P. Henry. But how fhall we part with them in setting forth?

Poins. Why, we will fet forth before or after them; and appoint them a place of meeting, wherein it is at our pleasure to fail; and then will they adventure upon the exploit themselves, which they fhall have no fooner atchiev'd, but we'll fet upon them.

P. Henry. Ay; but, 'tis like, they will know us by our horfes, by our habits, and by every other appointment, to be our felves.

Poins. Tut, our horfes they fhall not fee, I'll tye them in the wood; our vizors we will change after we leave them; and, firrah, I have cases of buckram for the nonce, to immask our noted outward garments. P. Henry. But, I doubt, they will be too hard for

us,

Poins. Well, for two of them, I know them to be as true-bred cowards as ever turn'd Back; and for the third, if he fight longer than he fees reafon, I'll forfwear arms. The virtue of this jeft will be, the incomprehenfible lies that this fame fat rogue will tell us when we meet at fupper; how thirty at least he fought with, what wards, what blows, what extremities he endured; and, in the reproof of this, lies the jeft.

P. Henry. Well, I'll go with thee; provide us all things neceffary, and meet me to morrow night in Eaft-cheap, there I'll fup. Farewel.

Poins. Farewel, my lord.

[Exit Poins. P. Henry. I know you all, and will a while uphold The unyok'd humour of your idleness;

Yet herein will I imitate the Sun,

Who doth permit the base contagious clouds
To fmother up his beauty from the world;
That when he please again to be himself,
Being wanted, he may be more wondred at,
By breaking through the foul and ugly mifts
Of vapours, that did feem to ftrangle him.

If all the year were playing holidays,
To fport would be as tedious as to work;
But when they feldom come, they wifht-for come,
And nothing pleafeth but rare Accidents.
So, when this loose behaviour I throw off,
And pay the debt I never promifed;
Ey how much better than my word I am,
By fo much' fhall I falfifie men's fears;
And, like bright metal on a fullen ground,
My Reformation, glittering o'er my fault,
Shall fhew more goodly, and attract more eyes,
Than That which hath no foil to fet it off.
I'll fo offend, to make offence a skill;

Redeeming time, when men think leaft I will. [Exit.

Changes to an Apartment in the Palace. Enter King Henry, Northumberland, Worcester, Hot-fpur, Sir Walter Blunt, and others.

K. Henry. MY blood hath been too cold and tem

perate,

Unapt to ftir at these indignities;

And you have found me; for accordingly
You tread upon my patience: but be fure,
"I will from henceforth rather be my felf,
Mighty and to be fear'd, than my Condition;

I

Which

-hall I falfifie men's HOPES ;] Juft the contrary. We fhould read FEARS.

2. I will from henceforth rather be my felf,

Mighty and to be fear'd, than my Condition ;] . e. I will from henceforth rather put on the character that becomes me, and exert the refentment of an injured King, than fill continue in the inactivity and mildnefs of my natural difpofition. And this fentiment he has well exprefled, fave that by his ufual licence, he puts the word condition for difpofition: which use of terms depaïfing

our

Which hath been fmooth as oyl, foft as young down, And therefore loft that title of Refpect,

Which the proud foul ne'er pays, but to the proud.
Wor. Our Houfe, my fovereign Liege, little deferves
The fcourge of Greatnefs to be ufed on it;

And that fame Greatnefs too, which our own hands
Have help'd to make fo portly.

North. My good lord,

K. Henry. Worcester, get thee gone; for I do fee Danger and difobedience in thine eye.

O Sir, your prefence is too bold and peremptory;
And Majefty might never yet endure
The moody frontlet of a fervant brow.

You have good leave to leave us. When we need
Your ufe and counfel, we fhall fend for you.

You were about to speak.

North. Yes, my good lord.

[Exit Worcester.

[To Northumberland.

Those prifoners, in your Highnefs' name demanded,
Which Harry Percy here at Holmedon took,
Were, as he fays, not with fuch ftrength deny'd
As was deliver'd to your Majefty.

Or Envy therefore, or Mifprifion,

Is guilty of this fault, and not my fon.

Hot. My Liege, I did deny no prisoners;
But I remember, when the fight was done,
When I was dry with rage, and extream toil,
Breathlefs, and faint, leaning upon my fword;
• Came there a certain lord, neat, trimly dress'd;

our Oxford Editor, as it frequently does, he in a lofs for the meaning, fubtitutes in for than,

Mighty and to be fear'd in my condition.

So that by condition, in this reading, must be meant ftation, office. Bat it cannot be predicated of ftation and office, that it is smooth as oyl, foft as young down which fhews that condition must needs be licentiously used for difpofition, as we faid before. -] This is nonfenfe.

3. The moody FRONTIER read FRONTLET, . e. forehead.

We should

• Fresh

Fresh as a bridegroom, and his chin, new-reap'd, • Shew'd like a ftubble land at harveft-home.

He was perfumed like a milliner;

' And 'twixt his finger and his thumb, he held 4 A pouncet-box, which ever and anon

C

He gave his nofe:' [s and took't away again; Who, therewith angry, when it next came there, Took it in fnuff.] And ftill he fmil'd, and talk'd And as the foldiers bare dead bodies by,

He call'd them untaught knaves, unmannerly,
To bring a flovenly, unhandfome coarse
Betwixt the wind, and his Nobility.

With many holiday and lady terms

'He queftion'd me: amongst the reft, demanded My prifoners, in your Majefty's behalf.

6

I, then all fmarting with my wounds; being gal'd To be fo pefter'd with a popinjay,

Out of my Grief, and my impatience,

Anfwer'd, neglectingly, I know not what ;

'He fhould, or should not; for he made me mad,
To fee him fhine fo brisk, and smell fo fweet,
And talk fo like a waiting-gentlewoman, [mark!)
Of guns, and drums, and wounds; (God fave the
And telling me, the fovereign'ft thing on earth

4 A pouncet box,] A fmall box for musk or other perfumes then in fashion: The lid of which being cut with open work gave it its name; from poinfoner, to prick, pierce, or engrave. and took't away again, &c.] This ftupidity between the hooks is the Players'.

5

6 I, then all fmarting with my wounds being COLD,

(To be fo pefier'dawith a popinjay)] But in the beginning of the Speech he reprefents himself at this time not as cold but hot, and inflamed with rage and labour,

"When I was dry with rage and extreme toil, &c.

I am perfuaded therefore that Shakespear wrote and pointed it thus,

"I then all smarting with my wounds; being GAL'D
"To be fo peer'd with a popinjay, &

• Was

"Was Parmacity, for an inward bruife;
And that it was great pity, fo it was,
'This villainous falt petre fhould be digg'd
Out of the bowels of the harmless earth,
Which many a good, tall fellow had destroy'd
So cowardly: And but for these vile guns,
"He would himself have been a foldier.
This bald, unjointed chat of his, my lord,
"I anfwer'd indirectly, as I faid;
And I beseech you, let not his report
Come currant for an accufation,

8

Betwixt my love and your high Majefty.

Blunt. The circumftance confider'd, good my lord, Whatever Harry Percy then had faid,

To fuch a perfon, and, in fuch a place,
At fuch a time, with all the reft retold,
May reasonably die; and never rife

9 To do him wrong, or any way impeach.
What then he faid, fee, he unfays it now.

K. Henry. Why, yet he doth deny his prisoners, But with provifo and exception,

7 I anfwer'd indirectly,-] indirectly for negligently. 8 let not THIS report] We fhould read HIS.

9 To do him wrong, or any way impeach What then be faid, so be unfay it now. w.] Let us confider the whole paffage, which, according to the prefent reading, bears this literal fenfe. "Whatever Percy then faid may reasonably "die and never rife to impeach what he then faid, fo he unfay "it now." This is the exact fenfe, or rather nonfenfe, which the paffage makes in the prefent reading. It should therefore, without queftion, be thus printed and emended,

To do him wrong, or any way impeach.

What then he faid, SEE, be UNSAYS it now. i.." Whatever Percy then faid may reasonably die, and never "rife to do him wrong or any ways impeach him. For fee, my Liege, what he then faid, he now unfays." And the King's anfwer is pertinent to the words, as fo emended.-why, yet he doth deny his prisoners, but with provifo, &c. implying, "you are mistaken in faying, fee he now unfays it." But the answer is utterly impertinent to what preceeds in the common reading.

That