in thofe holy fields
Over whofe acres walk'd those bleffed feet,
Which, fourteen hundred years ago, were nail'd
For our advantage on the bitter crofs.

But this our purpose is a twelvemonth old,
And bootlefs 'tis to tell you we will go.

Therefore, we meet not now: Then let me hear,

the paffage, the antithefis, that seems defign'd, requires this reading. Entrance of this foil, I apprehend, cannot well mean an invasion of the kingdom: Nor could the King have a reafon to fay, that England hould never again be attempted by hoftile arms. The expreffon is very obfcure; but I take this to be the mean ng: That the thirfy earth, chapt and flaw'd with drought, fhall no more damp, or moisten her lips, or furface, with her own children's blood. The dry earth drinking in this manner, is a very natural allufion, and frequent with

Our author.

So, in his troublefom reign of King John;

Is all the blood, yfpilt on either part,
Clofing the crannies of the thirfly earth,
Grown to a love-game, and a bridal feaß 2

3 Henry VI,

Thy brather's blood the thirffy earth hàth drunk. Titus Andronicus.

Let my tears flanch the earth's dry appetite.

of

Of you my gentle coufin Westmorland,
What yefternight our council did decree,
In forwarding this dear expedience.

Weft. My Liege, this hafte was hot in question,
And many limits of the charge fet down

But yefternight: When, all athwart, there come
A poft from Wales, loaden with heavy news;
Whofe worst was, that the noble Mortimer,
Leading the men of Herefordshire to fight
Against th' irregular and wild Glendower,
Was by the rude hands of that Welshman taken;
A thousand of his people butchered,

Upon whofe dead corps there was fuch misuse,
Such beaftly, fhameless transformation,
By thofe Welfwomen done, as may not be,
Without much fhame, re-told or spoken of.

K. Henry. It feems then, that the tidings of this broil Brake off our business for the holy land.

Weft. This, matcht with other, did, my gracious Lord & For more uneven and unwelcome news

Came from the north, and thus it did import.
On holy-rood day, the gallant Hot-Spur there,
Young Harry Percy, and brave Archibald,
That ever-valiant and approved Scot,
At Holmedon fpent a fad and bloody hour:
As by discharge of their artillery,

And fhape of likelihood, the news was told ;
For he, that brought it, in the very heat
And pride of their contention, did take horse,
Uncertain of the iffue any way.

K. Henry. Here is a dear and true industrious friend, Sir Walter Blunt, new lighted from his horse (3),

(3) Sir Walter Blunt, new lighted from bis borse,

Stain'd with the variation of each foil,

Stain'd

Betwixt that Holmedon, &c.] This circumftance of Blunt's fpeed, and being befpatter'd with the different dirt of each county, was look'd son, I apptehend, in a ludicrous light by fome carpers; at least, I find it parodied in an old comedy, and apply'd to a perfon in a fcuffie tumbled into the dirt,

so your

Stain'd with the variation of each foil

Betwixt that Holmedon, and this feat of ours :
And he hath brought us fmooth and welcome news.
The Earl of Douglas is difcomfited,

Ten thousand bold Scots, three and twenty Knights,
Balk'd in their own blood did Sir Walter fee
On Holmedon's plains. Of prifoners, Hot-Spur took
Mordake the Earl of Fife, and eldest fon

To beaten Douglas, and the Earls of Athol,
Of Murry, Angas, and Menteith.

And is not this an honourable spoil ?

A gallant prize? ha, coufin, is it not?

Weft. In faith, a conqueft for a Prince to boaft of. K. Henry. Yea, there thou mak'ft me fad, and mak't In envy, that my Lord Northumberland

Should be the father of fo bleft a fon :

A fon, who is the theme of honour's tongue :
Amongst a grove, the very ftreightest planti
Who is fweet Fortune's minion, and her pride :
Whilft I, by looking on the praise of him,
See riot and dishonour stain the brow

[me fin

Of my young Harry. O could it be prov'd,
That fome night-tripping fairy had exchang'd,
In cradle-cloaths, our children where they lay,
And call'd mine Percy, his Plantagenet';
Then would I have his Harry, and he mine.
But let him from my thoughts.-What think you cousin,
Of this young Percy's pride? the prifoners,
Which he in this adventure hath furpriz'd,
To his own use he keeps, and fends me word,
I shall have none but Mordake Earl of Fife.

Weft. This is his uncle's teaching, this is Worcester, Malevolent to you in all aspects;

Which makes him prune himself, and bristle up

The creft of youth against your dignity.

your band and doublet

Torn from your neck and back; and your brave breeches

Stain d'with the variation of each foil.

Merry Milk maids, Ac. 2. Sc. 2.
K. Henry.

K. Henry But I have fent for him to answer this;
And for this caufe awhile we must neglect
Our holy purpofe to Jerufalem.

Coufin, on Wednesday next, our council we
Will hold at Windfor, fo inform the Lords:
But come yourself with fpeed to us again;
For more is to be faid, and to be done,
Than out of anger can be uttered.
Weft. I will, my Lieges

[Exeunt.

SCENE an apartment of the Prince's.

N

Enter Henry Prince of Wales, and Sir John Falstaff. Fal. OW, Hal, what time of day is it, lad? P: Henry. Thou art fo fat-witted with drinking old fack, and unbuttoning thee after fupper, and fleeping upon benches in the afternoon, that thou haft forgotten to demand that truly, which thou would't truly know. What a devil haft thou to do with the time of the day unless hours were cups of fack, and minutes capons, and clocks the tongues of bawds, and dials the figns of leaping-houses, and the bleffed fun himself a fair hot wench in flame-colour'd taffata; I fee no reason why thou should't be fo fuperfluous, to demand the time of the day.

Fal. Indeed, you come near me now, Hal. For we, that take purses, go by the moon and seven stars, and not by Phœbus, he, that wandering knight fo fair. And, I pray thee, sweet wag, when thou art King- as God fave thy Grace, (Majefty, I fhould fay; for grace thou wilt have none.)

P. Henry. What! none?

Fal. No, by my troth, not fo much as will ferve to be prologue to an egg and butter.

P. Henry. Well, how then? come, roundly, roundlyFal. Marry, then, sweet wag, when thou art King (4), let

(4) Let not us; that are Squires of the night's body, be call'd thieves of the day's beauty.] This conveys no manner of idea to me. How could they he call'd thieves of the day's beauty? they robb'd by moon