than undissembled hate-with what contempt
she sought to make me traitor to myself.
Yet the fourth time, when mustering all her wiles,
with blandished parlies, feminine assaults,
tongue-batteries, she surceased not day nor night
to storm me overwatched and wearied out,
at times when men seek most repose and rest,
I yielded, and unlocked her all my heart,
who, with a grain of manhood well-resolved,
might easily have shook off all her snares:
but foul effeminacy held me yoked
her bond-slave: O indignity! O blot
to honour and religion! servile mind
rewarded well with servile punishment!
the base degree to which I now am fallen,
these rags, this grinding, is not yet so base
as was my former servitude, ignoble,
unmanly, ignominious, infamous,
true slavery, and that blindness worse than this,
that saw not how degenerately I served.
KING HENRY IV-PRINCE HENRY
OME hither to me, Harry:-
depart the chamber, leave us here alone. P. H. I never thought to hear you speak again.
K. H. Thy wish was father, Harry, to that thought:
I stay too long by thee, I weary thee.
Dost thou so hunger for my empty chair,
that thou wilt needs invest thee with mine honours
before thy hour be ripe? O foolish youth!
thou seek'st the greatness that will overwhelm thee.
Stay but a little; for my cloud of dignity
is held from falling with so weak a wind,
that it will quickly drop: my day is dim.
Thou hast stolen that which, after some few hours
were thine without offence: and at my death
thou hast sealed up my expectation :
thy life did manifest thou lov'st me not,
and thou wilt have me die assur'd of it.
Thou hid'st a thousand daggers in thy thoughts,
which thou hast whetted on thy stony heart,
to stab at half an hour of my life.
What! canst thou not forbear me half an hour!
then get thee gone, and dig my grave thyself;
and bid the merry bells ring to thine ear,
that thou art crownéd, not that I am dead.
Let all the tears that should bedew my hearse
be drops of balm, to sanctify thy head:
only compound me with forgotten dust;
give that, which gave thee life, unto the worms. 976 P. H. O, pardon me, my liege! but for my tears, the moist impediments unto my speech,
I had forestall'd this dear and deep rebuke,
ere you with grief had spoke, and I had heard
the course of it so far. There is your crown;
and He that wears the crown immortally
long guard it yours! If I affect it more
than as your honour and as your renown,
let me no more from this obedience rise,—
(which my most inward true and duteous spirit
teacheth) this prostrate and exterior bending!
God witness with me, when I here came in
and found no course of breath within your majesty,
how cold it struck my heart! If I do feign,
O, let me in my present wildness die,
and never live to show the incredulous world
the noble change that I have purposéd!
coming to look on you, thinking you dead
(and dead almost, my liege, to think you were,)
I spake unto the crown, as having sense,
and thus upbraided it: The care on thee depending
hath fed upon the body of my father;
therefore, thou best of gold, art worst of gold:
other, less fine in carat, is more precious,
preserving life in medicine potable;
but thou, most fine, most honoured, most renowned,
hast eat thy bearer up. Thus, my most royal liege,
accusing it, I put it on my head,
to try with it, as with an enemy
that had before my face murdered my father,the quarrel of a true inheritor.
But if it did infect my blood with joy,
or swell my thoughts to any strain of pride;
if any rebel or vain spirit of mine
did with the least affection of a welcome
give entertainment to the might of it,-
let God for ever keep it from my head
and make me as the poorest vassal is, that doth with awe and terror kneel to it! K. H. O my son!
Heaven put it in thy mind to take it hence,
that thou might'st win the more thy father's love,
pleading so wisely in excuse of it.
Come hither, Harry, sit thou by my bed;
and hear, I think, the very latest counsel
that ever I shall breathe. Heaven knows, my son,
by what by-paths, and indirect crook'd ways,
I met this crown; and I myself know well,
how troublesome it sat upon my head:
to thee it shall descend with better quiet,
better opinion, better confirmation;
for all the soil of the achievement goes
with me into the earth. It seem'd in me
but as an honour snatch'd with boisterous hand;
and I had many living, to upbraid
my gain of it by their assistances;
which daily grew to quarrel and to bloodshed,
wounding supposed peace. All these bold fears,
thou see'st with peril I have answered:
for all my reign hath been but as a scene
acting that argument; and now my death
changes the mode: for what in me was purchased,
falls upon thee in a more fairer sort;
so thou the garland wear'st successively.
Yet, though thou stand'st more sure than I could do,
thou art not firm enough, since griefs are green;
and all thy friends, which thou must make thy
friends,
have but their stings and teeth newly ta'en out,
by whose fell working I was first advanc'd,
and by whose power I well might lodge a fear
to be again displac'd: which to avoid,
I cut them off; and had a purpose now
to lead out many to the Holy Land;
lest rest, and lying still, might make them look
too near unto my state. Therefore, my Harry,
be it thy course, to busy giddy minds
with foreign quarrels; that action, hence borne out,
may waste the memory of the former days.
More would I, but my lungs are wasted so,
that strength of speech is utterly denied me.
How came I by the crown, O God, forgive! and grant it may with thee in true peace live!
979 THE DEceit of orNAMENT OR APPEARANCES
HE world is still deceived with ornament.
In law, what plea so tainted and corrupt, but being season'd with a gracious voice obscures the show of evil? In religion, what damnéd error, but some sober brow will bless it and approve it with a text, hiding the grossness with fair ornament? There is no vice so simple, but assumes some mark of virtue on his outward parts: how many cowards, whose hearts are all as false as stairs of sand, wear yet upon their chins the beards of Hercules and frowning Mars; who, inward search'd, have livers white as milk; and these assume but valour's excrement, to render them redoubted! Look on beauty, and you shall see 'tis purchased by the weight; which therein works a miracle in nature, making them lightest that wear most of it: so are those crispéd snaky golden locks,
which make such wanton gambols with the wind, upon supposéd fairness, often known
to be the dowry of a second head,
the skull that bred them in the sepulchre.
Thus ornament is but the guiléd shore
to a most dangerous sea; the beauteous scarf
veiling an Indian beauty; in a word,
the seeming truth which cunning times put on
to entrap the wisest.
Mar.PITEOUS end of love! Oh, too rude hand of unrespective death! Alas, sweet maid!
Pie. Forbear me, Heaven! What intend these plaints?
Mar. The beauty of admired creation, the life of modest unmixt purity,
Pie. May it not sad your thoughts, how!
Mar. Being laid upon her bed, she graspt my hand,
and kissing it spake thus: Thou very poor,
why dost not weep? The jewel of thy brow,
the rich adornment that inchac't thy breast,
is lost thy son, my love, is lost, is dead.
And do I live to say Antonio's dead?
and have I liv'd to see his virtues blurd
with guiltless blots? O world, thou art too subtile for honest natures to converse withal,
therefore I'll leave thee: farewell, mart of woe,
I fly to clip my love, Antonio!
With that her head sunk down upon her breast;
her cheek chang'd earth, her senses slept in rest
until my fool, that press'd unto the bed,
screecht out so loud, that he brought back her soul,
called her again, that her bright eyes 'gan ope,
and stared upon him: he, audacious fool,
dared kiss her hand, wish'd her soft rest, lov'd bride;
she fumbled out, thanks good, and so she died.
CONSOLATION UNDER BANISHMENT
JOHN OF GAUNT-BOLINGBROKE
LL places that the eye of heaven visits
are to a wise man ports and happy havens:
teach thy necessity to reason thus:
there is no virtue like necessity.
Think not the king did banish thee;
but thou the king: Woe doth the heavier sit,
where it perceives it is but faintly borne.
Go say, I sent thee forth to purchase honour,
and not, The king exiled thee: or suppose,
devouring pestilence hangs in our air,
and thou art flying to a fresher clime.
Look, what thy soul holds dear, imagine it
to lie that way thou go'st, not whence thou com'st:
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