Poins. And, look, whether the fiery Trigon, his man, be not lisping to his master's old tables; his notebook, his counsel-keeper. Fal. Thou dost give me flattering busses. Dol. Nay, truly; I kiss thee with a most constant heart. Fal. I am old, I am old. Dol. I love thee better than I love e'er a scurvy young boy of them all. Fal. What stuff wilt have a kirtle of? I shall receive money on Thursday: thou shalt have a cap tomorrow. A merry song, come: it grows late, we'll to bed. Thou'lt forget me, when I am gone. Dol. By my troth, thou'lt set me a weeping, an thou sayest so prove that ever I dress myself handsome till thy return. - Well, hearken the end! Fal. Some sack, Francis! P. Hen. Poins. Anon, anon, sir. [Advancing. Fal. Ha! a bastard son of the kings? And art not thou Poins his brother? P. Hen. Why, thou globe of sinful continents, what a life dost thou lead? Fal. A better than thou; I am a gentleman, thou art a drawer. P. Ilen. Very true, sir; and I come to draw you out by the ears. P. Hen. For, the women,Fal. For ore of them, she is in hell already, and burns, poor soul! For the other, I owe her money; and whether she be damn'd for that, I know not. Host. No, I warrant you. Fal. No, I think thou art not; I think, thou art quit for that. Marry, there is another indictment upon thee, for suffering flesh to be eaten in thy house, contrary to the law; for the which, I think, thou wilt howl. Host. All victuallers do so: what's a joint of mut- Fal.His grace says that which his flesh rebels against. Host. Who knocks so loud at the door? look to the door there, Francis! Enter PETO. P. Hen. Peto, how now? what news? Peto. The king your father is at Westminster: And there are twenty weak and wearied posts, Come from the north: and, as I came along, I met, and overtook, a dozen captains, Bare-headed, sweating, knocking at the taverns, And asking every one for sir John Falstaff. P. Hen. By heaven, Poins, I feel me much to blame, Host. O, the Lord preserve thy good grace! by my So idly to profane the precious time; troth, welcome to London!-Now the Lord bless that When tempest of commotion, like the south sweet face of thine! O,Jesu, are you come from Wales? Borne with black vapour, doth begin to melt, Fal. Thou whoreson mad compound of majesty, And drop upon our bare unarmed heads. by this light flesh and corrupt blood, thou art wel-Give me my sword and cloak:-Falstaff, good night! [Leaning his hand upon Doll. [Exeunt Prince Henry, Poins, Peto, and Bardolph. come. Dol. How! you fat fool, scorn you. Poins. My lord, he will drive you out of your revenge, and turn all to a merriment, if you take not the heat. P. Hen. You whoreson candle-mine, you, how vilely did you speak of me even now, before this honest, virtuous, civil gentlewoman? Host. 'Blessing o' your good heart! and so she is, by my troth. Fal. Didst thou hear me? P. Hen. Yes; and you knew me, as you did when you ran away by Gads-hill: you knew, I was at your back; and spoke it on purpose, to try my patience. Ful. No, no, no; not so; I did not think, thou wast within hearing. Fal. Now comes in the sweetest morsel of the night, and we must hence, and leave it unpicked. [Knocking heard.] More knocking at the door? Re-enter Bardolph. How now? what's the matter? Bard. You must away to court,sir, presently; a dozen captains stay at door for you. Fal. Pay the musicians, sirrah! [To the Page.]Farewell, hostess! - Farewell, Doll!- You see, my good wenches, how men of merit are sought after: the undeserver may sleep, when the man of action is called on. Farewell, good wenches! If I be not sent away post, I will see you again ere I go. Dol. I cannot speak; if my heart be not ready P. Hen. I shall drive you then to confess the wil-to burst. Well, sweet Jack, have a care of thyself. ful abuse; and then I know how to handle you. Fal. No abuse, IIal, on mine honour, no abuse! P. Hen. Not! to dispraise me; and call me-pantler, and bread-chipper, an I know not what? Ful. No abuse, Hal! Poins. No abuse! Fal. No abuse, Ned, in the world; honest Ned, none. I dispraised him before the wicked, that the wicked might not fall in love with him: in which doing, I have done the part of a careful friend, and a true subject, and thy father is to give me thanks for it. -No abuse, Hal; - none, Ned, none;- no, boys, none. P. Hen. See, now, whether pure fear, and entire cowardice, doth not make thee wrong this virtuous gentlewoman to close with us? Is she of the wicked? Is thine hostess here of the wicked? Or is the boy of the wicked? Or honest Bardolph, wlose zeal burns in his nose, of the wicked? Poins. Answer, thou dead elm, answer! Fal. The fiend hath pricked down Bardolph irrecoverably; and his face is Lucifer's privy-kitchen, where he doth nothing but roast malt-worms. For the boy, there is a good angel about him; but the devil outbids him too. Fal. Farewell, farewell! [Exeunt Falstaff and Bardolph. Host. Well, fare thee well! I have known thee these twenty-nine years come peascod-time; but an honester and truer-hearted man, -well, fare thee well! Bard. [Within.] Mistress Tear-sheet,Host. What's the matter? Bard. [Within.] Bid mistress Tear-sheet come to my master. Host. O run, Doll, run; run, good Doll! [Exeunt. Upon uneasy pallets stretching thee, War. Many good morrows to your majesty! War. 'Tis one o'clock, and past. Figuring the nature of the times deceas'd: K. Hen. Why then, good morrow to you all, my lords. Have read o'er the letters that I sent you? you War. We have, my liege. King Richard might create a perfect guess, K. Hen. Then you perceive, the body of our kingdom Ilow foul it is; what rank diseases grow, And with what danger near the heart of it. War. It is but as a body, yet, distemper'd; K. Hen. Are these things then necessities? War. It cannot be, my lord; To comfort you the more, I have receiv'd K. Hen. I will take your counsel: And, were these inward wars once out of hand, Enter SHALLOW and SILENCE, meeting; MOULDY, SHA- K. Hen. O heaven! that one might read the book sir, give me your hand, sir: an early stirrer, by the rood. of fate; And see the revolution of the times Make mountains level, and the continent (Weary of solid firmness,) melt itself Into the sea! and, other times, to see The beachy girdle of the ocean Too wide for Neptune's hips; how chances mock, The happiest youth, viewing his progress through, And how doth my good cousin Silence? Since Richard, and Northumberland, great friends, War. There is a history in all men's lives, Sil. Good morrow, good cousin Shallow! Shal. And how doth my cousin, your bedfellow? and your fairest daughter, and mine, my god-daughter Ellen? Sil. Indeed, sir; to my cost. Shal. He must then to the inns of court shortly: I was once of Clement's inn; where, I think, they will talk of mad Shallow yet. Sil. You were called-lusty Shallow, then, cousin. Shal. By the mass, I was called any thing; and I would have done any thing, indeed, and roundly too. There was I, and little John Doit of Staffordshire, and black George Bare, and Francis Pickbone, and Will Squele a Cotswold man,-you had not four such swinge-bucklers in all the inns of court again: and, I may say to you, we knew where the bona-robas were; and had the best of them all at commandment. Then was Jack Falstaff, now sir John, aboy; and page to Thomas Mowbray, duke of Norfolk. Sil. This sir John, cousin, that comes hither anon about soldiers? Shal. The same sir John, the very same. I saw him break Skogan's head at the court gate, when he was a crack, not thus high: and the very same day did I fight with one Sampson Stockfish, a fruiterer, behind Gray's inn. G, the mad days that I have spent! and to see how many of mine old acquaintances are dead! Sil. We shall all follow, cousin. Shal. Certain, 'tis certain; very sure, very sure death, as the Psalmist saith, is certain to all; all shal dic. How a good yoke of bullocks at Stamford fair" Shal. Dead-See, see!-he drew a good bow; and dead!-he shot a fine shoot:-John of Gaunt loved him well, and betted much money on his head. Dead!-he would have clapped i'the clout at twelve score; and carried you a forehand shaft a fourteen and fourteen and a half, that it would have done a man's heart good - How a score of ewes now? to see. Sil. Thereafter as they be: a score of good ewes may be worth ten pounds. Shal. And is old Double dead! Enter BARDOLPH, and one with him. Sil. Here come two of sir John Falstaff's men, as I think. Bard. Good morrow, honest gentlemen: I beseech you, which is justice Shallow? Shal. I am Robert Shallow, sir; a poor esquire of this county, and one of the king's justices of the peace. What is your good pleasure with me? Bard. My captain, sir, commends him to you: my captain, sir John Falstaff: a tall gentleman, by heaven, and a most gallant leader. Shal. He greets me well, sir; I knew him a good backsword man: how doth the good knight? may I ask, how my lady his wife doth? Bard. Sir, pardon; a soldier is better accommodated, than with a wife. Shal. It is well said, in faith, sir; and it is well said indeed too. Better accommodated!—it is good; yea, indeed, it is good phrases are surely, and ever were, very commendable. Accommodated!—it comes from accommodo: very good; a good phrase. Shal. Peace, fellow, peace! Stand aside! Know you where you are? - For the other, sir John! let me see; Simon Shadow! Fal, Ay, marry, let me have him to sit under: he's like to be a cold soldier, Bard. Pardon me, sir; I have heard the word. Phrase, call you it? By this good day, I know not the phrase; but I will maintain the word with my sword, to be a sol- I dier-like word, and a word of exceeding good command. Accommodated; that is, when a man is, as they say, accommodated: or, when a man is,-being, -whereby, he may be thought to be accommodated; which is an excellent thing. Enter FALSTAFF. Shal. Thomas Wart! Fal. Is thy name Wart? Fal. Thou art a very ragged wart. Shal. Ha, ha, ha!-you can do it, sir; you can do it: Fal. What trade art thou, Feeble? Fal. You may: but if he had been a man's tailor, he would have pricked you- Wilt thou make as many holes in an enemy's battle, as thou hast done in a wo Shal. It is very just:-look, here comes good sir Fee. I will do my good will, sir; you can have no more. Fal. Well said, good woman's tailor! well said, courageous Feeble! Thou wilt be as valiant as the wrathful dove, or most magnanimous mouse.-Prick the Shal. No, sir John; it is my cousin Silence, in com-woman's tailor well, master Shallow deep, master mission with me. Fal. Good master Silence, it well befits you should be of the peace. Sil. Your good worship is welcome. Shallow. : Fee. I would, Wart might have gone, sir. Fal. I would, thou wert a man's tailor; that thou might'st mend him, and make him fit to go. I cannot Fal. Fye! this is hot weather.-Gentlemen, have you put him to a private soldier, that is the leader of so provided me here half a dozen sufficient men? Shal. Marry, have we, sir. Will you sit? Fal. Let me see them, I beseech you. Shal. Where's the roll? where's the roll? where's the roll? Let me see! let me see. So, so, so, so: yea, marry, sir: Ralph Mouldy :- let them appear as I call; let them do so, let them do so. Let me see! Where is Mouldy? : Moul. Here, an't please you. many thousands. Let that suffice, most forcible Feeble. Fee. It shall suffice, sir. Fal. I am bound to thee, reverend Feeble. Who is the next? Shal. Peter Bull-calf of the green! Fal. 'Fore God, a likely fellow! Shal. What think you, sir John? a good limbed fel- Bull. O lord! good my lord captain, low young, strong, and of good friends. Fal. Is thy name Mouldy? Moul. Yea, an't please you. Fal. 'Tis the more time thou wert used. Shal. Ha, ha, ha! most excellent, i'faith! things, that are mouldy, lack use: very singular good! - In faith, well said, sir John; very well said. Come, prick me -- Fal. What, dost thou roar before thou art pricked? Bull. A whoreson cold, sir; a cough, sir; which I caught with ringing in the king's affairs, upon his coronation day, sir. Fal. Come, thou shalt go to the wars in a gown: we Fal. Come, I will go drink with you, but I cannot tarry dinner. I am glad to see you, in good troth, master Shallow. - will have away thy cold; and I will take such order, bulk, and big assemblance of a man! Give me the spi- Shal. O, sir John, do you remember since we lay all night in the windmill in Saint George's fields? Fal. No more of that, good master Shallow, no more of that. Shal. Ha, it was a merry night! And is Jane Nightwork alive? Fal. She lives, master Shallow. Shal. She never could away with me. Fal. Never, never: she would always say, she could not abide master Shallow. Shal. By the mass, I could anger her to the heart. She was then a bona-roba. Doth she hold her own well? Fal. Old, old, master Shallow. Shal. Nay, she must be old; she cannot choose but be old; certain, she's old; and had Robin Night-work, by old Night-work, before I came to Clement's-inn. Sil. That's fifty-five year ago. Shal.Ha,cousin Silence, that thou hadst seen that, that this knight and I have seen!-Ha, sir John, said I well? Fal. We have heard the chimes at midnight, master Shallow. Shal. That we have, that we have, that we have; in faith, sir John, we have; our watchword was, Hem, boys!-Come, let's to dinner; come, let's to dinner! O, the days that we have seen! Come, come! [Exeunt Falstaff, Shallow, and Silence. Bull. Good master corporate Bardolph, stand my friend; and here is four Harry ten shillings in French crowns for you. In very truth, sir, I had as lief be hanged, sir, as go and yet, for mine own part, sir, I do not care; but, rather, because I am unwilling, and, for mine own part, have a desire to stay with my friends; else, sir, I did not care, for mine own part, so much. Bard. Go to; stand aside! Shal. He is not his craft's-master, he doth not do it right. I remember at Mile-end green, (when I lay at Clement's inn, I was then sir Dagonet in Arthur's show,) there was a little quiver fellow, and 'a would manage you his piece thus: and 'a would about, and about, and come you in: and come you in: rah, tah, taḥ, would 'a say; bounce, would 'a say; and away again would 'a go, and again would 'a come: -I shall never see such a fellow. Fal. These fellows will do well, master Shallow.— God keep you, master Silence; I will not use many words with you:-fare you well, gentlemen both: thank you: I must a dozen mile to-night.-Bardolph, give the soldiers coats. I Shal. Sir John, heaven bless you, and prosper your affairs, and send us peace! As you return, visit my house; let our old acquaintance be renewed: peradventure, I will wish you to the court. Fal. I would you would, master Shallow. Shal. Go to; I have spoke, at a word. Fare you well! [Exeunt Shallow and Silence. Fal. Fare you well, gentle gentlemen! On, Bardolph; lead the men away! [Exeunt Burdolph, Recruits, etc. As I return, I will fetch off these justices: I do see the bottom of justice Shallow. Lord, lord, how subject we old men are to this vice of lying! This same starved justice hath done nothing but prate to me of the wildness of his youth, and the feats he hath done about Turnbull-street; and every third word a lie, duer paid Fee. By my troth I care not; -a man can die but to the hearer than the Turk's tribute. I do remember once; -we owe God a death; - I'll ne'er bear a base him at Clement's-inn, like a man made after supper of mind: -an't be my destiny, so; an't be not, so no a cheese-paring: when he was naked, he was, for all man's too good to serve his prince; and, let it go which way it will, he, that dies this year, is quit for the Bard. Well said; thou'rt a good fellow. Moul. And good master corporal captain, for my old dame's sake, stand my friend: she has nobody to do any thing about her, when I am gone; and she is old, and cannot help herself: you shall have forty, sir. Bard. Go to; stand aside. Fee. 'Faith, I'll bear no base mind. Re-enter FALSTAFF, and Justices. Fal. Come, sir, which men shall I have? Shal. Four, of which you please. the world, like a forked radish, with a head fantastinext.cally carved upon it with a knife: he was so forlorn, that his dimensions to any thick sight were invisible: he was the very Genius of famine; yet lecherous as a monkey, and the whores called him-- mandrake: he came ever in the rear-ward of the fashion; and sung those tunes to the overscutched huswives that he heard Bard. Sir, a word with you:-I have three pound the carmen whistle, and sware-they were his fancies, to free Mouldy and Bull-calf. Fal. Go to; well. Shal. Come, sir John, which four will you have? or his good-nights. And now is this Vice's dagger be- a E Arch. What is this forest call'd? Hast. 'Tis Gualtree forest, an't shall please your grace. Arch. Here stand, my lords; and send discoverers forth, To know the numbers of our enemies. Hast. We have sent forth already. My friends, and brethren in these great affairs, To Scotland: and concludes in hearty prayers, What wrongs our arms may do, what wrongs we suffer, Mowb. Thus do the hopes we have in him touch Not to break peace, or any branch of it; ground, And dash themselves to pieces. Arch. What well-appointed leader fronts us here? Arch. Say on, my lord of Westmoreland, in peace; Unto your grace do I in chief address The substance of my speech. If that rebellion But to establish here a peace indeed, West. When ever yet was your appeal denied? West. O my good Lord Mowbray, West. You speak, lord Mowbray, now you know not The earl of Hereford was reputed then |