DRAMATIS PERSONÆ.

HENRY IV. KING OF ENGLAND
HENRY, PRINCE OF WALES
PRINCE JOHN OF LANCASTER
EARL OF WESTMORELAND
ARCHIBALD, EARL OF DOUGLAS
EARL OF WORCESTER

EARL OF NORTHUMBERLAND
HOTSPUR

SIR WALTER BLUNT
SIR RICHARD VERNON
SIR JOHN FALSTAFF
SHERIFF

POINS

Mr. Murray.
Mr. C. Kemble.
Mr. Curties.

Mr. Waddy.
Mr. Claremont.
Mr. Cory.
Mr. Creswell.
Mr. Kemble.
Mr. Chapman.
Mr. Brunton.
Mr. Cooke,
Mr. Field,

Mr. Farley.

Mr. Klanert.

RABY

TRAVELLERS

GADSHILL

BARDOLPH

PETO

KING HENRY IV.

THE FIRST PART.

ACT THE FIRST.

SCENE I.

The Palace in London.

Flourish of Trumpets and Drums.

KING HENRY, PRINCE JOHN OF LANCASTER, EARL
OF WESTMORELAND, SIR RICHARD VERNON,
SIR WALTER BLUNT, and other GENTLEMEN dis-
covered.

K. Hen. So shaken as we are, so wan with care,
Find we a time for frighted peace to pant.
No more the thirsty entrants of this soil

Shall daub 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:

Therefore, friends,

As far as to the sepulchre of Christ

Forthwith a power of English shall we levy,
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 now is 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 Westmoreland,
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, laden 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,
And a thousand of his people butchered.

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, and brave Archibald,
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, a true-industrious friend,

Sir Walter Blunt, new lighted from his horse,
And he hath brought us smooth and welcome news.
The Earl of Douglas is discomfited

On Holmedon's plains: of prisoners, Hotspur took
Mordake, the Earl of Fife, and eldest son
To beaten Douglas; and the Earls
Of Athol, Murray, Angus, and Menteith.
And is not this an honourable spoil?

A gallant prize? ha, cousin, is it not?

West. It is 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 of so bless'd a son:
A son, who is the theme of honour's tongue;
Whilst I, by looking on the praise of him,
See riot and dishonour stain the brow

Of my young Harry. Oh, 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,
Which he, in this adventure, hath surpris'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.

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 inform the lords:
But come yourself with speed to us again;

[Rises.

For more is to be said, and to be done,

Than, out of anger, can be uttered.

Flourish of Trumpets and Drums.-[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

An Apartment belonging to the PRINCE OF WALES.

Enter HENRY, PRINCE OF WALES, and SIR JOHN FALSTAFF.

Fal. Now, Hal, what time of day is it, lad?

P. Hen. Thou art so fat-witted, with drinking of old sack, and unbuttoning thee after supper, and sleeping upon benches after noon, that thou hast for gotten to demand that truly, which thou wouldst truly know. What a devil hast thou to do with the time of the day? Unless hours were cups of sack, and minutes capons, and clocks the tongues of bawds; I see no reason, why thou shouldst be so superfluous to demand the time of the day.

Fal. Indeed, you come near me now, Hal: for we, that take purses, go by the moon and seven stars, and not by Phoebus,--he, that wand'ring knight so fair. And, I pray thee, sweet wag, when thou art king,→ as, Heaven save thy grace, majesty, I should say; for grace thou wilt have none,

P. Hen. What! none?

Fal. No, by my troth; not so much as will serve to be prologue to an egg and butter.

P. Hen. Well, how then? come, roundly, roundly. Fal. Marry, then, sweet wag, when thou art king, let not us, that are squires of the night's body, be called thieves of the day's beauty; let us be-Diana's foresters, gentlemen of the shade, minions of the