Internet Shakespeare Editions

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Rosemary Gaby
Not Peer Reviewed

Henry IV, Part 1 (Quarto 1, 1598)

of Henrie the fourth.
my selfe, and go to buffets, for mouing such a dish of skim milke
880with so honorable an action. Hang him, let him tell the king, we
are prepared: I will set forward to night.
Enter his Lady.
How now Kate, I must leaue you within these two houres.
885Lady. O my good Lord, why are you thus alone?
For what offence haue I this fortnight bin
A banisht woman from my Harries bed?
Tel me sweet Lord, what ist that takes from thee
Thy stomacke, pleasure, and thy goulden sleepe?
890Why dost thou bend thine eies vpon the earth?
And start so often when thou sitst alone?
Why hast thou lost the fresh bloud in thy cheekes?
And giuen my treasures and my rights of thee
To thicke eyde musing, and curst melancholy?
895In thy faint slumbers I by thee haue watcht,
And heard the murmur, tales of yron wars,
Speake tearmes of mannage to thy bounding steed,
Cry courage to the field. And thou hast talkt
Of sallies, and retyres of trenches tents,
900Of pallizadoes, frontiers, parapets,
Of basilisks, of canon, culuerin,
Of prisoners ransome, and of soldiors slaine,
And all the currents of a heddy fight.
Thy spirit within thee hath bin so at war,
905And thus hath so bestird thee in thy sleepe,
That beads of sweat haue stood vpon thy brow
Like bubbles in a late disturbed streame
And in thy face strange motions haue appeard,
Such as we see when men restraine their breath,
910On some great suddain hest. O what portents are these?
Some heauy businesse hath my Lord in hand,
And I must know it else he loues me not.
Hot. What ho, is Gilliams with the packet gone?
Ser. He is my Lord, an houre ago.
915Hot. Hath Butler brought those horses from the Sheriffe?
Ser. One horse my Lord he brought euen now.
Hot. What horse, Roane? a cropeare is it not?
Ser. It is my Lord.
D1 Hot.