tale of the fun? if thou didft, then behold that compound.

Fal. You rogue, here's lime in this fack too; there is nothing but roguery to be found in villainous man; yet a coward is worse than a cup of fack with lime in it. A villainous coward-Go thy ways, old Jack, die when thou wilt, if manhood, good manhood be not forgot upon the face of the earth, then am I a fhotten herring : There live not three good men unhang'd in England, and one of them is fat, and grows old, God help, the while! a bad world; I fay. (16) I would, I were a weaver; I could fing pfalms, and all manner of fongs. A plague of all cowards, I fay ftill!

P. Henry. How now, Woolfack, what mutter you'? Fal. A King's fon? if I do not beat thee out of thy kingdom with a dagger of lath, and drive all thy fubjects

fcribers, or the compofitors at Prefs. 'Tis well known, Titan is one of the poetical names of the fun; but we have no authority from fable for Titan's melting away at his own fweet tale, as Narciffus did at the reflexion of his own fweet form. The poet's meaning was certainly this: Falstaff enters in a great heat, after having been robb'd by the Prince and Poins in difguife: And the Prince feeing him in fuch a fweat, makes the following fimile upon him: " Do but look upon that compound of greafe;-his fat drips away with the violence of his "motion, juft as butter does with the heat of the fun-beams darting

full upon it." I corrected the paffage in the appendix to my SHAKESPEARE reftor'd; and Mr. Pope, in his last edition, has been fo gra. cious to fay at the bottom of his page; or rather, butter that melted, ser.

(16) I would, I were a weaver; I could fing pfalms, &c.] This is plainly a fling at the puritanical fectaries of our author's time. And I have obferv'd this, that when the men of wit of his age, and fince, would characterize an ignorant fan&tified zealot, they have generally made him a weaver by profeffion: Which fhews, that that fpirit was moft remarkable among thofe mechanicks: And, I believe, I can account for its fo happening. It is very well known, that when Philip the fecond was for ftifling the birth of the reformation in Flanders and the Low Countries by an inquifitional reftraint, many of the inhabitants forfook their country, and fought refuge amongst their neighbours. Thofe, who came into England, brought over with them the woollen manufactory, and the principles of Calvin: And at the fame time taught us to weave cloth, and ravel out the contexture of churchgovernment. So that puritanism (a word, which then took its rife) and weaving were generally profefs'd by one and the fame artist. Their love for pfalmody was what then did, and still does, distinguish the difMr. Warburton. ciples of John Calvin.

afore thee like a flock of wild geefe, I'll never wear hair on my face more. You Prince of Wales?

P. Henry. Why, you whorfon round man! what's the

matter?

Fal. Are you not a coward? answer me to that, and Poins there?

P. Henry. Ye fat paunch, anyecallme coward, I'll ftab thee. Fal. I call thee coward! I'll fee thee damn'd ere I'll call thee coward; but I would give a thousand pound I could run as faft as thou canst. You are ftrait enough in the shoulders, you care not who fees your back: Call you that backing of your friends? a plague upon fuch backing! give me them that will face me Give me a cup of fack; I am a rogue, if I drank to-day. P. Henry. O villain, thy lips are scarce wip'd fince thou .drunk'ft laft.

Fal. All's one for that.

A plague of all cowards, ftill, fay I!

P. Henry. What's the matter?

[He drinks.

Fal. What's the matter! here be four of us, have ta’en a thousand pound this morning.

P. Henry. Where is it, Jack? where is it?

Fal. Where is it? taken from us, it is; a hundred upon poor four of us.

P. Henry. What, a hundred, man?

Fal. I am a rogue, if I were not at half fword with a dozen of them two hours together. I have efcap'd by miracle. I am eight times thruft through the doublet, four through the hofe, my buckler cut through and through, my fword hack'd like a hand faw, ecce fignum. I never dealt better fince I was a man ; all would not do. A plague of all cowards!-Let them fpeak; if they speak more or less than truth, they are villains and the fons of darkne P. Henry. Speak, Sirs, how was it? Gads. We four fet upon fome dozen. Fal. Sixteen, at least, my Lord. Gads. And bound them.

Peto. No, no, they were not bound.

Fal. You rogue, they were bound, every man of them, or I am a few elfe, an Ebrew Jew.

F 4

Gads

Gads. As we were sharing, fome fix or seven fresh men fet upon us.

Fal. And unbound the reft, and then came in the other. P. Henry. What, fought ye with them all?

Fal. All? I know not, what ye call all; but if I fought not with fifty of them, I am a bunch of radish: If there were not two or three and fifty upon poor old Jack, then am I no two-legg'd creature.

Poins. Pray heav'n, you have not murdered fome of them. Fal. Nay, that's paft praying for. I have pepper'd two of them; two, I am fure, I have pay'd, two rogues in buckram fuits. I tell thee what, Hal, if I tell thee a lie, fpit in my face, call me horse; thou know'ft my old ward; here I lay, and thus I bore my point; four rogues in buckram let drive at me.

P. Henry. What, four? thou faidft bat two, even now. Fal. Four, Hal, I told thee four..

Poins. Ay, ay, he said four.

Fal. Thefe four came all a-front, and mainly thruft at me; I made no more ado, but took all their feven points in my target, thus.

P. Henry, Seven? why there were but four, even now. Fal. In buckram.

Poins. Ay, four, in buckram fuits.

Fal. Seven, by thefe hilts, or 1 am a villain else.

P. Henry. Pr'ythce let him alone, we fhall have more

anon.

Fal. Doft thou hear me, Hal?

P. Henry. Ay, and mark thee teo, Jack.

Fal. Do fo, for it is worth the liftning to: Thefe nine in buckram, that I told thee of

P. Henry. So, two more already.

Fal. Their points being broken-
Poins. Down fell his hofe.

Fal. Began to give me ground; but I follow'd me close, came in foot and hand; and with a thought, seven of the eleven I pay'd.

P. Henry. O monftrous! eleven buckram men grown out of two!

Fal.

Fal. But as the devil would have it, three mif-begot ten knaves in Kendal green came at my back, and let, drive at me; (for it was fo dark, Hal, that thou couldit; not fee thy hand.)

P. Henry. These lies are like the father that begets them, grofs as a mountain, open, palpable. Why, thou claybrain'd guts, thou knotty-pated fool, thou whorfon obfcene greasy tallow-catch

Fal. What, art thou mad? art thou mad is not the truth, the truth?

P. Henry. Why, how could't thou know these men in Kendal green, when it was fo dark, thou could'st not fee thy hand? come, tell us your reason: What say'ft thou to this?

Poins. Come, your reafon, Jack, your reason.

Fal. What, upon compulfion? no; were I at the ftrappado, or all the racks in the world, I would not tell you on compulfion. Give you a reafon on compulfion! if reasons were as plenty as black-berries, I would give no man a reafon upon compulfion, I.

P. Henry, I'll be no longer guilty of this fin. This fanguine coward, this bed-preffer, this horfeback-breaker, this huge hill of flesh;

Fal. Away, you ftarveling, you elf-fkin, you dry'd neats-tongue, bull's pizzel, you ftock-fifh: O for breath to utter! what is like thee? You taylor's yard, you fheath, you bow cafe, you vile ftanding tuck,

P. Henry Well, breathe a while and then to't again; and when thou haft tir'd thyfelf in bafe comparisons, hear me fpeak but this.

Poins, Mark, Jack.

P. Henry. We two faw you four fet on four, you bound them, and were masters of their wealth: Mark now, how a plain tale fhall put you down. Then did we two set on you four, and with a word, outfac'd you from your prize, and have it; yea, and can fhew it you here in the house. And, Falstaff, you carry'd your guts away as nimbly, with as quick dexterity, and roar'd for mercy, and ftill ran and rear'd, as ever I heard bull-calf. What a flave art thou, to hack thy fword as thou hast done, and then fay it was

in fight-What trick? what device? What starting hole,, canft thou now find out to hide thee from this open and apparent shame?

Poins. Come, let's hear, Jack: What trick haft thou now?

Fal. By the Lord, I knew ye, as well as he that made ye. Why, hear ye, my matters; was it for me to kill the heir apparent? Should I turn upon the true Prince? Why, thou knowest, I am as valiant as Hercules; but beware inftinct, the lion will not touch the true Prince: Inftin&t is a great matter. I was a coward on inftinct: I fhall think the better of my felf, and thee, during my life; I, for a valiant lion, and thou for a true Prince: But by the Lord, lads, I am glad you have the money. Hoftess,, clap to the doors; watch to-night, pray to-morrow. Gallants, lads, boys, hearts of gold, all the titles of good fellowship come to you! what, fhall we be merry? Shall we have a play extempore?

P. Henry. Content;-and the argument fhall be, thy running away.

Fal. Ah!-no more of that, Hal, if thou loveft me.

Enter Hoftefs.

Hoft: O Jefu! my Lord the Prince!

P. Henry. How now, my lady the hoftefs, what fay'ft thou to me?

Hoft. Marry, my Lord, there is a Nobleman of the court at door would speak with you; he fays, he comes, from your father.

f

P. Henry. Give him as much as will make him a royal man, and fend him back again to my mother.

Fal. What manner of man is he?.

Hoft. An old man.

Fal. What doth gravity out of his bed at midnight? fhall I give him his answer

P. Henry, Pr'ythee, do, Jack.

Fal. Faith, and I'll fend him packing.

[Exit.

F. Henry. Now, Sirs, by'r lady you fought fair; fo did you, Peto; fo did you, Bard,lph: You are lions too, you

rad