SCENE III. Warkworth castle The First part of King Henry the Fourth  Shakespeare homepage  |  Henry IV, part 1  | Act 2, Scene 3 

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 Enter HOTSPUR, solus, reading a letter  HOTSPUR  'But for mine own part, my lord, I could be well 

 contented to be there, in respect of the love I bear 

 your house.' He could be contented: why is he not, 

 then? In respect of the love he bears our house: 

 he shows in this, he loves his own barn better than 

 he loves our house. Let me see some more. 'The 

 purpose you undertake is dangerous;'--why, that's 

 certain: 'tis dangerous to take a cold, to sleep, to 

 drink; but I tell you, my lord fool, out of this 

 nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety. 'The 

 purpose you undertake is dangerous; the friends you 

 have named uncertain; the time itself unsorted; and 

 your whole plot too light for the counterpoise of so 

 great an opposition.' Say you so, say you so? I say 

 unto you again, you are a shallow cowardly hind, and 

 you lie.  What a lack-brain is this! By the Lord, 

 our plot is a good plot as ever was laid; our 

 friends true and constant: a good plot, good 

 friends, and full of expectation; an excellent plot, 

 very good friends. What a frosty-spirited rogue is 

 this! Why, my lord of York commends the plot and the 

 general course of action. 'Zounds, an I were now by 

 this rascal, I could brain him with his lady's fan. 

 Is there not my father, my uncle and myself? lord 

 Edmund Mortimer, My lord of York and Owen Glendower? 

 is there not besides the Douglas? have I not all 

 their letters to meet me in arms by the ninth of the 

 next month? and are they not some of them set 

 forward already? What a pagan rascal is this! an 

 infidel! Ha! you shall see now in very sincerity 

 of fear and cold heart, will he to the king and lay 

 open all our proceedings. O, I could divide myself 

 and go to buffets, for moving such a dish of 

 skim milk with so honourable an action! Hang him! 

 let him tell the king: we are prepared. I will set 

 forward to-night. 



 Enter LADY PERCY  How now, Kate! I must leave you within these two hours. 

 LADY PERCY  O, my good lord, why are you thus alone? 

 For what offence have I this fortnight been 

 A banish'd woman from my Harry's bed? 

 Tell me, sweet lord, what is't that takes from thee 

 Thy stomach, pleasure and thy golden sleep? 

 Why dost thou bend thine eyes upon the earth, 

 And start so often when thou sit'st alone? 

 Why hast thou lost the fresh blood in thy cheeks; 

 And given my treasures and my rights of thee 

 To thick-eyed musing and cursed melancholy? 

 In thy faint slumbers I by thee have watch'd, 

 And heard thee murmur tales of iron wars; 

 Speak terms of manage to thy bounding steed; 

 Cry 'Courage! to the field!' And thou hast talk'd 

 Of sallies and retires, of trenches, tents, 

 Of palisadoes, frontiers, parapets, 

 Of basilisks, of cannon, culverin, 

 Of prisoners' ransom and of soldiers slain, 

 And all the currents of a heady fight. 

 Thy spirit within thee hath been so at war 

 And thus hath so bestirr'd thee in thy sleep, 

 That beads of sweat have stood upon thy brow 

 Like bubbles in a late-disturbed stream; 

 And in thy face strange motions have appear'd, 

 Such as we see when men restrain their breath 

 On some great sudden hest. O, what portents are these? 

 Some heavy business hath my lord in hand, 

 And I must know it, else he loves me not. 

 HOTSPUR  What, ho! 



 Enter Servant  Is Gilliams with the packet gone? 

 Servant  He is, my lord, an hour ago. 

 HOTSPUR  Hath Butler brought those horses from the sheriff? 

 Servant  One horse, my lord, he brought even now. 

 HOTSPUR  What horse? a roan, a crop-ear, is it not? 

 Servant  It is, my lord. 

 HOTSPUR  That roan shall by my throne. 

 Well, I will back him straight: O esperance! 

 Bid Butler lead him forth into the park. 



 Exit Servant  LADY PERCY  But hear you, my lord. 

 HOTSPUR  What say'st thou, my lady? 

 LADY PERCY  What is it carries you away? 

 HOTSPUR  Why, my horse, my love, my horse. 

 LADY PERCY  Out, you mad-headed ape! 

 A weasel hath not such a deal of spleen 

 As you are toss'd with. In faith, 

 I'll know your business, Harry, that I will. 

 I fear my brother Mortimer doth stir 

 About his title, and hath sent for you 

 To line his enterprise: but if you go,-- 

 HOTSPUR  So far afoot, I shall be weary, love. 

 LADY PERCY  Come, come, you paraquito, answer me 

 Directly unto this question that I ask: 

 In faith, I'll break thy little finger, Harry, 

 An if thou wilt not tell me all things true. 

 HOTSPUR  Away, 

 Away, you trifler! Love! I love thee not, 

 I care not for thee, Kate: this is no world 

 To play with mammets and to tilt with lips: 

 We must have bloody noses and crack'd crowns, 

 And pass them current too. God's me, my horse! 

 What say'st thou, Kate? what would'st thou 

 have with me? 

 LADY PERCY  Do you not love me? do you not, indeed? 

 Well, do not then; for since you love me not, 

 I will not love myself. Do you not love me? 

 Nay, tell me if you speak in jest or no. 

 HOTSPUR  Come, wilt thou see me ride? 

 And when I am on horseback, I will swear 

 I love thee infinitely. But hark you, Kate; 

 I must not have you henceforth question me 

 Whither I go, nor reason whereabout: 

 Whither I must, I must; and, to conclude, 

 This evening must I leave you, gentle Kate. 

 I know you wise, but yet no farther wise 

 Than Harry Percy's wife: constant you are, 

 But yet a woman: and for secrecy, 

 No lady closer; for I well believe 

 Thou wilt not utter what thou dost not know; 

 And so far will I trust thee, gentle Kate. 

 LADY PERCY  How! so far? 

 HOTSPUR  Not an inch further. But hark you, Kate: 

 Whither I go, thither shall you go too; 

 To-day will I set forth, to-morrow you. 

 Will this content you, Kate? 

 LADY PERCY  It must of force. 



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