Henry IV, Pt. 1
Act IV, Scene 4
York . The Archbishop’s palace .
Hie, good Sir Michael, bear this sealed brief with winged haste to the Lord Marshal
From: Cassell's Illustrated Shakespeare
Mary Cowden Clarke, Charles Cowden Clarke, 1870
- Enter Archbishop of York , Sir Michael .
Archbishop of York
1 - 5- Hie , good Sir Michael , bear this sealed brief
- With winged haste to the Lord Marshal ,
- This to my cousin Scroop , and all the rest
- To whom they are directed . If you knew
- How much they do import , you would make haste .
Sir Michael
6 - 7- My good lord ,
- I guess their tenor .
Archbishop of York
8 - 21- Like enough you do .
- Tomorrow , good Sir Michael , is a day
- Wherein the fortune of ten thousand men
- Must bide the touch ; for , sir , at Shrewsbury ,
- As I am truly given to understand ,
- The King with mighty and quick - raised power
- Meets with Lord Harry ; and I fear , Sir Michael ,
- What with the sickness of Northumberland ,
- Whose power was in the first proportion ,
- And what with Owen Glendower’s absence thence ,
- Who with them was a rated sinew too ,
- And comes not in , overrul’d by prophecies ,
- I fear the power of Percy is too weak
- To wage an instant trial with the King .
Sir Michael
22 - 23- Why , my good lord , you need not fear ,
- There is Douglas and Lord Mortimer .
Archbishop of York
24- No , Mortimer is not there .
Sir Michael
25 - 27- But there is Mordake , Vernon , Lord Harry Percy ,
- And there is my Lord of Worcester , and a head
- Of gallant warriors , noble gentlemen .
Archbishop of York
28 - 33- And so there is ; but yet the King hath drawn
- The special head of all the land together :
- The Prince of Wales , Lord John of Lancaster ,
- The noble Westmorland , and warlike Blunt ,
- And many more corrivals and dear men
- Of estimation and command in arms .
Sir Michael
34- Doubt not , my lord , they shall be well oppos’d .
Archbishop of York
35 - 42- I hope no less , yet needful ’tis to fear ,
- And to prevent the worst , Sir Michael , speed ;
- For if Lord Percy thrive not , ere the King
- Dismiss his power he means to visit us ,
- For he hath heard of our confederacy ,
- And ’tis but wisdom to make strong against him .
- Therefore make haste . I must go write again
- To other friends , and so farewell , Sir Michael .
- Exeunt .