King HENRY.
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
To be commenc'd in stronds afar remote.
No more the thirsty entrance of this soil
Shall ^{a note}dawb her lips with her own children's blood:
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 heav'n,
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,
(Whose soldier now, under whose blessed cross
We are impressed, and engag'd to fight)
Forthwith a power of English shall we levy;
Whose arms were moulded in their mother's womb,
To chase these pagans, in those holy fields
Over whose acres walk'd those blessed feet
Which, fourteen hundred years ago, were nail'd
For our advantage on the bitter Cross.
But this our purpose is a twelvemonth old,
And bootless 'tis to tell you we will go:
Therefore we meet not now. Then let me hear,
Of you my gentle cousin Westmorland,
What yesternight our council did decree,
In forwarding this dear expedience.

West.
My Liege, this haste was hot in question,
And many limits of the charge set down
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 th' irregular and wild Glendower,
Was by the rude hands of that Welshman taken;
A thousand of his people butchered,
Upon whose dead corps there was such misuse,
Such beastly, shameless transformation,
By those Welshwomen done, as may not be
Without much shame, ^{b note}re-told or spoken of.

K. Henry.
It seems then, that the tidings of this broil

Brake off our business for the holy land.

West.
This, matcht with other like, my gracious lord;
Far more uneven and unwelcome news
Came from the North, and thus it did ^{c note}import.
On holy-rood day, the gallant Hot-spur there
Young Harry Percy, and brave Archibald
That ever-valiant and approved Scot,
At Holmedon spent a sad and bloody hour.
As by discharge of their artillery
And shape of likelihood, the news was told;
For he that brought it, in the very heat
And pride of their contention, did take horse,
Uncertain of the issue any way.

K. Henry.
Here is a dear and true industrious friend,
Sir Walter Blunt, new lighted from his horse,
Stain'd with the variation of each soil,
Betwixt that Holmedon, and this seat of ours:
And he hath brought us smooth and welcome news.
The Earl of Dowglas is discomfited,
Ten thousand bold Scots, two and twenty Knights
Balk'd in their own blood did Sir Walter see
On Holmedon's plains. Of prisoners, Hot-spur took
Mordake the Earl of Fife, and eldest son
To beaten Dowglas, and the Earls of Athol,
Of Murry, Angus, and Menteith.
And is not this an honourable spoil?
A gallant prize? ha, cousin, is it not?

West.
In faith, a conquest for a Prince to boast of.

K. Henry.
Yea, there thou mak'st me sad, and mak'st me sin,
In envy, that my lord Northumberland
Should be the father of so blest a son;
A son, who is the theam of honour's tongue:
Amongst a grove, the very streightest 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 could it be prov'd,
That some night-tripping Fairy had exchang'd
In cradle cloaths, 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 cousin,
Of this young Percy's pride? the prisoners
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 aspects;
Which makes him prune himself, and bristle up
The crest of youth against your dignity.

K. Henry.
But I have sent for him to answer this;
And for this cause a while we must neglect
Our holy purpose to Jerusalem.
Cousin, on Wednesday next, our council we
Will hold at Windsor, so inform the lords:
But come your self with speed to us again;
For more is to be said, and to be done,
Than out of anger can be uttered.

West.
I will, my Liege. [Exeunt.

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