Dramatis Perfonæ. KING HENRY the Fourth. HENRY, Prince of Wales, fons to the King. WORCESTER. NORTHUMBERLAND. HOTSPUR. MORTIMER. Archbishop of York. DOUGLAS. OWEN GLENDOWER. Sir RICHARD VERNON. Sir WALTER BLUNT. POINS. GADS-HILL. PETO. BARDOLPH. Lady PERCY, wife to Hotspur. Lady MORTIMER, daughter to Glendower, and wife to Mortimer. Hoftefs QUICKLY. Sheriff, Vintner, Chamberlain, Drawers, two Carriers, Travellers, and Attendants. SCENE, England.. The perfons of the drama were first collected by Rowe. Enter King Henry, Lord John of Lancaster, Earl of Weftmorland, and others. S K. Henry. O fhaken as we are, fo wan with care, * The transactions contained in this hiftorical drama are comprised within the period of about ten months: for the action commences with the news brought of Hotfpur having defeated the Scots under Archibald Earl Douglas at Holmedon, (or Halidown-hill), which battle was fought on Holyrood-day, (the 14th of September) 1402; and it clofes with the defeat and death of Hotfpur at Shrewsbury; which engagement happened on Saturday the 21st of July, (the eve of St Mary Magdalen) in the year 1403. Theobald. Shakespeare has apparently defigned a regular connection of thefe dramatic hiftories trom Richard II. to Henry V. King Henry, at the end of Richard II. declares his purpose to vifit the Holy Land, which he refumes in this speech. The complaint made by King Henry, in the last act of Richard II. of the wildness of his fon, prepares the reader for the frolics which are here to be recounted, and the characters which are now to be exhibited. Johnson. To be commenc'd in ftronds afar remote. Shall now, in mutual, well-beieeming ranks, Whose foldiers now, under whose blessed cross Weft. My Liege, this hafte was hot in queftion, And many limits of the charge fet down # Bur yefternight when, all athwart, there came Oppofed files. Warburton. + Expedition. Limits for efimates. Upon whofe dead corpfe there was such misuse, K. Henry. It feems then that the tidings of this broil Brake off our business for the Holy Land. Weft. This, match'd with other, did, my gracious And fhape of likelihood, the news was told; K. Henry. Here is a dear and true-induftrious friend, Sir Walter Blunt, new-lighted from his horfe, Betwixt the Holmedon and this feat of ours: Ten thousand bold Scots, three and twenty knights To beaten Douglas, and the Earls of Athol, And is not this an honourable fpoil, A gallant prize? ha, Coufin, is it not? West. In faith, a conquest for a prince to boast of. K. Henry. Yea, there thou mak'ft me fad and mak'ft me fin In envy that my Lord Northumberland Should be the father of fo bless'd a fon, • Bath'd in their own blood. Revifal. Amongst a grove the very ftreighteft plant, Of my young Harry. O could it be prov'd Coufin, Of this young Percy's pride? the prifoners, Weft. This is his uncle's teaching, this is Wor- K. Henry. But I have fent for him to answer this; Coufin, on Wednesday next our council we SCENE II. An Apartment of the Prince's. [Exeunt Enter Henry Prince of Wales, and Sir John Falstaff. Fal. Now, 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 haff forgotten to demand that truly, which thou would't truly know. What a devil haft thou to do with the time of the day? unlefs hours were cups of fack, and minutes capons, and clocks the tongues of |