King Henry IV, Part I

King Henry IV, Part I

ACT IV SCENE III	The rebel camp near Shrewsbury.
	Enter HOTSPUR, WORCESTER, DOUGLAS, and VERNON
HOTSPUR	We'll fight with him to-night.
EARL OF WORCESTER	It may not be.
EARL OF DOUGLAS	You give him then the advantage.
VERNON	Not a whit.	5
HOTSPUR	Why say you so? looks he not for supply?
VERNON	So do we.
HOTSPUR	His is certain, ours is doubtful.
EARL OF WORCESTER	Good cousin, be advised; stir not tonight.
VERNON	Do not, my lord.	10
EARL OF DOUGLAS	You do not counsel well:
	You speak it out of fear and cold heart.
VERNON	Do me no slander, Douglas: by my life,
	And I dare well maintain it with my life,
	If well-respected honour bid me on,	15
	I hold as little counsel with weak fear
	As you, my lord, or any Scot that this day lives:
	Let it be seen to-morrow in the battle
	Which of us fears.
EARL OF DOUGLAS	Yea, or to-night.	20
VERNON	Content.
HOTSPUR	To-night, say I.
VERNON	Come, come it nay not be. I wonder much,
	Being men of such great leading as you are,
	That you foresee not what impediments	25
	Drag back our expedition: certain horse
	Of my cousin Vernon's are not yet come up:
	Your uncle Worcester's horse came but today;
	And now their pride and mettle is asleep,
	Their courage with hard labour tame and dull,	30
	That not a horse is half the half of himself.
HOTSPUR	So are the horses of the enemy
	In general, journey-bated and brought low:
	The better part of ours are full of rest.
EARL OF WORCESTER	The number of the king exceedeth ours:	35
	For God's sake. cousin, stay till all come in.
	The trumpet sounds a parley
	Enter SIR WALTER BLUNT
SIR WALTER BLUNT	I come with gracious offers from the king,
	if you vouchsafe me hearing and respect.
HOTSPUR	Welcome, Sir Walter Blunt; and would to God
	You were of our determination!	40
	Some of us love you well; and even those some
	Envy your great deservings and good name,
	Because you are not of our quality,
	But stand against us like an enemy.
SIR WALTER BLUNT	And God defend but still I should stand so,	45
	So long as out of limit and true rule
	You stand against anointed majesty.
	But to my charge. The king hath sent to know
	The nature of your griefs, and whereupon
	You conjure from the breast of civil peace	50
	Such bold hostility, teaching his duteous land
	Audacious cruelty. If that the king
	Have any way your good deserts forgot,
	Which he confesseth to be manifold,
	He bids you name your griefs; and with all speed	55
	You shall have your desires with interest
	And pardon absolute for yourself and these
	Herein misled by your suggestion.
HOTSPUR	The king is kind; and well we know the king
	Knows at what time to promise, when to pay.	60
	My father and my uncle and myself
	Did give him that same royalty he wears;
	And when he was not six and twenty strong,
	Sick in the world's regard, wretched and low,
	A poor unminded outlaw sneaking home,	65
	My father gave him welcome to the shore;
	And when he heard him swear and vow to God
	He came but to be Duke of Lancaster,
	To sue his livery and beg his peace,
	With tears of innocency and terms of zeal,	70
	My father, in kind heart and pity moved,
	Swore him assistance and perform'd it too.
	Now when the lords and barons of the realm
	Perceived Northumberland did lean to him,
	The more and less came in with cap and knee;	75
	Met him in boroughs, cities, villages,
	Attended him on bridges, stood in lanes,
	Laid gifts before him, proffer'd him their oaths,
	Gave him their heirs, as pages follow'd him
	Even at the heels in golden multitudes.	80
	He presently, as greatness knows itself,
	Steps me a little higher than his vow
	Made to my father, while his blood was poor,
	Upon the naked shore at Ravenspurgh;
	And now, forsooth, takes on him to reform	85
	Some certain edicts and some strait decrees
	That lie too heavy on the commonwealth,
	Cries out upon abuses, seems to weep
	Over his country's wrongs; and by this face,
	This seeming brow of justice, did he win	90
	The hearts of all that he did angle for;
	Proceeded further; cut me off the heads
	Of all the favourites that the absent king
	In deputation left behind him here,
	When he was personal in the Irish war.	95
SIR WALTER BLUNT	Tut, I came not to hear this.
HOTSPUR	Then to the point.
	In short time after, he deposed the king;
	Soon after that, deprived him of his life;
	And in the neck of that, task'd the whole state:	100
	To make that worse, suffer'd his kinsman March,
	Who is, if every owner were well placed,
	Indeed his king, to be engaged in Wales,
	There without ransom to lie forfeited;
	Disgraced me in my happy victories,	105
	Sought to entrap me by intelligence;
	Rated mine uncle from the council-board;
	In rage dismiss'd my father from the court;
	Broke oath on oath, committed wrong on wrong,
	And in conclusion drove us to seek out	110
	This head of safety; and withal to pry
	Into his title, the which we find
	Too indirect for long continuance.
SIR WALTER BLUNT	Shall I return this answer to the king?
HOTSPUR	Not so, Sir Walter: we'll withdraw awhile.	115
	Go to the king; and let there be impawn'd
	Some surety for a safe return again,
	And in the morning early shall my uncle
	Bring him our purposes: and so farewell.
SIR WALTER BLUNT	I would you would accept of grace and love.	120
HOTSPUR	And may be so we shall.
SIR WALTER BLUNT	Pray God you do.
	Exeunt