Enter Northumberland, his wife, and the wife to
Harry Percy. NORTHUMBERLAND
I pray thee, loving wife and gentle daughter,
Give even way unto my rough affairs.
Put not you on the visage of the times
And be, like them, to Percy troublesome. | Meanwhile, up at Warkworth castle in Northumberland, the Earl is in the middle of an intense conversation with his wife, Lady Northumberland, and his daughter-in-law, Lady Percy. Northumberland gently asks his wife and daughter-in-law to stop pestering him about his affairs. He's got enough things to worry about as it is. (He is in the middle of a rebellion that isn't going so well, after all.) |
LADY NORTHUMBERLAND
I have given over. I will speak no more. 5
Do what you will; your wisdom be your guide. NORTHUMBERLAND
Alas, sweet wife, my honor is at pawn,
And, but my going, nothing can redeem it. | Lady Northumberland says she gives up and she promises to keep her opinions to herself. Northumberland says his honor is at stake so she should cut him some slack. |
LADY PERCY
O yet, for God’s sake, go not to these wars.
The time was, father, that you broke your word 10
When you were more endeared to it than now,
When your own Percy, when my heart’s dear Harry,
Threw many a northward look to see his father
Bring up his powers; but he did long in vain.
Who then persuaded you to stay at home? 15
There were two honors lost, yours and your son’s.
For yours, the God of heaven brighten it.
For his, it stuck upon him as the sun
In the gray vault of heaven, and by his light
Did all the chivalry of England move 20
To do brave acts. He was indeed the glass
Wherein the noble youth did dress themselves.
He had no legs that practiced not his gait;
And speaking thick, which nature made his blemish,
Became the accents of the valiant; 25
For those that could speak low and tardily
Would turn their own perfection to abuse
To seem like him. So that in speech, in gait,
In diet, in affections of delight,
In military rules, humors of blood, 30
He was the mark and glass, copy and book,
That fashioned others. And him—O wondrous him!
O miracle of men!—him did you leave,
Second to none, unseconded by you,
To look upon the hideous god of war 35
In disadvantage, to abide a field
Where nothing but the sound of Hotspur’s name
Did seem defensible. So you left him.
Never, O never, do his ghost the wrong
To hold your honor more precise and nice 40
With others than with him. Let them alone.
The Marshal and the Archbishop are strong.
Had my sweet Harry had but half their numbers,
Today might I, hanging on Hotspur’s neck,
Have talked of Monmouth’s grave. 45 | Then we find out what the trio has been arguing about. Lady Percy, Hotspur's widow, tells Northumberland he's nuts if he goes to battle against the king and she doesn't care if he gave his word to the other rebel leaders. Then she reminds him that he didn't seem to have a problem breaking his word to his son when he failed to show up at the last battle (at Shrewsbury), which is where Hotspur was killed. Lady Percy continues to lay on the guilt and says Hotspur was counting on his father to back him up and bring reinforcements but Northumberland left him hanging. It's all Northumberland's fault that Hotspur was killed. Northumberland has lost all of his "honour." Lady Percy imagines that she would be in Hostpur's arms at this very moment if only Northumberland had kept his word and brought reinforcements to Shrewsbury. |
NORTHUMBERLAND Beshrew your
heart,
Fair daughter, you do draw my spirits from me
With new lamenting ancient oversights.
But I must go and meet with danger there, 50
Or it will seek me in another place
And find me worse provided. | Northumberland is completely ashamed. |
LADY NORTHUMBERLAND O, fly to Scotland
Till that the nobles and the armèd commons
Have of their puissance made a little taste. 55 | Lady Northumberland chimes in and suggests that her husband should run away to Scotland until the rebels are more in control of the situation. When the coast is clear, Northumberland can come back to England. |
LADY PERCY
If they get ground and vantage of the King,
Then join you with them like a rib of steel
To make strength stronger; but, for all our loves,
First let them try themselves. So did your son;
He was so suffered. So came I a widow, 60
And never shall have length of life enough
To rain upon remembrance with mine eyes
That it may grow and sprout as high as heaven
For recordation to my noble husband. |
Lady Percy agrees that her father-in-law can come back and offer the rebels additional support when it's safer. Then she reminds him it's his fault she's a widow. |
NORTHUMBERLAND
Come, come, go in with me. ’Tis with my mind 65
As with the tide swelled up unto his height,
That makes a still-stand, running neither way.
Fain would I go to meet the Archbishop,
But many thousand reasons hold me back.
I will resolve for Scotland. There am I 70
Till time and vantage crave my company. They exit. | Northumberland says it's hard to make up his mind but finally agrees to run away to Scotland until the rebels call on him for help. |