Shallow, country Justices.
Silence'}

Davy, servant to Shallow.

Mouldy, Shadow, Wart, Feeble, and Bullcalf, recruits.

Fang and Snare, sheriff's officers.

Lady Northumberland.

Lady Percy.

Mistress Quickly, hostess of a tavern in Eastcheap.

Doll Tearsheet.

Lords and Attendants; Officers, Soldiers,
Messengers, Drawers, Beadles,
Grooms, etc.

A Dancer, speaker of the epilogue.

SCENE-England.

KING HENRY IV

INDUCTION

Warkworth. Before Northumberland's Castle Enter Rumour, painted full of tongues

Rum. Open your ears; for which of you will stop

The vent of hearing when loud Rumour speaks?
I, from the orient to the drooping west,
Making the wind my post-horse, still unfold
The acts commenced on this ball of earth:
Upon my tongues continual slanders ride,
The which in every language I pronounce,
Stuffing the ears of men with false reports.
I speak of peace, while covert enmity
Under the smile of safety wounds the world: 10
And who but Rumour, who but only I,
Make fearful musters and prepar'd defence,
Whilst the big year, swoln with some other grief,
Is thought with child by the stern tyrant war,
And no such matter? Rumour is a pipe
Blown by surmises, jealousies, conjectures,
And of so easy and so plain a stop

That the blunt monster with uncounted heads, The still-discordant wavering multitude,

Can play upon it. But what need I thus 20 My well-known body to anatomize

Among my household? Why is Rumour here ? I run before King Harry's victory;

Who in a bloody field by Shrewsbury

Hath beaten down young Hotspur and his

troops,

Quenching the flame of bold rebellion
Even with the rebel's blood.

But what mean I

To speak so true at first? my office is

To noise abroad that Harry Monmouth fell
Under the wrath of noble Hotspur's sword, 30
And that the king before the Douglas' rage
Stoop'd his anointed head as low as death.
This have I rumour'd through the peasant towns
Between that royal field of Shrewsbury
And this worm-eaten hold of ragged stone,
Where Hotspur's father, old Northumberland,
Lies crafty-sick: the posts 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 smooth comforts false, worse than [Exit. 40

true wrongs.

ACT I SCENE I

The same

Enter Lord Bardolph

L. Bard. Who keeps the gate here? ho!
The Porter opens the gate

Where is the earl ?

Tell thou the earl

Port. What shall I say you are?

L. Bard.
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

L. Bard.

Here comes the earl. [Exit Porter.

North. What news, Lord Bardolph ? every

minute now

Should be the father of some stratagem:
The times are wild; contention, like a horse
Full of high feeding, madly hath broke loose

Noble earl,

11

And bears down all before him.

L. Bard.

I bring you certain news from Shrewsbury.
North. Good, an God will!

L. 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 slain outright; and both the Blunts
Kill'd by the hand of Douglas; young Prince

John

And Westmoreland and Stafford fled the field;
And Harry Monmouth's brawn, the hulk Sir
John,

Is prisoner to your son: O, such a day,
So fought, so follow'd, and so fairly won,
Came not till now to dignify the times,
Since Cæsar's fortunes!

North.

How is this deriv'd ?

20

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

A gentleman well bred and of good name,
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.