Prescanned Shakespeare.com
presented by Acoustic Learning


Henry IV part two

Induction

Warkworth. Before the castle
 
[Enter RUMOR, painted full of tongues]
 
RUMOR
      ,             ,          ,         ,           ,
      Open | your ears:| for which | of you | will stop
            ,        ,                 ,   ,        ,
      The vent | of hear|ing, when / loud rum|or speaks?
      ,              ,   ,      2      ,         ,
      I, from | the or|ient | to the droop|ing west
        ,    2        ,         T    T      T         ,
      (Making the | wind my | post-horse) still | unfold
            ,        ,       ,          ,         ,
      The acts | commenc|ed on | this ball | of earth.
        ,          ,         ,        ,         ,
      Upon | my tongue,| contin|ual sland|ers ride,
            ,        ,        ,        ,         ,
      The which,| in ev|ery lang|uage, I | pronounce,
        ,              ,        ,            ,         ,
      Stuffing | the ears | of them | with false | reports:
          ,          ,            ,       ,    ,
      I speak | of peace,| while cov|ert en|mity
        ,            ,          ,         ,           ,
      (Under | the smile | of safe|ty) wounds | the world:
           ,         ,       ,         ,    ,
      And who | but Rum|or, who | but on|ly I
             ,       ,         ,         ,         ,
      Make^fear|ful mus|ters, and | prepared | defense,
         ,          T    T      Tx         2     ,        ,
      Whiles the | big year, swollen | with some oth|er griefs,
            ,             ,                ,    ,        ,
      Is thought | with child,| by the / stern tyr|ant, war,
           ,         ,        ,       ,       ,
      And no | such mat|ter? Rum|or, is | a pipe
        ,     2     ,        ,      ,        ,
      Blown by sur|mises,| jealou|sies, con|jectures;
           ,       ,            ,   ,         ,
      And of | so eas|y, and / so plain | a stop,
                   ,     ,               ,  ,        ,
      That the / blunt monst|er, with / uncount|ed heads,
            ,        ,         ,         ,      ,
      The still-|discord|ant, wav|ering mult|itude,
            ,      ,         ,           ,        ,
      Can play | upon | it. But | what need | I thus
           ,     ,    ,           ,     ,
      My well-|known bo/dy to | anat|omize
         ,         ,     T    T   .  T       ,
      Among | my house|hold? Why is Rum|or here?
         ,        ,          ,        ,     ,
      I run | before | King^Har|ry's vict|ory,
       ,           ,       ,           ,    ,
      Who in | a bloo|dy field | by Shrews|bury
            ,        ,      T    T   T       2       ,
      Hath beat|en down | young Hotspur,| and his troops,
        ,               ,          ,       ,     ,
      Quenching | the flame | of bold | rebel|lion,
        x              ,         ,           ,         ,
      Even with | the reb|el's blood.| But what | mean^I
           ,          ,         ,         ,       ,
      To speak | so true | at first?| My of|fice is
           ,        ,           ,      ,          ,
      To noise | abroad,| that Har|ry Mon|mouth fell
       ,            ,         ,      ,           ,
      Under | the wrath | of nob|le Hot|spur's^sword,
            ,          ,        ,          ,         ,
      And that | the king,| before | the Doug|las' rage
         ,             ,        ,        ,         ,
      Stooped his | anoint|ed head,| as low | as death.
        ,            ,          ,           ,         ,
      This have | I rum|ored through | the peas|ant towns,
          ,           ,       ,           ,    ,
      Between | that roy|al field | of Shrews|bury,
                   ,   ,       ,        ,        ,
      And this / worm-eat|en hold | of rag|ged stone,
             ,          ,        ,         ,       ,
      Where Hot|spur's^fath|er, old | Northum|berland,
        T    Tx     T          ,           ,       ,
      Lies crafty sick:| the posts | come tir|ing on,
           ,       ,                 ,    ,       ,
      And not | a man | of them / brings oth|er news
             ,             ,         ,         ,          ,
      Than they | have learned | of me.| from Rum|or's tongues,
        .    T      T    T          ,       ,                  ,
      They bring smooth com|forts false,| worse than | true^wrongs. ??
 
[Exit]

← Main Page | Next Scene →


Home