The First Part of Henry IV:

Act 4, Scene 3


           Enter HOTSPUR, WORCESTER,
           DOUGLAS, VERNON.

      HOTSPUR
  1   We'll fight with him tonight.

      EARL OF WORCESTER
  1                                                 It may not be.

      EARL OF DOUGLAS
  2   You give him then the advantage.

      VERNON
  2                                                       Not a whit.

      HOTSPUR
  3   Why say you so? looks he not for supply?

      VERNON
  4   So do we.

      HOTSPUR
  4               His is certain, ours is doubtful.

      EARL OF WORCESTER
  5   Good cousin, be advised; stir not tonight.

      VERNON
  6   Do not, my lord.

      EARL OF DOUGLAS
  6                         You do not counsel well:
  7   You speak it out of fear and cold heart.

      VERNON
  8   Do me no slander, Douglas: by my life,
  9   And I dare well maintain it with my life,
 10   If well-respected honour bid me on,
 11   I hold as little counsel with weak fear
 12   As you, my lord, or any Scot that this day lives:
 13   Let it be seen tomorrow in the battle
 14   Which of us fears.

      EARL OF DOUGLAS
 14                               Yea, or tonight.

      VERNON
 14                                                       Content.

      HOTSPUR
 15   Tonight, say I.

      VERNON
 16   Come, come it nay not be. I wonder much,
 17   Being men of such great leading as you are,
 18   That you foresee not what impediments
 19   Drag back our expedition: certain horse
 20   Of my cousin Vernon's are not yet come up:
 21   Your uncle Worcester's horse came but today;
 22   And now their pride and mettle is asleep,
 23   Their courage with hard labour tame and dull,
 24   That not a horse is half the half of himself.

      HOTSPUR
 25   So are the horses of the enemy
 26   In general, journey-bated and brought low:
 27   The better part of ours are full of rest.

      EARL OF WORCESTER
 28   The number of the king exceedeth ours:
 29   For God's sake. cousin, stay till all come in.

 **        The trumpet sounds a parley.

           Enter SIR WALTER BLUNT.

      SIR WALTER BLUNT
 30   I come with gracious offers from the king,
 31   if you vouchsafe me hearing and respect.

      HOTSPUR
 32   Welcome, Sir Walter Blunt; and would to God
 33   You were of our determination!
 34   Some of us love you well; and even those some
 35   Envy your great deservings and good name,
 36   Because you are not of our quality,
 37   But stand against us like an enemy.

      SIR WALTER BLUNT
 38   And God defend but still I should stand so,
 39   So long as out of limit and true rule
 40   You stand against anointed majesty.
 41   But to my charge. The king hath sent to know
 42   The nature of your griefs, and whereupon
 43   You conjure from the breast of civil peace
 44   Such bold hostility, teaching his duteous land
 45   Audacious cruelty. If that the king
 46   Have any way your good deserts forgot,
 47   Which he confesseth to be manifold,
 48   He bids you name your griefs; and with all speed
 49   You shall have your desires with interest
 50   And pardon absolute for yourself and these
 51   Herein misled by your suggestion.

      HOTSPUR
 52   The king is kind; and well we know the king
 53   Knows at what time to promise, when to pay.
 54   My father and my uncle and myself
 55   Did give him that same royalty he wears;
 56   And when he was not six and twenty strong,
 57   Sick in the world's regard, wretched and low,
 58   A poor unminded outlaw sneaking home,
 59   My father gave him welcome to the shore;
 60   And when he heard him swear and vow to God
 61   He came but to be Duke of Lancaster,
 62   To sue his livery and beg his peace,
 63   With tears of innocency and terms of zeal,
 64   My father, in kind heart and pity moved,
 65   Swore him assistance and perform'd it too.
 66   Now when the lords and barons of the realm
 67   Perceived Northumberland did lean to him,
 68   The more and less came in with cap and knee;
 69   Met him in boroughs, cities, villages,
 70   Attended him on bridges, stood in lanes,
 71   Laid gifts before him, proffer'd him their oaths,
 72   Gave him their heirs, as pages follow'd him
 73   Even at the heels in golden multitudes.
 74   He presently, as greatness knows itself,
 75   Steps me a little higher than his vow
 76   Made to my father, while his blood was poor,
 77   Upon the naked shore at Ravenspurgh;
 78   And now, forsooth, takes on him to reform
 79   Some certain edicts and some strait decrees
 80   That lie too heavy on the commonwealth,
 81   Cries out upon abuses, seems to weep
 82   Over his country's wrongs; and by this face,
 83   This seeming brow of justice, did he win
 84   The hearts of all that he did angle for;
 85   Proceeded further; cut me off the heads
 86   Of all the favourites that the absent king
 87   In deputation left behind him here,
 88   When he was personal in the Irish war.

      SIR WALTER BLUNT
 89   Tut, I came not to hear this.

      HOTSPUR
 89                                             Then to the point.
 90   In short time after, he deposed the king;
 91   Soon after that, deprived him of his life;
 92   And in the neck of that, task'd the whole state:
 93   To make that worse, suffer'd his kinsman March,
 94   Who is, if every owner were well plac'd,
 95   Indeed his king, to be engag'd in Wales,
 96   There without ransom to lie forfeited;
 97   Disgraced me in my happy victories,
 98   Sought to entrap me by intelligence;
 99   Rated mine uncle from the council-board;
100   In rage dismiss'd my father from the court;
101   Broke oath on oath, committed wrong on wrong,
102   And in conclusion drove us to seek out
103   This head of safety; and withal to pry
104   Into his title, the which we find
105   Too indirect for long continuance.

      SIR WALTER BLUNT
106   Shall I return this answer to the king?

      HOTSPUR
107   Not so, Sir Walter: we'll withdraw awhile.
108   Go to the king; and let there be impawn'd
109   Some surety for a safe return again,
110   And in the morning early shall my uncle
111   Bring him our purposes: and so farewell.

      SIR WALTER BLUNT
112   I would you would accept of grace and love.

      HOTSPUR
113   And may be so we shall.

      SIR WALTER BLUNT
113                                     Pray God you do.

           [Exeunt.]