were to be bought: An old lord of the council | good fellowship in thee, nor thou cam'ft not of rated me the other day in the street about you, fir; the blood royal, if thou dar'ft not ftand for ten but I mark'd him not: and yet he talk'd very fhillings. wifely; but I regarded him not: and yet he talk'd wifely, and in the street too. P. Henry. Thou didft well; for wisdom cries out in the streets, and no man regards it. Fal. O, thou haft damnable iteration; and art, indeed, able to corrupt a faint. Thou haft done much harm upon me, Hal,-God forgive thee for it! Before I knew thee, Hal, I knew nothing; and now am I, if a man should speak truly, little better than one of the wicked. I muft give over this life, and I will give it over; by the Lord, an I do not, I am a villain; I'll be damn'd for never a king's fon in Christendom P. Henry. Well then, once in my days I'll be a mad-cap. Fal. Why, that's well faid. P. Henry. Well, come what will, I'll tarry at home. Fal. By the Lord, I'll be a traitor then, when thou art king. P. Henry. I care not. Pains. Sir John, I pr'ythee, leave the prince and me alone; I will lay him down fuch reafons for this adventure, that he shall go. Fal. Well, may ft thou have the fpirit of per fuafion, and he the ears of profiting, that what P. Henry. Where fhall we take a purfe to-thou fpeakeft may move, and what he hears may morrow, Jack? be believed, that the true prince may (for recrea Fal. Where thou wilt, lad, I'll make one; an Ition fake) prove a falfe thief; for the poor abufes do not, call me villain, and baffle 2 me. of the time want countenance. Farewel: You thall find me in East-cheap. P. Henry. I fee a good amendment of life in thee; from praying, to purfe-taking. Fal. Why, Hal, 'tis my vocation, Hal; 'tis no fin for a man to labour in his vocation. Poins!Now fhall we know, if Gads-hill have fet a match. O, if men were to be fav'd by merit, what hole in hell were hot enough for him? Enter Poins. P. Henry. Farewel, thou latter fpring! farewel, All-hallown 3 fummer! [Foxit Folfiaff, Poins. Now, my good fweet honey lord, ride with us to-morrow; I have a jett to execute, that I cannot manage alone. Falflaff, Bardolph, Peto, and Gads-hill, fhall rob thofe men that we have already way-laid; yourself and I will not be This is the most omnipotent villain, that ever cry'd, there: and when they have the booty, if you and Stand, to a true man. P. Henry. Good morrow, Ned. I do not rob them, cut this head from my fhoulders. P. Henry. But how fhall we part with them in Poins. Why, we will fet forth before or after Poins. Good morrow, fweet Hal.-What fays monfieur Remorfe? What fays Sir John Sack-and-fetting forth? Sugar? Jack, how agrees the devil and thee about thy foul, that thou foldeft him on Good-Friday [them, and appoint them a place of meeting, wherelaft, for a cup of Madeira, and a cold capon's leg? P. Henry. Sir John stands to his word, the devil fhall have his bargain; for he was never yet a breaker of proverbs, He will give the devil his due. Poins. Then art thou damn'd for keeping thy word with the devil. P. Hen y. Elfe he had been damn'd for cozening the devil. in it is at our pleafure to fail; and then will they adventure upon the exploit themfelves: which they fhall have no fooner atchieved, but we'll fet upon them. P. Henry. Ay, but, 'tis like, that they will know us, by our horfes, by our habits, and by every other appointment, to be ourselves. Poins. Tut! our horfes they fhall not fee, I'll tie them in the wood; our vifors we will change, after we leave them; and, firrah, I have cafes of buckram for the nonce, to immask our noted outward garments. P. Henry. But, I doubt, they will be too hard Poins. But my lads, my lads, to-morrow morning, by four o'clock, early at Gads-hill: There are pilgrims going to Canterbury with rich offerings, and traders riding to London with fat purfes: 1 have vifors for you all, you have hories for yourfelves: Gads-hill lies to-night in Rochefter; I have for us. bespoke fupper to-morrow night in Eaft-cheap :| we may do it as fecure as fleep: If you will go, 1 will stuff your purfes full of crowns; if you will not, tarry at home, and be hang'd. Fal. Hear ye, Yedward; if I tarry at home, and go not, I'll hang you for going. Poins. You will, chops? Fal. Hal, wilt thou make one? Pour Well, for two of them, I know them to be as true-bred cowards as ever turn'a back; and for the third, if he fight longer than he fees reafon, I'll forfwear arms. The virtue of this jeft will be, the incomprehenfible lies that this fame fat rogue will tell us, when we meet at fupper: Fow thirty, at leaft, he fought with; what wards, what blows, what extremities he endured; and in the reproof 5 of this lies the jett. P. Henry. Who, I rob? I a thief? Not I, by P. Henry. Well, I'll go with thee: provide us "Fal. There's neither honefty, manhood, nor all things neceflary, and meet me to-morrow night my faith. 2 See The meaning, according to Dr. Johnfon, is, thou haft a wicked trick of repeating and apply. ing holy texts; alluding to the prince having faid in the preceding fpeech, wifdem cries out, &c. All-junts' day, which is the first of November. Shakspeare's allusion is deigned to ridicule an old man with youthful paflious. 4 i. e fer the occafion. 5 i. e, confutation. Role 2, p. 415. 31. C. in East-cheap, there I'll fup. Farewel. Poins. Farewel, my lord. Than that which hath no foil to fet it off. [Exit. Enter King Henry, Northumberland, Worcester, and Were, as he says, not with fuch strength deny'd Hot. My liege, I did deny no prifoners. And 'twixt his finger and his thumb he held With many holiday and lady terms He queftion'd me; among the reft, demanded I then, all fmarting, with my wounds being cold, Out of my grief and my impatience, Aufwer'd, neglectingly, I know not what ; He should, or he should not ;--for he made me mad, Unapt to ftir at thefe indignities, North. My lord, K. Heny. Worcester, get thee gone, for I do fee Whatever Harry Percy then had faid, O, fir, your prefence is too bold and peremptory, You have good leave to leave us; when we need You were about to speak. North. Yea, my good lord, To fuch a perfon, and in such a place, K. Henry. Why, yet he doth deny his prifoners; But with provifo, and exception,— That we, at our own charge, fhall ransom straight His brother-in-law, the foolish Mortimer; Who, on my foul, hath wilfully betray'd The lives of thote, that he did lead to fight 1 i. e. exceed men's expectations. 2 i. e. I will from henceforth rather put on the character that becomes me, and exert the refentment of an injured king, than full continue in the inactivity and milducfs of my natural difpofition. 3 Moody is angry. Frontier was anciently used for forehead. • A fmall box for mufk or other perfumes then in fathion; the lid of which, being cut with open work, gave it its name; from poinfoner, to prick, pierce, or engrave. 5 Snuff is equivocally used for anger, and a powder taken up the note. A popinjay is a parrot. Again.ft Against the great magician, damn'd Glendower; Hot. Revolted Mortimer! He never did fall off, my fovereign liege, He did confound the heft part of an hour Upon agreement, of swift Severn's flood; Colour her working with fuch deadly wounds; Then let him not be flander'd with revolt. North. Brother, the king hath made your nephew [To Worcester. mad. Wor. Who ftrook this heat up after I was gone? Wor. I cannot blame him; Was he not proclaim'd, North. He was; I heard the proclamation: From whence he, intercepted, did return Wor. And for whofe death, we in the world's Live fcandaliz'd, and foully spoken of. Hot. But, foft, I pray you; Did King Richard North. He did; myfelf did hear it. Hot. Nay, then I cannot blame his coufin king, K. Henry. Thou dost belie him, Percy, thou doft The cords, the ladder, or the hangman rather? belie him, He never did encounter with Glendower; O, pardon me, that I defcend fo low, I tell thee, he durft as well have met the devil alone, Wherein you range under this fubtle king. As Owen Glendower for an enemy. Art not ashamed? But, firrah, henceforth Hot. And if the devil come and roar for them, I will not fend them :--I will after straight, Although it be with hazard of my head. Shall it, for fhame, be fpoken in thefe days, North. What, drunk with choler? ftay, and Revenge the jeering, and difdain'd 5 contempt, paufe a while; Here comes your uncle. Re-enter Worcester. Hot. Speak of Mortimer ? Yes, I will speak of him; and let my foul Of this proud king; who ftudies, day and night, Wor. Peace, coufin, fay no more: 1 The reafon why he fays, bargain and article with fears, meaning with Mortimer, is, because he fuppofed Mortimer had wilfully betrayed his own forces to Glendower, out of fear, as appears from his next speech. 2 i. e. curled. dog-rok. 5. e. difdainful. 3. e. an eye menacing death. 6 i. e. of a fpear laid acrofs. 4 The canker-role is the Hot. Hɔt. If he fall in, good night :--or fink or swim :- Send danger from the east unto the weft, North. At Berkley castle. Hot. You fay true:--- Why, what a candy'd deal of courtesy And let them grapple;--O! the blood more ftirs, This fawning greyhound then did proffer me! To rouze a lion, than to ftart a hare. North. Imagination of fome great exploit Drives him beyond the bounds of patience. Hat. By heaven, methinks, it were an eafy leap, Where fathom-line could never touch the ground, Wor. He apprehends a world of figures here, Wor. Thofe fame noble Scots, That are your prifoners, Hat. I'll keep them all; By heaven, he fhall not have a Scot of them; No, if a Scot would fave his foul, he thall not: I'll keep them, by this hand. Wer. You ftart away, And lend no ear unto my purpofes.- Het. Nay, I will; that's flat : He faid, he would not ranfom Mortimer; Nay, I'll have a ftarling fhall be taught to speak War. Hear you, coufin; a word. Hot. All ftudies here I folemnly defy 2, But that I think his father loves him not, Wor. Farewel, kinfman! I will talk to you, North. Why, what a wafp-ftung and impa- Art thou, to break into this woman's mood; Nettled, and ftung with pifmires, when I hear Look, when his infant fortune came to age, Hot. I have done, i' faith. Wor. Then once more to your Scottish prifoners. Which I fhall fend you written,-be affur'd, Of that fame noble prelate, well belov'd, Hot. Of York, is't not? Wor. True: who bears hard His brother's death at Briftol, the lord Scroop. As what I think might be, but what I know Of that occafion that fhall bring it on. Hot. I fmell it; upon my life, it will do well. flip 6. Hot. Why, it cannot chufe but be a noble plot : And then the power of Scotland, and of York, To join with Mortimer, ha? Wor. And fo they fhell. Hot. In faith, it is exceedingly well aim'd. Hot. He does, he does; we'll be reveng'd on him. Hot. Uncle, adieu:-O, let the hours be short, 'Till fields, and blows, and groans applaud our fport [Exeunt, Warburton thinks, that "this is probably a paffage from fome bombaft play, and afterwards ufed as a common burlesque phrafe for attempting impoffibilities." 2 i. e. refute. 3 A turbulent fellow, who fought in taverns, or railed diforders in the fireets, was called a fwah-buckler. Alluding, probably, to the low company (drinkers of ale) with whom the prince fpent fo much of his time. i. e. conjecture. To let flip, is to loofe the greyhound. 7 i. c. 4 body of forces. ACT . SCENE I. ACT An Inn Yard at Rochefier. Enter a Carrier, with a lanthorn in his hand. 1 Car. HE EIGH ho! An't be not four by the day, I'll be hang'd: Charles' wain is over the new chimney, and yet our horfe not pack'd. What, oftier! Oft. [within.] Anon, anon. 1 Gar. I pr'ythee, Tom, beat Cut's faddle, put a few flocks in the point; the poor jade is wrung in the withers out of all cefs 1. Enter another Carrier. II.. Gads. I pr'ythee, lend me thine. 2 Car. Ay, when, canft tell?-Lend me thy lanthorn, quoth a ?-marry, I'll fee thee hang'd first. come to London? Gads. Sirrah carrier, what time do you mean to I warrant thee.-Come, neighbour Mugges, we'll Gads. What, ho! chamberlain ! 2 Car. Pease and beans are as dank 2 here as a the chamberlain: for thou varieft no more from Gads. That's even as fair as-at hand, quoth dog, and that is the next way to give poor jades the picking of purses, than giving direction doth from bots 3 this house is turn'd upfide down, fince Ro-labouring; thou lay'st the plot how. bin oftler dy'd. Cham. Good morrow, mafter Gads-hill. It 1 Car. Poor fellow ! never joy'd fince the price holds current, that I told you yefternight: There's of oats rofe; it was the death of him. 2 Car. I think, this be the most villainous houfe in all London road for fleas : I am stung like a tench. I Car. Like a tench? by the mafs, there is ne'er a king in Chriftendom could be better bit than I have been fince the first cock. 2 Car. Why, they will allow us ne'er a jourden, and then we leak in your chimney; and your chamber-lie breeds fleas like a loach 4. 1 Car. What, oftler! come away, and be hang'd, come away. 2 Car. I have a gammon of bacon, and two razes of ginger, to be deliver'd as far as Charingcrofs. 1 Car. 'Odfbody! the turkies in my pannier are quite ftarv'd.-What, oftler !-A plague on thee! haft thou never an eye in thy head? canít not hear? An 'twere not as good a deed as drink, to break the pate of thee, I am a very villain.-Come, and be hang'd-Haft no faith in thee? Enter Gads-bill. three hundred marks with him in gold: I heard Gads. Sirrah, if they meet not with faint Nicholas' clerks 7, I'll give thee this neck. Cham. No, I'll none of it: 1 prythee, keep thip'ft faint Nicholas as truly as a man of falfhood that for the hangman; for, I know, thou wormay. If I hang, I'll make a fat pair of gallows: for, if Gads. What talk'ft thou to me of the hangman? I hang, old fir John hangs with me; and, thou know'ft, he's no ftarveling. Tut! there are other Trojans $ that thou dream'ft not of, the which, for fport fake, are content to do the profeflion fome grace; that would, if matters thould be look'd into, for their own credit fake, make all Gads. Good morrow, carriers. What's o'clock whole. Gads. I pr'ythee, lend me thy lanthorn, to fee my gelding in the stable. 1 Car. Nay, foft, I pray ye; I know a trick worth two of that, i' faith. I am join'd with no foot land-rakers, mad, muftachio, purple-hu'd malt-worms: but no long-ftaff, fix-penny ftrikers; none of thefe great oneyers 10; fuch as can hold in; fuch as with nobility, and tranquillity; burgomasters, and will strike fooner than fpeak, and fpeak fooner than 1 i. e. out of all meafure; the phrafe being taken from a cefs, tax, or fubfidy; which being by regular and moderate rates, when any thing was exorbitant, or out of meafure, it was faid to be out of all cefs. 2 i. e. wet, rotten. burton explains this by the Scotch word lech, a lake; while Mr. Steevens thinks, that the carrier 3 Bots are worms in the ftomach of a horse. 4 Warmeans to fay- fleas as big as a losch, i. e. refenabling the fith fo called, in fize. verbial expreffion often used in the writings of that time, where the cant of low converfation is s This is a propreferved. • Franklin is a little gentleman. Nicholas, or Old Nick, is a cant name for the devil. Hence he equivocally calls robbers, St. Nicho7 St. Nicholas was the patron faint of fcholars: and las' clerks. 8 Trojan, in this and other paffages of our author's plays, has a cant fignification, and perhaps was only a more creditable term for a thief. No long-ftaff. fix-penny firikers, no fellows that infeft the roads with long itaffs, and knock men down i. e. with no padders, no wanderers on foot. for fix-pence. None of thofe mad, mustachio, purple-hu'd malt-worms,red with drinking ale. o Mr. Theobald fubitituted for oneyers, moneyers, which he fays might -none of thole whofe faces are either allude to an officer of the mint, or to bankers, and his emendation was adopted by Warburton. Dr. Johnson thinks no change is necellary; "Gad's-hill tells the chamberlain that he is joined |