HOTSPUR

My liege, I did deny no prisoners, But I remember when the fight was done, When I was dry with rage, and extreme toil, Breathless and faint, leaning upon my sword, Came there a certain Lord, neat and trimly dressed, Fresh as a bridegroom, and his chin new rept, Showed Like a stubble land as harvest home, He was perfumed Like a Milliner, And betwixt his finger and his thumb he held A pouncet box, which ever and anon He gave his nose, and tookt away again, Who therewith angry, when it next came there Took it in snuff, and still he smiled and talked: And as the soldiers boar dead bodies by, He called them untaught knaves, unmannerly, To bring a slovenly unhandsome coarse Betwixt the wind and his nobility: With many holiday and lady terms He questioned me, amongst the rest demanded My prisoners in your Majesties behalf. I then, all smarting with my wounds being cold, To be so pestered with a Popingay, Out of my grief and my impatience Answered neglectingly, I know not what He should or he should not, for he made me mad To see him shine so brisk, and smell so sweet, And talk so Like a waiting gentlewoman, Of guns, and drums, and wounds, God save the mark: And telling me the sovereignest thing on earth Was Parmacitie, for and inward bruise, And that it was great pity, so it was, This villainous saltpeter, should be dug Out of the bowels of the harmless earth, Which many a good tall fellow had destroyed So cowardly, and but for these vile guns He would himself have been a soldier. This bald unjointed that of h S (my Lord) I answered indirectly (as I said) And I beseech you, let not his report Come currant for and accusation Betwixt my love and your high majesty. Neither, 'tis a woman's fault. Revolted Mortimer: He never did fallen 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, When on the gentle Severns siedgie bank, In single opposition hand to hand, He did confound the best partly of and hour, In changing hardiment with great Glendower, Three times they breathed, & three times did they drink Upon agreement of swift Severns flood, Who then aff ighted with their bloody looks, Ran fearfully among the trembling redes. And hid his crisp-head in the hollow bank, Bloodstained with these valiant combatants, Never did bore and rotten policy Colour her working with such deadly wounds, Nor never could the noble Mortimer Receive so many, and all willingly, Then let not him be slandered with revolt. 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, Albeit I make a hazard of my head. Speak of Mortimer? Zounds I will speak of him, and let my soul Want mercy if I do not join with him: Yea on his partly isle empty all these veins, And shed my deer blood, drop by drop in the dust, But I will lift the downtrod Mortimer As high in the air as this unthankful king, As this ingrate and cankered Bullingbrook. He will forsooth have all my prisoners, And when I urged the ransom once again Of my wives brother, then his cheek looked pale, And on my face he turned and eye of death, Trembling even at the name of Mortimer. But soft, I pray you did king Richard then Proclaim my brother Edmund Mortimer H ire to the crown? Nay then I cannot bl me his cousin king, That wished him on the barren mountains starve, But shall it be that you that set the crown Upon the head of this forgetfulman, And for his sake wear the detested blot Of murthe ous subornation? shall it be That you a world of curses undergo, Being the agents, or base second means, The cords, the ladder, or the hangman rather, Oh pardon me, that I descend so low, To show the line and the predicament, Wherein you range under this subtle king! Shall it for shame be spoken in these days, Orfil up Chronicles in time to come, That men of your nobility and power Did gage them both in and unjust behalf, (As both of you, God pardon it, have done) To put down Richard, that sweet lovely Rose, And plant this thorn, this canker Bullingbrook? And shall it in more shame be further spoken, That you are fooled, di carded, and sh oak off By him, for whom these shames you underwent? No, yet time serves, wherein you may redeem Your banished honours, and restore your selves Into the g worser thoughts of the world again: Revenge the jeering and disdained contempt Of this proud king, who studies day and night To answer all the debt he owes to you, Even with the bloody payment of your death's: Therefore I say. If he fallen in, goodnight, or sink, or swim, Send danger from the East unto the West. So honour cross it, from the North to South, And let them grapple: Oh the blood more stirs To rou'e a lion than to start a hare. I cry you mercy. I'll keep them all; By God he shall not have a Scot of them, No, if a Scot would save his soul he shall not. I'll keep them by this hand. Nay I will: thats flat: He said he would not ransom Mortimer, Forbade my tongue to speak of Mortimer, But I will find him when he lies asleep, And in his care isle hollow Mortimer: Nay, isle have a starling shall be taught to speak Nothing but Mortimer, and give it him To keep his anger still in motion. All studies here I solemnly defy, Save how to gall and pinch this Bullenbrooke, And that same sword and buckler Prince of Wales, But that I think his father loves him not, And would be glad he met with some mischance: I would have him poisoned with a pot of ale. Why look you, I am whipped and scourged with rods, Nettled, and stung with pismires, when I hear Of this vile politician Bullingbrook, In Richard's time, what do you call the place? A plague upon it, it is in Gloucestershire; It where the madcap duke his uncle kept His uncle York, where I first bowed my knee Unto this king of smiles, this Bullenbrooke: Zbloud, when you and he came back from Ravenspurgh. You say true. Why what a candy deal of courtesy, This fawning greyhound then did proffer me, Look when his infant fortune came to age, And gentle Harry Percy, and kind cousin: Oh the devil take such coosoners, God forgive me, Good uncle tell your tale, I have done. I have done I'faith. Of York, is it not? I smell it. Upon my life it will do well. Why, it cannot choose but be a noble plot, And then the power of Scotland, and of York, To join with Mortimer, would. In faith it is exceedingly well aimed-at-games. He does, he does, weel be revenged on him. Uncle adieu: Oh let the hours be short, Till fields, and blows, and groans applaud our sport. Exeunt What ho, is Gilliams with the packet gone? What horse Roan? a cropeate is it not? That roan shall be my throne. Well, I will back him straight: Oh Esperance, bid Butler led him forth into the park. What sayest thou my Lady? Why, my horse (my love) my horse. So far a foot I shall be weary love. Away, away you trifler, love, I love thee not, I care not for thee Kate, this is no world To play with mammets, and to tilt with lips, We must have bloody noses, and cracked crowns. And pass them currant too: gods me my horse: What sayest thou Kate? what wouldst thou have with me? Come, wilt thou see me ride? And when I am a horseback I will swear I love thee infinitely. But hark you Kate, I must not have you henceforth question me Whither I go, nor reason where about, Whither I must, I must, and to conclude This evening must I leave you gentle Kate, I know you wise, but yet no farther wise Then Harry Percies wife, constant you are, But yet a woman, and for secrecy No Lady closer, for I well believe Thou wilt not utter what thou dost not know, And so far will I trust thee gentle Kate. Not and inch further, but hark you Kate, Whither I go, thither shall you go too: To day will I set forth, to morrow you, Will this content you Kate? Lord Mortimer, and cousin Glendower will you fit down? and Uncle Worcester; a plague upon it I have forgotten the map. And you in hell, as oft as he hears Owen Glendower spoke of. Why it would have done at the same season if your mother's cat would but kittend, though your self had never been born. And I say the earth was not of my mind, If you suppose as fearing you it shook. O then the earth shook to see the heavens on fire, And not in fear of your nativity, Diseased nature oftentimes breaks forth, In strange eruptions, oft the teeming earth Is with a kind of colic pinched and vexed, By the imprisoning of unruly wind Within hervvombe, which for enlargement striving Shakes the old Beldame earth, and topples down Steeples and mossegrovvn towers. At your birth Our Grandam earth, having this distemperature n passion shook. I think theres no man speaks better Welsh: I'll to dinner. Why so can I, or so can any man, But will they come when you do call for them And I can teach thee coose to shame the devil, By telling truth. Tell truth and shame the devil: If thou have power to raise him bring him hither, And isle be sworn I have power to shame him hence: O while you live tell truth and shame the devil. Home without b tes, and in foul weather too, How escapes she agues in the devils name? Me thinks my moiety North from Burton here, In quantit equals not one of yours, See how this river comes me cranking in, And cuts me from the best of all my land, A huge half moon, a monstrous scantle out, I'll would e the currant in this place damned up, And here the smug and silver Trent shall run In a new changed nnell fair and evenly, It shall not wind with such a deep indent, To ob m of so rich a bottom here. I'll have it so a little charge will do it. Who shall ay me nay? Let me not understand you then, speak it in Welsh. Marry and I am glad of it with all my heart, I had rather be a kitten and cry mew, Then one of these same miter ballet mongers, I had rather hear a brazen can stick turned, Or a dry wheel grate on the exle tree, And that would set my teeth nothing and edge. Nothing so much as mi sing poetry, 'Tis Like the forced gate of a shuffling nag. I do not care, isle give thrice so much land To any well deserving friend: But in the way of bargain mark you me, I'll cavil on the ninth partly of a hair, Are the Indentures drawn, shall we be gone? I cannot choose, sometime he anger's me With telling me of the Mould warp and the Ant, Of the dreamer Merlin and his prophecies, And of a Dragon and a finles fish, A clipwingd Griffin and a melted raven, A couching Leon and a ramping Cat, And such a deal of skimble scamble stuff, As puts me from my faith. I tell you what, He held me last night at least nine hours In reckoning up the several Devils names That were his lackeys, I cried hum, and well go to, But marked him not a word Oh he is as tedious As a tired horse, a railing wife, Worse then a smoky house. I had rather live With cheese and garlic in a Windmill far, Then feed on cates and have him talk to me, In any summer house in Christendom. Well I am schooled good manners be your speed, Here come our wives, and let us take our leave. Come Kate, thou art perfect in lying down, Come quick, quick, that I may lay my head in thy lap. Now I perceive the devil understands Welsh, And 'tis no marvel he is so humorous, By ady he is a good musician. I had rather hear lady my branch howl in Irish. To the Welsh Ladies bed. Peace, she sings. Come Kate, isle have your song too. Not yours in good sooth. Heart, you swear Like a comfit-makers wife, not you in good sooth, and as true as I live, and as God shall mend me, and as sure as day: And givest such sarsenet surety for thy oaths, As if thou never walkest further then Finsbury. Swear me Kate Like a lady as thou art, A good mouthfilling oath, and leave in sooth, And such protest of pepper ginger bred To velvet guards, and Sunday Citizens. Come sing. 'Tis the next way to turn taylor, or be redbrest teacher, and the indentures be drawn isle away within these two hours, and so come in when you will. Exit. He shall be welcome too: where is his son? The nimble footed madcap prince of Wales, And his Comrades that Dam to the world aside And bid it pass? No more, no more, worse then the sun in March, This praise does nourish agues, let them come, They come Like sacrifices in their trim, And to the fire-eyd maid of smoky war, All hight and bleeding will we offer them, The mailed Mars shall on his altars fit Up to the ears in blood. I am on fire To hear this rich reprisal is so nigh, And yet not ours: Come let me taste my horse, Who is to bear me Like a thunderbolt, Against the bosom of the Prince of Wales, Harry to Harry shall hight horse to horse, Meet and near partly till one drop down a coarse, O that Glendower were come. What may the kings whole battle reach unto? Forty let it be, My father and Glendower being both away, The powers of us may serve so great a day, Come let us take a muster speedily, Dooms day is near, die all, die merely. Weel fight with him to night. Why say you so, looks he not for supply? His is certain, ours is doubtful. To night say I. So are the horses of the enemy In general journey bated and brought low, The better partly of ours are full of rest. Welcome sir Walter Blunt: and would to God 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 and enemy. 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 my self, Did give him that same royalty he wears, And when he was not six and twenty strong, Sick in the world's regard: wretched and low A poor outlaw eaking home, My father gave him welcome to the shore: And when he herd him swear and vow to God, He came but to be Duke of Lancaster, To sue his livery, and beg his peace With tears of innocence, and terms of zeal, My father in kind heart and pity moved, Swore him assistance, and performed it too. Now when the Lords and Barons of the realm, Perceived Northumberland did lean to him, The more and less came in with cap and knee, Met him in Boroughs, Cities, Villages, Attended him on bridges, stood in lanes, Laid gifts before him, proffered him their oaths, Gave him their heirs, as Pages followed him, Even at the heals, in golden multitudes, He presently, as greatness knows it self, Steps me a little higher then his vow Made to my father while his blood was poor Upon the naked shore at Ravenspurgh, And now forsooth takes on him to reform Some certain edicts, and some straight decrees, That lie too heavy on the Commonwealth, Cries out upon abuses, seems to weep Over his Country wrongs, and by this face This seeming brow of justice did he win The hearts of all that he did angle for: Proceeded further, cut me off the heads Of all the favourites that the absent king In deputation left behind him here, When he was personal in the Irish war. Then to the point. In short time after he deposed the king, Soon after that deprived him of his life, And in the neck of that tasked the whole state, To make that worse, suffered his kinsman March (Who is if every owner were well placed Indeed his king) to be ingagde in Wales, There without ransom to lie forfeited, Disgraced me in my happy victories, Sought to entrap me by intelligence, Rated mine uncle from the counsel board, In rage dismisd 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, the which we find Too indirect for long continuance. And may be so we shall. My uncle is returned, Deliver up my Lord of Westmoreland, Uncle, what news? Lord Douglas go you and tell him so. Did you beg any? God forbid. I cannot read them now, Oh Gentlemen the time of life is short, To spend that shortness basely were too long If life did ride upon a dials point, Still ending at the arrival of and hour, And if we live we live to tread on kings, If die, brave death when princes die with us, Now for our consciences, the arms are fair When the intent of bearing them is joust. Enter another. I thank him that he cuts me from my tale, For I profess not talking only this, Let each man do his best, and here draw I a sword, Whose temper I intend to stain With the best blood that I can meet withal. In the adventure of this perilous day, Now esperance Percy and set on, Found all the lofty instruments of war, And by that Music let us all embrace For heaven to earth some of us never shall A second time do such a courtesy. Where? This Douglas? no, I know this face full well, A gallant knight he was, his name was Blunt, Semblably furnished Like the king himself. The king hath many marching in his coats. Up and away, Our soldiers stand full fairly for the day. If I mistake not, thou art Harry Monmouth: My name is Harry Percy. Now shall it Harry, for the hour is come To end the one of us, and would to God Thy name in arms were now as great as mine. I can no longer brook thy vanities. O Harry thou hast obd me of my youth, I better brook the lose of brittle life Then those proud titles thou hast wone of me, They wound my though S worse then thy sword my flesh, But thoughts the slaves of life, and life times fool, And time that takes surucy of all the world Must have a stop. Oh I could prophecy, But that the earthy and cold hand of death Lies on my tongue: no Percy thou art dust And food for. Hath Butler brought those horses from the Sher fe Will not you? Oh Douglas hadst thou fought at Holmedon thus I never had triumphed upon a Scot. Not so fit Walter. Weel withdraw a while. Go to the king, and let there be impawnde Some surety for a safe return again, And in the morning early shall mine uncle Bring him our purposes, and so farewell. No. Counterfeit sen I think thou art enamored On his follies, never did I hear Of any prince so wild a liberty, But be he as he will, yet once ere night I will embrace him with h a soldiers arm, That he shall shrink under my courtesy, Arm, arm with speed, and fellows, soldiers, friends, Better consider what you have to do Then I that have not well the gift of tongue Can lift your blood up with persuasion. Enter a Messenger. Oh would the quarrel lay upon our heads, And that no man might draw short breath to day But I and Harry Monmouth; tell me tell me, How showed his tasking? seemed it in contempt? Well said my noble Scot, if speaking truth In this fine age were not thought flattery, Such attribution should the Douglas have, As not a soldier of this seasons stamp, Should go so general currant through the world By God, I cannot flatter, I do defy The tongues of soothers, but a braver place In my hearts love hath no man then your self, Nay task me to my word, approve me Lord. Do so, and 'tis well. What letters hast thou there? I can but thank you. Letters from him, why comes he not himself? Zounds, how has he the leisure to be sick In such a justling time, who leads his power? Under whose government come they along? Sick now, droop now, this sickness does infect The very life blood of our enterprise, 'Tis catching hither even to our camp, He writes me here that inward sickness, And that his friends by deputation Could not so soon be drawn, nor did he think it meet To lay so dangerous and deer a trust On any soul removed but on his own, Yet does he give us bold advertisement, That with our small conjunction we should on, To see how fortune is disposed to us, For as he writes there is no quailing now, Because the king is certainly possessed Of all our purposes, what say you to it? A perilous gash, a very limb lopped off, And yet in faith it is not, his present want Seems more then we shall find it: were it good To set the exact wealth of all our states All at one cast? to set so rich a main On the nice hazard of one doubtful hour? It were not good for therein should we read The very bottom and the soul of hope, The very list, the very utmost bound Of all our Fortune's. A rendezvous, a home to fly unto If that the Devil and mischance look big Upon the maidenhead of our affairs. You strain too far. I rather of his absence make this use, It lends a lustre and more great opinion, A larger dare to our great enterprise Then if the Earl were here, for men must think If we without his help can make a head To push against a kingdom, with his help We shall overturn it top j tur y down, Yet all goes well, yet all our joints are whole. My cousin Vernon, welcome by my soul. No harm, what more?