INDUCTION. WARKWORTH. Before NORTHUMBERLAND's Castle. Enter RUMOUR, painted full of Tongues. Rum. OPEN PEN your ears; for which of you will stop That the blunt monster with uncounted heads, Among my household? Why is Rumour here? Hath beaten down young Hotspur, and his troops, Even with the rebels' blood. But what mean I To noise abroad,--that Harry Monmouth fell Under the wrath of noble Hotspur's sword; wrongs. [Exit. The Porter before the Gate; Enter LORD BARDOLPH. Bard. WHO keeps the gate here, ho?-Where is the Porter. What shall I say you are? [earl? Bard. Tell thou the earl, That the lord Bardolph doth attend him here. Porter. His lordship is walk'd forth into the orchard; Please it your honour, knock but at the gate, And he himself will answer. Bard. Enter NORTHUMBERLAND. Here comes the earl. [now North. What news, lord Bardolph ? every minute Should be the father of some stratagem: The times are wild; contention, like a horse Full of high-feeding, madly hath broke loose, And bears down all before him. Noble earl, Bard. Bard. As good as heart can wish. So fought, so follow'd, and so fairly won, North. Saw you How is this deriv'd? the field? came you from Shrewsbury? Bard. I spake with one, my lord, that came from A gentleman well bred, and of good name, [thence; That freely render'd me these news for true.. North. Here comes my servant, Travers, whom I sent On Tuesday last to listen after news. Bard. My lord, I over-rode him on the way; And he is furnish'd with no certainties, More than he haply may retail from me. Enter TRAVERS. North. Now, Travers, what good tidings come with you? Tra. My lord, sir John Umfrevile turn'd me back With joyful tidings; and, being better hors'd, Out-rode me. After him, came, spurring-hard, A gentleman almost forspent with speed, That stopp'd by me to breathe his bloodied horse: He ask'd the way to Chester; and of him I did demand, what news from Shrewsbury. He told me, that rebellion had bad luck, And that young Harry Percy's spur was cold: With that, he gave his able horse the head, And, bending forward, struck his armed heels Against the panting sides of his poor jade Up to the rowel-head; and, starting so, He seem'd in running to devour the way, Staying no longer question. North. Ha!- -Again. Said he, young Harry Percy's spur was cold? Had met ill luck? Bard. My lord, I'll tell you what; If my young lord, your son, has not the day, I'll give my barony: never talk of it. North. Why should the gentleman, that rode by Travers, Give then such instances of loss? Bard. Spoke at a venture. Look, here comes more news. North. Yea, this man's brow, like to a title-leaf, So looks the strond, whereon the imperious flood Say, Morton, didst thou come from Shrewsbury? North. How doth my son, and brother? Thou tremblest; and the whiteness in thy check Is apter than thy tongue to tell thy errand. Even such a man, so faint, so spiritless, So dull, so dead in look, so woe-begone, Drew Priam's curtain in the dead of night, And would have told him, half his Troy was burn'd: But Priam found the fire, ere he his tongue, And I my Percy's death, ere thou report'st it. This thou wouldst say,-Your son did thus, and thus; Your brother, thus; so fought the noble Douglas; Stopping my greedy ear with their bold deeds: But in the end, to stop mine ear indeed, Thou hast a sigh to blow away this praise, Ending with-brother, son, and all are dead. |