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Which cannot choose but bring him quickly on.

Wor. The prince of Wales stepp'd forth before the

king,

And, nephew, challeng'd you to single fight.

Hot. O! would the quarrel lay upon our heads;
And that no man might draw short breath to-day,
But I, and Harry Monmouth! Tell me, tell me,
How show'd his tasking"? seem'd it in contempt?

Ver. No, by my soul: I never in my life
Did hear a challenge urg'd 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 your deservings like a chronicle,
Making you ever better than his praise,
By still dispraising praise, valued with 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.
Hot. Cousin, I think thou art enamoured

On his follies: never did I hear

Of any prince so wild o' liberty'.

7 How show'd his TASKING ] The folio, and indeed all editions but the first quarto, have talking.

8 - made a blushing CITAL-] . e. recital of his past life.

9 of teaching, and of learning, INSTANTLY.] i. e. at the same instant.

1 Of any prince so wild o' liberty.] The three oldest quartos have this reading; but the quarto, 1613, having "at liberty," the error was introduced into the folio. The phrase "so wild of liberty" is perfectly intelligible; whereas Malone and Steevens were obliged to produce authorities for "at liberty," which they adopted. Johnson thought it meant, that the prince ought to have been "confined as a madman," and not left "at liberty."

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 I2, that have not well the gift of tongue,

Can lift

blood up your

with persuasion.

Enter a Messenger.

Mess. My lord, here are letters for you.
Hot. 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.

Mess. My lord, prepare; the king comes on apace.
Hot. 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 I
A sword, whose temper3 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.

2 THAN I,] The quarto, 1608, introduced "That" for "Than," and was followed by the later editions.

3 A sword, whose temper-] The folio inserts worthy before "temper."

SCENE III.1

Plain near Shrewsbury.

Excursions, and Parties fighting. Alarum to the Battle. Then enter DOUGLAS and BLUNT, meeting.

Blunt. What is thy name, that in battle thus Thou crossest me? what honour dost thou seek Upon my head?

Doug.

Know, then, my name is Douglas;

And I do haunt thee in the battle thus,

Because some tell me that thou art a king.

Blunt. They tell thee true.

Doug. 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 prisoner3.

Blunt. I was not born a yielder, thou proud ScotR; And thou shalt find a king that will revenge

Lord Stafford's death.

[They fight, and BLUNT is slain.

Enter HOTSPUR.

Hot. O Douglas! hadst thou fought at Holmedon thus,

I never had triumph'd upon a Scot'.

Scene iii.] According to the old copies, the place of action was only imagined to be changed; for in the stage-direction it is said that after Hotspur, &c. have embraced, without any exit marked for them, "the king entereth with his power," &c.

5 - as my prisoner.] The quarto, 1613, having substituted a for "my," it was adopted into the text by the folio.

6 I was not born A YIELDER, thou PROUD Scot;] So the quartos of 1598, 1599, and 1608: that of 1613 corrupted the line thus :-

"I was not born to yield, thou proud Scot;"

and the editor of the folio, 1623, finding this line defective, substituted a dissyllable for a monosyllable, and printed it,

"I was not born to yield, thou haughty Scot."

There can be little doubt that the words of Shakespeare are those found in the earliest authorities.

7 I never had triumph'd UPON a Scot.] Here again we have the authentic

Doug. All's done, all's won: here breathless lies the

king. Hot. Where?

Doug. Here.

Hot. 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.

Doug. A fool go with thy soul, whither it goes! A borrow'd title hast thou bought too dear: Why didst thou tell me that thou wert a king? Hot. The king hath many marching in his coats. Doug. Now, by my sword, I will kill all his coats; I'll murder all his wardrobe, piece by piece,

Until I meet the king.

Hot.

Up, and away!

Our soldiers stand full fairly for the day.

Alarums. Enter FALSTAFF.

[Exeunt.

Fal. Though I could 'scape shot-free at London, I fear the shot here; here's no scoring, but upon the pate.-Soft! who art thou? Sir Walter Blunt:there's honour for you; here's no vanity.—I am as hot as molten lead, and as heavy too: God keep lead out of me! I need no more weight than mine own bowels. -I have led my raggamuffins where they are peppered: there's not three of my hundred and fifty left alive', and they are for the town's end, to beg during life. But who comes here?

Enter Prince HENRY.

P. Hen. What! stand'st thou idle here? lend me thy sword:

reading of the two earliest quartos: the others read "over a Scot," and the folio, 1623, "o'er a Scot."

8 A fool go with thy soul, whither it goes!] The old copies have "Ah fool," as an exclamation; but the letter h seems to have been accidentally inserted.

there's NOT three of my hundred and fifty left alive.] See p. 309, and the note upon the words, "There's not a shirt and a half in all my company." In the instance before us, modern editors needlessly substitute but for "not."

Many a nobleman lies stark and stiff

Under the hoofs of vaunting enemies,

Whose deaths are yet unreveng'd'. I pr'ythee, lend me thy sword.

Fal. O Hal! I pr'ythee, give me leave to breathe a while. Turk Gregory never did such deeds in arms?, as I have done this day. I have paid Percy, I have made him sure.

P. Hen. He is, indeed; and living to kill thee. I pr'ythee lend me thy sword.

Fal. Nay, before God, Hal, if Percy be alive, thou get'st not my sword; but take my pistol, if thou wilt.

P. Hen. Give it me.

What, is it in the case? Fal. Ay, Hal; 'tis hot, 'tis hot: there's that will sack a city.

[The Prince draws out a bottle of sack. P. Hen. What! is't a time to jest and dally now?

[Throws it at him, and exit. Fal. Well, if Percy be alive, I'll pierce him. If he do come in my way, so: if he do not, if I come in his, willingly, let him make a carbonado of me3. I like not such grinning honour as sir Walter hath: give me life; which if I can save, so; if not, honour comes unlooked for, and there's an end.

[Exit.

1 Whose deaths are YET unrevenged.] The folio, 1623, omits "yet,” found in all the quarto editions.

2 TURK GREGORY never did such deeds in arms,] "Meaning (says Warburton) Gregory the Seventh, called Hildebrand. This furious friar surmounted almost invincible obstacles to deprive the emperor of his right of investiture of bishops, which his predecessors had long attempted in vain. Fox, in his History, hath made Gregory so odious, that I don't doubt but the good Protestants of that time were well pleased to hear him thus characterized, as uniting the attributes of their two great enemies, the Turk and Pope, in one.”

3

- let him make a CARBONADO of me.] A "carbonado" is a piece of meat cut and hacked for broiling.

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