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HENRY IV PART 1 No Fear Shakespeare Act 1, Scene 3, Page 4

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HOTSPUR

Revolted Mortimer!

He never did fall off, my sovereign liege,

But by the chance of war. To prove that true

Needs no more but one tongue for all those

wounds,

Those mouthèd wounds, which valiantly he took

When on the gentle Severn’s sedgy bank

In single opposition hand to hand

He did confound the best part of an hour

In changing hardiment with great Glendower.

Three times they breathed, and three times did

they drink,

Upon agreement, of swi" Severn’s flood,

Who then, affrighted with their bloody looks,

Ran fearfully among the trembling reeds

And hid his crisp head in the hollow bank,

Bloodstainèd with these valiant combatants.

Never did bare and ro#en policy

Color her working with such deadly wounds,

Nor could the noble Mortimer

Receive so many, and all willingly.

Then let not him be slandered with revolt.

HOTSPUR

“That traitor Mortimer!” He never faltered, my lord,

except through an accident of war. I’ll prove it, by

speaking about the many wounds he heroically

suffered when he spent an hour in brutal hand-to-

hand combat against Glendower on the grassy banks

of the Severn River. They broke three times from

fighting, and they drank three times from the Severn.

The river itself was frightened by their horrible looks.

Its water became discolored with the blood of these

brave fighters, and the Severn ran off, as if to hide

itself in the weeds on its banks. Treachery has never

used deadly wounds to cover its operations, and

Mortimer could never have willingly suffered so many

injuries. Do not let him be slandered by calling him a

traitor.

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KING

Thou dost belie him, Percy; thou dost belie him.

He never did encounter with Glendower.

I tell thee, he durst as well have met the devil

alone

As Owen Glendower for an enemy.

Art thou not ashamed? But, sirrah, henceforth

Let me not hear you speak of Mortimer.

Send me your prisoners with the speediest

means,

Or you shall hear in such a kind from me

As will displease you.—My lord Northumberland,

We license your departure with your son.—

KING

You speak wrongly about him, Percy, you speak

wrongly! He never fought Glendower. I tell you, he

would just as soon dare to meet the devil himself as

fight Glendower. Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?

Don’t ever let me hear you speak of Mortimer again.

Send me your prisoners as quickly as possible, or

you’ll hear about it from me, and you won’t like what I

have to say. Northumberland, I give you and your son

permission to leave now.

Act 1, Scene 3, Page 4

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