Fal. I come, master Shallow; I come, master Shallow. Enter four Servants with tables, cups, wine, ale, &c. SHALLOW, SILENCE, BARDOLPH, Page, and DAVY. Shal. Nay, sir John, an you will stay in my orchard, here are seats :--we will eat a last year's pippin of my own graffing, with a dish of carraways, and so forth;-come, cousin Silence. Fal. You have here a goodly dwelling, and a rich. Shal. Barren, barren, barren; beggars all, beggars all, sir John:-marry, good air. -Spread, Davy, spread, Davy: well said, Davy. Fal. This Davy serves you for good uses; he is your serving-man, and your husband-man. Shal. A good varlet, a good varlet, a very good varlet, sir John.-By the mass, I have drunk too much sack to-day: a good varlet. Now sit down: now sit down: _come cousin. [They sit, the Servants waiting. Sil. Ah, sirrah! quoth-a, -we shall [Singing.] Do nothing but eat, and make good cheer, And lusty lads roam here and there, So merrily, And ever among so merrily, &c. Fal. There's a merry heart!-Good master Si lence, I'll give you a health for that anon. Shal. Give master Bardolph some wine, Davy. [BARDOLPH and Page sit at another table. I'll be with you anon :-most sweet sir, sit. -Master page, good master page, sit. [Exit DAVY. Shal. Be merry, master Bardolph;-and my little soldier there, be merry. Davy. Your worship? - I'll be with you straight.A cup of wine, sir.? Sil. [Singing.] A cup of wine, that's brisk and fine, And drink unto the leman mine; And a merry heart lives long-a. Fal. Well said, master Silence. Sil. An we shall be merry, now comes in the sweet of the night. Fal. Health and long life to you, master Silence ! Sil. [Singing.] Fill the cup, and let it come ; I'll pledge you a mile to the bottom. Shal. Honest Bardolph, welcome: Welcome, my little tiny thief: [To the Page.] and welcome, indeed, too. I 'll drink to master Bardolph, and to all the cavaleros about London. Davy. I hope to see London once ere I dic. Shal. You'll crack a quart together. Ha! will you not, master Bardolph ? Bard. Yes, sir, in a pottle pot. Shal. I thank thee: -The knave will stick by thee, I can assure thee that he will not out; he is true bred. Bard. And I'll stick by him, sir. Shal. Why, there spoke a king. Lack nothing: be merry. [One knocks at the door.] Look who's at the gate there: Ho! who knocks? [Exit DAVY. Fal. Why, now you have done me right. : [TO SILENCE, who has drunk a bumper. Sil. [Singing.] Do me right, and dub me knight, Is 't not so? Fal. 'T is so. Samingo. Sil. Is't so? Why, then say, an old man can do somewhat. Davy. An it please your worship, there's one Pis tol come from the court with news. Fal. From the court? [They rise.] Let him come in. Enter PISTOL, and DAVY. How now, Pistol. Pist. Heaven save you, sir John! [Exit DAVY. Fal. What wind blew you hither, Pistol Pist. Not the ill wind which blows no man to good. -Sweet knight, thou art now one of the greatest men in the realm. Sil. By 'r lady, I think 'a be; but goodman Puff of Puff in thy teeth, most recreant coward base!- And tidings do I bring, and lucky joys, Fal. I pr'ythee now, deliver them like a man of this world. Pist. I speak of Africa, and golden joys. Fal. O, base Assyrian knight, what is thy news? Let king Cophetua know the truth thereof. Sil. [Singing.] And Robin Hood, Scarlet, and John, Pist. Shall dunghill curs confront the Helicons? And shall good news be baffled ? Then, Pistol, lay thy head in Furies' lap. Shal. Honest gentleman, I know not your breeding. Pist. Why then, lament therefore. Shal. Give me pardon, sir,-If, sir, you come with news from the court, I take it, there is but two ways; either to utter them, or to conceal them. I am, sir, under the king, in some authority. Pist. Under which king, Bezonian? speak, or die. Pist. Harry the fourth? or fifth ? Pist. Fourth in thy teeth! Sir John, thy tender lambkin now is king; Fal. What! is the old king dead ? Pist. As nail in door: the things I speak are just. Fal. Away Bardolph; saddle my horse.-Master Robert Shallow, chuse what office thou wilt in the land, 't is thine,-Pistol, I will double-charge thee with dignities. Bard. O joyful day!-I would not take a knighthood for my fortune. Pist. What? I do bring good news? Fal. Carry master Silence to bed. - [Davy and the Servants remove the tables, &c. and carry SILENCE away.] Master Shallow, my lord Shallow, be what thou wilt, I am fortune's steward. Get on thy boots; we'll ride all night :-O, sweet Pistol !-Away, Bardolph. [Exit BARDOLPH. Come, Pistol, utter more to me; and, withal, devise something to do thyself good.---Boot, boot, master Shallow; I know, the young king is sick for me. Let us take any man's horses; the laws of England are at my commandment. Happy are they which have been my friends; and woe to my lord chief justice. [Exeunt. SCENE II. The Palace. Enter the Earl of WESTMORELAND, meeting the Lord Chief Justice. West. How now, my lord chief justice; whither away? Ch. Just. I would, his majesty had call'd me with The service that I truly did his life, West. Indeed, I think, the young king loves you not. Ch. Just. I know, he doth not; and do arm myself, To welcome the condition of the time; Which cannot look more hideously upon me Than I have drawn it in my fantasy. West. Here come the heavy issue of dead Harry:O, that the living Harry had the temper Of him, the worst of these three gentlemen! How many nobles then should hold their places, That must strike sail to spirits of vile sort ! Enter Prince JOHN, Prince HUMPHREY, and Prince THOMAS. P. John. Good morrow, cousin Westmoreland. P. Humph. O, good my lord, you have lost a friend, indeed. P. John. Though no man be assur'd what grace to 1 find, You stand in coldest expectation: I am the sorrier; 'would, 't were otherwise. P. Thom. Well, you must now speak sir John Fal staff fair; Which swims against your stream of quality. Ch. Just. Sweet princes, what I did, I did in ho |