Who is to bear me like a thunderbolt

Against the bosom of the Prince of Wales. -
O that Glendower were come!

Vernon.

There is more news.

I learned in Worcester, as I rode along,

He cannot draw his power1 this fourteen days.

Douglas. That's the worst tidings that I hear of yet. Worcester. Ay, by my faith, that bears a frosty sound. Hotspur. What may the King's whole battle reach unto?? Vernon. To thirty thousand.

Hotspur.

Forty let it be!

My father and Glendower both away,

The powers of us may serve so great a day.

[Exeunt L. 1.]

Scene 2. Gray sunrise.

Enter the King, Prince of Wales, and Lord John of Lancaster [R.].

King. How bloodily the sun begins to peer

Above yon hill! The day looks pale.

Prince. The southern wind

Doth play the trumpet,

And the hollow whistling in the leaves

Foretells a tempest and a blustering day.

Enter Worcester and Vernon [L.].

They hold one arm high as they enter, to show they are ambassadors.

King. My lord of Wo caster! 'tis not well

That you and I should meet upon such te ms

As now we meet. You have deceived our trust.
This is not well, my lord, this is not well.

Worcester. Hear me, my liege.

For mine own part, I could be content.

1 draw his power: collect his army.

2 whole battle reach unto: whole army number.

But we were forced for safety sake, to fly

Out of your sight

And raise this present arm

That you you self have forged against yourself
By unkind usage, dangerous looks,

And violation of all faith and truth.

Prince. In both your armies there is many a soul
Shall pay full dearly for this encounter.

Tell your nephew Hotspur, that the Prince of Wales
Doth join with all the world in praise of him.

I do not think a braver gentleman,

More daring or more bold, is now alive
To grace this latter age with noble deeds.
For my part, I may speak it to my shame,
I have a truant been to chivalry;
Yet this before my father's majesty:

I am content that he shall take the odds

Of his great name,

And will, to save the blood on either side,

Try fortune with him in a single fight.

King. And, Prince of Wales, so dare we venture thee. No, good Worcester, no,

We love our people well, even those

That are misled upon your cousin's part;
And if they will take the offer of our grace,
Both he and they and you, yea, every man
Shall be my friend again and I'll be his.
We will not now be troubled with reply.
We offer fair; Take it advisedly.

So be gone.

[Exeunt Worcester and Vernon. L.]

Prince. It will not be accepted.

The Douglas and the Hotspur both together
Are confident against the world in arms.

King. Hence, therefore, every leader to his charge.
They all leave [R.].

Worcester returns bringing Vernon with him [L.].

Worcester. Hotspur must not know

The liberal and kind offer of the King.

It is not possible, it cannot be,

The King should keep his word.

He will suspect us still, and find a time
To punish us.

Suspicion all our lives shall fill his eyes.
Let not Harry know,

In any case, the offer of the King.

Vernon. Deliver what you will; I'll say 'tis so.

Hotspur and Douglas enter [L.].

Worcester. The King will bid you battle presently.

Douglas. Defy him.

Hotspur. Lord Douglas, go you and tell him so.

[Exit Douglas R.]

Worcester. The Prince of Wales stepped forth before the King,

And, nephew, challenged you to single fight.

Hotspur. O, would the quarrel lay upon our heads,
And that no man might draw short breath today
But I and Harry Monmouth!

Reënter Douglas.

Douglas. Arm, gentlemen; to arms! for I have thrown
A brave defiance in King Henry's teeth.,

Hotspur. Let each man do his best; and here draw I
A sword, which I intend to stain

With the best blood that I can meet.

Now Percy! and set on.

Sound all the lofty instruments of war,
And by that music let us all embrace;
For, heaven to earth, some of us never shall
A second time do such a courtesy.

The trumpets sound [L.]. They embrace, and face in the direction of the King's army [R.].

As the lights are cut off, they and their armies can be heard marching to the battle [R.].

After an interval, out from the alarums of the battle [R.] emerges Sir Walter Blunt, pursued by Douglas.1

Blunt. What is thy name? What honor dost thou seek
Upon my head?

Douglas. My name is Douglas;

And I do haunt thee in the battle thus

Because some tell me that thou art the King.

Blunt. They tell thee true.

They fight, and Douglas kills Blunt, just as Hotspur enters [R.].
Douglas. All's done, all's won; here lies the King.
Hotspur. Where?

Douglas. Here.

Hotspur. This, Douglas? No. I know this face.
A gallant knight he was; his name was Blunt.
The King hath many marching in his coats.
Douglas. I will kill all his coats,

Until I meet the King.

Hotspur.

Up, and away!

Our soldiers stand fully fairly for the day.

[Exeunt R.]

An instant's darkness,2 and a dull roll of thunder [R.] ending in a great clap.

The lights reveal Falstaff alone on the center of the stage.

Falstaff. I have led my soldiers where they were peppered. There's not three of my hundred and fifty left alive.

The Prince enters [R.].

Prince. What, stand'st thou idle here?

Lend me thy sword.

1 pursued by Douglas. The stage lights are now on.

2 An instant's darkness. Blunt must take advantage of the darkness

to disappear from the stage.

Falstaff. O Hal, give me leave to breathe a while. I have just killed Percy; I have made him sure.

Prince. He's sure indeed, and living to kill thee. Lend me thy sword.

Falstaff. Nay, if Percy be alive, thou get'st not my sword; but take my pistol, if thou wilt.

Prince.

Give it me. What, is it in the case?

The Prince draws it out, and finds it to be a bottle of wine. He throws the bottle at Falstaff and charges back into the battle [R.]. Falstaff follows him.

[Cut lights again.]

Then the King enters, pursued by Douglas. [They fight, the King being in danger.]

The Prince reappears.

Prince. Hold up thy head, vile Scot.

It is the Prince of Wales that threatens thee.
The Prince and Douglas fight; Douglas flies [R.].
Exit King [R.] after a grateful look at the Prince.

Hotspur enters [R.].

Hotspur. If I mistake not, thou art Harry Monmouth.1
Prince. Thou speak'st as if I would deny my name.
Hotspur. My name is Harry Percy.

Prince.

A very valiant rebel of the name.

Why, then I see

I am the Prince of Wales; and think not, Hotspur,
To share with me in glory any more.

Two stars keep not their motion in one sphere 2;
Nor can one England brook a double reign

Of Harry Percy and the Prince of Wales.

1 Monmouth (mŏnʼmŭth), the town in Wales where Prince Hal was born.

2 sphere. Old astronomers thought the stars, sun, and moon were enclosed in transparent spherical shells, in which they moved.