War. This door is open; he is gone this way. P. Humph. He came not through the chamber where we staid. K. Hen. Where is the crown? who took it from my pillow? War. When we withdrew, my liege, we left it here. K. Hen. The prince hath ta'en it hence ;-go, seek him out; Is he so hasty that he doth suppose My sleep my death? Find him, my lord of Warwick; chide him hither. [Exit WARWICK. This part of his conjoins with my disease, And helps to end me.-See, sons, what things you are! How quickly nature falls into revolt, When gold becomes her object! For this the foolish, over-careful fathers Have broke their sleep with thoughts, their brains with care, Their bones with industry; For this they have engrossed and piled up The cankered heaps of strange-achieved gold; Our thighs packed with wax, our mouths with honey, Re-enter WARWICK. Now, where is he that will not stay so long War. My lord, I found the prince in the next room, Washing with kindly tears his gentle cheeks; With such a deep demeanor in great sorrow, 1 Accumulations. That tyranny, which never quaffed but blood, K. Hen. But wherefore did he take away the crown? Re-enter PRINCE HENRY. Lo, where he comes.-Come hither to me, Harry.Depart the chamber; leave us here alone. [Exeunt CLARENce, Prince Humphrey, Lords, &c. P. Hen. I never thought to hear you speak again. K. Hen. Thy wish was father, Harry, to that thought; I stay too long by thee; I weary thee. That thou wilt needs invest thee with mine honors Before thy hour be ripe? O, foolish youth! Thou seek'st the greatness that will overwhelm thee. Is held from falling with so weak a wind, Thou hast stolen that, which, after some few hours, 1 Thy life did manifest, thou lov'dst me not, What! canst thou not forbear me half an hour? Give that, which gave thee life, unto the worms. Now, neighbor confines, purge you of your scum. Peopled with wolves, thy old inhabitants! P. Hen. O, pardon me, my liege! but for my tears, [Kneeling. The moist impediments unto my speech, 1 The Variorum Shakspeare reads: "Let me no more from this obedience rise (Which my most true and inward duteous spirit The sense appears to be, "Let me no more rise from this obeisance, which my most loyal and inwardly duteous spirit teacheth this prostrate Heaven witness with me, when I here came in, O, let me in my present wildness die; 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 honored, most renowned, Hast eat thy bearer up. Thus, my most royal liege, Accusing it, I put it on my head; To try with it,-as with an enemy, That had before my face murdered my father,- But if it did infect my blood with joy, Or swell my thoughts to any strain of pride; If any rebel or vain spirit of mine Did, with the least affection of a welcome, Heaven put it in thy mind to take it hence, That thou mightst win the more thy father's love, Come hither, Harry; sit thou by my bed; And hear, I think, the very latest counsel ; That ever I shall breathe. Heaven knows, my son, and exterior bending." Obeisance and obedience were formerly used indiscriminately the one for the other. Truth is always used for loyalty. 1 It was long a prevailing opinion that a solution of gold had great medicinal virtues; and that the incorruptibility of the metal might be communicated to the body impregnated with it. Potable gold was one of the panacea of ancient quacks. By what by-paths, and indirect, crook'd ways, My gain of it by their assistances; Which daily grew to quarrel and to bloodshed, For all my reign hath been but as a scene 3 Changes the mode; for what in me was purchased, Falls upon thee in a more fairer sort; So thou the garland wear'st successively.* Yet, though thou stand'st more sure than I could do, 5 I cut them off; and had a purpose now To lead out many to the Holy Land; Lest rest, and lying still, might make them look With foreign quarrels; that action, hence borne out, 1 Supposed peace is imagined peace, counterfeit, not real. 2 Fears are objects of fear, terrors. 3 The mode is the state or form of things. 4 i. e. by order of succession. 5 Mason proposes to read, "I cut some off," which seems, indeed, necessary. The sense would then be, "Some I have cut off, and many I intended to lead to the Holy Land." |