Page:Henry IV Part 1 (1917) Yale.djvu/74

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Glend. A shorter time shall send me to you, lords;

And in my conduct shall your ladies come,

From whom you now must steal and take no leave;

For there will be a world of water shed

Upon the parting of your wives and you.

Hot. Methinks my moiety, north from Burton here,

In quantity equals not one of yours:

See how this river comes me cranking in,

And cuts me from the best of all my land

A huge half-moon, a monstrous cantle out.

I'll have the current in this place damm'd up,

And here the smug and silver Trent shall run

In a new channel, fair and evenly:

It shall not wind with such a deep indent,

To rob me of so rich a bottom here.

Glend. Not wind! it shall, it must; you see it doth.

Mort. Yea, but

Mark how he bears his course, and runs me up

With like advantage on the other side;

Gelding the opposed continent as much,

As on the other side it takes from you.

Wor. Yea, but a little charge will trench him here,

And on this north side win this cape of land;

And then he runs straight and even.

Hot. I'll have it so; a little charge will do it.

Glend. I will not have it alter'd.

Hot.Will not you?

Glend. No, nor you shall not.

Hot.Who shall say me nay?

Glend. Why, that will I.

 93 conduct: escort

97 moiety: portion

99 cranking: winding

100 the best of all my land; cf. n.

101 cantle: piece

103 smug: neat, trim

106 bottom: low, rich land

111 Gelding: cutting

opposed continent: country opposite

113 charge: expense 