Page:Henry IV Part 1 (1917) Yale.djvu/146

132 more than was meet for his estate, the earle of Worcester vpon his return to his nephue made relation cleane contrarie to that the king had said, in such sort that he set his nephues hart more in displeasure toward the king than ever it was before; driving him by that means to fight whether he would or not

And forthwith the lord Persie, as a capteine of high courage, began to exhort the capteines and souldiers to prepare themselves to battell, sith the matter was grown to that point, that by no meanes it could be avoided, "so that," said he, "this daie shall either bring vs all to advancement & honor, or else if it shall chance vs to be overcome, shall deliver us from the kings spitefull malice and cruell disdaine: for plaieng the men, as we ought to doo, better it is to die in battell for the commonwealths cause, than through cowardlike feare to prolong life, which after shall be taken from us by the sentence of the enimie

Then suddenlie blew the trumpets, the kings part crieng, "St. George! Upon them!" the adversaries cried "Esperance! Persie!" and so the two armies furiouslie ioined

The prince that daie holpe his father like a lustie yoong gentleman; for although he was hurt in the face with an arrow, so that diuerse noblemen, that were aboute him, would have conveyed him foorth from the field, yet he would not suffer them so to doo, least his departure from amongst his men might happilie have stricken some feare into their harts: and so without regard of his hurt, he continued with his men, and never ceassed either to fight where the battell was most hot, or to incourage his men where it seemed most need.