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

 

Henry IV, Part ii            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.

967  Oh yet, for heauens sake, go not to these Warrs;
968  The Time was (Father) when you broke your word,
969  When you were more endeer’d to it, then now,
970  When your owne Percy, when my heart-deere Harry,
971  Threw many a Northward looke, to see his Father
972  Bring vp his Powres: but he did long in vaine.
973  Who then perswaded you to stay at home?
974  There were two Honors lost; Yours, and your Sonnes.
975  For Yours, may heauenly glory brighten it:
976  For His, it stucke vpon him, as the Sunne
977  In the gray vault of Heauen: and by his Light
978  Did all the Cheualrie of England moue
979  To do braue Acts. He was (indeed) the Glasse
980  Wherein the Noble-Youth did dresse themselues.
981  He had no Legges, that practic’d not his Gate:
982  And speaking thicke (which Nature made his blemish)
983  Became the Accents of the Valiant.
984  For those that could speake low, and tardily,
985  Would turne their owne Perfection, to Abuse,
986  To seeme like him. So that in Speech, in Gate,
987  In Diet, in Affections of delight,
988  In Militarie Rules, Humors of Blood,
989  He was the Marke, and Glasse, Coppy, and Booke,
990  That fashion’d others. And him, O wondrous! him,
991  O Miracle of Men! Him did you leaue
992  (Second to none) vn-seconded by you,
993  To looke vpon the hideous God of Warre,
994  In dis-aduantage, to abide a field,
995  Where nothing but the sound of Hotspurs Name
996  Did seeme defensible: so you left him.
997  Neuer, O neuer doe his Ghost the wrong,
998  To hold your Honor more precise and nice
999  With others, then with him. Let them alone:
1000  The Marshall and the Arch-bishop are strong.
1001  Had my sweet Harry had but halfe their Numbers,
1002  To day might I (hanging on Hotspurs Necke)
1003  Haue talk’d of Monmouth’s Graue.

  One Response to “Henry IV, Part ii; Act II, Scene iii First Folio”

  1. […] Click here to see speech from Part II – First Folio. […]

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