Quenching the flame of bold rebellion Even with the rebels' blood. But what mean I Than they have learn'd of me; From Rumour's tongues wrongs. [Exit. SECOND PART OF KING HENRY IV. ACT I. SCENE I.-The same. The Porter before the Gate; Enter Lord BARDOLPH. Burd. WHO keeps the gate here, ho?—Where is the earl? Port. What shall I say you are? Tell thou the earl, Bard. Port. His Lordship is walk'd forth into the orchard; Please it your honour, knock but at the gate, And he himself will answer. Bard. Enter NORTHUMBERLAND. Here comes the earl. North. What news, lord Bardolph? every minute now Should be the father of some stratagem: The times are wild; contention, like a horse Bard. Noble earl, I bring you certain news from Shrewsbury. As good as heart can wish:— Bard. Prince Harry slain outright; and both the Blunts some stratagem:] Some stratagem means here some great, important, or dreadful event.-M. MASON. And Harry Monmouth's brawn, the hulk sir John, North. How is this deriv'd? Saw you the field? came you from Shrewsbury? Bard. I spake with one, my lord, that came from thence; A gentleman well bred, and of good name, That freely render'd me these news for true. North. Here comes my servant, Travers, whom I sent On Tuesday last to listen after news. Bard. My lord, I over-rode him on the way; And he is furnish'd with no certainties, More than he haply may retail from me. Enter TRAVERS. North. Now, Travers, what good tidings come with you? Tra. My lord, sir John Umfrevile turn'd me back With joyful tidings; and, being better hors'd, Out-rode me. After him, came, spurring hard, A gentleman almost forspent with speed, That stopp'd by me to breathe his bloodied horse : He ask'd the way to Chester; and of him I did demand what news from Shrewsbury. He told me, that rebellion had bad luck, And that young Harry Percy's spur was cold: With that he gave his able horse the head, And, bending forward, struck his armed heels Against the panting sides of his poor jade Up to the rowel-head; and starting so, He seem'd in running to devour the way, Staying no longer question. North. Ha!--Again. Said he, young Harry Percy's spur was cold? Of Hotspur, coldspur? that rebellion Had met ill luck! Bard. My lord, I'll tell you what ; If my young lord your son have not the day, d — forspent—] i. e. Wasted, exhausted. Upon mine honour, for a silken pointe North. Why should the gentleman that rode by TraGive then such instances of loss? Bard. Spoke at a venture. Look, here comes more news. Enter MORTON. North. Yea, this man's brow, like to a title-leaf, So looks the strond, whereon the imperious flood Say, Morton, didst thou come from Shrewsbury? North. [vers, How doth my son and brother? And I my Percy's death, ere thou report'st it, This thou would'st say,-Your son did thus and thus: But in the end, to stop mine ear indeed, point] i. e. A string tagged, or lace. · hilding]—for hilderling, i. e. base, degenerate. like to a title-leaf,] It may not be amiss to observe, that, in the time of our poet, the title-page to an elegy, as well as every intermediate leaf, was totally black. I have several in my possession, written by Chapman, the translator of Homer, and ornamented in this manner.-STEEVENS. h — a witness'd usurpation.] i. e. An attestation of its ravage.-STEEVENS. North. Why, he is dead. See, what a ready tongue suspicion hath! He, that but fears the thing he would not know, Tell thou thy earl, his divination lies; And I will take it as a sweet disgrace, And make thee rich for doing me such wrong. Mor. You are too great to be by me gainsaid: Your spirit is too true, your fears too certain. North. Yet, for all this, say not that Percy's dead. Thou shak'st thy head; and hold'st it fear,i or sin, Bard. I cannot think, my lord, your son is dead. From whence with life he never more sprung up. i fear,] Here used for danger. k quittance,] i. e. Return. By "faint quittance" is meant, "a faint return of blows."-STEEVENS. abated,] This word is not here put for the general idea of diminished, nor for the notion of blunted as applied to a single edge. Abated means reduced to a lower temper, or, as the workmen call it, let down.-JOHNSON. |