HENRY

IV.

PART II.

INDUCTIO N.

Enter Rumour, painted full of Tongues.

you

will ftop

Rum. Open your ears; For which of
* The vent of hearing, when loud Rumour speaks?
I, from the orient to the drooping weft,
Making the wind my post-horse, still unfold
The acts commenced on this ball of earth:
Upon my tongues continual flanders ride;
The which in every language I pronounce,
Stuffing the ears of men with falfe reports.
I speak of peace, while covert enmity,
Under the smile of fafety, wounds the world:
And who but Rumour, who but only I,

Make fearful musters, and prepar'd defence;
Whilft the big year, fwoln with fome other grief,
Is thought with child by the ftern tyrant war,
And no fuch matter? Rumour is a pipe
Blown by furmifes, jealoufies, conjectures;
And of fo eafy and fo plain a stop,

That the blunt monfter with uncounted heads,
The still-discardant wavering multitude,
Can play upon it. But what need I thus
My well-known body to anatomize
Among my houfhold? Why is Rumour here?
I run before king Harry's victory;
Who, in a bloody field by Shrewsbury,

a The vent of hearing,]-The paffage which admits found.
And of fo eafy and jo plain a flop,]-fo eafily play'd upon.

Hath

Hath beaten down young Hotspur, and his troops,
Quenching the flame of bold rebellion

Even with the rebels' blood. But what mean I
To speak fo true at firft? my office is
To noise abroad,-that Harry Monmouth fell
Under the wrath of noble Hotspur's fword;
And that the king before the Douglas' rage
Stoop'd his anointed head as low as death.
This have I rumour'd through the peasant towns
Between that royal field of Shrewsbury

с

And this worm-eaten hold of ragged stone,

Where Hotspur's father, old Northumberland,
Lies crafty-fick: the posts come "tiring on,
And not a man of them brings other news

Than they have learn'd of me; From Rumour's tongues They bring smooth comforts false, worse than true wrongs.

[Exit.

worm-eaten bold of ragged ftone,]—this ruinous castle.
tiring on,]-fatigued with the speed they have made.

PERSONS

KING HENRY THE FOURTH.

HENRY, Prince of Wales, afterwards King,

FALSTAFF, POINS, BARDOLPH, PISTOL, PETO,

and PAGE.

SHALLOW, and SILENCE, Country Juftices.

DAVY, Servant to SHALLOW.

PHANG and SNARE, two Serjeants.

THIS Second Part comprises the tranfactions of about nine years, commencing with an account of Hotspur's defeat and death, and clofing with the demife of Henry IV. and the coronation of Henry V.

SECOND

SECOND PART OF

KING HENRY

IV.

ACT I. SCENE I.

Northumberland's Caftle, at Warkworth.

The Porter at the gate; enter Lord Bardolph.

Bard. Who keeps the gate here, ho?-Where is the

ear] ?

Port. What shall I fay you are?

Bard. Tell thou the earl,

That the lord Bardolph doth attend him here.

Port. His lordship is walk'd.forth into the orchard; Please it your honour, knock but at the gate,

And he himself will answer.

e

Enter Northumberland.

Bard. Here comes the earl.

North. What news, lord Bardolph? every minute now Should be the father of fome stratagem:

The times are wild; contention, like a horfe

• Should be the father of some firatagem: ]-Should produce fome great

event.

VOL. III.

"What stratagems

"This deadly quarrel daily dotb beget?"
HENRY VI. Part III. A& II: S. 5. Fath.