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My well-known body, to anatomize
Among my houfhold? Why is Rumour here?
I run before King Harry's victory;
Who in a bloody field by Shrewsbury

Hath beaten down young Hot-fpur and his troops
Quenching the flame of bold rebellion

Ev'n with the Rebels' blood. But what mean I
To speak fo true at firft? my office is

To noife abroad, that Harry Monmouth fell
Under the Wrath of noble Hot-fpur's sword;
And that the King before the Dowglas' rage
Stoop'd his anointed head as low as death.
This have I rumour'd through the peafant towns,
Between that royal field of Shrewsbury,
And this worm-caten Hold of ragged stone 4;
Where Hot-fpur's father, old Northumberland,
Lies crafty fick. The Pofts come tiring on;.
And not a man of them brings other news
Than they have learn'd of me. From Rumour's tongues,
They bring fmooth comforts falfe, worfe than true
[Exit.

Wrongs.

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Enter Lord Bardolph; the Porter at the door.

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HO keeps the gate here, hoa? where is the
Earl?

WH

Port. What shall I fay you are? Bard. Tell thou the Earl,

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5 The fecond Part of Henry IV. The Tranfactions comprized in this Hiftory take up about nine Years. The Action commences with the Account of Hot-fpur's being defeated and killed; and clofes with the Death of K. Henry IV, and the Coronation of K. Henry V. THEOBALD.

• Mr. Upton thinks these two plays improperly called the firft and fecond parts of Henry the fourth. The firft play ends, he fays, with the peaceful fettlement of Henry in the kingdom by the defeat of the rebels. This is hardly true, for the re

bels are not yet finally fuppreffed. The fecond, he tells us, fhews Henry the fifth in the various lights of a good-natured rake, till, on his father's death, he affumes a more manly character. This is true; but this reprefentation gives us no idea of a dramatick action. These two plays will appear to every reader, who fhall perufe them without ambition of critical difcoveries, to be fo connected that the fecond is merely a fequel to the first; to be two only because they are too long to be one.

That

That the lord Bardolph doth attend him here.
Port. His lordship is walk'd forth into the Orchard;
Please it your Honour, knock but at the gate,
And he himself will answer.

Enter Northumberland.

Bard. Here's the Earl.

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North. What news, lord Bardolph? ev'ry minute

now

Should be the father of fome ftratagem.

The times are wild: Contention, like a horfe
Full of high feeding, madly hath broke loofe,
And bears down all before him.

Bard. Noble Earl,

I bring you certain news from Shrewsbury.
North. Good, if heav'n will!

Bard. As good as heart can wish.

The King is almost wounded to the death;
And in the fortune of my lord your Son,,

Prince Harry flain outright; and both the Blunts,
Kill'd by the hand of Dawglas; young Prince John,
And Westmorland, and Stafford, fled the field;
And Harry Monmouth's brawn, the hulk Sir John,
Is prifoner to your fon. O, fuch a day,,
So fought, fo follow'd, and fo fairly won,
Came not till now, to dignify the times,
Since Cafar's fortunes!

North. How is this deriv'd?

Saw you the field? came you from Shrewsbury?
Bard. I fpake with one, my lord, that came from
thence,

A gentleman well bred, and of good name;
That freely render'd me thefe news for true.

North, Here comes my fervant Travers, whom I fent

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father of fome fratagem.] Stratagem, for vigorous action.

WARBURTON.

On

On Tuesday laft to liften after news.' Lick
Bard. My lord, I over-rode him on the way,
And he is furnish'd with no certainties, 24
More than he, haply, may retain from me.

SCENE II..

Enter Travers.

North. Now, Travers, what good tidings come
with you?

Tra. My lord, Sir John Umfrevil turn'd me back
With joyful tidings; and, being better hors'd,
Out-rode me. After him came fpurring hard
A gentleman, almoft fore-fpent with fpeed,
That stopp'd by me to breathe his bloodied horse;
He afk'd the way to Chefter; and of him
I did demand what.news from Shrewsbury.
He told me, that Rebellion had ill luck;
And that young Harry Percy's fpur was cold.
With that he gave his able horfe the head,
And, bending forward, ftruck his agile heels
Against the panting fides of his poor jade
Up to the rowel-head; and, starting fo,
He feem'd in running to devour the way,
Staying no longer question.

North. Ha?

again

Said he, young Harry Percy's fpur was cold?
Rebellion had ill luck?

Bard. My lord, I'll tell you;

If my young lord your fon have not the day,
Upon mine Honour, for a 'filken point
I'll give my Barony. Ne'er talk of it.

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North. Why fhould the gentleman, that rode by
Travers,

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Give then fuch inftances of lofsod duw ynut Bard. Who he?

I

He was fome hilding fellow, that had ftoll'n
The horse he rode on; and, upon my life,

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Spake at adventure. Look, here comes more news.

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North. Yea, this man's brow, like to a title-leaf,
Foretels the nature of a tragick volume.
So looks the ftrond, whereon th' imperious flood
Hath left a witnefs'd ufurpation.

Say, Morton, didft thou come from Shrewsbury?
Mort. I ran from Shrewsbury, my noble Lord,
Where hateful Death put on his ugliest Mafk
To fright our Party.

2

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North. How doth my fon, and Brother? Thou trembleft; and the whiteness in thy cheek Is apter than thy tongue to tell thy errand. Even fuch a man, fo faint, fo fpiritlefs, So dull, fo dead in look, fo woe-be-gone, 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'ft it. This thou would'ft fay your fon did thus, and thus; Your brother, thus; fo fought the noble Douglas: Stopping my greedy ear with their bold deeds; stati

nerate.

- fome bilding fellow, the old Scotti and English poets, For binderling, i. c. bafe, dege- as G. Do glas, Chaucer, lord BuckPOPE. burft, Farrfex; and fignifies, far 2 So woe-be gone.] The word gone in woe. was common enough amongst the

WARBURTON.
But

I

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