Renowned for their deeds as far from home,
For Christian service and true chivalry,

As is the sepulchre in stubborn Jewry

Of the world's ransom, blessed Mary's Son;
This land of such dear souls, this dear dear land,
Dear for her reputation thro' the world,

Is now leased out —I die pronouncing it-
Like to a tenement or pelting farm :

England, bound in with the triumphant sea,
Whose rocky shore beats back the envious siege
Of watery Neptune, is now bound in with shame,
With inky blots and rotten parchment bonds;
That England, that was wont to conquer others,
Hath made a shameful conquest of itself.
Ah, would the scandal vanish with my life,
How happy then were my ensuing death!

SHAKSPERE, King Richard II., Act ii. Sc. 1.

XII.

PRINCE HENRY OF MONMOUTH.

King Henry IV. But wherefore do I tell these news

to thee?

Why, Harry, do I tell thee of my foes,

Which art my near'st and dearest enemy?

*

Prince Henry. Do not think so; you shall not find

it so:

And God forgive them that so much have sway'd
Your majesty's good thoughts away from me!
I will redeem all this on Percy's head,
And, in the closing of some glorious day,
Be bold to tell you that I am your son;
When I will wear a garment all of blood,
And stain my favours in a bloody mask,
Which, wash'd away, shall scour my shame with it:
And that shall be the day, whene'er it lights,
That this same child of honour and renown,
This gallant Hotspur, this all-praised knight,
And your unthought-of Harry chance to meet.
For every honour sitting on his helm,

Would they were multitudes, and on my head
My shames redoubled! for the time will come,
That I shall make this northern youth exchange
His glorious deeds for my indignities.

This, in the name of God, I promise here;
The which, if He be pleased I shall períorm,
I do beseech your majesty may salve
The long-grown wounds of my intemperance:
If not, the end of life cancels all bands;
And I will die a hundred thousand deaths,
Ere break the smallest parcel of this vow.

SHAKSPERE, I Henry IV., Act iii. Sc. 2.

XIII.

THE TWO HARRYS.

Hotspur. He shall be welcome too. Where is his

son,

The nimble-footed madcap Prince of Wales,

And his comrades, that daff'd the world aside,
And bid it pass?

Vernon.

All furnish'd, all in arms :

All plumed like estridges, that with the wind
Bated,-like eagles having lately bathed ;
Glittering in golden coats, like images;
As full of spirit as the month of May,
And gorgeous as the sun at midsummer;
Wanton as youthful goats, wild as young bulls.
I saw young Harry, with his beaver on,
His cuisses on his thighs, gallantly arm'd,
Rise from the ground like feather'd Mercury,
And vaulted with such ease into his seat,
As if an angel dropp'd down from the clouds,
To turn and wind a fiery Pegasus,

And witch the world with noble horsemanship.

Hotspur. No more, no more; worse than the sun

in March,

This praise doth nourish agues.

Let them come;

They come like sacrifices in their trim,

And to the fire-eyed maid of smoky war

All hot and bleeding will we offer them :
The mailed Mars shall on his altar sit,
Up to the ears in blood. I am on fire,
To hear this rich reprisal is so nigh,

And yet not ours. Come, let me taste my horse,
Who is to bear me like a thunderbolt

Against the bosom of the Prince of Wales:
Harry to Harry shall, hot horse to horse,

Meet, and ne'er part, till one drop down a corse.
SHAKSPERE, I Henry IV., Act iv. Sc. I.

XIV.

PRAISE OF AN ENEMY.

Prince. In both our armies there is many a soul
Shall pay full dearly for this encounter,

If once they join in trial. Tell your nephew,
The Prince of Wales doth join with all the world
In praise of Henry Percy: by my hopes,
This present enterprise set off his head,
I do not think a braver gentleman,
More active-valiant or more valiant-young,
More daring or more bold, is now alive,
Το grace this latter age with noble deeds.
For my part, I may speak it to my shame,
I have a truant been to chivalry;

And so, I hear, he doth account me too;
Yet this before my father's majesty—

I am content that he should take the odds
Of his great name and estimation,

And will, to save the blood on either side,
Try fortune with him in a single fight.

King. And, Prince of Wales, so dare we venture thee,

Albeit considerations infinite

Do make against it.-No, good Worcester, no,
We love our people well: even those we love
That are misled upon your cousin's part;
And, will they take the offer of our grace,
Both he and they and you, yea, every man
Shall be my friend again, and I'll be his :
So tell your cousin, and bring me word
What he will do: but if he will not yield,
Rebuke and dread correction wait on us,
And they shall do their office. So, be gone;
We will not now be troubled with reply:
We offer fair; take it advisedly.

SHAKSPERE, I Henry IV., Act v. Sc. I.