Page:Henry IV Part 1 (1917) Yale.djvu/33

King Henry the Fourth, I. iii

Shall it for shame be spoken in these days,

Or fill up chronicles in time to come,

That men of your nobility and power,

Did gage them both in an unjust behalf,

As both of you—God pardon it!—have done,

To put down Richard, that sweet lovely rose,

And plant this thorn, this canker, Bolingbroke?

And shall it in more shame be further spoken,

That you are fool'd, discarded, and shook off

By him for whom these shames ye underwent?

No; yet time serves wherein you may redeem

Your banish'd honours, and restore yourselves

Into the good thoughts of the world again;

Revenge the jeering and disdain'd contempt

Of this proud king, who studies day and night

To answer all the debt he owes to you,

Even with the bloody payment of your deaths.

Therefore, I say,—

Wor.Peace, cousin! say no more:

And now I will unclasp a secret book,

And to your quick-conceiving discontents

I'll read you matter deep and dangerous,

As full of peril and adventurous spirit

As to o'er-walk a current roaring loud,

On the unsteadfast footing of a spear.

Hot. If he fall in, good night! or sink or swim:

Send danger from the east unto the west,

So honour cross it from the north to south,

And let them grapple: O! the blood more stirs

To rouse a lion than to start a hare.

North. Imagination of some great exploit

Drives him beyond the bounds of patience.

 173 gage them: pledge themselves

176 canker: dog-rose

183 disdain'd: disdainful 