Page:Henry IV Part 2 (1921) Yale.djvu/19

King Henry the Fourth, I. i

From whence with life he never more sprung up.

In few, his death,—whose spirit lent a fire

Even to the dullest peasant in his camp,—

Being bruited once, took fire and heat away

From the best-temper'd courage in his troops;

For from his metal was his party steel'd;

Which once in him abated, all the rest

Turn'd on themselves, like dull and heavy lead:

And as the thing that's heavy in itself,

Upon enforcement flies with greatest speed,

So did our men, heavy in Hotspur's loss,

Lend to this weight such lightness with their fear

That arrows fled not swifter toward their aim

Than did our soldiers, aiming at their safety,

Fly from the field. Then was that noble Worcester

Too soon ta'en prisoner; and that furious Scot,

The bloody Douglas, whose well-labouring sword

Had three times slain the appearance of the king,

'Gan vail his stomach, and did grace the shame

Of those that turn'd their backs; and in his flight,

Stumbling in fear, was took. The sum of all

Is, that the king hath won, and hath sent out

A speedy power to encounter you, my lord,

Under the conduct of young Lancaster

And Westmoreland. This is the news at full.

North. For this I shall have time enough to mourn.

In poison there is physic; and these news,

Having been well, that would have made me sick,

Being sick, have in some measure made me well:

And as the wretch, whose fever-weaken'd joints,

 112 In few: in short

114 bruited: rumored

116-118 Cf. n.

128 Cf. n.

129 'Gan vail his stomach: began to lower his arrogant spirit

did grace: reflected credit on, set in a good light 