The trumpet sounds a parley Enter SIR WALTER BLUNT SIR WALTER BLUNT I come with gracious offers from the king, if you vouchsafe me hearing and respect. HOTSPUR Welcome, Sir Walter Blunt; and would to God You were of our determination!
Some of us love you well; and even those some Envy your great deservings and good name, Because you are not of our quality, But stand against us like an enemy. SIR WALTER BLUNT And God defend but still I should stand so, So long as out of limit and true rule You stand against anointed majesty.
But to my charge. The king hath sent to know The nature of your griefs, and whereupon You conjure from the breast of civil peace Such bold hostility, teaching his duteous land Audacious cruelty. If that the king Have any way your good deserts forgot, Which he confesseth to be manifold, He bids you name your griefs; and with all speed You shall have your desires with interest And pardon absolute for yourself and these Herein misled by your suggestion. HOTSPUR The king is kind; and well we know the king Knows at what time to promise, when to pay.
My father and my uncle and myself Did give him that same royalty he wears;And when he was not six and twenty strong, Sick in the world's regard, wretched and low, A poor unminded outlaw sneaking home, My father gave him welcome to the shore;And when he heard him swear and vow to God He came but to be Duke of Lancaster, To sue his livery and beg his peace, With tears of innocency and terms of zeal, My father, in kind heart and pity moved, Swore him assistance and perform'd it too.
Now when the lords and barons of the realm Perceived Northumberland did lean to him, The more and less came in with cap and knee;Met him in boroughs, cities, villages, Attended him on bridges, stood in lanes, Laid gifts before him, proffer'd him their oaths, Gave him their heirs, as pages follow'd him Even at the heels in golden multitudes.
He presently, as greatness knows itself, Steps me a little higher than his vow Made to my father, while his blood was poor, Upon the naked shore at Ravenspurgh;And now, forsooth, takes on him to reform Some certain edicts and some strait decrees That lie too heavy on the commonwealth, Cries out upon abuses, seems to weep Over his country's wrongs; and by this face, This seeming brow of justice, did he win The hearts of all that he did angle for;Proceeded further; cut me off the heads Of all the favourites that the absent king In deputation left behind him here, When he was personal in the Irish war. SIR WALTER BLUNT Tut, I came not to hear this. HOTSPUR Then to the point.
In short time after, he deposed the king;Soon after that, deprived him of his life;And in the neck of that, task'd the whole state:
To make that worse, suffer'd his kinsman March, Who is, if every owner were well placed, Indeed his king, to be engaged in Wales, There without ransom to lie forfeited;Disgraced me in my happy victories, Sought to entrap me by intelligence;Rated mine uncle from the council-board;In rage dismiss'd my father from the court;Broke oath on oath, committed wrong on wrong, And in conclusion drove us to seek out This head of safety; and withal to pry Into his title, the which we find Too indirect for long continuance. SIR WALTER BLUNT Shall I return this answer to the king? HOTSPUR Not so, Sir Walter: we'll withdraw awhile.
Go to the king; and let there be impawn'd Some surety for a safe return again, And in the morning early shall my uncle Bring him our purposes: and so farewell. SIR WALTER BLUNT I would you would accept of grace and love. HOTSPUR And may be so we shall. SIR WALTER BLUNT Pray God you do.
Exeunt SCENE IV. York. The ARCHBISHOP'S palace. Enter the ARCHBISHOP OF YORK and SIR MICHAEL ARCHBISHOP OF YORK 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 to import, you would make haste. SIR MICHAEL My good lord, I guess their tenor. ARCHBISHOP OF YORK Like enough you do.
To-morrow, 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, o'er-ruled by prophecies, I fear the power of Percy is too weak To wage an instant trial with the king. SIR MICHAEL Why, my good lord, you need not fear;There is Douglas and Lord Mortimer. ARCHBISHOP OF YORK No, Mortimer is not there. SIR MICHAEL 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 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 Westmoreland and warlike Blunt;And moe corrivals and dear men Of estimation and command in arms. SIR MICHAEL Doubt not, my lord, they shall be well opposed. ARCHBISHOP OF YORK 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.
