SCENE IV. York. The ARCHBISHOP'S palace. The First part of King Henry the Fourth  Shakespeare homepage  |  Henry IV, part 1  | Act 4, Scene 4 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE IV. York. The ARCHBISHOP'S palace. 

 Enter the ARCHBISHOP OF YORK and SIR MICHAEL  ARCHBISHOP OF YORK  Hie, good Sir Michael; bear this sealed brief 

 With winged haste to the lord marshal; 

 This to my cousin Scroop, and all the rest 

 To whom they are directed. If you knew 

 How much they do to import, you would make haste. 

 SIR MICHAEL  My good lord, 

 I guess their tenor. 

 ARCHBISHOP OF YORK  Like enough you do. 

 To-morrow, good Sir Michael, is a day 

 Wherein the fortune of ten thousand men 

 Must bide the touch; for, sir, at Shrewsbury, 

 As I am truly given to understand, 

 The king with mighty and quick-raised power 

 Meets with Lord Harry: and, I fear, Sir Michael, 

 What with the sickness of Northumberland, 

 Whose power was in the first proportion, 

 And what with Owen Glendower's absence thence, 

 Who with them was a rated sinew too 

 And comes not in, o'er-ruled by prophecies, 

 I fear the power of Percy is too weak 

 To wage an instant trial with the king. 

 SIR MICHAEL  Why, my good lord, you need not fear; 

 There is Douglas and Lord Mortimer. 

 ARCHBISHOP OF YORK  No, Mortimer is not there. 

 SIR MICHAEL  But there is Mordake, Vernon, Lord Harry Percy, 

 And there is my Lord of Worcester and a head 

 Of gallant warriors, noble gentlemen. 

 ARCHBISHOP OF YORK  And so there is: but yet the king hath drawn 

 The special head of all the land together: 

 The Prince of Wales, Lord John of Lancaster, 

 The noble Westmoreland and warlike Blunt; 

 And moe corrivals and dear men 

 Of estimation and command in arms. 

 SIR MICHAEL  Doubt not, my lord, they shall be well opposed. 

 ARCHBISHOP OF YORK  I hope no less, yet needful 'tis to fear; 

 And, to prevent the worst, Sir Michael, speed: 

 For if Lord Percy thrive not, ere the king 

 Dismiss his power, he means to visit us, 

 For he hath heard of our confederacy, 

 And 'tis but wisdom to make strong against him: 

 Therefore make haste. I must go write again 

 To other friends; and so farewell, Sir Michael. 



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