Bard. Ay, marry, there's the point : But if without him we be thought too feeble, My judgment is, we should not step too far Till we had his assistance by the hand: For, in a theme so bloody-fac'd as this, Conjecture, expectation, and surmise Of aids uncertain, should not be admitted. Arch. 'Tis very true, lord Bardolph; for, indeed, It was young Hotspur's case at Shrewsbury. Bard. It was, my lord; who lin'd himself with hope, Eating the air on promise of supply, Hast. But, by your leave, it never yet To lay down likelihoods, and forms of hope. war ; did of Indeed the instant action, (a cause on foot,) Hope gives not so much warrant, as despair, That frosts will bite them. When we mean to build, We first survey the plot, then draw the model; What do we then, but draw anew the model To build at all? Much more, in this great work, (Which is, almost, to pluck a kingdom down, half But who is substituted 'gainst the French, I have no certain notice. Arch. Let us on; And publish the occasion of our arms. Hath he, that buildeth on the vulgar beart. Before he was what thou wouldst have him bel They that, when Richard liv'd, would have him die, Are now become enamour'd on his grave; Gives o'er, and leaves his part created cost Should be still-born, and that we sess'd The utmost man of expectation; now Fang. Suare, we must arrest Sir John Fal Host. Yea, good master Snare; 1 have enpos-tered him and all. And one against Glendower; perforce, a third Must take up us: So is the unarm king In three divided; and his coffers sound With hollow poverty and emptiness. Snare. It may chance cost some of us our lives, for he will stab. Host. Alas the day! take heed of him; he stabbed me in mine own house, and that most beastly in good faith, 'a cares not what mischief he doth, if his weapon be out: he will foint like any devil; he will spare neither man, woman, nor child. Fang. If I can close with him, I care not for his thrust. Host. No, nor I neither: I'll be at your elbow. Fang. An I but fist him once; an 'a come but within my vice: Hos. I am undone by his going; I warrant Arch. That he should draw his several you, he's an infinite thing upon my score: strengths together, And come against us in full puissance, Need not be dreaded. Hast. If he should do so, Good master Faug, hold him sure;-good mas ter Snare, let me not scape. He comes cultinuantly to Pie-coruer, (saving your manhoods,) to buy a saddle; and he's indited to He leaves his back unarin'd, the French and dinner to the lubbar's head in Lumbert-street, Welsh to master Smooth's the silkman: I pray ye, since my exion is entered, and my case so openly known to the world, let him be brought in to his auswer. A hundred mark is a long 12, 000 Frenchmen landed at Milford Haven during this rebellion to aid Glendower. + Thrust. Scene 1. loan for a poor lone woman to bear and I have wound? And didst thou not, when she was gone DOLPH, Fang. Sir John, I arrest you at the suit of mistress Quickly. Fal. Away, varlets!-Draw, Bardolph; cut me off the villain's bead; throw the quean in the channel. Host. Throw me in the channel? I'll throw Fal. Keep them off, Bardolph. Host. Good people, bring a rescue or two.Thou wo't, wo't thou? thou we't, wo't thou? do, do, thou rogue ! do, thou hemp-seed! Fal. Away, you scullion! you rampallian! you fustilarian! I'll tickle your catastrophe. Enter the Lord CHIEF JUSTICE, attended. Ch. Just. What's the matter? keep the peace here, ho! Host. Good my lord, be good to me! I beseech you, stand to me! Ch. Just. How now, Sir John? what, are you brawling here? Doth this become your place, your time, and business? You should have been well on your way to Stand from him, fellow; Wherefore bang'st Host. O my most worshipful lord, an't please your grace, I am a poor widow of Eastcheap, and he is arrested at my suit. Ch. Just. For what sum ? Hast. It is more than for some, my lord: it is for all, all I have: he hath eaten me out of house and home; he hath put all my substance into that fat belly of his :-but I will have some of it out again, or I'll ride thee o'nights, like the mare. Fal. I think, I am as like to ride the mare, if I have any vantage of ground to get up. Ch. Just. How comes this, Sir John? Fie! what man of good temper would endure this tempest of exclamation? Are you not ashamed, to enforce a poor widow to so rough à course to come by her own? Pal. What is the gross sum that I owe thee? Host. Marry, if thou wert an honest man, thyself and the money too. Thou didst swear to me upon a parcel-gilt i goblet, sitting in my Dolphin chamber, at the round table, by a seacoal fire, upon Wednesday in Whitsun-week, when the prince broke thy head for liking his father to a singing-man of Windsor: thou didst swear to me then, as I was washing thy wound, to marry me, and make me my lady thy wife. Canst thon deny it? Did not goodwife Keech, the batcher's wife, come in then, and call me gossip Quickly? coming in to borrow a mess of vinegar; telling us, she had a good dish of prawns: whereby thou didst desire to eat some; berely I told thee, they were ill for a green + Homicide. . Homicidal. : Party gilt. Ch. Just. Sir John, Sir John, I am well acquainted with your manner of wrenching the true cause the false way. It is not a confident brow, nor the throng of words that come with such more than impudent sauciness from you, can thrust me from a level consideration: you have, as it ap pears to me, practised upon the easy-yielding spirit of this woman, and made ber serve your uses both in purse and person. Host. Yea, in troth, my lord. Ch. Just. Pr'ythee, peace:-Pay her the debt you owe her, and unpay the villainy you have done with her the one you may do with sterling money, and the other with current repentance.. Fal. My lord, I will not undergo this sneap without reply. You call honourable holdness, impudent sauciness: if a man will make court'sy, and say nothing, he is virtuous: No, my lord, my bumble duty remembered, I will not be your suitor; I say to you, I do desire deliverance from these officers, being upon hasty employment in the king's affairs. Ch. Just, You speak as having power to do wroug: but answer in the effect of your reputation, and satisfy the poor woman. Fal. Come hither, hostess.· ́ Taking her aside. Enter GOWER. Ch. Just. Now, master Gower; What news? Are near at hand: the rest the paper tells. Host. Nay, you said so before. Fal. As I am a gentleman;-Come, no more words of it. Host. By this heavenly ground I tread on, I must be fain to pawn both my plate, and the tapestry of my dining-chambers. Fal. Glasses, glasses, is the only drinking = and for thy walls,-a pretty slight drollery, or the story of the prodigal, or the German hanting in water-work, is worth a thousand of these bed-bangings, and these fly-bitten tapestries. Let it be ten pound, if thou canst. Come, an it were not for thy humours, there is not a better wench in England. Go, wash thy face, and 'draw thy aetion: Come, thou must not be in this humour with me; dost not know me ? Come, come, t know thou wast set on to this. Host. Pray thee, Sir John, let it be but twenty nobles; i'faith I am loath to pawn my plate, in good earnest, la. Fal. Let it alone; I'll make other shift: you'll be a fool still. Host. Well, you shall have it, though I pawn my gown. I hope you'll come to supper: You'll pay me all together? Fal. Will I live?-Go, with her, with her; [TO BARDOLPH.] book on, hook on.! Host. Will you have Doll Tear-sheet meet you at supper? Fal. No more words; let's have her. [Exeunt HOSTESS, BARDOLPH, Officers, Ch. Just. I have heard better news. Snub. ↑ Suitable to your character. 3 H fault of a better, to call my friend,) I could be Gow. At Basingstoke, my lord. Ch. Just. Come all his forces back? Are march'd up to my lord of Lancaster. Ch. Just. You shall have letters of me presently: Come, go along with me, good master Gower. Fat. My lord! Ch. Just. What's the matter? Fal. Master Gower, shall I entreat you with me to dinuer ? Poins. Very hardly, upon such a subject. P. Hen. By this hand, thou think'st me as far in the devil's book, as thou and Falstaff, for obduracy and persistency: Let the end try the man. But I tell thee,-my heart bleeds inwardly, that my father is so sick and keeping such vile company as thou art, hath in reason taken from me all ostentation of sorrow. Poins. The reason? P. Hen. What would'st thou think of me, if I should weep? Poins. I would think thee a most princely bypocrite. P. Hen. It would be every man's thought: and thou art a blessed fellow, to think as every Gow. I must wait upon my good lord here: Iman thinks; never a man's thought in the world thank you, good Sir John. Ch. Just. Sir John, you loiter here too long, seeing you are to take soldiers up in counties as you go. Fal. Will you sup with me, master Gower? Ch. Just. What foolish master taught you these manners, Sir John? Fal. Master Gower, if they become me not, he was a fool that taught them me.-This is the right fencing grace, my lord; tap for tap, and so part fair. Ch. Just. Now the Lord lighten thee! thou art a great fool. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-The same.-Another Street. Enter Prince HENRY and POINS. P. Hen. Trust me, I am exceeding weary. Poins. Is it come to that? I had thought weariness durst not have attached one of so high blood. keeps the road-way better than thine: every man would think me a hypocrite indeed. And what accites your most worshipful thought, to think so? Poins. Why, because you have been so lewd, and so much engraffed to Falstaff. P. Hen. And to thee. Poins. By this light, I am well spoken of, I can hear it with my own ears; the worst that they can say of me is, that I am a second brother, and that I am a proper fellow of my hands; and those two things, I confess, I cannot help. By the mass, here comes Bardolph. P. Hen. And the boy that I gave Falstaff: be had him from me Christian; and look, if the fat villain hath not transformed him ape. Enter BARDOLPH and PAGE. Bard. 'Save your grace! P. Hen. And your's, most noble Bardolph! Bard. Come, you virtuous ass, [To the PAGE.] P. Hen. 'Faith, it does me: though it dis-you bashful fool, must you be blushing? wherecolours the complexion of my greatness to ac-fore blush you now? What a maideŭly man at knowledge it. Doth it not show vilely in me, to arms are you become? Is it such a matter, to desire small beer? get a pottle-pot's maidenhead. Poins. Why, a prince should not be so loosely studied, as to remember so weak a com-through a red lattice, and I could discern no position. P. Hen. Belike then, my appetite was not princely got; for, by my troth, I do now remember the poor creature, small beer. But, indeed, these humble considerations make me out of love with my greatness. What a disgrace is it to me, to remember thy name? or to know thy face to-morrow? or to take note how many pair of silk stockings thou hast ; viz. these, and those that were the peach-colour'd ones or to bear the inventory of thy shirts; as, one for superfluity, and one other for use? -but that, the tennis-court-keeper knows better than 1; for it is a low ebb of linen with thee, when thou keepest not racket there; as thou hast not done a great while, because the rest of thy low-countries have made a shift to eat up thy Holland and God knows, whether those that bawl out the ruins of thy linen, shall inherit his kingdom: but the midwives say, the children are not in the fault; whereupon the world increases, and kindreds are mightily strengthened. Poins. How ill it follows, after you have laboured so hard, you should talk so idly? Tell me, how many good young princes would do so, their fathers being so sick as your's at this time is ? P. Hen. Shall I tell thee one thing, Poins? Poins. Yes; and let it be an excellent good thing. P. Hen. It will serve among wits of no higher breeding than thine. Poins. Go to I stand the push of your one thing that you will tell. P. Hen. Why, I tell thee,-it is not meet that I should be sad, now my father is sick albeit I could tell to thee, (as to one it pleases me, for • Children wrapped up in his old shirts. Page. He called me even now, my lord, part of his face from the window: at last, I spied his eyes; and, methought, he had made two holes in the ale-wife's new petticoat, and peeped through. P. Hen. Hath not the boy profited! Bard. Away, you whoreson upright rabbit, away! Page. Away, you rascally Althea's dream, away! P. Hen. Instruct us, boy: What dream, boy! Page. Marry, my lord, Althea dreamed she was delivered of a fire-brand; and therefore I call him her dream. P. Hen. A crown's worth of good interpretation.-There it is, boy. [Gives him money. Poins. O that this good blossom could be kept from cankers !-Well, there is sixpence to preserve thee. Bard. An you do not make him be hanged among you, the gallows shall have wrong. P. Hen. And how doth thy master, Bardolph ? Bard. Well, my lord. He heard of your grace's coming to town; there's a letter for you. Poins. Delivered with good respect.—And how doth the martlemas, your master ? Bard. In bodily health, Sir. Poins. Marry, the immortal part needs a phy. sician: but that moves not him; though thai be sick, it dies not. P. Hen. I do allow this went to be as familiar with me as my dog and he holds his place; for look you how he writes. Poins. [Reads.] John Falstaff, knight,—— Every man must know that, as oft as he has occasion to name himself. Even like those that An ale-house window. + Martinmas, St. Martin's day is Nov. 11. 1 Swoln excrescence. KING HENRY are kin to the king; for they never prick their finger, but they say, There is some of the king's blood spilt: How comes that? says he, that takes upon him not to conceive: the answer is as ready as a borrower's cap; I am the king's poor cousin, Sir. P. Hen. Nay, they will be kin to us, or they will fetch it from Japhet. But the letter ; Poins, Sir John Falstaff, knight, to the son of the king, nearest his father, Harry Prince of Wales, greeting. Why, this is a certifi cate. P. Hen. Peace. even way unto my rough affairs? 37392 more! Do what you will; your wisdom be your guide. And, but my going, nothing can redeem it. O wars! The time, was, father, that you broke your word, Poins. I will imitate the honourable Roman Thine, by yea and no, (which is as much as to say, as thou usest him,) Jack Falstaff, with my familiars; John,with my brothers and sisters; and Sir John, with all Europe. My lord, I will steep this letter in sack, and make him eat it. P. Hen. That's to make him eat twenty of his words. But do you use me thus, Ned? must I marry your sister? Poins. May the wench have no worse fortune! but I never said so. P. Hen. Well, thus we play the fools with the time; and the spirits of the wise sit in the clouds and mock us.-Is your master here London! Bard, Yes, my lord. in P. Hen. Where sups he? doth the old boar feed in the old frank ?⚫ Bard. At the old place, my lord; in Eastcheap. P. Hen. What company? P. Hen. What Pagan may that be? P. Hen. Even such kin, as the parish heifers are to the town bull.-Shall we steal upon them, Ned, at supper? Poins. I am your shadow, my lord; I'll follow you. P. Hen. Sirrah, you boy,-and Bardolph ;no word to your master, that I am yet come to town: There's for your silence. Bard. I have no tongue, Sir, Page. And for mine, Sir,-1 will govern it. P. Hen. Fare ye well; go. [Exeunt BARDOLPH and PAGE.]—This Doll Tear-sheet should be some road. Poins. I warrant you, as common as the way between Saint Alban's and London. P. Hen. How might we see Falstaff bestow himself to-night in his true colours, and not ourselves be seen? Poins. Put on two leather jerkins and aprons, and wait upon him at his table as drawers. P. Hen, From a god to a bull? a heavy descension! it was Jove's case. From a prince to a prentice? a low transformation! that shall be mine: for, in every thing, the purpose must weigh [Exeunt. with the folly. Follow me, Ned, SCENE III.-Warkworth.--Before the Enter Castle. vain. A Who then persuaded you to stay at home? For your's-may heavenly glory brighten it! Became the accents of the valiant ; With new lamenting ancient oversights. Lady N. O fly to Scotland, the king, To make strength stronger; but, for all our First let them try themselves: So did your son ; North. Come, come, go in with me: 'tis with As with the tide swell'd up unto its height, But many thousand reasons hold me back : Till time and vantage crave my company. North. I pray thee, loving wife, and gentle will resolve for Scotland; there am I, daughter, • Sty. [Exeunt, 1 Drawe. What the devil hast thou brought there apple-Johus? thou know'st, Sir John caupot endure an apple-John. 2 Draw. Mass, thou sayest true: The prince once set a dish of apple-Jubus before him, and told him, there were five more Sir Johns: and, putting off his hat, said, I will now take my leave of these six dry, round, old, wither'd knights. It angered him to the heart; but he hath forgot that. Draw. would spe Dol. H not com in Englan Host. no, by n neighbour name an door ;-t not lived shut th Fal. D Host. there con Fal. D Host. your anc I was be day; and ago than says he; them ; 1 Draw. Why then, cover, and set them down: And see if thon caust find out Sneak's moise; mistress Tear-sheet would fain hear some music. Despatch :-The room where they supped is too hot: they'll come in straight. 2 Draw. Sirrah, here will be the prince and master Poins anon; and they will put on two of our jerkins and aprons; and Sir John must not know of it: Bardolph hath brought word. 1 Draw. By the mass, here will be old utis:‡those t It will be an excellent stratagem. [Erit. Enter HOSTESS and DOLL TEAR-SHEET. Host. I'faith, sweet heart, methinks now you are in an excellent good temperality; your pulsidge beats as extraordinarily as heart would desire; and your colour, 1 warrant you, is as red as any rose: But, i'faith, you have drank too much canaries; and that's a marvellous searching wine, and it perfumes the blood ere one can say,-What's this? How do you now? Dol. Better than I was. Hem! Host. Why, that's well said; a good heart's worth gold, Look, here comes Sir John. Enter FALSTAFF, singing. Fal. When Arthur first in Court-Empty the jordan.-And was a worthy king: Exit DRAWER] How now, mistress Doll? Host. Sick of a calm: yea, good sooth. Fal. So is all her sect; an they be once in a calm, they are sick. Dol. You nuddy rascal, is that all the comfort you give me ? Fal. You make fat rascals, mistress Doil. Dol. I make them! gluttony and diseases make them; I make them not. Fal. If the cook help to make the gluttony, you help to make the diseases, Doll: we catch of you, Doll, we catch of you; graut that, iny poor virtue, grant that. Dol. Aye, marry; our chains, and our jewels. Fal. Your brooches, pearls, and ouches: -for to serve bravely, is to come halting off, you know: To come off the breach with his pike bent bravely, and to surgery bravely; to venture upon the charged chambers bravely:-Dol, Hang yourself, you muddy couger, haug yourself! in an i whereup woman, heed ch he, no s none he he said; Fal. cheater, a puppy Barbary show of Pist Dol. bung, you ha I pray your s Host. By my troth, this is the old fashion; you two never meet, but you fall to some discord: you are both, in good troth, as rheumatic as two in you dry toasts; you cannot one bear with another's cuttle confirmities. What the good-year! one must bear, and that must be you: (To DOLL.) you are the weaker vessel, as they say, the emptier vessel. Dol. Can a weak empty vessel bear such a huge full hogshead? there's a whole merchant's venture of Bourdeaux stuff in him; you have go off not seen a bulk better stuffed in the hold.-Come, Pistol. I'll be friends with thee, Jack: thou art going to the wars; and whether I shall ever see thee again, or no, there is nobody cares. An apple that will keep two years. + Sneak was a street minstrel: a noise of musicians Raciently signified a concert. * Merry doings. ♦ Smal! pieces of ordnance. Pist Fal. Hos sweet Dol. cheater G |