and seals confirmed the same. Howbeit, when the matter came to trial, the most part of the confederates abandoned them. The lord Henry Percy desirous to proceed in the enterprise, upon trust to be assisted by Owen Glendower, the earl of March, and other, assembled an army south of Cheshire and Wales. Incontinently his uncle, Thomas Percy earl of Worcester, that had the government of the prince of Wales, who as then lay at London, in secret manner conveyed himself out of the prince's house, and coming to Stafford, where he met his nephew, they increased their power by all ways and means they could devise. The earl of Northumberland himself was not with them, but, being sick, had promised upon his amendment to repair unto them. 'King Henry, advertised of the proceedings of the Percies, forthwith gathered about him such power as he might make, and passed forward with such speed that he was in sight of his enemies lying in camp near to Shrewsbury, before they were in doubt of any such thing. 'Now, when the two armies were encamped, the one against the other, the earl of Worcester and the lord Percy with their complices sent the articles (whereof I spake before) by esquires to King Henry, which in effect charged him with manifest perjury; in that (contrary to his oath received upon the evangelists at Doncaster, when he first entered the realm after his exile) he had taken upon him the crown and royal dignity, imprisoned King Richard, caused him to resign his title, and finally to be murdered. Divers other matters they laid to his charge, &c. King Henry after he had read their articles, with the defiance which they annexed to the same, answered the esquires that he was ready with dint of sword and fierce battle to prove their quarrel false. 'The next day, in the morning early, the abbot of Shrewsbury and one of the clerks of the privy seal were sent from the king unto the Percies, to offer them pardon if they would come to any reasonable agreement. By their persuasions the lord Henry Percy began to give ear unto the king's offers, and so sent with them his uncle, the earl of Worcester, to declare unto the king the causes of those troubles, and to require some effectual reformation in the same. 'It was reported for a truth, that now when the king had condescended unto all that was reasonable at his hands to be required, and seemed to humble himself more than was meet for his estate, the earl of Worcester, upon his return to his nephew, made relation clean contrary to that the king had said, in such sort that he set his nephew's heart more in displeasure towards the king than ever it was before, driving him by that means to fight whether he would or not; then suddenly blew the trumpets; the king's part crying St. George upon them, the adversaries cried Esperance Percy, and so the two armies furiously joined. The prince that day holp his father like a lusty young gentleman; for although he was hurt in the face with an arrow so that divers noblemen that were about him would have conveyed him forth of the field, yet he would not suffer them so to do, lest his departure from amongst his men might happily have stricken some fear into their hearts. At length the king crying St. George, Victory, brake the array of his enemies, and adventured so far that (as some write) the earl Douglas strake him down, and at that instant slew Sir Walter Blunt, and three others, apparelled in the king's suit and clothing: saying, I marvel to see so many kings thus suddenly arise, one in the neck of another. The king indeed was raised, and did that day many a noble feat of arms. The other on his part encouraged by his doings fought valiantly, and slew the lord Percy, called Sir Henry Hotspur. To conclude, the king's enemies were vanquished and put to flight; in which flight the earl of Douglas, for haste, falling from the crag of a high mountain, was taken, and, for his valiantness, of the king frankly and freely delivered. There were also taken the earl of Worcester, the procurer and setter forth of all this mischief, sir Richard Vernon, with divers other. The earl of Worcester, the baron of Kinderton and sir Richard Vernon, knights, were condemned and beheaded.' Lords, Officers, Sheriff, Vintner, Chamberlain, Drawers, Two Carriers, Travellers, and Attendants. SCENE-ENGLAND. KING HENRY THE FOURTH. PART I. ACT I. SCENE I.-London. A Room in the Palace. Enter KING HEnry, WestmorelAND, SIR WALTER Blunt, and others. K. Hen. So shaken as we are, so wan with care, No more the thirsty entrance3 of this soil New.] Of a different kind from those civil broils which had disturbed the beginning of Henry's reign. 2 Strands.] The old text has stronds. So in Spenser's F. Q. III. vii. 26, Fled fearful Daphne on the Ægean strond.' 3 Entrance.] Mouth. This word has, unnecessarily, been considered doubtful. The earth which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood.' Gen. iv. 11. In the old play, The Troublesome Raigne of John (1591), on which Shakspeare founded his K. John, we have All the blood yspilt on either part, |