To-morrow, coufin Percy, you and I,
And my good lord of Wor'fter, will fet forth,
To meet your father, and the Scottish Power,
As is appointed us, at Shrewsbury.
My father Glendower is not ready yet,

Nor fhall we need his help thefe fourteen days.
-Within that space, you may have drawn together
Your tenants, friends, and neighbouring gentlemen.
[To Glendower.
Glend. A fhorter time fhall fend me to you, lords,
And in my conduct fhall your ladies come,
From whom you now must steal, and take no leave,
For there will be a world of water fhed,

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 crankling in,
And cuts me, from the best of all my land,
A huge half-moon, a monftrous cantle out.
I'll have the Current in this place damm'd up:
And here the fmug and filver Trent shall run
In a new channel, fair and evenly;

It shall not wind with fuch a deep indent,
To rob me of fo rich a bottom here.

Glend. Not wind? it fhall, it must; you fee, it doth. Mort. But mark, he bears his courfe, and runs me up With like advantage on the other fide,

Gelding th' oppofed continent as much,

As on the other fide it takes from you.

Wor. Yes, but a little charge will trench him here, And on this north fide win this cape of land, And then he runs ftraight and even.

7 Methinks, my moiety,-] Hot-fpur is here juft fuch a divider as the Irishman who made three halves: Therefore, for the

honour of Shakespeare, I will fuppole, with the Oxford Editor, that he wrote portion.

I will not fuppofe it.

WARE.

Hot.

Hot. I'll have it fo, 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 fhall fay me nay?
Glend. Why, that will I.
Hot. Let me not understand
Speak it in Welb.

you then,

Glend. I can fpeak English, lord, as well as you,
For I was train'd up in the English Court,
Where, being young, I framed to the harp
Many an English Ditty, lovely well,

And gave the * tongue a helpful ornament;
A virtue, that was never feen in you.

Hot. Marry, and I'm glad of it with all my heart,
I had rather be a kitteh, and cry, mew!
Than one of these fame meeter-ballad-mongers;
I'd rather hear a brazen candlestick turn'd,
Or a dry wheel grate on the axle-tree,
And that would nothing fet my teeth on edge,
Nothing fo much as mincing Poetry;
'Tis like the forc'd gate of a fhuffling nag.
Glend. Come, you fhall have Trent turn'd.

Hot. I do not care; I'll give thrice fo much land To any well-deferving friend;

But in the way of bargain, mark ye me,

I'll cavil on the ninth part of a hair.

Are the indentures drawn? fhall we be gone?

8

Glend. The moon fhines fair, you may away by night;

(I'll hafte the writer) and withal,

Break with your Wives of your departure hence.
I am afraid my daughter will run mad;
So much the doteth on her Mortimer.

*The tongue.] The Englifn language.

[Exit.

(Pll hafte the writer) He means the writer of the articles.

РОРЕ.

SCENE

SCENE II.

Mort. Fie, coufin Percy, how you cross my father?
Hot. I cannot chufe. Sometime he angers me,
With telling of the Moldwarp and the Ant,
Of dreamer Merlin, and his prophecies;
And of a dragon, and a finless fish,

A clipt-wing Griffin, and a moulting Raven,
A couching Lion, and a ramping Cat,
And fuch a deal of fkimble-fkamble ftuff,
As puts me from my faith. I tell
you what,
He held me the last night at least nine hours,
In reck'ning up the feveral devils names,

That were his lackeys: I cry'd, hum,—and well,-
But mark'd him not a word,

O, he's as tedious-
As a tir'd horfe, or as a railing wife;

Worse than a fioaky house. I'd rather live
With cheese and garlick, in a windmil, far,
Than feed on cates, and have him talk to me,
In any fummer-house in christendom.

Mort. In faith, he is a worthy gentleman;
Exceedingly well read, and profited

In ftrange concealments; valiant as a Lion;
And wond'rous affable; as bountiful

As Mines of India. Shall I tell you, coufin?
He holds your temper in a high respect,
And curbs himself, even of his natural fcope,
When you do cross his humour; 'faith, he does;
I warrant you, that man is not alive

Might fo have tempted him as you have done,
Without the taste of danger and reproof.

But do not use it oft, let me intreat you.

POPE.

profited

9 of the Moldwarp and See Hall's Chronicle, folio zo. the Ant,] This alludes to an old prophecy which is faid to have induced Owen Glendower to take arms against King Henry. VOL. IV.

In flrange concealments;
Skilled in wonderful fecrets.
N

Wor

Wor. In faith, my lord, you are too * wilful blame,
And, fince your coming here, have done enough
To put him quite befides his patience.

You must needs learn, lord, to amend this fault;
Though fometimes it fhews greatnefs, courage, blood,
(And that's the dearest grace it renders you)
Yet oftentimes it doth prefent harsh rage,
Defect of manners, want of government,
Pride, haughtinefs, opinion, and difdain;
The least of which, haunting a Nobleman,
Lofeth men's hearts, and leaves behind a ftain
Upon the beauty of all parts befides,
Beguiling them of commendation.

Hot. Well, I am fchool'd: good manners be your speed!

Here come our wives, and let us take our leave.

SCENE III.

Enter Glendower, with the ladies:

Mort. This is the deadly spight that angers me, My wife can speak no English, I no Welsh.

Glend. My daughter weeps, fhe will not part with you, She'll be a foldier too, fhe'll to the wars.

Mort. Good father, tell her, fhe and my aunt Percy Shall follow in your conduct fpeedily.

[Glendower Speaks to her in Welsh, and she anfwers him in the fame.

Glend. She's defp'rate here, a peevish felf-will'd harlotry,

That no perfuafion can do good upon.

[Lady Speaks in Welsh. Mort. I understand thy looks; that pretty Welf, Which thou pour'ft down from those two fwelling

heavens,

too wilful-blame,] This is a mode of fpeech with which I am not acquainted. Perhaps it might be read too wilful-blunt,

or too wilful-bent, or thus, Indeed, my lord, you are to blame, too wilful.

I am too perfect in, and, but for fhame,
In fuch a parly fhould I answer thee.

[The Lady again in Welsh.

I understand thy kiffes, and thou mine;
And that's a feeling difputation;

But I will never be a truant, love,

'Till I have learn'd thy language; for thy tongue
Makes Well as fweet as ditties highly penn'd,
Sung by a fair Queen in a fummer's bower,
With ravishing divifion to her lute.

Glend. Nay, if thou melt, then will she run mad.

[The Lady Speaks again in Wellh.

Mort. O, I am Ignorance itself in this.
Glend. She bids you,

All on the wanton rushes lay you down 2,
And reft your gentle head upon her lap,
And she will fing the fong that pleaseth you,
3 And on your eye-lids crown the God of Sleep,
Charming your blood with pleasing heaviness;
Making fuch diff'rence betwixt wake and fleep",
As is the diff'rence betwixt day and night,
The hour before the heav'nly-harness'd team
Begins his golden progrefs in the east.

Mort. With all my heart I'll fit, and hear her fing: By that time will our book, I think, be drawn.

Glend. Do fo;

S

All on the wanton rushes lay you down.] It was the cuf tom in this country, for many ages, to ftrew the floors with rufhes as we now cover them with carpets.

And on your eye-lids crown the God of Sleep,] The expreffion is fine; intimating, that the God of Sleep fhould not only fit on his eye lids, but that he fhould fit crown'd, that is, pleafed and delighted. WARBURTON.

N 2

4 Making fuch diff'rence be

truixt wake and fleep,] She will lull you by her fong into foft tranquillity, in which you fhall be fo near to fleep as to be free from perturbation, and fo much awake as to be fenfible of pleasure; a ftate partaking of fleep and wakefulness, as the twilight of night and day.

S our book,-] Our paper of conditions.

And