Henry IV, Part I by William Shakespeare
Act 5 - Scene 2
The rebel camp.
Earl of Worcester : O, no, my nephew must not know, Sir Richard,
[p]The liberal and kind
offer of the king.
Earl of Worcester : Then are we all undone.
[p]It is not possible, it cannot be,
[p]The
king should keep his word in loving us;
[p]He will suspect us still
and find a time
[p]To punish this offence in other
faults:
[p]Suspicion all our lives shall be stuck full of eyes;
[p]For
treason is but trusted like the fox,
[p]Who, ne'er so tame, so
cherish'd and lock'd up,
[p]Will have a wild trick of his
ancestors.
[p]Look how we can, or sad or merrily,
[p]Interpretation
will misquote our looks,
[p]And we shall feed like oxen at a
stall,
[p]The better cherish'd, still the nearer death.
[p]My nephew's
trespass may be well forgot;
[p]it hath the excuse of youth and heat
of blood,
[p]And an adopted name of privilege,
[p]A hair-brain'd
Hotspur, govern'd by a spleen:
[p]All his offences live upon my
head
[p]And on his father's; we did train him on,
[p]And, his
corruption being ta'en from us,
[p]We, as the spring of all, shall pay
for all.
[p]Therefore, good cousin, let not Harry know,
[p]In any
case, the offer of the king.
Earl of Worcester : The king will bid you battle presently.
Earl of Douglas : Defy him by the Lord of Westmoreland.
Earl of Douglas : Marry, and shall, and very willingly.
Earl of Worcester : There is no seeming mercy in the king.
Earl of Worcester : I told him gently of our grievances,
[p]Of his oath-breaking; which he
mended thus,
[p]By now forswearing that he is forsworn:
[p]He calls us
rebels, traitors; and will scourge
[p]With haughty arms this hateful
name in us.
Earl of Douglas : Arm, gentlemen; to arms! for I have thrown
[p]A brave defiance in King
Henry's teeth,
[p]And Westmoreland, that was engaged, did bear
it;
[p]Which cannot choose but bring him quickly on.
Earl of Worcester : The Prince of Wales stepp'd forth before the king,
[p]And, nephew,
challenged you to single fight.
Messenger : My lord, here are letters for you.
Messenger : My lord, prepare; the king comes on apace.
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Next: Act 5 - Scene 3
