Bed. The conftables have deliver'd her over to me; and The fhall have whipping cheer enough, I warrant her. There hath been a man or two kill'd about her. Dol. Nut-hook, nut-hook, you lie: come on, I'll tell thee what, thou daran'd tripe-vifag'd rafcal, if the child I go with do miscarry, thou hadst better thou hadst ftruck thy mother, thou paper-fac'd villain. Hoft. O that Sir John were come! he would make this a bloody day to fome body. But I pray God the fruit of her womb miscarry! Bed. If it do, you fhall have a dozen of cushions again, you have but eleven now. Come, I charge you both go with me, for the man is dead that you and Piftol beat among you. Dol. I'll tell thee what, thou thin man in a cenfer; I will have you as foundly fwindg'd for this, you blue-bottle rogue; you filthy famifh'd correctioner, if you be not fwindg'd I'll forfwear half-kirtles. Bed. Come, come, you fhe-Knight -arrant, come! Hoft. O, that right fhould thus o'ercome might! Well, of fufferance comes ease. Dol. Come, you rogue, come; bring me to a justice. Hoft. Yes, come, you ftarv'd blood-hound. Dol. Goodman death, goodman bones! Hoft. Thou Atomy, thou! Dol. Come, you thin thing: come, you rascal, Bed. Very well. SCENE VII. A publick place near Westminster-Abby. 1 Groom. More rufhes, more rushes. 2 Groom. The trumpets have founded twice. [Exeunt. I Groom. It will be two of the clock ere they come from the coronation: difpatch, dispatch! [Exeunt Grooms. Enter Falstaff, Shallow, Piftol, Bardolph, and the Boy. Fal. Stand here by me, mafter Robert Shallow, I will make the King do you grace: I will leer upon him as he comes by, and do but mark the countenance that he will give me. Pift. Pift. Blefs thy lungs, good Knight! Fal. Come here, Piftol, ftand behind me. O, if I had had time to have made new liveries, I would have beftow'd the thousand pound I borrow'd of you. But it is no matter, this poor fhew doth better; this doth infer the zeal I had to fee him. Shal. It doth fo. Fal. It fhews my earnestness of affection. Shal. It doth fo. Fal. My devotion. Sbal. It doth, it doth, it doth. Fal. As it were to ride day and night, and not to deliberate, not to remember, not to have patience to shift me. Sbal. It is most certain. Fal. But to ftand ftained with travel, and fweating with defire to fee him, thinking of nothing else, putting all affairs in oblivion, as if there were nothing else to be done but to fee him. Pift. 'Tis femper idem ; for abfque, boc nibil eft. 'Tis all in every part. Shal. 'Tis fo indeed. Pist. My Knight, I will enflame thy noble liver, and make thee rage. Thy Dol and Helen of thy noble thoughts Is in bafe durance and contagious prison ; Rowze up revenge from Ebon den, with fell Alecto's Inake, Fal. I will deliver her. Pift. There roar'd the fea; and trumpet-clangour founds. SCENE VIII. The Trumpets found. Enter the King and his train. Fal. God fave thy Grace, King Hal, my royal Hal! Pift. The heav'ns thee guard and keep, moft royal imp of fame! Fal. God fave thee, my fweet boy! King. My Lord Chief Juftice, fpeak to that vain man. Ch. Juft. Have you your wits? know you what 'tis you Speak? Fal. Fal. My King, my Jove, I fpeak to thee, my heart! King. I know thee not, old man: fall to thy prayers: How ill white hairs become a fool and jefter! I have long dream'd of such a kind of man, So furfeit-fwell'd, fo old, and fo profane; But being awake, do despise my dream. Make less thy body hence, and more thy grace, Leave gormandizing. Know, the grave doth gape For thee, thrice wider than for other men. Reply not to me with a fool-born jeft; Prefume not that I am the thing I was: For heav'n doth know, fo fhall the world perceive, That I have turn'd away my former self, So will I thofe that kept me company. When thou dost hear I am as I have been, Approach me, and thou shalt be as thou waft, The tutor and the feeder of my riots; "Till then I banish thee, on pain of death, As I have done the rest of my mif-leaders, Not to come near our perfon by ten miles. For competence of life, I will allow you, That lack of means enforce you not to evil : And as we hear you do reform your felves, We will according to your strength and qualities Give you advancement. Be't your charge, my Lord, To fee perform'd the tenour of our word. Set on. SCENE IX. [Ex. King, &c. Fal. Mafter Shallow, I owe you a thousand pound. me have home with me. Fal. That can hardly be, Mr. Shallow. Do not you grieve at this; I fhall be fent for in private to him look you, he must seem thus to the world. Fear not your advancement, I will be the man yet that shall make you great. Sbal. I cannot perceive how, unless you give me your doublet and stuff me out with ftraw. I beseech you, good Sir John, let me have five hundred of my thousand. VOL. V. P Fal Fal. Sir, I will be as good as my word. This that you heard was but a colour. Shal. A colour I fear that you will die in, Sir John. Fal. Fear no colours: go with me to dinner: come, lieutenant Piftol, come, Bardolph. I fhall be fent for foom at night. Enter Chief Fuftice and Prince John. Ch. Juft. Go carry Sir John Falstaff to the Fleet, Take all his company along with him. Fal. My Lord, my Lord. Ch. Juft. I cannot now fpeak, I will hear you foon. Take them away. Pift. Si fortuna me tormenta, il fperare me contenta. Manent Lancaster and Chief Justice. Lan. I like this fair proceeding of the King's. He hath intent his wonted followers Shall all be very well provided for; But they are banish'd, 'till their converfations Appear more wife and modeft to the world. Ch. Juft. And fo they are. [Exeunt Lan. The King hath call'd his Parliament, my. Lord. Cb. Juft. He hath. Lan. I will lay odds, that ere this year expire, We bear our civil fwords and native fire As far as France. I heard a bird fo fing, Whofe mufick, to my thinking, pleas'd the King. · Come, will you hence? [Exeunt. EPI F EPILOGU E. Spoken by a DANCER, IRST, my fear; then, my court' fie; laft, my speech. My fear is your difpleasure ; my court fie, my duty; and my fpeech, to beg your pardons. If you look for a good. Speech now, you undo me; for what I have to fay is of mine own making, and what indeed I should fay will I doubt prove mine own marring. But to the purpose, and fo to the venture. Be it known to you, (as it is very well) I was lately bere in the end of a difpleafing Play, to pray your patience for it, and to promise you a better. I did mean indeed to pay you with this; which if, like an ill venture, it come unluckily bome, I break; and you, my gentle creditors, lofe. Here I promised you I would be, and bere I commit my body to your mercies: bate me fome, and I will pay you some, and as moft debtors do, promife you infinitely. If my tongue cannot entreat you to acquit me, will you command me to use my legs? and yet that were but light payment to dance out of your debt: but a good confcience will make any poffible fatisfaction, and fo will I. All the gentlewomen bere bave forgiven me; if the gentlemen will not, then the gentlemen do not agree with the gentlewomen, which was never seen before in fuch an affembly. One word more I beseech you; if you be not too much cloy'd with fat meat, our bumble author will continue the ftory with Sir John in it, and make you merry with fair Catharine of France; where, for any thing I know, Falstaff fball die of a fweat, unless already be be kill'd with your hard opinions: for * Oldcastle died a martyr, and this is not the man. My tongue is weary: when my legs are too, I will bid you good night, and fo kneel down before you; but indeed to pray for the Queen. This alludes to the first play, in which Sir John Oldcastle was put for Falstaff. |