flaves, as had as lieve hear the devil, as a drum; fuch as fear the report of a culverin, worfe than a ftruckfowl, or a hurt wild duck. I prefs me none but fuch toafts and butter, with hearts in their bellies no bigger than pins heads, and they have bought out their fervices and now my whole charge confifts of ancients, corporals, lieutenants, gentlemen of companies, flaves as ragged as Lazarus in the painted cloth, where the glutton's dogs licked his fores; and fuch ⚫as indeed were never foldiers, but dif-carded unjust fervingmen, younger fons to younger brothers: re• volted tapfters, and oftlers trade-fall'n, the cankers of a calm world and long peace; ten times more difhonourably ragged, than an old-fac'd ancient; and fuch have I to fill up the rooms of them that have bought out their fervices; that you would think I had a hundred and fifty tatter'd prodigals, lately come from fwine-keeping, from eating draff and husks. A mad ⚫ fellow met me on the way, and told me, I had un⚫ loaded all the gibbets, and preft the dead bodies. No B eye hath feen fuch skare-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 prifon. There's but a fhirt and a half in all my company; and the half fhirt is two napkins tack'd together, and thrown over the fhoulders like a ⚫ herald's coat without fleeves; and the shirt, to say the truth, ftoll'n from my host of St. Alban's; or the rednos'd Inn-keeper of Daintry. But that's all one, • they'll find linnen enough on every hedge.

Enter Prince Henry, and Weftmorland.

P. Henry. How now, blown Jack? how now, quilt?

Fal. What, Hal? How now, mad wag, what a devil do'st thou in Warwickshire? My good lord of Weftmorland,

L 4

† Shackles.

morland, I cry you mercy, I thought your honour had already been at Shrewsbury.

Weft. '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 muft away all to-night.

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

P. Henry. I think to fteal 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. Henry. I did never fee fuch pitiful rascals.

Fal. Tut, tut, good enough to tofs: food for powder, food for powder; they'll fill a pit, as well as better; tufh man, mortal men, mortal men.

Weft. 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 fure they never learn'd that of me.

P. Henry. No, I'll be fworn, 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?

Weft. He is, Sir John: I fear we fhall ftay too long.

Fal. Well,

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

[Exeunt.

SCENE

SCENE IV.

At SHREWSBURY.

Enter Hot-fpur, Worcester, Dowglas, and Vernon.

Hot.

WE'll

E'll fight with him to-night.
Wor. It may not be.

Dow. You give him then advantage.

Ver. Not a whit.

Hot. Why fay you fo? looks he not for supply?
Ver. So do we.

Hot. His is certain, ours is doubtful.

Wor. Good coufin be advis'd, ftir not to-night.
Ver. Do not, my
lord.

Dow. You do not counsel well;

You fpeak it out of fear, and from cold heart.
Ver. Do me no flander, Dowglas: 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 feen to-morrow in the battel,
Which of us fears.

Dow. Yea, or to-night.

Ver. Content.

Hot. To-night, fay I.

Ver. Come, come, it may not be: I wonder much,

Being men of fuch great leading as you are,
That you forefee not what impediments
Drag back our expedition; certain horse
of my coufin Vernon's are not yet come up,
Your uncle Worcester's horfe came but to-day,
And now their pride and mettle is afleep,
Their courage with hard labour tame and dull,
That not a horfe is half, half of himself.

Hot. So are the horses of the enemy
In gen'ral, journey.bated, and brought low :

The

The better part of ours are full of reft.

Wor. The number of the King's exceedeth ours: For God's fake, coufin, ftay till all come in.

[The Trumpet founds a parley.

Blunt. I come with gracious offers from the King, If you vouchsafe me hearing, and respect.

Hot. Welcome, Sir Walter Blunt: and would to

God

You were of our determination;

..i

Some of us love you well; and ev'n those some
Envy your great defervings, and good name,

Because you are not of our quality;

But stand against us like an enemy.

Blunt. And heav'n defend, but still I should stand fo,

So long as out of limit and true rule

You ftand against anointed Majefty.

But to my charge.- -The King hath sent to know
The nature of your griefs, and whereupon

You conjure from the breaft of civil peace
Such bold hoftility, teaching his dutious land
Audacious cruelty. If that the King

Have any way your good deferts forgot,
Which he confeffeth to be manifold,

He bids you name your griefs, and with all speed
You fhall have your defires, with interest:

And pardon abfolute for your felf, and thefe,

Herein mif-led by your fuggeftion.

Hot. The King is kind: and well we know, the

King

Knows at what time to promife, when to pay.
My father and my uncle, and my felf,
Did give him that fame royalty he wears:
And when he was not fix and twenty ftrong,
Sick in the world's regard, wretched and low,
A poor unminded out-law, fneaking home,

My

My father gave him welcome to the fhore:
And when we heard him fwear, and vow to God,
He came to be but Duke of Lancaster,

To fue his livery and beg his peace,

With tears of innocence and terms of zeal
My father, in kind heart and pitý mov❜d,
Swore him affiftance, and perform'd it too.
Now, when the lords and barons of the realm
Perceiv'd Northumberland did lean to him,
They more and lefs came in with cap and knee,
Met him in boroughs, cities, villages,
Attended him on bridges, ftood in lanes,
Laid gifts before him, proffer'd him their oaths.
Gave him their heirs, as pages e following him i
Even at the heels, in golden multitudes.
He prefently, as greatnefs knows it felf,
Steps me a little higher than his vOW
Made to my father, while his blood was poor,
Upon the naked fhore at Ravenfpurg:
And now, forfooth, takes on him to reform
Some certain edicts, and fome strait decrees,
That lay too heavy on the common-wealth
Cries out upon abuses, feems to weep
Over his country's wrongs; and by this face,
This feeming brow of juftice, did he win
The hearts of all that he did angle for:
Proceeded further, cut me off the heads
Of all the fav'rites that the abfent King
In deputation left behind him here,
When he was personal in the Irish war
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 ftate.

To make that worse, fuffer'd his kinfman March, (Who is, if every owner were right plac'd,w30M Indeed his King) to be encag'd in Wales,

There without ranfom, to lie forfeited:

follow'd.

was die Difgraðd