Hot. Cousin, I think thou art enamoured70
On his follies: never did I hear[3109]
Of any prince so wild a libertine.[3110]
But be he as he will, yet once ere night
I will embrace him with a soldier's arm,
That he shall shrink under my courtesy.75
Arm, arm with speed: and, fellows, soldiers, friends,[3111]
Better consider what you have to do
Than I, that have not well the gift of tongue,[3112]
Can lift your blood up with persuasion.
Enter a Messenger.
Mess. My lord, here are letters for you.[3113]80
Hot. I cannot read them now.[3113]
O gentlemen, the time of life is short!
To spend that shortness basely were too long,[3114]
If life did ride upon a dial's point,[3115]
Still ending at the arrival of an hour.[3116]85
An if we live, we live to tread on kings;[3117]
If die, brave death, when princes die with us!
Now, for our consciences, the arms are fair,[3118]
When the intent of bearing them is just.
Enter another Messenger.[3119]
Mess. My Lord, prepare; the king comes on apace.90
Hot. I thank him, that he cuts me from my tale,
For I profess not talking; only this—
Let each man do his best: and here draw I[3120][3121]
A sword, whose temper I intend to stain[3121][3122]
With the best blood that I can meet withal95
In the adventure of this perilous day.
Now, Esperance! Percy! and set on.[3123]
Sound all the lofty instruments of war,
And by that music let us all embrace;
For, heaven to earth, some of us never shall[3124]100
A second time do such a courtesy.
[The trumpets sound. They embrace, and exeunt.[3125]
Scene III. Plain between the camps.[3126]
The King enters with his power. Alarum to the battle. Then enter Douglas and Sir Walter Blunt.