For

Wor. It pleas'd your majesty, to turn your looks
Of favour, from myself, and all our house;
And yet I must remember you, my lord,
We were the first and dearest of your friends.
2
you, my
ftaff of office I did break
In Richard's time; and posted day and night
To meet you on the way, and kifs your hand,
When yet you were in place and in account
Nothing fo strong and fortunate as I.

It was myself, my brother, and his fon,
That brought you home, and boldly did out-dare
The dangers of the time. You fwore to us,
And you did fwear that oath at Doncafter,
That you did nothing purpose 'gainst the state;
Nor claim no further than your new-fall'n right,
The feat of Gaunt, dukedom of Lancaster.
To this, we fwore our aid: but in fhort space
It rain'd down fortune fhowering on your head;
And fuch a flood of greatnefs fell on you-
What with our help, what with the absent king;
What with the injuries of a wanton time;
The feeming fufferances that you had borne;
And the contrarious winds that held the king
So long in the unlucky Irish wars,

That all in England did repute him dead ;—
And, from this fwarm of fair advantages
You took occafion to be quickly woo'd,
To gripe the general fway into your hand;
Forgot your oath to us at Doncaster
And, being fed by us, you us'd us fo,
3 As that ungentle gull, the cuckow's bird,
Ufeth the fparrow: did opprefs our nest;
Grew by our feeding to fo great a bulk,

r;

my ftaff of office] See Richard the Second.

JOHNSON.

3 As that ungentle gull, the cuckow's bird,] The cuckow's chicken, who, being hatched and fed by the fparrow, in whose neft the cuckow's egg was laid, grows in time able to devour her nurfe. JOHNSON.

Y 4

That

That even our love durft not come near your fight
For fear of fwallowing but with nimble wing
We were inforc'd, for fafety's fake, to fly
Out of your fight, and raife this present head,
Whereby 4 we ftand opposed by fuch means
As you yourself have forg'd against yourself
By unkind ufage, dangerous countenance,
And violation of all faith and troth,
Sworn to us in your younger enterprize.

K. Henry. Thefe things, indeed, you have 5 articu-
lated,

Proclaim'd at market-croffes, read in churches,
To face the garment of rebellion

With fome fine colour, that may please the eye
Of fickle changelings and poor difcontents,
Which gape, and rub the elbow, at the news
Of hurly-burly innovation.

And never yet did infurrection want
Such water-colours to impaint his caufe;
Nor moody beggars, ftarving for a time
Of pell-mell havock and confufion.

P. Henry. In both our armies there is many a foul Shall pay full dearly for this encounter,

If once they join in trial. Tell your nephew,
The prince of Wales doth join with all the world
In praife of Henry Percy.-By my hopes,
This prefent enterprize fet off his head,

I do not think, a braver gentleman,

6 More active-valiant, or more valiant-young,
More daring, or more bold, is now alive,
Το grace this latter age with noble deeds.
For my part, I may fpeak it to my shame,

4

we ftand oppofed, &c.] We ftand in opposition to you. JOHNSON.

5 -articulated,] i. e. Drawn cut, article by article. STEEVENS.

6 More active-valiant, or more valiant-young,] Sir Thomas Hanmer reads more valued young. I think the present gingle has more of Shakespeare. JoHNSON,

I have a truant been to chivalry;
And fo, I hear, he doth account me too.
Yet this before my father's majefty-
I am content that he fhall take the odds
Of his great name and estimation,

And will, to fave the blood on either fide,
Try fortune with him in a single fight.

K. Henry. And, prince of Wales, fo dare we venture thee,

Albeit, confiderations infinite

Do make against it. No, good Worcester, no,
We love our people well; even those we love,
That are mifled upon your coufin's part:
And, will they take the offer of our grace,
Both he, and they, and you, yea, every man,
Shall be my friend again, and I'll be his.
So tell your coufin, and bring me word
What he will do. But if he will not yield,
Rebuke and dread correction wait on us,
And they fhall 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 Douglas and the Hotfpur both together
Ar confident againft the world in arms.

. Henry. Hence, therefore, every leader to his charge:

For on their anfwer, we will fet on them:

An God befriend us, as our caufe is juft! [Exeunt.

Manent prince Henry and Falstaff.

F. Hal, if thou see me down in the battle, 7 and bestile me, fo; 'tis a point of friendship.

7

and beftride me,] In the battle of Agincourt, Henry when king, did this act of friendship for his brother the du of Gloucefter. STEEVENS.

P. Henry.

P. Henry. Nothing but a coloffus can do thee that friendship. Say thy prayers, and farewell.

Fal. I would it were bed-time, Hal, and all well. P. Henry. Why, thou oweft heaven a death.

8 [Exit prince Henry.

Fal. 'Tis not due yet: I would be loth to pay him before his day. What need I be fo 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 fet to a leg? no: or an arm? no: or take away the grief of a wound? no: honour hath no skill in furgery 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 infenfible then? yea, to the dead; but will it not live with the living? no: why? detraction vill not fuffer it. Therefore I'll none of it; 9 honour is a mere fcutcheon, and so ends my catechifm. [Esit.

SCENE II.

Hotfpur's camp.

Enter Worcester and Sir Richard Vernon.

Wor. O, no, my nephew must not know, Sir
Richard,

The liberal kind offer of the king.

9

Ver. 'Twere beft he did.

Exit prince Henry.] This exit is remarked by Mr.Jpton.

JONSON.

honour is a mere fcutcheon,-] This is very fin. The reward of brave actions formerly was only fome hoourable bearing in the fhields of arms bestowed upon deferve. But Falstaff having faid that bonour often came not till aft death, he calls it very wittily a fcutcheon, which is the paintedieraldry borne in funeral proceffions: and by mere scutcheon is itnuated, that whether alive or dead, honour was but a name.

WARURTON.

Wor.

Wor. Then we are all undone.

It is not poffible, it cannot be,

The king fhould keep his word in loving us;
He will fufpect us ftill, and find a time

To punish this offence in other faults.

1

Sufpicion, all our lives, fhall be ftuck full of eyes: For treafon is but trufted like the fox,

Who ne'er fo tame, fo cherish'd, and lock'd up,
Will have a wild trick of his ancestors.
Look how we can, or fad, or merrily,
Interpretation will mifquote our looks;
And we fhall feed like oxen at a stall,
The better cherish'd, ftill the nearer death.
My nephew's trefpafs may be well forgot,
It hath the excufe of youth, and heat of blood;
And an adopted name of privilege-
A hare-brain'd Hotfpur, 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 fpring of all, fhall pay for all.
Therefore, good coufin, let not Harry know,
In any cafe, the offer of the king.

Ver. Deliver what you will, I'll fay, 'tis fo.
Here comes your cousin.

Enter Hotspur and Douglas.

Hot. My uncle is return'd.-Deliver up
My lord of Westmorland.-Uncle, what news?
Wor. The king will bid you battle presently.
Doug. Defy him by the lord of Weftmorland.

1

Sufpicion, all our lives, fhall be fuck full of eyes:] The fame image of fufpicion is exhibited in a Latin tragedy, called Roxana, written about the fame time by Dr. William Alablafter, JOHNSON.

an adopted name of privilege, A bare-brain'd Hotfpur,] The name of Hotfpur will privilege him from cenfure. JOHNSON,

Hot.