Act II, Scene 3

Warkworth. Before the castle

Enter NORTHUMBERLAND, LADY NORTHUMBERLAND, and LADY PERCY

• Earl of Northumberland. I pray thee, loving wife, and gentle daughter, 1155
  Give even way unto my rough affairs;
  Put not you on the visage of the times
  And be, like them, to Percy troublesome.

• Lady Northumberland. I have given over, I will speak no more.
  Do what you will; your wisdom be your guide. 1160

• Earl of Northumberland. Alas, sweet wife, my honour is at pawn;
  And but my going nothing can redeem it.

• Lady Percy. O, yet, for God's sake, go not to these wars!
  The time was, father, that you broke your word,
  When you were more endear'd to it than now; 1165
  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?
  There were two honours lost, yours and your son's. 1170
  For yours, the God of heaven brighten it!
  For his, it stuck upon him as the sun
  In the grey vault of heaven; and by his light
  Did all the chivalry of England move
  To do brave acts. He was indeed the glass 1175
  Wherein the noble youth did dress themselves.
  He had no legs that practis'd not his gait;
  And speaking thick, which nature made his blemish,
  Became the accents of the valiant;
  For those who could speak low and tardily 1180
  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, humours of blood,
  He was the mark and glass, copy and book, 1185
  That fashion'd 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
  In disadvantage, to abide a field 1190
  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 honour more precise and nice
  With others than with him! Let them alone. 1195
  The Marshal and the Archbishop are strong.
  Had my sweet Harry had but half their numbers,
  To-day might I, hanging on Hotspur's neck,
  Have talk'd of Monmouth's grave.

• Earl of Northumberland. Beshrew your heart, 1200
  Fair daughter, you do draw my spirits from me
  With new lamenting ancient oversights.
  But I must go and meet with danger there,
  Or it will seek me in another place,
  And find me worse provided. 1205

• Lady Northumberland. O, fly to Scotland
  Till that the nobles and the armed commons
  Have of their puissance made a little taste.

• Lady Percy. If they get ground and vantage of the King,
  Then join you with them, like a rib of steel, 1210
  To make strength stronger; but, for all our loves,
  First let them try themselves. So did your son;
  He was so suff'red; so came I a widow;
  And never shall have length of life enough
  To rain upon remembrance with mine eyes, 1215
  That it may grow and sprout as high as heaven,
  For recordation to my noble husband.

• Earl of Northumberland. Come, come, go in with me. 'Tis with my mind
  As with the tide swell'd up unto his height,
  That makes a still-stand, running neither way. 1220
  Fain would I go to meet the Archbishop,
  But many thousand reasons hold me back.
  I will resolve for Scotland. There am I,
  Till time and vantage crave my company. Exeunt