And, like bright metal on a sullen ground, Shall show more goodly, and attract more eyes, I'll so offend, to make offence a skill; Redeeming time, when men think least I will. [Exit. SCENE III.-The same. Another Room in the Palace. Enter King HENRY, NORTHUMBERLAND, WORCES And you have found me; for, accordingly, Which the proud soul ne'er pays, but to the proud. And that same greatness too, which our own hands North. My lord, K. Hen. Worcester, get thee gone, for I see danger And disobedience in thine eye: O, sir, Your presence is too bold and peremptory, And majesty might never yet endure The moody frontier of a servant brow. You have good leave to leave us; when we need Your use and counsel, we shall send for You were about to speak. North. Yea, my good lord. you. [Exit WOR. [TO NORTH. Those prisoners in your highness' name demanded, Either envy, therefore, or misprision, Is guilty of this fault, and not my son, Hot. My liege, I did deny no prisoners. And 'twixt his finger and his thumb he held He gave his nose, and took't away again; Who, therewith angry, when it next came there, With many holiday and lady terms He question'd me; among the rest demanded I then, all smarting, with my wounds being cold, Out of my grief, and my impatience, Answer'd neglectingly, I know not what; He should, or he should not;-for he made me mad, To see him shine so brisk, and smell so sweet, And talk so like a waiting-gentlewoman, Of guns, and drums, and wounds, (God save the mark!) Betwixt my love and your high majesty. Blunt. The circumstance consider'd, good my lord, Whatever Harry Percy then had said, To such a person, and in such a place, K. Hen. Why, yet he doth deny his prisoners; That we, at our own charge, shall ransome straight Who, on my soul, hath wilfully betray'd The lives of those, that he did lead to fight Against the great magician, damn'd Glendower; Hot. Revolted Mortimer! He never did fall off, my sovereign liege, But by the chance of war;-To prove that true, Needs no more but one tongue for all those wounds, Those mouthed wounds, which valiantly he took, When on the gentle Severn's sedgy bank, In single opposition, hand to hand, He did confound the best part of an hour In changing hardiment with great Glendower: Three times they breath'd, and three times did they drink, Upon agreement, of swift Severn's flood; Who then, affrighted with their bloody looks, Ran fearfully among the trembling reeds, And hid his crisp head in the hollow bank Colour her working with such deadly wounds; Then let him not be slander'd with revolt. K. Hen. Thou dost belie him, Percy, thou dost belie him, He never did encounter with Glendower; He durst as well have met the devil alone, [Exeunt King HENRY, BLUNT, and Train. Hot. And if the devil come and roar for them, I will not send them :-I will after straight, And tell him so; for I will ease my heart, Although it be with hazard of my head. North. What, drunk with choler? stay, and pause a Re-enter WORCESTER. Hot. Speak of Mortimer? "Zounds, I will speak of him; and let my soul Want mercy, if I do not join with him: Yea, on his part, I'll empty all these veins, And shed my dear blood drop by drop i'the dust, But I will lift the down-trod Mortimer As high i'the air as this unthankful king, As this ingrate and canker'd Bolingbroke. North. Brother, the king hath made your nephew mad. [To WOR. Wor. Who struck this heat up, after I was gone? |