Henry IV, Part i; Act II, Scene iii First Folio

 

Henry IV, Part i            Act II, Scene iii             Lady Percy

This text is used in our interview with Kelley Curran.

Click here to see a modern version of the script.

Click here to see a scanned version of the script.

885  O my good Lord, why are you thus alone?
886  For what offence haue I this fortnight bin
887  A banish’d woman from my Harries bed?
888  Tell me (sweet Lord) what is’t that takes from thee
889  Thy stomacke, pleasure, and thy golden sleepe?
890  Why dost thou bend thine eyes vpon the earth?
891  And start so often when thou sitt’st alone?
892  Why hast thou lost the fresh blood in thy cheekes?
893  And giuen my Treasures and my rights of thee,
894  To thicke-ey’d musing, and curst melancholly?
895  In my faint-slumbers, I by thee haue watcht,
896  And heard thee murmore tales of Iron Warres:
897  Speake tearmes of manage to thy bounding Steed,
898  Cry courage to the field. And thou hast talk’d
899  Of Sallies, and Retires; Trenches, Tents,
900  Of Palizadoes, Frontiers, Parapets,
901  Of Basiliskes, of Canon, Culuerin,
902  Of Prisoners ransome, and of Souldiers slaine,
903  And all the current of a headdy fight.
904  Thy spirit within thee hath beene so at Warre,
905  And thus hath so bestirr’d thee in thy sleepe,
906  That beds of sweate hath stood vpon thy Brow,
907  Like bubbles in a late-disturbed Streame;
908  And in thy face strange motions haue appear’d,
909  Such as we see when men restraine their breath
910  On some great sodaine hast. O what portents are these?
911  Some heauie businesse hath my Lord in hand,
912  And I must know it: else he loues me not.

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