The Road to Swinstead Abbey.
 Enter BASTARD and HUBERT, severally.

Bastard	Who's there? Speak, ho! Speak quickly, or I shoot.

Hubert	A friend. What art thou?

Bastard								Of the part of England.

Hubert	Whither dost thou go?

Bastard							What's that to thee?

Hubert	Why may not I demand of thine affairs
	As well as thou of mine?

Bastard								Hubert, I think.

Hubert	Thou hast a perfect thought.
	I will upon all hazards well believe
	Thou art my friend, that know'st my tongue so well.
	Who art thou?

Bastard					Who thou wilt; and if thou please
	Thou mayst befriend me so much as to think
	I come one way of the Plantagenets.

Hubert	Unkind remembrance - thou and endless night
	Have done me shame. Brave soldier, pardon me
	That any accent breaking from thy tongue
	Should 'scape the true acquaintance of mine ear.

Bastard	Come, come. Sans compliment, what news abroad?

Hubert	Why, here walk I in the black brow of night
	To find you out.

Bastard					Brief then, and what's the news?

Hubert	O, my sweet sir, news fitting to the night:
	Black, fearful, comfortless, and horrible.

Bastard	Show me the very wound of this ill news;
	I am no woman, I'll not swoon at it.

Hubert	The king, I fear, is poisoned by a monk.
	I left him almost speechless, and broke out
	To acquaint you with this evil that you might
	The better arm you to the sudden time
	Than if you had at leisure known of this.

Bastard	How did he take it? Who did taste to him?

Hubert	A monk, I tell you, a resolvd villain
	Whose bowels suddenly burst out. The king
	Yet speaks, and peradventure may recover.

Bastard	Who didst thou leave to tend his majesty?

Hubert	Why, know you not? The lords are all come back,
	And brought Prince Henry in their company;
	At whose request the king hath pardoned them,
	And they are all about his majesty.

Bastard	Withhold thine indignation, mighty heaven,
	And tempt us not to bear above our power!
	I'll tell thee, Hubert, half my power this night,
	Passing these flats, are taken by the tide-
	These Lincoln Washes have devourd them-
	Myself, well mounted, hardly have escaped.
	Away before! Conduct me to the king;
	I doubt he will be dead or ere I come.
													[Exeunt.
