Our battle is more full of names than yours, Our men more perfect in the use of arms, Our armour all as strong, our cause the best; Then reason will our hearts should be as good.
Say you not, then, our offer is compell"d.
MOWBRAY. Well, by my will we shall admit no parley.
WESTMORELAND. That argues but the shame of your offence: A rotten case abides no handling.
HASTINGS. Hath the Prince John a full commission, In very ample virtue of his father, To hear and absolutely to determine Of what conditions we shall stand upon?
WESTMORELAND. That is intended in the general"s name.
I muse you make so slight a question.
ARCHBISHOP. Then take, my Lord of Westmoreland, this schedule, For this contains our general grievances.
Each several article herein redress"d, All members of our cause, both here and hence, That are insinewed to this action, Acquitted by a true substantial form, And present execution of our wills To us and to our purposes confin"d- We come within our awful banks again, And knit our powers to the arm of peace.
WESTMORELAND. This will I show the general. Please you, lords, In sight of both our battles we may meet; And either end in peace- which G.o.d so frame!- Or to the place of diff"rence call the swords Which must decide it.
ARCHBISHOP. My lord, we will do so. Exit WESTMORELAND MOWBRAY. There is a thing within my bosom tells me That no conditions of our peace can stand.
HASTINGS. Fear you not that: if we can make our peace Upon such large terms and so absolute As our conditions shall consist upon, Our peace shall stand as firm as rocky mountains.
MOWBRAY. Yea, but our valuation shall be such That every slight and false-derived cause, Yea, every idle, nice, and wanton reason, Shall to the King taste of this action; That, were our royal faiths martyrs in love, We shall be winnow"d with so rough a wind That even our corn shall seem as light as chaff, And good from bad find no part.i.tion.
ARCHBISHOP. No, no, my lord. Note this: the King is weary Of dainty and such picking grievances; For he hath found to end one doubt by death Revives two greater in the heirs of life; And therefore will he wipe his tables clean, And keep no tell-tale to his memory That may repeat and history his los To new remembrance. For full well he knows He cannot so precisely weed this land As his mis...o...b..s present occasion: His foes are so enrooted with his friends That, plucking to unfix an enemy, He doth unfasten so and shake a friend.
So that this land, like an offensive wife That hath enrag"d him on to offer strokes, As he is striking, holds his infant up, And hangs resolv"d correction in the arm That was uprear"d to execution.
HASTINGS. Besides, the King hath wasted all his rods On late offenders, that he now doth lack The very instruments of chastis.e.m.e.nt; So that his power, like to a fangless lion, May offer, but not hold.
ARCHBISHOP. "Tis very true; And therefore be a.s.sur"d, my good Lord Marshal, If we do now make our atonement well, Our peace will, like a broken limb united, Grow stronger for the breaking.
MOWBRAY. Be it so.
Here is return"d my Lord of Westmoreland.
Re-enter WESTMORELAND
WESTMORELAND. The Prince is here at hand. Pleaseth your lordship To meet his Grace just distance "tween our armies?
MOWBRAY. Your Grace of York, in G.o.d"s name then, set forward.
ARCHBISHOP. Before, and greet his Grace. My lord, we come.
Exeunt
SCENE II.
Another part of the forest
Enter, from one side, MOWBRAY, attended; afterwards, the ARCHBISHOP, HASTINGS, and others; from the other side, PRINCE JOHN of LANCASTER, WESTMORELAND, OFFICERS, and others
PRINCE JOHN. You are well encount"red here, my cousin Mowbray.
Good day to you, gentle Lord Archbishop; And so to you, Lord Hastings, and to all.
My Lord of York, it better show"d with you When that your flock, a.s.sembled by the bell, Encircled you to hear with reverence Your exposition on the holy text Than now to see you here an iron man, Cheering a rout of rebels with your drum, Turning the word to sword, and life to death.
That man that sits within a monarch"s heart And ripens in the sunshine of his favour, Would he abuse the countenance of the king, Alack, what mischiefs might he set abroach In shadow of such greatness! With you, Lord Bishop, It is even so. Who hath not heard it spoken How deep you were within the books of G.o.d?
To us the speaker in His parliament, To us th" imagin"d voice of G.o.d himself, The very opener and intelligencer Between the grace, the sanct.i.ties of heaven, And our dull workings. O, who shall believe But you misuse the reverence of your place, Employ the countenance and grace of heav"n As a false favourite doth his prince"s name, In deeds dishonourable? You have ta"en up, Under the counterfeited zeal of G.o.d, The subjects of His subst.i.tute, my father, And both against the peace of heaven and him Have here up-swarm"d them.
ARCHBISHOP. Good my Lord of Lancaster, I am not here against your father"s peace; But, as I told my Lord of Westmoreland, The time misord"red doth, in common sense, Crowd us and crush us to this monstrous form To hold our safety up. I sent your Grace The parcels and particulars of our grief, The which hath been with scorn shov"d from the court, Whereon this hydra son of war is born; Whose dangerous eyes may well be charm"d asleep With grant of our most just and right desires; And true obedience, of this madness cur"d, Stoop tamely to the foot of majesty.
MOWBRAY. If not, we ready are to try our fortunes To the last man.
HASTINGS. And though we here fall down, We have supplies to second our attempt.
If they miscarry, theirs shall second them; And so success of mischief shall be born, And heir from heir shall hold this quarrel up Whiles England shall have generation.
PRINCE JOHN. YOU are too shallow, Hastings, much to shallow, To sound the bottom of the after-times.
WESTMORELAND. Pleaseth your Grace to answer them directly How far forth you do like their articles.
PRINCE JOHN. I like them all and do allow them well; And swear here, by the honour of my blood, My father"s purposes have been mistook; And some about him have too lavishly Wrested his meaning and authority.
My lord, these griefs shall be with speed redress"d; Upon my soul, they shall. If this may please you, Discharge your powers unto their several counties, As we will ours; and here, between the armies, Let"s drink together friendly and embrace, That all their eyes may bear those tokens home Of our restored love and amity.
ARCHBISHOP. I take your princely word for these redresses.
PRINCE JOHN. I give it you, and will maintain my word; And thereupon I drink unto your Grace.
HASTINGS. Go, Captain, and deliver to the army This news of peace. Let them have pay, and part.
I know it will please them. Hie thee, Captain.
Exit Officer ARCHBISHOP. To you, my n.o.ble Lord of Westmoreland.
WESTMORELAND. I pledge your Grace; and if you knew what pains I have bestow"d to breed this present peace, You would drink freely; but my love to ye Shall show itself more openly hereafter.
ARCHBISHOP. I do not doubt you.
WESTMORELAND. I am glad of it.
Health to my lord and gentle cousin, Mowbray.
MOWBRAY. You wish me health in very happy season, For I am on the sudden something ill.
ARCHBISHOP. Against ill chances men are ever merry; But heaviness foreruns the good event.
WESTMORELAND. Therefore be merry, coz; since sudden sorrow Serves to say thus, "Some good thing comes to-morrow."
ARCHBISHOP. Believe me, I am pa.s.sing light in spirit.
MOWBRAY. So much the worse, if your own rule be true.
[Shouts within]
PRINCE JOHN. The word of peace is rend"red. Hark, how they shout!
MOWBRAY. This had been cheerful after victory.
ARCHBISHOP. A peace is of the nature of a conquest; For then both parties n.o.bly are subdu"d, And neither party loser.
PRINCE JOHN. Go, my lord, And let our army be discharged too.
Exit WESTMORELAND And, good my lord, so please you let our trains March by us, that we may peruse the men We should have cop"d withal.
ARCHBISHOP. Go, good Lord Hastings, And, ere they be dismiss"d, let them march by.
Exit HASTINGS PRINCE JOHN. I trust, lords, we shall lie to-night together.
Re-enter WESTMORELAND
Now, cousin, wherefore stands our army still?
WESTMORELAND. The leaders, having charge from you to stand, Will not go off until they hear you speak.
PRINCE JOHN. They know their duties.
Re-enter HASTINGS
HASTINGS. My lord, our army is dispers"d already.
Like youthful steers unyok"d, they take their courses East, west, north, south; or like a school broke up, Each hurries toward his home and sporting-place.
WESTMORELAND. Good tidings, my Lord Hastings; for the which I do arrest thee, traitor, of high treason; And you, Lord Archbishop, and you, Lord Mowbray, Of capital treason I attach you both.
MOWBRAY. Is this proceeding just and honourable?
WESTMORELAND. Is your a.s.sembly so?
ARCHBISHOP. Will you thus break your faith?
PRINCE JOHN. I p.a.w.n"d thee none: I promis"d you redress of these same grievances Whereof you did complain; which, by mine honour, I will perform with a most Christian care.
But for you, rebels- look to taste the due Meet for rebellion and such acts as yours.
Most shallowly did you these arms commence, Fondly brought here, and foolishly sent hence.
Strike up our drums, pursue the scatt"red stray.
G.o.d, and not we, hath safely fought to-day.
Some guard these traitors to the block of death, Treason"s true bed and yielder-up of breath. Exeunt
SCENE III.
Another part of the forest
Alarum; excursions. Enter FALSTAFF and COLVILLE, meeting