I had rather been a kitten, and cry mew! 'Tis like the forc'd gait of a shuffling nag. Glen. And I can call spirits from the vasty deep. Hot. Why, so can I, or so can any man: But will they come when you do call for them.? Glen. Why, I can teach thee to command the devil, Hot. And I can teach thee, coz, to shame the devil, By telling truth; Tell truth and shame the devil. If thou hast pow'r to raise him, bring him hither. And I'll be sworn I've power to shame him hence. Oh, while you live, Tell truth and shame the devil. SHAKSPEARE. "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 to be there; 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 is certain it is 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 na"med uncertain, the time itself unsorted,and your whole "plot too light, for the counterpoise of so great an op"position." Say you so, say you so? I say unto you again, you are a shallow cowardly hind, and you lie.— What a lackbrain 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 this is! Why, my Lord of York commends the plot, and the general course of the action. By this hand, if I were now by this rascal, I could brain him with his Lady's fan. Are 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 next month? and are there not some of them set forwards 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 skimmed milk with so honourable an action. Hang him, let him tell the King. We are prepared, I will set forward to night. SHAKSPEARE. 0900000 CHAP. XVI. HENRY IV's SOLILOQUY ON SLEEP. HOW many thousands of my poorest subjects Why rather, Sleep, lay'st thou in smoaky cribs, Upon uneasy pallets stretching thee, And hush'd with buzzing night-flies to thy slumber; Under the canopies of costly state, And lull'd with sounds of sweetest melody? Who take the ruffian billows by the top, SHAKSPEARE 0003000 CHAP. XVII. HENRY IV. AND PRINCE HENRY. P. Henry. I NEVER thought to hear you speak again. K. Henry. Thy wish was father,Harry, to that thought. I stay too long by thee, I weary thee. Dost thou so hunger for my empty chair, That thou wilt needs invest thee with my honours, Thou seek'st the greatness that will overwhelm thee. Is held from falling with so weak a wind, Thy life did manifest thou lov'd'st me not; What! canst thou not forbear me half an hour? Down, Royal state! All you sage counsellors, hence! Now, neighbour confines, purge you of your scum: What wilt thou do when riot is thy care? P. Henry. O pardon me, my Leige! but for my tears And never live to shew th' incredulous world And thus upbraided it. The care on thee depending Therefore thou best of gold art worst of gold; Preserving life in med'cine potable: But thou, most fine, most honour'd, most renown'd Hast eat thy bearer up. Thus, Royal Liege, Accusing it, I put it on my head, To try with it (as with an enemy, That had before my face murder'd my father) The quarrel of a true inheritor. But if it did infect my blood with joy, Or swell my thought to any strain of pride, |