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  • Title: Henry IV, Part 2 (Quarto 1, 1600)
  • Editor: Rosemary Gaby

    • Copyright Rosemary Gaby. This text may be freely used for educational, non-profit purposes; for all other uses contact the Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Editor: Rosemary Gaby
    Not Peer Reviewed

    Henry IV, Part 2 (Quarto 1, 1600)

    Enter Northumberland his wife, and the wife to Harry Percie.
    North. I pray thee louing wife and gentle daughter,
    960Giue euen way vnto my rough affaires,
    Put not you on the visage of the times,
    And be like them to Percy troublesome.
    Wife I haue giuen ouer, I will speake no more,
    Do what you wil, your wisedome be your guide.
    965North. Alas sweete wife, my honor is at pawne,
    And but my going, nothing can redeeme it.
    Kate O yet for Gods sake, go not to these wars,
    The time was father, that you broke your word,
    When you were more endeere to it then now,
    970When your owne Percie, when my hearts deere Harry,
    Threw many a Northward looke, to see his father
    Bring vp his powers, but he did long in vaine.
    Who then perswaded you to stay at home?
    There were two honors lost, yours, and your sonnes,
    975For yours, the God of heauen brighten it,
    For his, it stucke vpon him as the sunne
    In the grey vault of heauen, and by his light
    Did all the Cheualry of England moue
    To do braue acts, he was indeede the glasse
    980Wherein the noble youth did dresse themselues.
    North. Beshrew your heart,
    1005Faire daughter, you do draw my spirites from me,
    With new lamenting ancient ouersights,
    But I must go and meete with danger there,
    Or it will seeke me in an other place,
    And find me worse prouided.
    1010Wife O flie to Scotland,
    Till that the nobles and the armed commons,
    Haue of their puissance made a little taste.
    Kate If they get ground and vantage of the King,
    D2 Then
    The second part of
    Then ioyne you with them like a ribbe of steele,
    1015To make strength stronger: but for al our loues,
    First let them trie themselues, so did your sonne,
    He was so suffred, so came I a widow,
    And neuer shall haue length of life enough,
    To raine vpon remembrance with mine eies,
    1020That it may grow and sprout as high as heauen,
    For recordation to my noble husband.
    North. Come, come, go in with me, tis with my mind,
    As with the tide, sweld vp vnto his height,
    That makes a stil stand, running neither way,
    1025Faine would I go to meete the Archbishop,
    But many thousand reasons hold me backe,
    I will resolue for Scotland, there am I,
    Till time and vantage craue my company. exeunt.
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