TPTT The First Part of Henry the Fourth: ACT III
Introduction
ACT I
ACT II
ACT III
SCENE I. Bangor. The Archdeacon's house.
SCENE II. London. The palace.
Scene III Eastcheap. The Boar's-Head Tavern.
ACT IV
ACT V
About the Play
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SCENE I. Bangor. The Archdeacon's house.
Enter HOTSPUR, WORCESTER, MORTIMER, and GLENDOWER
MORTIMER
      These promises are fair, the parties sure,
      And our induction full of prosperous hope.
HOTSPUR
      Lord Mortimer, and cousin Glendower,
      Will you sit down?
5     And uncle Worcester: a plague upon it!
      I have forgot the map.
GLENDOWER
      No, here it is.
      Sit, cousin Percy; sit, good cousin Hotspur,
      For by that name as oft as Lancaster
10    Doth speak of you, his cheek looks pale and with
      A rising sigh he wisheth you in heaven.
HOTSPUR
      And you in hell, as oft as he hears Owen Glendower spoke of.
GLENDOWER
      I cannot blame him: at my nativity
      The front of heaven was full of fiery shapes,
15    Of burning cressets; and at my birth
      The frame and huge foundation of the earth
      Shaked like a coward.
HOTSPUR
      Why, so it would have done at the same season, if
      your mother's cat had but kittened, though yourself
20    had never been born.
GLENDOWER
      I say the earth did shake when I was born.
HOTSPUR
      And I say the earth was not of my mind,
      If you suppose as fearing you it shook.
GLENDOWER
      The heavens were all on fire, the earth did tremble.
HOTSPUR
25    O, then the earth shook to see the heavens on fire,
      And not in fear of your nativity.
      Diseased nature oftentimes breaks forth
      In strange eruptions; oft the teeming earth
      Is with a kind of colic pinch'd and vex'd
30    By the imprisoning of unruly wind
      Within her womb; which, for enlargement striving,
      Shakes the old beldam earth and topples down
      Steeples and moss-grown towers. At your birth
      Our grandam earth, having this distemperature,
35    In passion shook.
GLENDOWER
      Cousin, of many men
      I do not bear these crossings. Give me leave
      To tell you once again that at my birth
      The front of heaven was full of fiery shapes,
40    The goats ran from the mountains, and the herds
      Were strangely clamorous to the frighted fields.
      These signs have mark'd me extraordinary;
      And all the courses of my life do show
      I am not in the roll of common men.
45    Where is he living, clipp'd in with the sea
      That chides the banks of England, Scotland, Wales,
      Which calls me pupil, or hath read to me?
      And bring him out that is but woman's son
      Can trace me in the tedious ways of art
50    And hold me pace in deep experiments.
HOTSPUR
      I think there's no man speaks better Welsh.
      I'll to dinner.
MORTIMER
      Peace, cousin Percy; you will make him mad.
GLENDOWER
      I can call spirits from the vasty deep.
HOTSPUR
55    Why, so can I, or so can any man;
      But will they come when you do call for them?
GLENDOWER
      Why, I can teach you, cousin, to command
      The devil.
HOTSPUR
      And I can teach thee, coz, to shame the devil
60    By telling truth: tell truth and shame the devil.
      If thou have power to raise him, bring him hither,
      And I'll be sworn I have power to shame him hence.
      O, while you live, tell truth and shame the devil!
MORTIMER
      Come, come, no more of this unprofitable chat.
GLENDOWER
65    Three times hath Henry Bolingbroke made head
      Against my power; thrice from the banks of Wye
      And sandy-bottom'd Severn have I sent him
      Bootless home and weather-beaten back.
HOTSPUR
      Home without boots, and in foul weather too!
70    How 'scapes he agues, in the devil's name?
GLENDOWER
      Come, here's the map: shall we divide our right
      According to our threefold order ta'en?
MORTIMER
      The archdeacon hath divided it
      Into three limits very equally:
75    England, from Trent and Severn hitherto,
      By south and east is to my part assign'd:
      All westward, Wales beyond the Severn shore,
      And all the fertile land within that bound,
      To Owen Glendower: and, dear coz, to you
80    The remnant northward, lying off from Trent.
      And our indentures tripartite are drawn;
      Which being sealed interchangeably,
      A business that this night may execute,
      To-morrow, cousin Percy, you and I
85    And my good Lord of Worcester will set forth
      To meet your father and the Scottish power,
      As is appointed us, at Shrewsbury.
      My father Glendower is not ready yet,
      Not shall we need his help these fourteen days.
90    Within that space you may have drawn together
      Your tenants, friends and neighbouring gentlemen.
GLENDOWER
      A shorter time shall send me to you, lords:
      And in my conduct shall your ladies come;
      From whom you now must steal and take no leave,
95    For there will be a world of water shed
      Upon the parting of your wives and you.
HOTSPUR
      Methinks my moiety, north from Burton here,
      In quantity equals not one of yours:
      See how this river comes me cranking in,
100   And cuts me from the best of all my land
      A huge half-moon, a monstrous cantle out.
      I'll have the current in this place damm'd up;
      And here the smug and silver Trent shall run
      In a new channel, fair and evenly;
105   It shall not wind with such a deep indent,
      To rob me of so rich a bottom here.
GLENDOWER
      Not wind? it shall, it must; you see it doth.
MORTIMER
      Yea, but
      Mark how he bears his course, and runs me up
110   With like advantage on the other side;
      Gelding the opposed continent as much
      As on the other side it takes from you.
EARL OF WORCESTER
      Yea, but a little charge will trench him here
      And on this north side win this cape of land;
115   And then he runs straight and even.
HOTSPUR
      I'll have it so: a little charge will do it.
GLENDOWER
      I'll not have it alter'd.
HOTSPUR
      Will not you?
GLENDOWER
      No, nor you shall not.
HOTSPUR
120   Who shall say me nay?
GLENDOWER
      Why, that will I.
HOTSPUR
      Let me not understand you, then; speak it in Welsh.
GLENDOWER
      I can speak English, lord, as well as you;
      For I was train'd up in the English court;
125   Where, being but young, I framed to the harp
      Many an English ditty lovely well
      And gave the tongue a helpful ornament,
      A virtue that was never seen in you.
HOTSPUR
      Marry,
130   And I am glad of it with all my heart:
      I had rather be a kitten and cry mew
      Than one of these same metre ballad-mongers;
      I had rather hear a brazen canstick turn'd,
      Or a dry wheel grate on the axle-tree;
135   And that would set my teeth nothing on edge,
      Nothing so much as mincing poetry:
      'Tis like the forced gait of a shuffling nag.
GLENDOWER
      Come, you shall have Trent turn'd.
HOTSPUR
      I do not care: I'll give thrice so much land
140   To any well-deserving friend;
      But in the way of bargain, mark ye me,
      I'll cavil on the ninth part of a hair.
      Are the indentures drawn? shall we be gone?
GLENDOWER
      The moon shines fair; you may away by night:
145   I'll haste the writer and withal
      Break with your wives of your departure hence:
      I am afraid my daughter will run mad,
      So much she doteth on her Mortimer.
Exit GLENDOWER
MORTIMER
      Fie, cousin Percy! how you cross my father!
HOTSPUR
150   I cannot choose: sometime he angers me
      With telling me of the mouldwarp and the ant,
      Of the dreamer Merlin and his prophecies,
      And of a dragon and a finless fish,
      A clip-wing'd griffin and a moulten raven,
155   A couching lion and a ramping cat,
      And such a deal of skimble-skamble stuff
      As puts me from my faith. I tell you what;
      He held me last night at least nine hours
      In reckoning up the several devils' names
160   That were his lackeys: I cried 'hum,' and 'well, go to,'
      But mark'd him not a word. O, he is as tedious
      As a tired horse, a railing wife;
      Worse than a smoky house: I had rather live
      With cheese and garlic in a windmill, far,
165   Than feed on cates and have him talk to me
      In any summer-house in Christendom.
MORTIMER
      In faith, he is a worthy gentleman,
      Exceedingly well read, and profited
      In strange concealments, valiant as a lion
170   And as wondrous affable and as bountiful
      As mines of India. Shall I tell you, cousin?
      He holds your temper in a high respect
      And curbs himself even of his natural scope
      When you come 'cross his humour; faith, he does:
175   I warrant you, that man is not alive
      Might so have tempted him as you have done,
      Without the taste of danger and reproof:
      But do not use it oft, let me entreat you.
EARL OF WORCESTER
      In faith, my lord, you are too wilful-blame;
180   And since your coming hither have done enough
      To put him quite beside his patience.
      You must needs learn, lord, to amend this fault:
      Though sometimes it show greatness, courage, blood,--
      And that's the dearest grace it renders you,--
185   Yet oftentimes it doth present harsh rage,
      Defect of manners, want of government,
      Pride, haughtiness, opinion and disdain:
      The least of which haunting a nobleman
      Loseth men's hearts and leaves behind a stain
190   Upon the beauty of all parts besides,
      Beguiling them of commendation.
HOTSPUR
      Well, I am school'd: good manners be your speed!
      Here come our wives, and let us take our leave.
Re-enter GLENDOWER with the ladies
MORTIMER
      This is the deadly spite that angers me;
195   My wife can speak no English, I no Welsh.
GLENDOWER
      My daughter weeps: she will not part with you;
      She'll be a soldier too, she'll to the wars.
MORTIMER
      Good father, tell her that she and my aunt Percy
      Shall follow in your conduct speedily.
Glendower speaks to her in Welsh, and she answers him in the same
GLENDOWER
200   She is desperate here; a peevish self-wind harlotry,
      one that no persuasion can do good upon.
The lady speaks in Welsh
MORTIMER
      I understand thy looks: that pretty Welsh
      Which thou pour'st down from these swelling heavens
      I am too perfect in; and, but for shame,
205   In such a parley should I answer thee.

The lady speaks again in Welsh

      I understand thy kisses and thou mine,
      And that's a feeling disputation:
      But I will never be a truant, love,
      Till I have learned thy language; for thy tongue
210   Makes Welsh as sweet as ditties highly penn'd,
      Sung by a fair queen in a summer's bower,
      With ravishing division, to her lute.
GLENDOWER
      Nay, if you melt, then will she run mad.
The lady speaks again in Welsh
MORTIMER
      O, I am ignorance itself in this!
GLENDOWER
215   She bids you on the wanton rushes lay you down
      And rest your gentle head upon her lap,
      And she will sing the song that pleaseth you
      And on your eyelids crown the god of sleep.
      Charming your blood with pleasing heaviness,
220   Making such difference 'twixt wake and sleep
      As is the difference betwixt day and night
      The hour before the heavenly-harness'd team
      Begins his golden progress in the east.
MORTIMER
      With all my heart I'll sit and hear her sing:
225   By that time will our book, I think, be drawn
GLENDOWER
      Do so;
      And those musicians that shall play to you
      Hang in the air a thousand leagues from hence,
      And straight they shall be here: sit, and attend.
HOTSPUR
230   Come, Kate, thou art perfect in lying down: come,
      quick, quick, that I may lay my head in thy lap.
LADY PERCY
      Go, ye giddy goose.
The music plays
HOTSPUR
      Now I perceive the devil understands Welsh;
      And 'tis no marvel he is so humorous.
235   By'r lady, he is a good musician.
LADY PERCY
      Then should you be nothing but musical for you are
      altogether governed by humours. Lie still, ye thief,
      and hear the lady sing in Welsh.
HOTSPUR
      I had rather hear Lady, my brach, howl in Irish.
LADY PERCY
240   Wouldst thou have thy head broken?
HOTSPUR
      No.
LADY PERCY
      Then be still.
HOTSPUR
      Neither;'tis a woman's fault.
LADY PERCY
      Now God help thee!
HOTSPUR
245   To the Welsh lady's bed.
LADY PERCY
      What's that?
HOTSPUR
      Peace! she sings.
Here the lady sings a Welsh song
HOTSPUR
      Come, Kate, I'll have your song too.
LADY PERCY
      Not mine, in good sooth.
HOTSPUR
250   Not yours, in good sooth! Heart! you swear like a
      comfit-maker's wife. 'Not you, in good sooth,' and
      'as true as I live,' and 'as God shall mend me,' and
      'as sure as day,'
      And givest such sarcenet surety for thy oaths,
255   As if thou never walk'st further than Finsbury.
      Swear me, Kate, like a lady as thou art,
      A good mouth-filling oath, and leave 'in sooth,'
      And such protest of pepper-gingerbread,
      To velvet-guards and Sunday-citizens.
260   Come, sing.
LADY PERCY
      I will not sing.
HOTSPUR
      'Tis the next way to turn tailor, or be red-breast
      teacher. An the indentures be drawn, I'll away
      within these two hours; and so, come in when ye will.
Exit
GLENDOWER
265   Come, come, Lord Mortimer; you are as slow
      As hot Lord Percy is on fire to go.
      By this our book is drawn; we'll but seal,
      And then to horse immediately.
MORTIMER
      With all my heart.
Exeunt
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