ACT III.
Scene I. Bangor. The Archdeacon's house.
Enter Hotspur, Worcester, Mortimer, and Glendower.[2590]
And our induction full of prosperous hope.
Will you sit down?[2591]
And uncle Worcester: a plague upon it![2591]5
I have forgot the map.[2591][2592]
Sit, cousin Percy; sit, good cousin Hotspur,[2592]
For by that name as oft as Lancaster[2592][2593]
Doth speak of you, his cheek looks pale and with[2592][2594]
A rising sigh he wisheth you in heaven.[2592][2595]10
The front of heaven was full of fiery shapes,
Of burning cressets; and at my birth[2599][2600]15
The frame and huge foundation of the earth[2599][2601]
Shaked like a coward.[2599][2602]
if your mother's cat had but kittened, though yourself had[2603][2605]
never been born.[2603][2606]20
If you suppose as fearing you it shook.
And not in fear of your nativity.
Diseased nature oftentimes breaks forth
In strange eruptions; oft the teeming earth[2609]
Is with a kind of colic pinch'd and vex'd
By the imprisoning of unruly wind30
Within her womb; which, for enlargement striving,
Shakes the old beldam earth and topples down[2610]
Steeples and moss-grown towers. At your birth[2611]
Our grandam earth, having this distemperature,[2612]
In passion shook.
I do not bear these crossings. Give me leave[2613]
To tell you once again that at my birth
The front of heaven was full of fiery shapes,
The goats ran from the mountains, and the herds
Were strangely clamorous to the frighted fields.[2614]40
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.[2615]
Where is he living, clipp'd in with the sea[2616]
That chides the banks of England, Scotland, Wales,[2617]45
Which calls me pupil, or hath read to me?
And bring him out that is but woman's son[2618]
Can trace me in the tedious ways of art[2619]
And hold me pace in deep experiments.[2620]
But will they come when you do call for them?55
By telling truth: tell truth, and shame the devil.[2628]
If thou have power to raise him, bring him hither,60
And I 'll be sworn I have power to shame him hence.
O, while you live, tell truth, and shame the devil!
Against my power; thrice from the banks of Wye[2630]65
And sandy-bottom'd Severn have I sent him[2631][2632]
Bootless home and weather-beaten back.[2632][2633]
How 'scapes he agues, in the devil's name?[2635]
According to our threefold order ta'en?
Into three limits very equally:
England, from Trent and Severn hitherto,
By south and east is to my part assign'd:75
All westward, Wales beyond the Severn shore.
And all the fertile land within that bound.
To Owen Glendower: and, dear coz, to you[2638]
The remnant northward, lying off from Trent.
And our indentures tripartite are drawn;[2639]80
Which being sealed interchangeably,
A business that this night may execute,
To-morrow, cousin Percy, you and I[2640]
And my good Lord of Worcester will set forth
To meet your father and the Scottish power,85
As is appointed us, at Shrewsbury.
My father Glendower is not ready yet,
Nor shall we need his help these fourteen days.
Within that space you may have drawn together[2641]
Your tenants, friends, and neighbouring gentlemen.90
And in my conduct shall your ladies come;
From whom you now must steal and take no leave,
For there will be a world of water shed[2642]
Upon the parting of your wives and you.95
In quantity equals not one of yours:
See how this river comes me cranking in,[2644]
And cuts me from the best of all my land
A huge half-moon, a monstrous cantle out.[2645]100
I'll have the current in this place damm'd up;[2646]
And here the smug and silver Trent shall run
In a new channel, fair and evenly;
It shall not wind with such a deep indent,
To rob me of so rich a bottom here.105
Mark how he bears his course, and runs me up[2647][2648]
With like advantage on the other side;[2647]
Gelding the opposed continent as much[2647]110
As on the other side it takes from you.[2647]
And on this north side win this cape of land;
And then he runs straight and even.[2649]
For I was train'd up in the English court;
Where, being but young, I framed to the harp[2653]
Many an English ditty lovely well
And gave the tongue a helpful ornament,125
A virtue that was never seen in you.
And I am glad of it with all my heart:[2654]
I had rather be a kitten and cry mew
Than one of these same metre ballad-mongers;[2655]130
I had rather hear a brazen canstick turn'd,[2656]
Or a dry wheel grate on the axle-tree;
And that would set my teeth nothing on edge,[2657]
Nothing so much as mincing poetry:
'Tis like the forced gait of a shuffling nag.135
To any well-deserving friend;[2658][2659]
But in the way of bargain, mark ye me,
I'll cavil on the ninth part of a hair.140
Are the indentures drawn? shall we be gone?
I'll haste the writer, and withal[2661][2662]
Break with your wives of your departure hence:[2662]
I am afraid my daughter will run mad,145
So much she doteth on her Mortimer. [Exit.
With telling me of the moldwarp and the ant,[2665]
Of the dreamer Merlin and his prophecies,[2666]150
And of a dragon and a finless fish,
A clip-wing'd griffin and a moulten raven,[2667]
A couching lion and a ramping cat,[2668]
And such a deal of skimble-skamble stuff
As puts me from my faith. I tell you what,—155
He held me last night at least nine hours[2669]
In reckoning up the several devils' names
That were his lackeys: I cried 'hum,' and 'well, go to,'[2670]
But mark'd him not a word. O, he is as tedious[2671]
As a tired horse, a railing wife;[2672]160
Worse than a smoky house: I had rather live
With cheese and garlic in a windmill, far,
Than feed on cates and have him talk to me
In any summer-house in Christendom.
Exceedingly well read, and profited[2674]
In strange concealments, valiant as a lion[2675]
And wondrous affable and as bountiful[2675][2676]
As mines of India. Shall I tell you, cousin?[2675][2677]
He holds your temper in a high respect[2675]170
And curbs himself even of his natural scope[2678]
When you come 'cross his humour; faith, he does:[2679]
I warrant you, that man is not alive
Might so have tempted him as you have done,
Without the taste of danger and reproof:175
But do not use it oft, let me entreat you.
And since your coming hither have done enough
To put him quite beside his patience.[2681]
You must needs learn, lord, to amend this fault:180
Though sometimes it show greatness, courage, blood,—[2682]
And that's the dearest grace it renders you,—
Yet oftentimes it doth present harsh rage,
Defect of manners, want of government,
Pride, haughtiness, opinion and disdain:185
The least of which haunting a nobleman[2683]
Loseth men's hearts and leaves behind a stain[2684]
Upon the beauty of all parts besides,[2685]
Beguiling them of commendation.
Here come our wives, and let us take our leave.
Re-enter Glendower with the ladies.[2687]
My wife can speak no English, I no Welsh.
She'll be a soldier too, she'll to the wars.195
Shall follow in your conduct speedily.
[Glendower speaks to her in Welsh, and she answers him in the same.[2691]
[The lady speaks in Welsh.
Which thou pour'st down from these swelling heavens[2695]
I am too perfect in; and, but for shame,
In such a parley should I answer thee.
[The lady speaks again in Welsh.[2696]
And that's a feeling disputation:[2697]205
But I will never be a truant, love,
Till I have learn'd thy language; for thy tongue
Makes Welsh as sweet as ditties highly penn'd,[2698]
Sung by a fair queen in a summer's bower,
With ravishing division, to her lute.210
[The lady speaks again in Welsh.
And rest your gentle head upon her lap,
And she will sing the song that pleaseth you215
And on your eyelids crown the god of sleep,
Charming your blood with pleasing heaviness,
Making such difference 'twixt wake and sleep[2701]
As is the difference betwixt day and night
The hour before the heavenly-harness'd team220
Begins his golden progress in the east.[2702]
By that time will our book, I think, be drawn.
And those musicians that shall play to you[2703]225
Hang in the air a thousand leagues from hence,[2704]
And straight they shall be here: sit, and attend.[2705]
come, quick, quick, that I may lay my head in thy lap.[2706]
[The music plays.[2707]
And 'tis no marvel he is so humorous.[2708]
By'r lady, he is a good musician.[2708]
you are altogether governed by humours. Lie still, ye[2708][2710]235
thief, and hear the lady sing in Welsh.[2708]
[Here the lady sings a Welsh song.
like a comfit-maker's wife. 'Not you, in good sooth,' and[2716]
'as true as I live,' and 'as God shall mend me,' and 'as[2717]250
sure as day,'[2714]
And givest such sarcenet surety for thy oaths,
As if thou never walk'st further than Finsbury.[2718]
Swear me, Kate, like a lady as thou art,
A good mouth-filling oath, and leave 'in sooth,'255
And such protest of pepper-gingerbread,[2719]
To velvet-guards and Sunday-citizens.
Come, sing.
teacher. An the indentures be drawn, I'll away within these[2721]
two hours; and so, come in when ye will.[2722] [Exit.
As hot Lord Percy is on fire to go.[2724]
By this our book is drawn; we'll but seal,[2725]265
And then to horse immediately.[2725]
Scene II. London. The palace.[2726]
Enter the King, Prince of Wales, and others.