thirty, at least, he fought with; what wards, what blows, what extremities he endured; and, in the reproof' of this, lies the jest. P. Hen. Well, I'll go with thee; provide us all things necessary, and meet me to-morrow night in Eastcheap, there I'll sup. Farewell. Poins. Farewell, my lord. [Exit POINS. Who doth permit the base contagious clouds Redeeming time, when men think least I will. [Exit. 7 8 reproof] Reproof is confutation. shall I falsify men's hopes;] To falsify hope is to exceed hope, to give much where men hoped for little. This speech is very artfully introduced to keep the Prince from appearing vile in the opinion of the audience; it prepares them for his future reformation; and, what is yet more valuable, exhibits a natural picture of a great mind offering excuses to itself, and palliating those follies which it can neither justify nor forsake. SCENE III. The same. Another Room in the Palace. Enter King HENRY, NORTHUMBERLAND, WORCESTER, HOTSPUR, Sir WALTER BLUNT, and Others. K. Hen. My blood hath been too cold and temperate, Unapt to stir at these indignities, And you have found me; for, accordingly, Which the proud soul ne'er pays, but to the proud. serves The scourge of greatness to be used on it; 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, I will from henceforth rather be myself, Mighty, and to be fear'd, than my condition;] i. e. I will from henceforth rather put on the character that becomes me, and exert the resentment of an injured king, than still continue in the inactivity and mildness of my natural disposition. The moody frontier-] Frontier was anciently used for forehead. You have good leave2 to leave us; when we need Your use and counsel, we shall send for you. You were about to speak. North. [Exit WORCESTer. [TO NORTH. Yea, my good lord. Those prisoners in your highness' name demanded, Either envy, therefore, or misprision Hot. My liege, I did deny no prisoners. And 'twixt his finger and his thumb he held 3 He gave his nose, and took't away again;- With many holiday and lady terms He question'd me; among the rest demanded 2 You have good leave-] i. e. our ready assent. A pouncet-box,] A small box for musk or other perfumes then in fashion: the lid of which, being cut with open work, gave it its name; from poinsoner, to prick, pierce, or engrave. 4 Took it in snuff:] Snuff is equivocally used for anger, and a powder taken up the nose. I then, all smarting, with my wounds being cold, To be so pester'd with a popinjay, 5 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, Of guns, and drums, and wounds, (God save the mark!) And telling me, the sovereign'st thing on earth Betwixt my love and your high majesty. Blunt. The circumstance consider'd, good my lord, Whatever Harry Percy then had said, K. Hen. Why, yet he doth deny his prisoners; But with proviso, and exception, That we, at our own charge, shall ransome straight His brother-in-law, the foolish Mortimer; Who, on my soul, hath wilfully betray'd To be so pester'd with a popinjay,] i. e. a parrot. The lives of those that he did lead to fight 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 hardiments with great Glendower: Three times they breath'd, and three times did they drink,9 Upon agreement, of swift Severn's flood; 7 and indent with fears,] i. e. bargain and article with fears. 8 — hardiment-] An obsolete word, signifying hardiness, bravery, stoutness. Spenser is frequent in his use of it. 9 three times did they drink,] It is the property of wounds to excite the most impatient thirst. The poet therefore hath with exquisite propriety introduced this circumstance, which may serve to place in its proper light the dying kindness of Sir Philip Sydney; who, though suffering the extremity of thirst from the agony of his own wounds, yet, notwithstanding, gave up his own draught of water to a wounded soldier. HENLEY. 1his crisp head-] Crisp is curled. |