K. Hen.
So shaken as we are, so wan with care,
Find we a time for frighted peace to pant,
And breathe short-winded accents of new broils^{2 note}

To be commenc'd in stronds afar remote.
No more the thirsty entrance of this soil
Shall daub her lips with her own children's blood³; ^note

No more shall trenching war channel her fields,
Nor bruise her flowrets with the armed hoofs

Of hostile paces: those opposed eyes,
Which,—like the meteors of a troubled heaven,^{4 note},

All of one nature, of one substance bred,
Did lately meet in the intestine shock

And furious close of civil butchery,
Shall now, in mutual, well-beseeming ranks,
March all one way; and be no more oppos'd
Against acquaintance, kindred, and allies:
The edge of war, like an ill-sheathed knife,
No more shall cut his master. Therefore, friends,
As far as to the sepulchre of Christ^{5 note}

(Whose soldier now, under whose blessed cross
We are impressed and engag'd to fight,)
Forthwith a power of English shall we levy^{6 note}

West.
My liege, this haste was hot in question,
And many limits^{9 note}

But yesternight: when, all athwart, there came
A post from Wales, loaden with heavy news;
Whose worst was,—that the noble Mortimer,
Leading the men of Herefordshire to fight
Against the irregular and wild Glendower,
Was by the rude hands of that Welshman taken,
A* ^note thousand of his people butchered:
Upon whose dead corpse there was such misuse,
Such beastly, shameless transformation,
By those Welshwomen done^{1 note}, as may not be,
Without much shame, re-told or spoken of.

K. Hen.
It seems then, that the tidings of this broil
Brake off our business for the Holy land.

West.
This, match'd with other, did, my gracious lord;
For more uneven and unwelcome news
Came from the north, and thus it did import,
On Holy-rood day, the gallant Hotspur there,
Young Harry Percy^{2 note}
, and brave Archibald^{3 note},
That ever-valiant and approved Scot,

At Holmedon met,
Where they did spend a sad and bloody hour;
As by discharge of their artillery,
And shape of likelihood, the news was told;
For he that brought them, in the very heat
And pride of their contention did take horse,
Uncertain of the issue any way.

K. Hen.
Here is a dear and true-industrious friend,
Sir Walter Blunt, new lighted from his horse,
Stain'd with the variation of each soil^{4 note}
Betwixt that Holmedon and this seat of ours;
And he hath brought us smooth and welcome news.
The earl of Douglas is discomfited;
Ten thousand bold Scots, two-and-twenty knights,
Balk'd in their own blood^{5 note}

On Holmedon's plains: Of prisoners, Hotspur took
Mordake earl of Fife, and eldest son
To beaten Douglas^{6 note}

Of Murray, Angus, and Menteith^{7 note}.
And is not this an honourable spoil?
A gallant prize? ha, cousin, is it not?

West.
In faith,
It is^{8 note}
a conquest for a prince to boast of.

K. Hen.
Yea, there thou mak'st me sad, and mak'st me sin
In envy that my lord Northumberland
Should be the father to* ^note so blest a son:
A son, who is the theme of honour's tongue;
Amongst a grove, the very straightest plant;
Who is sweet fortune's minion, and her pride:
Whilst I, by looking on the praise of him,
See riot and dishonour stain the brow
Of my young Harry. O, that it could be prov'd,
That some night-tripping fairy had exchang'd
In cradle-clothes our children where they lay,
And call'd mine—Percy, his—Plantagenet!
Then would I have his Harry, and he mine.
But let him from my thoughts:—What think you, coz',
Of this young Percy's pride? the prisoners^{9 note}

Which he in this adventure hath surpriz'd,
To his own use he keeps; and sends me word,
I shall have none but Mordake earl of Fife.

West.
This is his uncle's teaching, this is Worcester,
Malevolent to you in all aspécts^{1 note};
Which makes him prune himself^{2 note}

K. Hen.
But I have sent for him to answer this;
And, for this cause, awhile we must neglect
Our holy purpose to Jerusalem.
Cousin, on Wednesday next our council we
Will hold at Windsor, so* ^note inform the lords:
But come yourself with speed to us again;
For more is to be said, and to be done,
Than out of anger can be uttered^{3 note}.

West.
I will, my liege. [Exeunt.

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