Doth he hear it? no. 'Tis insensible, then. Yea, to the dead. But will it not live with the living?
no. Why? detraction will not suffer it. Therefore I'll none of it. Honour is a mere scutcheon:
and so ends my catechi**.
Exit SCENE II. The rebel camp. Enter WORCESTER and VERNON EARL OF WORCESTER O, no, my nephew must not know, Sir Richard, The liberal and kind offer of the king. VERNON 'Twere best he did. EARL OF WORCESTER Then are we all undone.
It is not possible, it cannot be, The king should keep his word in loving us;He will suspect us still and find a time To punish this offence in other faults:
Suspicion all our lives shall be stuck full of eyes;For treason is but trusted like the fox, Who, ne'er so tame, so cherish'd and lock'd up, Will have a wild trick of his ancestors.
Look how we can, or sad or merrily, Interpretation will misquote our looks, And we shall feed like oxen at a stall, The better cherish'd, still the nearer death.
My nephew's trespass may be well forgot;
it hath the excuse of youth and heat of blood, And an adopted name of privilege, A hair-brain'd Hotspur, 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 spring of all, shall pay for all.
Therefore, good cousin, let not Harry know, In any case, the offer of the king. VERNON Deliver what you will; I'll say 'tis so.
Here comes your cousin.
Enter HOTSPUR and DOUGLAS HOTSPUR My uncle is return'd:
Deliver up my Lord of Westmoreland.
Uncle, what news? EARL OF WORCESTER The king will bid you battle presently. EARL OF DOUGLAS Defy him by the Lord of Westmoreland. HOTSPUR Lord Douglas, go you and tell him so. EARL OF DOUGLAS Marry, and shall, and very willingly.
Exit EARL OF WORCESTER There is no seeming mercy in the king. HOTSPUR Did you beg any? God forbid! EARL OF WORCESTER I told him gently of our grievances, Of his oath-breaking; which he mended thus, By now forswearing that he is forsworn:
He calls us rebels, traitors; and will scourge With haughty arms this hateful name in us.
Re-enter the EARL OF DOUGLAS EARL OF DOUGLAS Arm, gentlemen; to arms! for I have thrown A brave defiance in King Henry's teeth, And Westmoreland, that was engaged, did bear it;Which cannot choose but bring him quickly on. EARL OF WORCESTER The Prince of Wales stepp'd forth before the king, And, nephew, challenged you to single fight. HOTSPUR O, would the quarrel lay upon our heads, And that no man might draw short breath today But I and Harry Monmouth! Tell me, tell me, How show'd his tasking? seem'd it in contempt? VERNON No, by my soul; I never in my life Did hear a challenge urged more modestly, Unless a brother should a brother dare To gentle exercise and proof of arms.
He gave you all the duties of a man;
Trimm'd up your praises with a princely tongue, Spoke to your deservings like a chronicle, Making you ever better than his praise By still dispraising praise valued in you;And, which became him like a prince indeed, He made a blushing cital of himself;And chid his truant youth with such a grace As if he master'd there a double spirit.
Of teaching and of learning instantly.
There did he pause: but let me tell the world, If he outlive the envy of this day, England did never owe so sweet a hope, So much misconstrued in his wantonness. HOTSPUR Cousin, I think thou art enamoured On his follies: never did I hear Of any prince so wild a libertine.
But be he as he will, yet once ere night I will embrace him with a soldier's arm, That he shall shrink under my courtesy.
Arm, arm with speed: and, fellows, soldiers, friends, Better consider what you have to do Than I, that have not well the gift of tongue, Can lift your blood up with persuasion.
Enter a Messenger Messenger My lord, here are letters for you. HOTSPUR I cannot read them now.
O gentlemen, the time of life is short!
To spend that shortness basely were too long, If life did ride upon a dial's point, Still ending at the arrival of an hour.
An if we live, we live to tread on kings;If die, brave death, when princes die with us!
Now, for our consciences, the arms are fair, When the intent of bearing them is just.
Enter another Messenger Messenger My lord, prepare; the king comes on apace. HOTSPUR I thank him, that he cuts me from my tale, For I profess not talking; only this--Let each man do his best: and here draw IA sword, whose temper I intend to stain With the best blood that I can meet withal In the adventure of this perilous day.
Now, Esperance! Percy! and set on.
Sound all the lofty instruments of war, And by that music let us all embrace;For, heaven to earth, some of us never shall A second time do such a courtesy.
The trumpets sound. They embrace, and exeunt SCENE III. Plain between the camps. KING HENRY enters with his power. Alarum to the battle.
Then enter DOUGLAS and SIR WALTER BLUNT SIR WALTER BLUNT What is thy name, that in the battle thus Thou crossest me? what honour dost thou seek Upon my head? EARL OF DOUGLAS Know then, my name is Douglas;And I do haunt thee in the battle thus Because some tell me that thou art a king. SIR WALTER BLUNT They tell thee true. EARL OF DOUGLAS The Lord of Stafford dear to-day hath bought Thy likeness, for instead of thee, King Harry, This sword hath ended him: so shall it thee, Unless thou yield thee as my prisoner. SIR WALTER BLUNT I was not born a yielder, thou proud Scot;And thou shalt find a king that will revenge Lord Stafford's death.
They fight. DOUGLAS kills SIR WALTER BLUNT. Enter HOTSPUR HOTSPUR O Douglas, hadst thou fought at Holmedon thus, never had triumph'd upon a Scot. EARL OF DOUGLAS All's done, all's won; here breathless lies the king. HOTSPUR Where? EARL OF DOUGLAS Here. HOTSPUR This, Douglas? no: I know this face full well:
A gallant knight he was, his name was Blunt;Semblably furnish'd like the king himself. EARL OF DOUGLAS A fool go with thy soul, whither it goes!
A borrow'd title hast thou bought too dear: