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;
Some of us love you well; and ev'n those some
Envy your great deservings, 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 so,
So long as out of limit and true rule
You stand against anointed Majesty.
But to my charge.—The King hath sent to know
The nature of your griefs, and whereupon
You conjure from the breast of civil peace
Such bold hostility, teaching his dutious land
Audacious cruelty. If that the King
Have any way your good deserts forgot,
Which he confesseth to be manifold,
He bids you name your griefs; and with all speed
You shall have your desires, with interest:
And pardon absolute for your self, and these,
Herein mis-led by your suggestion.

Hot.
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 unminded out-law, sneaking home,
My father gave him welcome to the shore:
And when we heard him swear, and vow to God,
He came to be but 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 mov'd,
Swore him assistance, and perform'd it too.
Now, when the lords and barons of the realm
Perceiv'd Northumberland did lean to him,
They 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, proffer'd him their oaths,
Gave him their heirs, as pages ^{c note}following him
Even at the heels, in golden multitudes.
He presently, as greatness knows it self,
Steps me a little higher than his vow
Made to my father, while his blood was poor,
Upon the naked shore at Ravenspurg:
And now, forsooth, takes on him to reform
Some certain edicts, and some strait decrees,
That lay too heavy on the common-wealth;
Cries out upon abuses, seems to weep
Over his country's 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 fav'rites that the absent 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 state.
To make that worse, suffer'd his kinsman March,
(Who is, if every owner were right plac'd,
Indeed his King) to be engag'd in Wales,
There, without ransom, to lie forfeited:
Disgrac'd me in my happy victories,
Sought to intrap me by intelligence,
Rated my uncle from the council-board,
In rage dismiss'd 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 too, the which we find
Too indirect, for long continuance.

Blunt.
Shall I return this answer to the King?

Hot.
Not so, Sir Walter; we'll withdraw a while:
Go to the King, and let there be impawn'd
Some surety for a safe return again;
And in the morning early shall my uncle
Bring him our purposes: and so farewel.

Blunt.
I would you would accept of grace and love.

Hot.
It may be, so we shall.

Blunt.
Pray heav'n you do. [Exeunt.

Previous section

Next section