Enter the Archbishop ⌜of York,⌝ Mowbray, ⌜Lord⌝
Bardolph, Hastings, ⌜and their officers⌝ within the Forest
of Gaultree.ARCHBISHOP What is this forest called?HASTINGS ’Tis Gaultree Forest, an ’t shall please your Grace.ARCHBISHOP Here stand, my lords, and send discoverers forth To know the numbers of our enemies.HASTINGS 5 We have sent forth already.ARCHBISHOP ’Tis well done. My friends and brethren in these great affairs, I must acquaint you that I have received New-dated letters from Northumberland,10 Their cold intent, tenor, and substance, thus: Here doth he wish his person, with such powers As might hold sortance with his quality, The which he could not levy; whereupon He is retired, to ripe his growing fortunes,15 To Scotland, and concludes in hearty prayers That your attempts may overlive the hazard And fearful meeting of their opposite.MOWBRAY Thus do the hopes we have in him touch ground And dash themselves to pieces.
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Enter Messenger.HASTINGS 20 Now, what news?MESSENGER West of this forest, scarcely off a mile, In goodly form comes on the enemy, And, by the ground they hide, I judge their number Upon or near the rate of thirty thousand.MOWBRAY 25 The just proportion that we gave them out. Let us sway on and face them in the field.Enter Westmoreland.ARCHBISHOP What well-appointed leader fronts us here?MOWBRAY I think it is my Lord of Westmoreland.WESTMORELAND Health and fair greeting from our general,30 The Prince Lord John and Duke of Lancaster.ARCHBISHOP Say on, my Lord of Westmoreland, in peace, What doth concern your coming.WESTMORELAND Then, my lord, Unto your Grace do I in chief address35 The substance of my speech. If that rebellion Came like itself, in base and abject routs, Led on by bloody youth, guarded with rage, And countenanced by boys and beggary— I say, if damned commotion so ⌜appeared⌝40 In his true, native, and most proper shape, You, reverend father, and these noble lords Had not been here to dress the ugly form Of base and bloody insurrection With your fair honors. You, Lord Archbishop,
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45 Whose see is by a civil peace maintained, Whose beard the silver hand of peace hath touched, Whose learning and good letters peace hath tutored, Whose white investments figure innocence, The dove and very blessèd spirit of peace,50 Wherefore do you so ill translate yourself Out of the speech of peace, that bears such grace, Into the harsh and boist’rous tongue of war, Turning your books to graves, your ink to blood, Your pens to lances, and your tongue divine55 To a loud trumpet and a point of war?ARCHBISHOP Wherefore do I this? So the question stands. Briefly, to this end: we are all diseased ⟨And with our surfeiting and wanton hours Have brought ourselves into a burning fever,60 And we must bleed for it; of which disease Our late King Richard, being infected, died. But, my most noble Lord of Westmoreland, I take not on me here as a physician, Nor do I as an enemy to peace65 Troop in the throngs of military men, But rather show awhile like fearful war To diet rank minds sick of happiness And purge th’ obstructions which begin to stop Our very veins of life. Hear me more plainly.70 I have in equal balance justly weighed What wrongs our arms may do, what wrongs we suffer, And find our griefs heavier than our offenses. We see which way the stream of time doth run75 And are enforced from our most quiet there By the rough torrent of occasion, And have the summary of all our griefs, When time shall serve, to show in articles;
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Which long ere this we offered to the King80 And might by no suit gain our audience. When we are wronged and would unfold our griefs, We are denied access unto his person Even by those men that most have done us wrong.⟩ The dangers of the days but newly gone,85 Whose memory is written on the earth With yet-appearing blood, and the examples Of every minute’s instance, present now, Hath put us in these ill-beseeming arms, Not to break peace or any branch of it,90 But to establish here a peace indeed, Concurring both in name and quality.WESTMORELAND Whenever yet was your appeal denied? Wherein have you been gallèd by the King? What peer hath been suborned to grate on you,95 That you should seal this lawless bloody book Of forged rebellion with a seal divine [And consecrate commotion’s bitter edge?]ARCHBISHOP My brother general, the commonwealth, [To brother born an household cruelty,]100 I make my quarrel in particular.WESTMORELAND There is no need of any such redress, Or if there were, it not belongs to you.MOWBRAY Why not to him in part, and to us all That feel the bruises of the days before105 And suffer the condition of these times To lay a heavy and unequal hand Upon our honors?WESTMORELAND ⟨O, my good Lord Mowbray, Construe the times to their necessities,
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110 And you shall say indeed it is the time, And not the King, that doth you injuries. Yet for your part, it not appears to me Either from the King or in the present time That you should have an inch of any ground115 To build a grief on. Were you not restored To all the Duke of Norfolk’s seigniories, Your noble and right well remembered father’s?MOWBRAY What thing, in honor, had my father lost That need to be revived and breathed in me?120 The King that loved him, as the state stood then, Was ⌜force⌝ perforce compelled to banish him, And then that Henry Bolingbroke and he, Being mounted and both rousèd in their seats, Their neighing coursers daring of the spur,125 Their armèd staves in charge, their beavers down, Their eyes of fire sparkling through sights of steel, And the loud trumpet blowing them together, Then, then, when there was nothing could have stayed130 My father from the breast of Bolingbroke, O, when the King did throw his warder down— His own life hung upon the staff he threw— Then threw he down himself and all their lives That by indictment and by dint of sword135 Have since miscarried under Bolingbroke.WESTMORELAND You speak, Lord Mowbray, now you know not what. The Earl of Hereford was reputed then In England the most valiant gentleman. Who knows on whom fortune would then have140 smiled? But if your father had been victor there, He ne’er had borne it out of Coventry;
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For all the country in a general voice Cried hate upon him; and all their prayers and145 love Were set on Hereford, whom they doted on And blessed and graced, ⌜indeed⌝ more than the King.⟩ But this is mere digression from my purpose.150 Here come I from our princely general To know your griefs, to tell you from his Grace That he will give you audience; and wherein It shall appear that your demands are just, You shall enjoy them, everything set off155 That might so much as think you enemies.MOWBRAY But he hath forced us to compel this offer, And it proceeds from policy, not love.WESTMORELAND Mowbray, you overween to take it so. This offer comes from mercy, not from fear.160 For, lo, within a ken our army lies, Upon mine honor, all too confident To give admittance to a thought of fear. Our battle is more full of names than yours, Our men more perfect in the use of arms,165 Our armor all as strong, our cause the best. Then reason will our hearts should be as good. Say you not then our offer is compelled.MOWBRAY Well, by my will, we shall admit no parley.WESTMORELAND That argues but the shame of your offense.170 A rotten case abides no handling.HASTINGS Hath the Prince John a full commission, In very ample virtue of his father,
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To hear and absolutely to determine Of what conditions we shall stand upon?WESTMORELAND 175 That is intended in the General’s name. I muse you make so slight a question.ARCHBISHOP, ⌜giving Westmoreland a paper⌝ Then take, my Lord of Westmoreland, this schedule, For this contains our general grievances. Each several article herein redressed,180 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 confined,185 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 God so frame,190 Or to the place of difference call the swords Which must decide it.ARCHBISHOP My lord, we will do so.Westmoreland exits.MOWBRAY There is a thing within my bosom tells me That no conditions of our peace can stand.HASTINGS 195 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 such200 That every slight and false-derivèd cause,
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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 winnowed with so rough a wind205 That even our corn shall seem as light as chaff, And good from bad find no partition.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 death210 Revives two greater in the heirs of life; And therefore will he wipe his tables clean And keep no telltale to his memory That may repeat and history his loss To new remembrance. For full well he knows215 He cannot so precisely weed this land As his misdoubts present occasion; His foes are so enrooted with his friends That, plucking to unfix an enemy, He doth unfasten so and shake a friend;220 So that this land, like an offensive wife That hath enraged him on to offer strokes, As he is striking holds his infant up And hangs resolved correction in the arm That was upreared to execution.HASTINGS 225 Besides, the King hath wasted all his rods On late offenders, that he now doth lack The very instruments of chastisement, So that his power, like to a fangless lion, May offer but not hold.ARCHBISHOP 230 ’Tis very true, And therefore be assured, 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.
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MOWBRAY 235 Be it so. Here is returned my Lord of Westmoreland.Enter Westmoreland.WESTMORELAND, ⌜to the Archbishop⌝ The Prince is here at hand. Pleaseth your Lordship To meet his Grace just distance ’tween our armies.Enter Prince John and his army.MOWBRAY, ⌜to the Archbishop⌝ Your Grace of York, in God’s name then set240 forward.ARCHBISHOP Before, and greet his Grace.—My lord, we come.⌜All move forward.⌝JOHN OF LANCASTER You are well encountered here, my cousin Mowbray.— Good day to you, gentle Lord Archbishop,—245 And so to you, Lord Hastings, and to all.— My Lord of York, it better showed with you When that your flock, assembled by the bell, Encircled you to hear with reverence Your exposition on the holy text250 ⟨Than⟩ now to see you here, an iron man talking, 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 favor,255 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 spoken260 How deep you were within the books of God,
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To us the speaker in His parliament, To us th’ ⌜imagined⌝ voice of God Himself, The very opener and intelligencer Between the grace, the sanctities, of heaven,265 And our dull workings? O, who shall believe But you misuse the reverence of your place, ⟨Employ⟩ the countenance and grace of heaven As a false favorite doth his prince’s name, In deeds dishonorable? You have ta’en up,270 Under the counterfeited zeal of God, The subjects of His substitute, my father, And both against the peace of heaven and him Have here up-swarmed them.ARCHBISHOP Good my Lord of275 Lancaster, I am not here against your father’s peace, But, as I told my Lord of Westmoreland, The time misordered doth, in common sense, Crowd us and crush us to this monstrous form280 To hold our safety up. I sent your Grace The parcels and particulars of our grief, The which hath been with scorn shoved from the court, Whereon this Hydra son of war is born,285 Whose dangerous eyes may well be charmed asleep With grant of our most just and right desires, And true obedience, of this madness cured, Stoop tamely to the foot of majesty.MOWBRAY If not, we ready are to try our fortunes290 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,
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295 And heir from heir shall hold his quarrel up Whiles England shall have generation.JOHN OF LANCASTER You are too shallow, Hastings, much too shallow To sound the bottom of the after-times.WESTMORELAND Pleaseth your Grace to answer them directly300 How far forth you do like their articles.JOHN OF LANCASTER I like them all, and do allow them well, And swear here by the honor of my blood My father’s purposes have been mistook, And some about him have too lavishly305 Wrested his meaning and authority. ⌜To the Archbishop.⌝ My lord, these griefs shall be with speed redressed; Upon my soul, they shall. If this may please you, Discharge your powers unto their several counties,310 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 restorèd love and amity.ARCHBISHOP I take your princely word for these redresses.⟨JOHN OF LANCASTER⟩ 315 I give it you, and will maintain my word, And thereupon I drink unto your Grace.⌜The Leaders of both armies begin to drink together.⌝⟨HASTINGS,⟩ ⌜to an Officer⌝ Go, captain, and deliver to the army This news of peace. Let them have pay, and part. I know it will well please them. Hie thee, captain.⌜Officer⌝ ⟨exits.⟩ARCHBISHOP, ⌜toasting Westmoreland⌝ 320 To you, my noble Lord of Westmoreland.WESTMORELAND, ⌜returning the toast⌝
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I pledge your Grace, and if you knew what pains I have bestowed to breed this present peace, You would drink freely. But my love to you Shall show itself more openly hereafter.ARCHBISHOP 325 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 330 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 tomorrow.”ARCHBISHOP 335 Believe me, I am passing light in spirit.MOWBRAY So much the worse if your own rule be true.Shout ⌜within.⌝JOHN OF LANCASTER The word of peace is rendered. Hark how they shout.MOWBRAY This had been cheerful after victory.ARCHBISHOP 340 A peace is of the nature of a conquest, For then both parties nobly are subdued, And neither party loser.JOHN OF LANCASTER, ⌜to Westmoreland⌝ Go, my lord, And let our army be dischargèd too.⌜Westmoreland⌝ ⟨exits.⟩
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345 ⌜To the Archbishop.⌝ And, good my lord, so please you, let our trains March by us, that we may peruse the men We should have coped withal.ARCHBISHOP Go, good Lord350 Hastings, And ere they be dismissed, let them march by.⌜Hastings⌝ ⟨exits.⟩JOHN OF LANCASTER I trust, lords, we shall lie tonight together.Enter Westmoreland. Now, cousin, wherefore stands our army still?WESTMORELAND The leaders, having charge from you to stand,355 Will not go off until they hear you speak.JOHN OF LANCASTER They know their duties.Enter Hastings.HASTINGS, ⌜to the Archbishop⌝ My lord, our army is dispersed already. Like youthful steers unyoked, they take their courses360 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,365 Of capital treason I attach you both.MOWBRAY Is this proceeding just and honorable?WESTMORELAND Is your assembly so?ARCHBISHOP Will you thus break your faith?
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JOHN OF LANCASTER I pawned thee none.370 I promised you redress of these same grievances Whereof you did complain, which, by mine honor, 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.⟩375 Most shallowly did you these arms commence, Fondly brought here, and foolishly sent hence.— Strike up our drums; pursue the scattered stray. God, and not we, hath safely fought today.— Some guard ⟨these traitors⟩ to the block of death,380 Treason’s true bed and yielder-up of breath.⟨They exit.⟩
Henry IV, Part 2
