Page 664 - Shakespeare - Vol. 2

For our advantage on the bitter cross.
But this our purpose now is twelve month old,
And bootless ’tis to tell you we will go.
Therefor we meet not now. Then let me hear [30]

Of you, my gentle cousin Westmoreland,
What yesternight our council did decree
In forwarding this dear expedience.

WESTMORELAND
My liege, this haste was hot in question

And many limits of the charge set down [35]
But yesternight; when all athwart there came
A post from Wales, loaden with heavy news,
Whose worst was that the noble Mortimer,
Leading the men of Herefordshire to fight

Against the irregular and wild Glendower, [40]
Was by the rude hands of that Welshman taken,
A thousand of his people butcherèd;

Upon whose dead corpse there was such misuse,
Such beastly shameless transformation,
By those Welshwomen done as may not be [45]
Without much shame retold or spoken of.

KING
It seems then that the tidings of this broil

Brake off our business for the Holy Land.

WESTMORELAND
This, matched with other, did, my gracious lord;
For more uneven and unwelcome news [50]
Came from the north, and thus it did import:

On Holy-rood Day the gallant Hotspur there,
Young Harry Percy, and brave Archibald,
That ever-valiant and approvèd Scot,
At Holmedon met, [55]
Where they did spend a sad and bloody hour;

As by discharge of their artillery
And shape of likelihood the news was told;