struck fowl, or a hurt wild-duck: I press me none but such toasts and butter, with hearts in their bellies no bigger than pins' heads, and they have bought out their services; and now my whole charge consists of ancients, corporals, lieutenants, gentlemen of companies, slaves as ragged as Lazarus in the painted cloth; and such as, indeed, were never soldiers; but discarded unjust servingmen, younger sons to younger brothers, revolted tapsters, and ostlers trade-fallen; the cankers of a calm world, and a long peace: and such have I, to fill up the rooms of them that have bought out their services, that you would think, I had a hundred and fifty tatter'd prodigals, lately come from swine-keeping, from eating draff and husks. A mad fellow met me on the way, and told me, I had unloaded all the gibbets, and press'd the dead bodies. No eye hath seen such scare-crows. I'll not march through Coventry with them, that's flat :-Nay, and the villains march wide betwixt the legs, as if they had gyves on; for, indeed, I had the most of them out of prison. There's but a shirt and a half in all my company; and the half-shirt is two napkins, tack'd together, and thrown over the shoulders like a herald's coat without sleeves; and the shirt, to say the truth, stolen from my host of Saint Albans, or the rednose inn-keeper of Daintry. But that's all one; they'll find linen enough on every hedge.

Enter HENRY, Prince of WALES, and the Earl of WESTMORELAND.

P. Hen. How now, blown Jack? how now, quilt? Fal. What, Hal? How now, mad wag? what a devil dost thou in Warwickshire?--My good lord of Westmoreland, I cry you mercy; I thought, your honour had already been at Shrewsbury.

West. 'Faith, sir John, 'tis more than time that I were there, and you too; but my powers are there already: The king, I can tell you, looks for us all; we must away all night.

Fal. Tut, never fear me; I am as vigilant, as a cat to steal cream,

P. Hen. I think, to steal cream indeed; for thy theft hath already made thee butter. But tell me, Jack; Whose fellows are these that come after?

Fal. Mine, Hal, mine.

P. Hen. I did never see such pitiful rascals. Fal. Tut, tut; good enough to toss; food for powder, food for powder; they'll fill a pit, as well as better: tush, man, mortal men, mortal men.

West. Ay, but, sir John, methinks, they are exceeding poor and bare; too beggarly.

Fal. 'Faith, for their poverty,-I know not where they had that and for their bareness, I am sure, they never learn'd that of me.

P. Hen. No, I'll be sworn; unless you call three fingers on the ribs, bare. But, sirrah, make haste; Percy is already in the field.

Fal. What, is the king encamp'd?

West. He is, sir John; I fear, we shall stay too long.

Fal. Well,

[Exeunt the Prince and WESTMOREland.

To the latter end of a fray, and the beginning of a feast, Fits a dull fighter, and a keen guest.

SCENE III.

Another Part of Hotspur's Camp.

Flourish of Trumpets and Drums.

[Exit.

Enter HOTSPUR, Earl of WORCESTER, Earl of DOUGLAS, Sir RICHARD VERNON, Gentlemen, and Soldiers.

Hot. We'll fight with him to-night.

Wor. It may not be.

Doug. You give him then advantage.

Ver. Not a whit.

Hot. Why say you so? looks he not for supply?

Ver. So do we.

Hot. His is certain, ours is doubtful.

Wor. Good cousin, be advis'd; stir not to-night. Ver. Do not, my lord.

Doug. You do not counsel well;

You speak it out of fear, and cold heart.
Ver. Do me no slander, Douglas: by my life,
And I dare well maintain it with my life,
If well-respected honour bid me on,
I hold as little counsel with weak fear,
As you, my lord, or any Scot that lives :-
Let it be seen to-morrow in the battle,
Which of us fears.

Doug. Yea, or to-night.
Ver. Content.

Hot. To-night, say I.

Ver. Come, come, it may not be. I wonder much, Being men of such great leading as you are, That you foresee not what impediments Drag back our expedition: Certain horse Of my cousin Vernon's are not yet come up: Your uncle Worcester's horse came but to-day; And now their pride and mettle is asleep, Their courage with hard labour tame and dull, That not a horse is half the half of himself. Hot. So are the horses of the enemy In general, journey-bated, and brought low; The better part of ours are full of rest.

Wor. The number of the king exceedeth ours: For heaven's sake, cousin, stay till all come in. Trumpet sounds a Parley.

Enter Sir WALter Blunt, and two Gentlemen. Blunt. I come with gracious offers from the king, If you vouchsafe me hearing and respect.

Hot. Welcome, sir Walter Blunt; And 'would to heaven,

You were of our determination!

Some of us love you well: and even those some

Envy your great deservings, and good name;

Because you are not of our quality,
But stand against us like an enemy.

Blunt. And heaven defend, but still I should stand

So,

So long as, out of limit, and true rule,
You stand against anointed majesty !

But, to my charge. The king hath sent to know
The nature of your griefs; and whereupon,
You conjure from the breast of civil peace
Such bold hostility, teaching his duteous land
Audacious cruelty: If that the king

Have any way your good deserts forgot,-
Which he confesseth to be manifold,-

He bids you name your griefs; and, with all speed,
You shall have your desires, with interest;
And pardon absolute for yourself, and these,
Herein misled by your suggestion.

Hot. The king is kind; and, well we know, the king

Knows at what time to promise, when to pay.
My father, and my uncle, and myself,

Did give him that same royalty he wears :

A

And, when he was not six and twenty strong,
Sick in the world's regard, wretched and low,
poor unminded out-law sneaking home,-
My father gave him welcome to the shore:
And,-when he heard him swear, and vow to heaven,
He came but to be duke of Lancaster,-
My father, in kind heart and pity mov'd,
Swore him assistance, and perform'd it too.
Now, when the lords and barons of the realm
Perceiv'd Northumberland did lean to him,
The more and less came in with cap and knee;
Met him in boroughs, cities, villages;
Laid gifts before him, proffer'd him their oaths,
Gave him their heirs; as pages follow'd him,
Even at the heels, in golden multitudes.
He presently, -as greatness knows itself,-
Steps me a little higher than his vow

Made to my father, while his blood was poor,

Upon the naked shore at Ravenspurg;
And now, forsooth, takes on him to reform
Some certain edicts, and some strait decrees,
That lie too heavy on the commonwealth:
Cries out upon abuses, seems to weep
Over his country's wrongs; and by this face,
This seeming brow of justice, did he win
The hearts of all that he did angle for.
Blunt. I came not to hear this.
Hot. Then to the point.

In short time after, he depos'd the king;
Soon after that, depriv'd him of his life;

And, in the neck of that, task'd the whole state:
To make that worse, fuffer'd his kinsman March
(Who is, if every owner were well plac'd,
Indeed his king,) to be engag'd in Wales,

There without ransom to lie forfeited:
Disgrac'd me in my happy victories
Sought to entrap me by intelligence;
Rated my uncle from the council-board;

In rage dismiss'd my father from the court;

Broke oath on oath, committed wrong on wrong:
And, in conclusion, drove us to seek out
This head of safety; and, withal, to pry

Into his title too, the which we find

Too indirect for long continuance.

Blunt. Shall I return this answer to the king?
Hot. Not so, sir Walter; we'll withdraw a while.

Go to the king; and let there be impawn'd

Some surety for a fafe return again,
my uncle

And in the morning early shall

Bring him our purposes: and so, farewell.
Blunt. I would, you would accept of

Hot. And, may be, so we shall.

Blunt. 'Pray heaven, you do!

of grace

Flourish of Trumpets and Drums.

and love.

[Exeunt Sir W. BLUNT, and two Gentlemen, HOTSPUR, and his Friends.

END OF ACT IV.