1

BOLUB

31.01 1516 OXFORD

The FIRST PART of

H E N R r IV.

WITH THE

LIFE and DEATH

OF

Henry Sirnamd Hot-Spur.

DRAMATIS PERSON Æ.

KING HENRÝ the Fourth.
HENRY, Prince of Wales,

John, Prince of Lancaster

; } Sons to the King.

WORCESTER,
NORTHUMBERLAND,
HOT-SPUR,
MORTIMER,
Archbisbop of York, Enemies to the King.
DowGLAS,
Owen GL ENDOWER,
Sir RICHARD VERNON,
Sir-MICHELL,
WESTMORLAND, of the King's Party.
Sir Walter BLUNT,
Six JOHN FALSTAFF: .
POIÁS,
GADS-HILL,

Companions of Falstaff.
РЕТо,
BARDOLPH,

}

Lady PERCY, Wife lo Hotspur.
Lady Mortimer, Daughter in Glendower, arid Wife to

Mortimer.
Hoftess QUICKLY.
Sberiff, Vintner, Chamberlain, Drawers, two Carriers, Tra.

vellers, and Attendants.

SCENE, ENGLAND,

THE

A CT I. SCENE I.

Tbe Court at LONDON. Enter King Henry, Lord John of Lancaster, Earl of Wett

-morland, and others. K. Henry.

O fhaken as we are, so 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 ftronds afar remote! No more the thirsty entrance of this foil Shall dawb her lips with her own children's blood : No more shall trenching War channel her fields, Nor bruise her flowrets with the armed hoofs Of hostile paces. Those opposed arms Which like the meteors of a troubled heav'n, All of one nature, of one substance bred, Did lately meet in the intestine shock

S

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th

And furious close of civil butchery,
Shall now in mutual well-beseeming 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 shall cut his master. Therefore, friends,
As far as to the sepulchre of Chrift,
(Whose soldier now, under whose blessed Cross
We are impresled, and engag‘d to fight)
Forthwith a power of English Thall we levy ;
Whose arms were moulded in their mother's womb,
To chase these pagans, in those holy fields
Over whose acres walk'd those blessed feet
Which, fourteen hundred years ago, were nail'd
For our advantage on the bitter Cross.
But this our purpose is a twelvemonth old,
And bootless o'tis to tell you we will go :*
Therefore we meet not now. Then let me heas
Of you, my gentle cousin Westmorland,
What yesternight our council did decree,
In forwarding this dear expedience.

Weft. My Liege, this haste was hot in question,
And many limits of the charge set down
But yesternight : when all athwart there came
A post from Wales, loaden with heavy news ;
Whose 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 Welfоman taken ;
A thousand of his people butchered,
Upon whose dead corps there was such misuse,
Sach-beastly shameless transformation
By those Welshromen done, as may not be
Without much shame re-told or spoken of.

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

Weft. This, matcht with other like, my gracious Lord;
Farther uneven and ut welcome news
Came from the North, and thus it did import,
Pa holy-rood day, the gallant Hot-jpur there

Young