Dramatis Perfonæ.

KING HENRY the Fourth.

HENRY, Prince of Wales, fons to the King.
JOHN Duke of Lancaster,

WORCESTER.

NORTHUMBERLAND.

HOTSPUR.

MORTIMER.

Archbishop of York.

DOUGLAS.

OWEN GLENDOWER.

Sir RICHARD VERNON.
Sir MICHELL.
WESTMORLAND.

Sir WALTER BLUNT.
Sir JOHN FALSTAFF.

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,
Find we a time for frighted peace to pant,
And breathe fhort-winded accents of new
broils

* 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.
No more the thirsty entrance of this foil
Shall damp her lips with her own children's blood;
No more fhall trenching war channel her fields,
Nor bruife her flowrets with the armed hoofs
Of hoftile 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 fhock
And furious clofe of civil butchery,

Shall now, in mutual, well-beieeming ranks,
March all one way, and be no more oppos'd
Against acquaintance, kindred, and allies;
The edge of war, like an ill-sheathed knife,
No more fhall cut his master. Therefore, friends,
As far as to the fepulchre of Chrift,

Whose foldiers now, under whose blessed cross
We are impreffed and engag'd to fight,
Forthwith a power of English fhall we levy,
Whose arms were moulded in their mother's 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 purpofe is a twelvemonth old,
And bootlefs 'tis to tell you we will go;
Therefore we meet not now. Then let me hear,
Of you my gentle coufin Weftmorland,
What yefternight our council did decree,
In forwarding this dear expedience +.

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

Bur yefternight when, all athwart, there came
A poft from Wales, loaden with heavy news,
Whole 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 Welthman taken;
A thoufand of his people butchered,

Oppofed files. Warburton.

+ Expedition.

Limits for efimates.

Upon whofe dead corpfe there was such misuse,
Such beaftly fhameless transformation,
By thofe Welfhwomen done, as may not be,
Without much fhame, retold or spoken of.

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
For more uneven and unwelcome news [Lord;
Came from the north, and thus it did import.
On Holyrood-day, the gallant Hotspur 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 iflue any way.

K. Henry. Here is a dear and true-induftrious friend,

Sir Walter Blunt, new-lighted from his horfe,
Stain'd with the variation of each foil

Betwixt the Holmedon and this feat of ours:
And he hath brought us smooth 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 Hotspur took
Mordake the Earl of Fife, and eldest son

To beaten Douglas, and the Earls of Athol,
Of Moray, Angus, and Monteith.

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,
A fon who is the theme of Honour's tongue,

• Bath'd in their own blood. Revifal.

Amongst a grove the very ftreighteft plant,
Who is fweet Fortune's minion and her pride;
Whilft I, by looking on the praise of him,
See riot and difhonour ftain the brow

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,

Coufin,

Of this young Percy's pride? the prifoners,
Which he in this adventure hath furpriz'd,
To his own ufe he keeps, and fends ine word
I fhall have none but Mordake Earl of Fife.

Weft. This is his uncle's teaching, this is Wor-
Malevolent to you in all afpects,
[cefter,
Which makes him plume himfelf, and bristle up
The creft of youth against your dignity.

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

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

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