The very opener and intelligencer Between the grace, the sanctities of heaven 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 favourite doth his prince's name, In deeds dishonourable? You have ta'en up, 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-swarm'd them. ARCHBISHOP OF YORK Good my Lord of Lancaster, I am not here against your father's peace;But, as I told my lord of Westmoreland, The time misorder'd doth, in common sense, Crowd us and crush us to this monstrous form, 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;Whose dangerous eyes may well be charm'd 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 fortunes 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 And heir from heir shall hold this quarrel up Whiles England shall have generation. LANCASTER You are too shallow, Hastings, much too shallow, To sound the bottom of the after-times. WESTMORELAND Pleaseth your grace to answer them directly How far forth you do like their articles. LANCASTER I like them all, and do allow them well, And swear here, by the honour of my blood, My father's purposes have been mistook, And some about him have too lavishly Wrested his meaning and authority.
My lord, these griefs shall be with speed redress'd;Upon my soul, they shall. If this may please you, Discharge your powers unto their several counties, 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 restored love and amity. ARCHBISHOP OF YORK I take your princely word for these redresses. LANCASTER I give it you, and will maintain my word:
And thereupon I drink unto your grace. HASTINGS 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.
Exit Officer ARCHBISHOP OF YORK To you, my noble Lord of Westmoreland. WESTMORELAND I pledge your grace; and, if you knew what pains I have bestow'd to breed this present peace, You would drink freely: but my love to ye Shall show itself more openly hereafter. ARCHBISHOP OF YORK 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 OF YORK 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 to-morrow.' ARCHBISHOP OF YORK Believe me, I am passing light in spirit. MOWBRAY So much the worse, if your own rule be true.
Shouts within LANCASTER The word of peace is render'd: hark, how they shout! MOWBRAY This had been cheerful after victory. ARCHBISHOP OF YORK A peace is of the nature of a conquest;For then both parties nobly are subdued, And neither party loser. LANCASTER Go, my lord, And let our army be discharged too.
Exit WESTMORELAND
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 OF YORK Go, good Lord Hastings, And, ere they be dismissed, let them march by.
Exit HASTINGS LANCASTER I trust, lords, we shall lie to-night together.
Re-enter WESTMORELAND
Now, cousin, wherefore stands our army still? WESTMORELAND The leaders, having charge from you to stand, Will not go off until they hear you speak. LANCASTER They know their duties.
Re-enter HASTINGS HASTINGS My lord, our army is dispersed already;Like youthful steers unyoked, they take their courses 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, Of capitol treason I attach you both. MOWBRAY Is this proceeding just and honourable? WESTMORELAND Is your assembly so? ARCHBISHOP OF YORK Will you thus break your faith? LANCASTER I pawn'd thee none:
I promised you redress of these same grievances Whereof you did complain; which, by mine honour, 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.
Most shallowly did you these arms commence, Fondly brought here and foolishly sent hence.
Strike up our drums, pursue the scatter'd stray:
God, and not we, hath safely fought to-day.
Some guard these traitors to the block of death, Treason's true bed and yielder up of breath.
Exeunt SCENE III. Another part of the forest. Alarum. Excursions. Enter FALSTAFF and COLEVILE, meeting FALSTAFF What's your name, sir? of what condition are you, and of what place, I pray? COLEVILE I am a knight, sir, and my name is Colevile of the dale. FALSTAFF Well, then, Colevile is your name, a knight is your degree, and your place the dale: Colevile shall be still your name, a traitor your degree, and the dungeon your place, a place deep enough; so shall you be still Colevile of the dale. COLEVILE Are not you Sir John Falstaff? FALSTAFF As good a man as he, sir, whoe'er I am.
