The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 142

Prince. Lead me, my lord, I do not need your help; And G.o.d forbid a shallow scratch should drive The Prince of Wales from such a field as this, Where stain'd n.o.bility lies trodden on, And rebels' arms triumph in ma.s.sacres!

John. We breathe too long. Come, cousin Westmoreland, Our duty this way lies. For G.o.d's sake, come.

[Exeunt Prince John and Westmoreland.]

Prince. By G.o.d, thou hast deceiv'd me, Lancaster!

I did not think thee lord of such a spirit.

Before, I lov'd thee as a brother, John; But now, I do respect thee as my soul.

King. I saw him hold Lord Percy at the point With l.u.s.tier maintenance than I did look for Of such an ungrown warrior.

Prince. O, this boy Lends mettle to us all! Exit.

Enter Douglas.

Doug. Another king? They grow like Hydra's heads.

I am the Douglas, fatal to all those That wear those colours on them. What art thou That counterfeit'st the person of a king?

King. The King himself, who, Douglas, grieves at heart So many of his shadows thou hast met, And not the very King. I have two boys Seek Percy and thyself about the field; But, seeing thou fall'st on me so luckily, I will a.s.say thee. So defend thyself.

Doug. I fear thou art another counterfeit; And yet, in faith, thou bearest thee like a king.

But mine I am sure thou art, whoe'er thou be, And thus I win thee.

They fight. The King being in danger, enter Prince of Wales.

Prince. Hold up thy head, vile Scot, or thou art like Never to hold it up again! The spirits Of valiant Shirley, Stafford, Blunt are in my arms.

It is the Prince of Wales that threatens thee, Who never promiseth but he means to pay.

They fight. Douglas flieth.

Cheerly, my lord. How fares your Grace?

Sir Nicholas Gawsey hath for succour sent, And so hath Clifton. I'll to Clifton straight.

King. Stay and breathe awhile.

Thou hast redeem'd thy lost opinion, And show'd thou mak'st some tender of my life, In this fair rescue thou hast brought to me.

Prince. O G.o.d! they did me too much injury That ever said I heark'ned for your death.

If it were so, I might have let alone The insulting hand of Douglas over you, Which would have been as speedy in your end As all the poisonous potions in the world, And sav'd the treacherous labour of your son.

King. Make up to Clifton; I'll to Sir Nicholas Gawsey.

Exit.

Enter Hotspur.

Hot. If I mistake not, thou art Harry Monmouth.

Prince. Thou speak'st as if I would deny my name.

Hot. My name is Harry Percy.

Prince. Why, then I see A very valiant rebel of the name.

I am the Prince of Wales; and think not, Percy, To share with me in glory any more.

Two stars keep not their motion in one sphere, Nor can one England brook a double reign Of Harry Percy and the Prince of Wales.

Hot. Nor shall it, Harry; for the hour is come To end the one of us and would to G.o.d Thy name in arms were now as great as mine!

Prince. I'll make it greater ere I part from thee, And all the budding honours on thy crest I'll crop to make a garland for my head.

Hot. I can no longer brook thy vanities.

They fight.

Enter Falstaff.

Fal. Well said, Hal! to it, Hal! Nay, you shall find no boy's play here, I can tell you.

Enter Douglas. He fighteth with Falstaff, who falls down as if he were dead. [Exit Douglas.] The Prince killeth Percy.

Hot. O Harry, thou hast robb'd me of my youth!

I better brook the loss of brittle life Than those proud t.i.tles thou hast won of me.

They wound my thoughts worse than thy sword my flesh.

But thoughts the slave, of life, and life time's fool, And time, that takes survey of all the world, Must have a stop. O, I could prophesy, But that the earthy and cold hand of death Lies on my tongue. No, Percy, thou art dust, And food for- [Dies.]

Prince. For worms, brave Percy. Fare thee well, great heart!

Ill-weav'd ambition, how much art thou shrunk!

When that this body did contain a spirit, A kingdom for it was too small a bound; But now two paces of the vilest earth Is room enough. This earth that bears thee dead Bears not alive so stout a gentleman.

If thou wert sensible of courtesy, I should not make so dear a show of zeal.

But let my favours hide thy mangled face; And, even in thy behalf, I'll thank myself For doing these fair rites of tenderness.

Adieu, and take thy praise with thee to heaven!

Thy ignominy sleep with thee in the grave, But not rememb'red in thy epitaph!

He spieth Falstaff on the ground.

What, old acquaintance? Could not all this flesh Keep in a little life? Poor Jack, farewell!

I could have better spar'd a better man.

O, I should have a heavy miss of thee If I were much in love with vanity!

Death hath not struck so fat a deer to-day, Though many dearer, in this b.l.o.o.d.y fray.

Embowell'd will I see thee by-and-by; Till then in blood by n.o.ble Percy lie. Exit.

Falstaff riseth up.

Fal. Embowell'd? If thou embowel me to-day, I'll give you leave to powder me and eat me too to-morrow. 'Sblood, 'twas time to counterfeit, or that hot termagant Scot had paid me scot and lot too. Counterfeit? I lie; I am no counterfeit. To die is to be a counterfeit; for he is but the counterfeit of a man who hath not the life of a man; but to counterfeit dying when a man thereby liveth, is to be no counterfeit, but the true and perfect image of life indeed. The better part of valour is discretion; in the which better part I have saved my life. Zounds, I am afraid of this gunpowder Percy, though he be dead. How if he should counterfeit too, and rise? By my faith, I am afraid he would prove the better counterfeit. Therefore I'll make him sure; yea, and I'll swear I kill'd him. Why may not he rise as well as I?

Nothing confutes me but eyes, and n.o.body sees me. Therefore, sirrah [stabs him], with a new wound in your thigh, come you along with me.

He takes up Hotspur on his hack. [Enter Prince, and John of Lancaster.

Prince. Come, brother John; full bravely hast thou flesh'd Thy maiden sword.

John. But, soft! whom have we here?

Did you not tell me this fat man was dead?

Prince. I did; I saw him dead, Breathless and bleeding on the ground. Art thou alive, Or is it fantasy that plays upon our eyesight?

I prithee speak. We will not trust our eyes Without our ears. Thou art not what thou seem'st.

Fal. No, that's certain! I am not a double man; but if I be not Jack Falstaff, then am I a Jack. There 's Percy. If your father will do me any honour, so; if not, let him kill the next Percy himself. I look to be either earl or duke, I can a.s.sure you.

Prince. Why, Percy I kill'd myself, and saw thee dead!

Fal. Didst thou? Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying! I grant you I was down, and out of breath, and so was he; but we rose both at an instant and fought a long hour by Shrewsbury clock. If I may be believ'd, so; if not, let them that should reward valour bear the sin upon their own heads. I'll take it upon my death, I gave him this wound in the thigh. If the man were alive and would deny it, zounds! I would make him eat a piece of my sword.

John. This is the strangest tale that ever I beard.

Prince. This is the strangest fellow, brother John.

Come, bring your luggage n.o.bly on your back.

For my part, if a lie may do thee grace, I'll gild it with the happiest terms I have.

A retreat is sounded.

The trumpet sounds retreat; the day is ours.

Come, brother, let's to the highest of the field, To see what friends are living, who are dead.

Exeunt [Prince Henry and Prince John].

Fal. I'll follow, as they say, for reward. He that rewards me, G.o.d reward him! If I do grow great, I'll grow less; for I'll purge, and leave sack, and live cleanly, as a n.o.bleman should do.

Exit [bearing off the body].

Scene V.

Another part of the field.