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Henry IV, Part 1 (Folio 1 1623)
46
The First Part of Henry the Fourth,
with the Life and Death of HENRY
Sirnamed HOT-SPVRRE.
1 Actus Primus. Scoena Prima.
2 Enter the King, Lord Iohn of Lancaster, Earle
3of Westmerland, with others.
4King.
6Finde we a time for frighted Peace to pant,
7And breath shortwinded accents of new broils
8To be commenc'd in Stronds a-farre remote:
9No more the thirsty entrance of this Soile,
10Shall daube her lippes with her owne childrens blood:
12Nor bruise her Flowrets with the Armed hoofes
14Which like the Meteors of a troubled Heauen,
15All of one Nature, of one Substance bred,
17And furious cloze of ciuill Butchery,
18Shall now in mutuall well-beseeming rankes
19March all one way, and be no more oppos'd
20Against Acquaintance, Kindred, and Allies.
21The edge of Warre, like an ill-sheathed knife,
23As farre as to the Sepulcher of Christ,
27Whose armes were moulded in their Mothers wombe,
30Which fourteene hundred yeares ago were nail'd
31For our aduantage on the bitter Crosse.
32But this our purpose is a tweluemonth old,
33And bootlesse 'tis to tell you we will go:
34Therefore we meete not now. Then let me heare
36What yesternight our Councell did decree,
37In forwarding this deere expedience.
39And many limits of the Charge set downe
40But yesternight: when all athwart there came
41A Post from Wales, loaden with heauy Newes;
44Against the irregular and wilde Glendower,
45Was by the rude hands of that Welshman taken,
46And a thousand of his people butchered:
53West. This matcht with other like, my gracious Lord,
54Farre more vneuen and vnwelcome Newes
55Came from the North, and thus it did report:
56On Holy-roode day, the gallant Hotspurre there,
57Young Harry Percy, and braue Archibald,
58That euer-valiant and approoued Scot,
59At Holmeden met, where they did spend
60A sad and bloody houre:
61As by discharge of their Artillerie,
62And shape of likely-hood the newes was told:
63For he that brought them, in the very heate
64And pride of their contention, did take horse,
65Vncertaine of the issue any way.
67Sir Walter Blunt, new lighted from his Horse,
68Strain'd with the variation of each soyle,
69Betwixt that Holmedon, and this Seat of ours:
70And he hath brought vs smooth and welcomes newes.
72Ten thousand bold Scots, two and twenty Knights
73Balk'd in their owne blood did Sir Walter see
76To beaten Dowglas, and the Earle of Atholl,
77Of Murry, Angus, and Menteith.
78And is not this an honourable spoyle?
79A gallant prize? Ha Cosin, is it not? Infaith it is.
82In enuy, that my Lord Northumberland
84A Sonne, who is the Theame of Honors tongue;
86Who is sweet Fortunes Minion, and her Pride:
89Of my yong Harry. O that it could be prou'd,
90That some Night-tripping-Faiery, had exchang'd
91In Cradle-clothes, our Children where they lay,
92And call'd mine Percy, his Plantagenet:
Then