Enter Prince John of LANCASTER and his ARMY.

Lancaster	You are well encountered here, my cousin Mowbray;
	Good day to you, gentle Lord Archbishop;
	And so to you, Lord Hastings, and to all.
	My Lord of York, it better showed with you
	When that your flock, assembled by the bell,
	Encircled you to hear with reverence
	Your exposition on the holy text,
	Than now to see you here an iron man,
	Cheering a rout of rebels with your drum,
	Turning the word to sword, and life to death.
	That man that sits within a monarch's heart,
	And ripens in the sunshine of his favour,
	Would he abuse the countenance of the king,
	Alack, what mischiefs might he set abroach
	In shadow of such greatness! With you, Lord Bishop,
	It is even so. Who hath not heard it spoken
	How deep you were within the books of God?
	To us the speaker in His parliament,
	To us th' imagined voice of God Himself,
	The very opener and intelligencer
	Between the Grace, the sanctities of heaven,
	And our dull workings? O, who shall believe
	But you misuse the reverence of your place,
	Imply the countenance and grace of heaven,
	As a false favourite doth his prince's name,
	In deeds dishonourable? You have ta'en up,
	Under the counterfeited zeal of God,
	The subjects of His substitute, my father,
	And both against the peace of heaven and him
	Have here up-swarmed them.

Archbishop								Good my Lord of Lancaster,
	I am not here against your father's peace;
	But, as I told my Lord of Westmoreland,
	The time misordered doth, in common sense,
	Crowd us and crush us to this monstrous form
	To hold our safety up. I sent your grace
	The parcels and particulars of our grief,
	The which hath been with scorn shoved from the court,
	Whereon this Hydra son of war is born;
	Whose dangerous eyes may well be charmed asleep
	With grant of our most just and right desires,
	And true obedience, of this madness cured,
	Stoop tamely to the foot of majesty.

Mowbray	If not, we ready are to try our fortunes
	To the last man.

Hastings						And though we here fall down,
	We have supplies to second our attempt;
	If they miscarry, theirs shall second them.
	And so success of mischief shall be born,
	And heir from heir shall hold this quarrel up
	Whiles England shall have generation.

Lancaster	You are too shallow, Hastings, much too shallow,
	To sound the bottom of the after-times.

Westmoreland	Pleaseth your grace to answer them directly
	How far forth you do like their articles.

Lancaster	I like them all, and do allow them well;
	And swear here, by the honour of my blood,
	My father's purposes have been mistook,
	And some about him have too lavishly
	Wrested his meaning and authority.
	My lord, these griefs shall be with speed redressed;
	Upon my soul they shall. If this may please you,
	Discharge your powers unto their several counties,
	As we will ours; and here between the armies
	Let's drink together friendly and embrace,
	That all their eyes may bear those tokens home
	Of our restord love and amity.

Archbishop	I take your princely word for these redresses.

Lancaster	I give it you, and will maintain my word;
	And thereupon I drink unto your grace.

Hastings	Go, captain, and deliver to the army
	This news of peace. Let them have pay, and part.
	I know it will well please them. Hie thee, captain.
													[Exit ONE.
Archbishop	To you, my noble Lord of Westmoreland!

Westmoreland	I pledge your grace; and if you knew what pains
	I have bestowed to breed this present peace
	You would drink freely; but my love to ye
	Shall show itself more openly hereafter.

Archbishop	I do not doubt you.

Westmoreland							I am glad of it.
	Health to my lord and gentle cousin, Mowbray.

Mowbray	You wish me health in very happy season,
	For I am, on the sudden, something ill.

Archbishop	Against ill chances men are ever merry,
	But heaviness foreruns the good event.

Westmoreland	Therefore be merry, coz, since sudden sorrow
	Serves to say thus: "Some good thing comes tomorrow".

Archbishop	Believe me, I am passing light in spirit.

Mowbray	So much the worse, if your own rule be true.
													[Shouts within.

Lancaster	The word of peace is rendered. Hark how they shout!

Mowbray	This had been cheerful after victory.

Archbishop	A peace is of the nature of a conquest;
	For then both parties nobly are subdued,
	And neither party loser.

Lancaster									Go, my lord,
	And let our army be dischargd too.
													[Exit WESTMORELAND.

	And, good my lord, so please you, let our trains
	March by us, that we may peruse the men
	We should have coped withal.

Archbishop									Go, good Lord Hastings,
	And ere they be dismissed let them march by.
													[Exit HASTINGS.

Lancaster	I trust, lords, we shall lie tonight together.

                          Re-enter WESTMORELAND.

	Now, cousin, wherefore stands our army still?

Westmoreland	The leaders, having charge from you to stand,
	Will not go off until they hear you speak.

Lancaster	They know their duties.

                            Re-enter HASTINGS.

Hastings	My lord, our army is dispersed already.
	Like youthful steers unyoked they take their courses
	East, west, north, south; or, like a school broke up,
	Each hurries toward his home and sporting-place.

Westmoreland	Good tidings, my Lord Hastings, for the which
	I do arrest thee, traitor, of high treason;
	And you, Lord Archbishop, and you, Lord Mowbray,
	Of capital treason I attach you both.

Mowbray	Is this proceeding just and honourable?

Westmoreland	Is your assembly so?

Archbishop	Will you thus break your faith?

Lancaster											I pawned thee none:
	I promised you redress of these same grievances
	Whereof you did complain; which, by mine honour,
	I will perform with a most Christian care.
	But for you, rebels, look to taste the due
	Meet for rebellion and such acts as yours.
	Most shallowly did you these arms commence,
	Fondly brought here, and foolishly sent hence.
	Strike up our drums, pursue the scattered stray;
	God, and not we, hath safely fought today.
	Some guard these traitors to the block of death,
	Treason's true bed and yielder-up of breath.
													[Exeunt.
