King Henry IV, Part I
ACT II SCENE III | Warkworth castle. | |
[Enter HOTSPUR, solus, reading a letter] | ||
HOTSPUR | ‘But for mine own part, my lord, I could be well | |
contented to be there, in respect of the love I bear | ||
your house.’ He could be contented: why is he not, | ||
then? In respect of the love he bears our house: | ||
he shows in this, he loves his own barn better than | 5 | |
he loves our house. Let me see some more. ‘The | ||
purpose you undertake is dangerous;’–why, that’s | ||
certain: ’tis dangerous to take a cold, to sleep, to | ||
drink; but I tell you, my lord fool, out of this | ||
nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety. ‘The | 10 | |
purpose you undertake is dangerous; the friends you | ||
have named uncertain; the time itself unsorted; and | ||
your whole plot too light for the counterpoise of so | ||
great an opposition.’ Say you so, say you so? I say | ||
unto you again, you are a shallow cowardly hind, and | 15 | |
you lie. What a lack-brain is this! By the Lord, | ||
our plot is a good plot as ever was laid; our | ||
friends true and constant: a good plot, good | ||
friends, and full of expectation; an excellent plot, | ||
very good friends. What a frosty-spirited rogue is | 20 | |
this! Why, my lord of York commends the plot and the | ||
general course of action. ‘Zounds, an I were now by | ||
this rascal, I could brain him with his lady’s fan. | ||
Is there not my father, my uncle and myself? lord | ||
Edmund Mortimer, My lord of York and Owen Glendower? | 25 | |
is there not besides the Douglas? have I not all | ||
their letters to meet me in arms by the ninth of the | ||
next month? and are they not some of them set | ||
forward already? What a pagan rascal is this! an | ||
infidel! Ha! you shall see now in very sincerity | 30 | |
of fear and cold heart, will he to the king and lay | ||
open all our proceedings. O, I could divide myself | ||
and go to buffets, for moving such a dish of | ||
skim milk with so honourable an action! Hang him! | ||
let him tell the king: we are prepared. I will set | 35 | |
forward to-night. | ||
[Enter LADY PERCY] | ||
How now, Kate! I must leave you within these two hours. | ||
LADY PERCY | O, my good lord, why are you thus alone? | |
For what offence have I this fortnight been | ||
A banish’d woman from my Harry’s bed? | 40 | |
Tell me, sweet lord, what is’t that takes from thee | ||
Thy stomach, pleasure and thy golden sleep? | ||
Why dost thou bend thine eyes upon the earth, | ||
And start so often when thou sit’st alone? | ||
Why hast thou lost the fresh blood in thy cheeks; | 45 | |
And given my treasures and my rights of thee | ||
To thick-eyed musing and cursed melancholy? | ||
In thy faint slumbers I by thee have watch’d, | ||
And heard thee murmur tales of iron wars; | ||
Speak terms of manage to thy bounding steed; | 50 | |
Cry ‘Courage! to the field!’ And thou hast talk’d | ||
Of sallies and retires, of trenches, tents, | ||
Of palisadoes, frontiers, parapets, | ||
Of basilisks, of cannon, culverin, | ||
Of prisoners’ ransom and of soldiers slain, | 55 | |
And all the currents of a heady fight. | ||
Thy spirit within thee hath been so at war | ||
And thus hath so bestirr’d thee in thy sleep, | ||
That beads of sweat have stood upon thy brow | ||
Like bubbles in a late-disturbed stream; | 60 | |
And in thy face strange motions have appear’d, | ||
Such as we see when men restrain their breath | ||
On some great sudden hest. O, what portents are these? | ||
Some heavy business hath my lord in hand, | ||
And I must know it, else he loves me not. | 65 | |
HOTSPUR | What, ho! | |
[Enter Servant] | ||
Is Gilliams with the packet gone? | ||
Servant | He is, my lord, an hour ago. | |
HOTSPUR | Hath Butler brought those horses from the sheriff? | |
Servant | One horse, my lord, he brought even now. | 70 |
HOTSPUR | What horse? a roan, a crop-ear, is it not? | |
Servant | It is, my lord. | |
HOTSPUR | That roan shall by my throne. | |
Well, I will back him straight: O esperance! | ||
Bid Butler lead him forth into the park. | 75 | |
[Exit Servant] | ||
LADY PERCY | But hear you, my lord. | |
HOTSPUR | What say’st thou, my lady? | |
LADY PERCY | What is it carries you away? | |
HOTSPUR | Why, my horse, my love, my horse. | |
LADY PERCY | Out, you mad-headed ape! | 80 |
A weasel hath not such a deal of spleen | ||
As you are toss’d with. In faith, | ||
I’ll know your business, Harry, that I will. | ||
I fear my brother Mortimer doth stir | ||
About his title, and hath sent for you | 85 | |
To line his enterprise: but if you go,– | ||
HOTSPUR | So far afoot, I shall be weary, love. | |
LADY PERCY | Come, come, you paraquito, answer me | |
Directly unto this question that I ask: | ||
In faith, I’ll break thy little finger, Harry, | 90 | |
An if thou wilt not tell me all things true. | ||
HOTSPUR | Away, | |
Away, you trifler! Love! I love thee not, | ||
I care not for thee, Kate: this is no world | ||
To play with mammets and to tilt with lips: | 95 | |
We must have bloody noses and crack’d crowns, | ||
And pass them current too. God’s me, my horse! | ||
What say’st thou, Kate? what would’st thou | ||
have with me? | ||
LADY PERCY | Do you not love me? do you not, indeed? | 100 |
Well, do not then; for since you love me not, | ||
I will not love myself. Do you not love me? | ||
Nay, tell me if you speak in jest or no. | ||
HOTSPUR | Come, wilt thou see me ride? | |
And when I am on horseback, I will swear | 105 | |
I love thee infinitely. But hark you, Kate; | ||
I must not have you henceforth question me | ||
Whither I go, nor reason whereabout: | ||
Whither I must, I must; and, to conclude, | ||
This evening must I leave you, gentle Kate. | 110 | |
I know you wise, but yet no farther wise | ||
Than Harry Percy’s wife: constant you are, | ||
But yet a woman: and for secrecy, | ||
No lady closer; for I well believe | ||
Thou wilt not utter what thou dost not know; | 115 | |
And so far will I trust thee, gentle Kate. | ||
LADY PERCY | How! so far? | |
HOTSPUR | Not an inch further. But hark you, Kate: | |
Whither I go, thither shall you go too; | ||
To-day will I set forth, to-morrow you. | 120 | |
Will this content you, Kate? | ||
LADY PERCY | It must of force. | |
[Exeunt] |
Continue to Henry IV, Part I, Act 2, Scene 4