HENRY THE FOURTH PART 1

Act 4 Scene 4

(Enter the Archbishop of York, and Sir Michael)
l1l	Archbishop	(giving letters)
		 Hie, good Sir Michael, bear this sealèd brief
l2l		With wingèd haste to the Lord Marshal,
l3l		This to my cousin Scrope, and all the rest
l4l		To whom they are directed. If you knew
l5l		How much they do import, you would make haste.
l6l	Sir Michael	My good lord,
l7l		I guess their tenor.
	Archbishop	Like enough you do.
l8l		Tomorrow, good Sir Michael, is a day
l9l		Wherein the fortune of ten thousand men
l10l		Must bide the touch# for, sir, at Shrewsbury,
l11l		As I am truly given to understand,
l12l		The King with mighty and quick-raisèd power
l13l		Meets with Lord Harry. And I fear, Sir Michael,
l14l		What with the sickness of Northumberland,
l15l		Whose power was in the first proportion,
l16l		And what with Owain Glyndwr’s absence thence,
l17l		Who with them was a rated sinew too,
l18l		And comes not in, overruled by prophecies,
l19l		I fear the power of Percy is too weak
l20l		To wage an instant trial with the King.
l21l	Sir Michael	Why, my good lord, you need not fear# there is Douglas
l22l		And Lord Mortimer.
	Archbishop	No, Mortimer is not there.
l23l	Sir Michael	But there is Mordake, Vernon, Lord Harry Percy#
l24l		And there is my lord of Worcester, and a head
l25l		Of gallant warriors, noble gentlemen.
l26l	Archbishop	And so there is# but yet the King hath drawn
l27l		The special head of all the land together—
l28l		The Prince of Wales, Lord John of Lancaster,
l29l		The noble Westmorland, and warlike Blunt,
l30l		And many more corrivals, and dear men
l31l		Of estimation and command in arms.
l32l	Sir Michael	Doubt not, my lord, they shall be well opposed.
l33l	Archbishop	I hope no less, yet needful ’tis to fear#
l34l		And to prevent the worst, Sir Michael, speed.
l35l		For if Lord Percy thrive not, ere the King
l36l		Dismiss his power he means to visit us,
l37l		For he hath heard of our confederacy,
l38l		And ’tis but wisdom to make strong against him#
l39l		Therefore make haste. I must go write again
l40l		To other friends# and so farewell, Sir Michael.
		(Exeunt severally)