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Henry IV, Part 1 - Act 5, scene 2
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Henry IV, Part 1 - Act 5, scene 2Act 5, scene 2
⌜Scene 2⌝
Synopsis:
Worcester lies to Hotspur, telling him that the king made no offer of pardon and is ready to begin the battle. Hotspur sends his own defiance to the king by Douglas. On Douglas’s return, Hotspur and his men prepare for battle.
Enter Worcester ⌜and⌝ Sir Richard Vernon.WORCESTER
2770 O no, my nephew must not know, Sir Richard,
2771 The liberal and kind offer of the King.
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197
VERNON 2772 ’Twere best he did.
WORCESTER 2773 Then are we all ⌜undone.⌝
2774 5 It is not possible, it cannot be
2775 The King should keep his word in loving us.
2776 He will suspect us still and find a time
2777 To punish this offense in other faults.
2778 ⌜Suspicion⌝ all our lives shall be stuck full of
2779 10 eyes,
2780 For treason is but trusted like the fox,
2781 Who, never so tame, so cherished and locked up,
2782 Will have a wild trick of his ancestors.
2783 Look how we can, or sad or merrily,
2784 15 Interpretation will misquote our looks,
2785 And we shall feed like oxen at a stall,
2786 The better cherished still the nearer death.
2787 My nephew’s trespass may be well forgot;
2788 It hath the excuse of youth and heat of blood,
2789 20 And an adopted name of privilege—
2790 A harebrained Hotspur governed by a spleen.
2791 All his offenses live upon my head
2792 And on his father’s. We did train him on,
2793 And his corruption being ta’en from us,
2794 25 We as the spring of all shall pay for all.
2795 Therefore, good cousin, let not Harry know
2796 In any case the offer of the King.
VERNON
2797 Deliver what you will; I’ll say ’tis so.
Enter ⌜Hotspur, Douglas, and their army.⌝
2798 Here comes your cousin.
HOTSPUR, ⌜to Douglas⌝ 2799 30My uncle is returned.
2800 Deliver up my Lord of Westmoreland.—
2801 Uncle, what news?
WORCESTER
2802 The King will bid you battle presently.
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199
DOUGLAS, ⌜to Hotspur⌝ 2803 Defy him by the Lord of Westmoreland.
HOTSPUR
2804 35 Lord Douglas, go you and tell him so.
DOUGLAS
2805 Marry, and shall, and very willingly.Douglas exits.
WORCESTER
2806 There is no seeming mercy in the King.
HOTSPUR
2807 Did you beg any? God forbid!
WORCESTER
2808 I told him gently of our grievances,
2809 40 Of his oath-breaking, which he mended thus
2810 By now forswearing that he is forsworn.
2811 He calls us “rebels,” “traitors,” and will scourge
2812 With haughty arms this hateful name in us.
Enter Douglas.
DOUGLAS
2813 Arm, gentlemen, to arms. For I have thrown
2814 45 A brave defiance in King Henry’s teeth,
2815 And Westmoreland, that was engaged, did bear it,
2816 Which cannot choose but bring him quickly on.
WORCESTER
2817 The Prince of Wales stepped forth before the King,
2818 And, nephew, challenged you to single fight.
HOTSPUR
2819 50 O, would the quarrel lay upon our heads,
2820 And that no man might draw short breath today
2821 But I and Harry Monmouth! Tell me, tell me,
2822 How showed his tasking? Seemed it in contempt?
VERNON
2823 No, by my soul. I never in my life
2824 55 Did hear a challenge urged more modestly,
2825 Unless a brother should a brother dare
2826 To gentle exercise and proof of arms.
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201
2827
He gave you all the duties of a man,2828 Trimmed up your praises with a princely tongue,
2829 60 Spoke your deservings like a chronicle,
2830 Making you ever better than his praise
2831 By still dispraising praise valued with you,
2832 And, which became him like a prince indeed,
2833 He made a blushing cital of himself,
2834 65 And chid his truant youth with such a grace
2835 As if he mastered there a double spirit
2836 Of teaching and of learning instantly.
2837 There did he pause, but let me tell the world:
2838 If he outlive the envy of this day,
2839 70 England did never owe so sweet a hope
2840 So much misconstrued in his wantonness.
HOTSPUR
2841 Cousin, I think thou art enamorèd
2842 On his follies. Never did I hear
2843 Of any prince so wild a liberty.
2844 75 But be he as he will, yet once ere night
2845 I will embrace him with a soldier’s arm
2846 That he shall shrink under my courtesy.—
2847 Arm, arm with speed, and, fellows, soldiers,
2848 friends,
2849 80 Better consider what you have to do
2850 Than I that have not well the gift of tongue
2851 Can lift your blood up with persuasion.
Enter a Messenger.
MESSENGER 2852 My lord, here are letters for you.
HOTSPUR 2853 I cannot read them now.—
2854 85 O gentlemen, the time of life is short;
2855 To spend that shortness basely were too long
2856 If life did ride upon a dial’s point,
2857 Still ending at the arrival of an hour.
2858 An if we live, we live to tread on kings;
2859 90 If die, brave death, when princes die with us.
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203
2860
Now, for our consciences, the arms are fair2861 When the intent of bearing them is just.
Enter another ⌜Messenger.⌝
⌜SECOND⌝ MESSENGER
2862 My lord, prepare. The King comes on apace.
HOTSPUR
2863 I thank him that he cuts me from my tale,
2864 95 For I profess not talking. Only this:
2865 Let each man do his best. And here draw I a sword,
2866 Whose temper I intend to stain
2867 With the best blood that I can meet withal
2868 In the adventure of this perilous day.
2869 100 Now, Esperance! Percy! And set on.
2870 Sound all the lofty instruments of war,
2871 And by that music let us all embrace,
2872 For, heaven to Earth, some of us never shall
2873 A second time do such a courtesy.
Here they embrace. The trumpets sound.
⌜They exit.⌝