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Henry IV, Pt. 1: Act I, Scene 1

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Henry IV, Pt. 1
Act I, Scene 1

Scene 1

London . The palace .

  1. Enter the King Henry , Lord John of Lancaster , Earl of
  2. Westmorland , Sir Walter Blunt , with others .

King Henry IV

1 - 33
  1. So shaken as we are , so wan with care ,
  2. Find we a time for frighted peace to pant
  3. And breathe short - winded accents of new broils
  4. To be commenc’d in stronds afar remote .
  5. No more the thirsty entrance of this soil
  6. Shall daub her lips with her own children’s blood ,
  7. No more shall trenching war channel her fields ,
  8. Nor bruise her flow’rets with the armed hoofs
  9. Of hostile paces . Those opposed eyes ,
  10. Which , like the meteors of a troubled heaven ,
  11. All of one nature , of one substance bred ,
  12. Did lately meet in the intestine shock
  13. And furious close of civil butchery ,
  14. Shall now , in mutual well - beseeming ranks ,
  15. March all one way and be no more oppos’d
  16. Against acquaintance , kindred , and allies .
  17. The edge of war , like an ill - sheathed knife ,
  18. No more shall cut his master . Therefore , friends ,
  19. As far as to the sepulchre of Christ —
  20. Whose soldier now , under whose blessed cross
  21. We are impressed and engag’d to fight —
  22. Forthwith a power of English shall we levy ,
  23. Whose arms were moulded in their mother’s womb ,
  24. To chase these pagans in those holy fields ,
  25. Over whose acres walk’d those blessed feet
  26. Which fourteen hundred years ago were nail’d
  27. For our advantage on the bitter cross .
  28. But this our purpose now is twelve month old ,
  29. And bootless ’tis to tell you we will go ;
  30. Therefore we meet not now . Then let me hear
  31. Of you , my gentle cousin Westmorland ,
  32. What yesternight our Council did decree
  33. In forwarding this dear expedience .

Earl of Westmorland

34 - 46
  1. My liege , this haste was hot in question .
  2. And many limits of the charge set down
  3. But yesternight , when all athwart there came
  4. A post from Wales loaden with heavy news ,
  5. Whose worst was that the noble Mortimer ,
  6. Leading the men of Herfordshire to fight
  7. Against the irregular and wild Glendower ,
  8. Was by the rude hands of that Welshman taken ,
  9. A thousand of his people butchered ,
  10. Upon whose dead corpse’ there was such misuse ,
  11. Such beastly shameless transformation ,
  12. By those Welshwomen done as may not be
  13. Without much shame retold or spoken of .

King Henry IV

47 - 48
  1. It seems then that the tidings of this broil
  2. Brake off our business for the Holy Land .

Earl of Westmorland

49 - 61
  1. This match’d with other did , my gracious lord ,
  2. For more uneven and unwelcome news
  3. Came from the north , and thus it did import :
  4. On Holy - rood day , the gallant Hotspur there ,
  5. Young Harry Percy , and brave Archibald ,
  6. That ever - valiant and approved Scot ,
  7. At Holmedon met ,
  8. Where they did spend a sad and bloody hour ,
  9. As by discharge of their artillery
  10. And shape of likelihood the news was told ;
  11. For he that brought them , in the very heat
  12. And pride of their contention did take horse ,
  13. Uncertain of the issue any way .
Frontpiece to 1899 edition of Henry IV, Part 1

Frontpiece to 1899 edition of Henry IV, Part 1

1899

King Henry IV

62 - 75
  1. Here is a dear , a true industrious friend ,
  2. Sir Walter Blunt , new lighted from his horse ,
  3. Stain’d with the variation of each soil
  4. Betwixt that Holmedon and this seat of ours ;
  5. And he hath brought us smooth and welcome news .
  6. The Earl of Douglas is discomfited :
  7. Ten thousand bold Scots , two and twenty knights ,
  8. Balk’d in their own blood , did Sir Walter see
  9. On Holmedon’s plains . Of prisoners , Hotspur took
  10. Mordake Earl of Fife and eldest son
  11. To beaten Douglas , and the Earl of Athol ,
  12. Of Murray , Angus , and Menteith .
  13. And is not this an honorable spoil ?
  14. A gallant prize ? Ha , cousin , is it not ?

Earl of Westmorland

76 - 77
  1. In faith ,
  2. It is a conquest for a prince to boast of .

King Henry IV

78 - 95
  1. Yea , there thou mak’st me sad , and mak’st me sin
  2. In envy that my Lord Northumberland
  3. Should be the father to so blest a son —
  4. A son who is the theme of honor’s tongue ,
  5. Amongst a grove the very straightest plant ,
  6. Who is sweet Fortune’s minion and her pride ,
  7. Whilst I , by looking on the praise of him ,
  8. See riot and dishonor stain the brow
  9. Of my young Harry . O that it could be prov’d
  10. That some night - tripping fairy had exchang’d
  11. In cradle - clothes our children where they lay ,
  12. And call’d mine Percy , his Plantagenet !
  13. Then would I have his Harry and he mine .
  14. But let him from my thoughts . What think you , coz ,
  15. Of this young Percy’s pride ? The prisoners
  16. Which he in this adventure hath surpris’d
  17. To his own use he keeps , and sends me word
  18. I shall have none but Mordake Earl of Fife .

Earl of Westmorland

96 - 99
  1. This is his uncle’s teaching ; this is Worcester ,
  2. Malevolent to you in all aspects ,
  3. Which makes him prune himself , and bristle up
  4. The crest of youth against your dignity .

King Henry IV

100 - 107
  1. But I have sent for him to answer this ;
  2. And for this cause a while we must neglect
  3. Our holy purpose to Jerusalem .
  4. Cousin , on Wednesday next our Council we
  5. Will hold at Windsor , so inform the lords .
  6. But come yourself with speed to us again ,
  7. For more is to be said and to be done
  8. Than out of anger can be uttered .

Earl of Westmorland

108
  1. I will , my liege .
  1. Exeunt .
King Henry IV

King Henry IV

Unknown artist, circa 1700

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