SCENE III.-The same. Another Room in the Palace. Enter KING HENRY, NORTHUMBERLAND, WORCESTER, HOTSPUR, SIR WALTER BLUNT, and others. K. Hen. My blood hath been too cold and temperate, Unapt to stir at these indignities, And you have found me; for accordingly, You tread upon my patience: but, be sure, I will from henceforth rather be myself, Which the proud soul ne'er pays, but to the proud. And that same greatness too which our own hands North. My lord, K. Hen. Worcester, get thee gone, for I see danger And disobedience in thine eye: O, Sir, Your presence is too bold and peremptory, And majesty might never yet endure The moody frontiert of a servant brow. You have good leave to leave us; when we need Your use and counsel, we shall send for you.- [Exit WORCESTER. You were about to speak. North. Yea, my good lord. Those prisoners in your highness' name demanded, Which Harry Percy here at Holmedon took, Were, as he says, not with such strength denied Either envy, therefore, or misprision, Hot. My liege, I did deny no prisoners. But, I remember, when the fight was done, And 'twixt his finger and his thumb he held He gave his nose, and took't away again ; Who, therewith angry, when it next came there, [TO NORTH. Natural disposition. † Forehead. Ready asscnt. Ill part. He call'd them-untaught knaves, unmannerly, He question'd me; among the rest demanded I then, all smarting, with my wounds being cold, Out of my grief and my impatience, Answer'd neglectingly, I know not what; He should, or he should not; for he made me mad, And talk so like a waiting-gentlewoman, Of guns, and drums, and wounds (God save the mark!) Was parmaceti, for an inward bruise; And that it was great pity, so it was, Betwixt my love and your high majesty. Blunt. The circumstance consider'd, good, my lord, K. Hen. Why, yet he doth deny his prisoners; That we, at our own charge, shall ransom straight * Pain. † Brave. Bargain with objects of fear. Hot. Revolted Mortimer! He never did fall off, my sovereign liege, But by the chance of war;-To prove that true, Needs no more, but one tongue for all those wounds, In single opposition, hand to hand, He did confound the best part of an hour In changing hardiment with great Glendower: Three times they breathed, and three times did they drink, Upon agreement, of swift Severn's flood; Who then, affrighted with their bloody looks, Ran fearfully among the trembling reeds, And hid his crisp‡ head in the hollow bank, Colour her working with such deadly wounds; Receive so many, and all willingly: Then let him not be slander'd with revolt. 毒 K. Hen. Thou dost belie him, Percy, thou dost belie him, He never did encounter with Glendower; I tell thee, He durst as well have met the devil alone, As Owen Glendower for an enemy. Art not ashamed? But, sirrah, henceforth Send me your prisoners with the speediest means, [Exeunt KING HENRY, BLUNT, and Train. Hot. And if the devil come and roar for them, I will not send them :-I will after straight, And tell him so; for I will ease my heart, North. What, drunk with choler? stay, and pause awhile; Here comes your uncle. Re-enter WORCESTER. Hot. Speak of Mortimer! Zounds, I will speak of him; and let my soul Want mercy, if I do not join with him: Yea, on his part, I'll empty all these veins, And shed my dear blood drop by drop i' the dust, But I will lift the down-trod Mortimer As high i' the air as this unthankful king, North. Brother, the king hath made your nephew mad. [To WORCESTER. + Curled. Wor. Who struck this heat up, after I was gone? Wor. I cannot blame him: Was he not proclaim'd, North. He was; I heard the proclamation: And then it was, when the unhappy king (Whose wrongs in us God pardon!) did set forth Upon his Irish expedition; From whence he, intercepted, did return To be deposed, and shortly, murdered. Wor. And for whose death, we in the world's wide mouth Live scandalized, and foully spoken of. Hot. But soft, I pray you; Did king Richard then Proclaim my brother Edmund Mortimer Heir to the crown? North. He did; myself did hear it. Hot. Nay, then I cannot blame his cousin king, That wish'd him on the barren mountains starved. But shall it be, that you,-that set the crown And, for his sake, wear the detested blot To show the line, and the predicament, Wherein you range under this subtle king.- Even with the bloody payment of your deaths. Wor. Peace, cousin, say no more: North. Imagination of some great exploit Drives him beyond the bounds of patience. Hot. By heaven, methinks, it were an easy leap, Where fathom-line could never touch the ground, But out upon this half-faced fellowship !+ Wor. He apprehends a world of figures here, Wor. Those same noble Scots, That are your prisoners, Hot. I'll keep them all; By heaven he shall not have a Scot of them: Wor. You start away, And lend no ear unto my purposes.- Hot. Nay, I will: that's flat: He said, he would not ransom Mortimer; I'll have a starling shall be taught to speak Wor. Hear you, Cousin ; a word. Hot. All studies here I solemnly defy,§ Save how to gall and pinch this Bolingbroke: And that same sword-and-buckler || prince of Wales. * Rival. + Friendship. + Shapes. A blustering, quarrelsome fellow. |