And that it was great pity, so it was, And, I beseech you, let not his report Betwixt my love and your high majesty. Blunt. The circumstance consider'd, good my lord, Whatever Harry Percy then had said, To such a person, and in such a place, K. Hen. Why, yet he doth deny his prisoners; That we, at our own charge, shall ransom straight Shall we buy treason? and indent with fears Hot. Revolted Mortimer! He never did fall off, my sovereign liege, But by the chance of war:-To prove that true, Needs no more but one tongue for all those wounds, Those mouthed wounds, which, valiantly, he took, In single opposition, hand to hand, He did confound the best part of an hour Upon agreement, of swift Severn's flood; Colour her working with such deadly wounds; Receive so many, and all willingly: Then let him not be slander'd with revolt. K. Hen. [Rises.] Thou dost belie him, Percy, thou dost belie him; He never did encounter with Glendower; I tell thee, He durst as well have met the devil alone, Art not ashamed? But, sirrab, henceforth [Flourish of Trumpets and Drums.-Exeunt all but NORTHUMBERLAND and HOTSPUR. Hot. And if the devil come and roar for them, I will not send them :-I will after straight, And tell him so; for I will ease my heart, Although I make a hazard of my head. North. What, drunk with choler? stay, and pause awhile. Enter WORCESTER. Hot. Speak of Mortimer! Yes, I will speak of him; and let my soul As high i' the air as this unthankful king, North. Brother, the king hath made your nephew mad. Wor. Who struck this heat up after I was gone? Hot. He will, forsooth, have all my prisoners: And when I urg'd the ransom once again Of my wife's brother, then his cheek look'd pale; And on my face he turn'd an eye of death, Trembling even at the name of Mortimer. Wor. I cannot blame him; was he not proclaim'd, By Richard, that dead is, the next of blood? North. He was; I heard the proclamation: And then it was, when the unhappy king, (Whose wrongs in us Heaven pardon!) did set forth Upon his Irish expedition; From whence he, intercepted, did return To be depos'd, and, shortly, murdered. Hot. But, soft, I pray you; Did King Richard then Proclaim my brother, Edmund Mortimer, North. He did: myself did hear it. Hot. Nay, then I cannot blame his cousin king, That wish'd him on the barren mountains starv'd. But shali't, for shame, be spoken in these days, Or fill up chronicles in time to come, That men of your nobility, and power, Did 'gage them both in an unjust behalf, (As both of you, Heaven pardon it! have done,) To put down Richard, that sweet lovely rose, deaths : Wor. Peace, cousin, say no more: Hot. If he fall in, good night:—or sink, or swim :- North. Imagination of some great exploit Drives him beyond the bounds of patience. Hot. By Heaven, methinks it were an easy leap, To pluck bright honour from the pale-fac'd moon; Or dive into the bottom of the deep, Where fathom-line could never touch the ground, - Wor. He apprehends a world of figures here, But not the form of what he should attend.Good cousin, give me audience for a while, Hot. I cry you mercy. Wor. Those same noble Scots, That are your prisoners, Hot. I'll keep them all; By Heaven, he shall not have a Scot of them; Wor. You start away, And lend no ear unto my purposes.- Hot. Nay, I will; that's flat: He said, he would not ransom Mortimer; Wor. Farewell, kinsman! I will talk to you, North. Why, what a wasp-stung and impatient fool Art thou, to break into this woman's mood; Tying thine ear to no tongue but thine own! Hot. Why, look you, I am whipp'd and scourg'd Nettled, and stung with pismires, when I hear In Richard's time,-What do you call the place?- Hot. You say true; Why, what a candy deal of courtesy This fawning greyhound then did proffer me! |