Fal. By the lord, thou fay'ft true, lad: and is not mine Hoftefs of the tavern a moft fweet wench?

(3) P. Henry. As the honey of Hybla, my old lad of the castle; and is not a buff-jerkin a moft fweet robe of durance ?

Fal. How now, how now, mad wag; what, in thy quips and thy quiddities? what a plague have I to do with a buff-jerkin?

P. Henry. Why, what a pox have I to do with my Hostess of the tavern?

(3) As the Honey of Hybla, my Old Lad of the Caftle.] Mr. Rowe, (as I have obferv'd in a Note on the Merry Wives of Windfor,) took notice of a Tradition, that this Part of Fal ftaff was faid to have been written originally under the Name of Oldcastle. An ingenious Correfpondent (whom I only know by his figning himself L. H.) hints to me, that the Paffage above quoted from our Author proves, what Mr. Rowe tells us was a Tradition. Old Lad of the Castle feems to have a Reference to Oldcastle. Befides, if this had not been the Fact, (before the Change was made to Falstaff) why, in the Epilogue to the Second Part of Henry IV. where our Author promises to continue his Story with Sir John in it, should he fay, Where, for any Thing I know, Falstaff fhall die of a Sweat, unless alrea dy he be kill'd with your hard Opinions: for Oldcastle dy'd a Martyr, and This is not the Man. This looks like declining a Point, that had been made an Objection to him. I'll give a farther Matter in Proof, which feems almost to fix the Charge. I have read an old Play, call'd, The famous Victories of Henry the Vth. containing the Honourable Battle of Agincourt. -The Action of this Piece commences about the 14th Year of K. Henry IVth's Reign, and ends with Henry the Vth. marrying Princefs Catharine of France. The Scene opens with Prince Henry's Robberies. Sir John Oldcastle is one of his Gang, and call'd Jockie and Ned and Gads-hill are two other Comrades. From this old imperfect Sketch, I have a Sufpicion, ShakeSpeare might form his two Parts of Henry the IVth, and his Hiftory of Henry V : and, confequently, 'tis not improbable, that he might continue the mention of Sir John Oldcastle, till fome Defcendants of That Family mov'd Q. Elizabeth to command him to change the Name.

Fal.

Fal. Well, thou hast call'd her to a reckoning many a time and oft.

P. Henry. Did I ever call thee to pay thy part?

Fal. No, I'll give thee thy due, thou hast paid all there.

P. Henry. Yea and elsewhere, fo far as my coin would ftretch; and where it would not, I have us'd my credit.

Fal. Yea, and fo us'd it, that were it not here apparent, that thou art heir apparent But, I pr'ythee, fweet wag, fhall there be Gallows ftanding in England, when thou art King? and refolution thus fobb'd as it is, with the rufty curb of old father antick, the law? Do not thou, when thou art a King, hang a thief.

P. Henry. No: thou fhalt.

Fal. Shall I O rare! By the Lord, I'll be a brave judge.

P. Henry. Thou judgeft falfe already: I mean, thou fhalt have the hanging of the thieves, and fo become a rare hangman.

Fal. Well, Hal, well; and in fome fort it jumps with my humour, as well as waiting in the Court, I can tell you.

P. Henry. For obtaining of fuits?

Fal. Yea, for obtaining of fuits; whereof the hangman hath no lean wardrobe.

'Sblood, I am as melan

choly as a gib-cat, or a lugg'd bear.

P. Henry. Or an old Lion, or a lover's lute.

Fal. Yea, or the drone of a Lincolnshire bagpipe. P. Henry. What fay'ft thou to a Hare, or the melancholy of Moor-ditch?

Fal. Thou haft the most unfavoury fimilies; and art, indeed, the most comparative, rafcallieft, fweet young Prince But, Hal, I pr'ythee, trouble me no more with vanity; I would to God, thou and I knew where a commodity of good names were to be bought an old lord of the Council rated me the other day in the street about you, Sir; but I mark'd him not, and yet he talk'd very wifely, and in the street too.

VOL. IV.

E

P. Henry.

P. Henry. Thou didst 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 hast done much harm unto me, Hal, God forgive thee for it! Before I knew thee, Hal, I knew nothing; and now am I, if a man fhould speak truly, little better than one of the wicked. I must 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 chriftendom.

P. Henry. Where shall we take a purse to morrow, Jack?

Fal. Where thou wilt, lad, I'll make one; an I do not, call me villain, and baffle me.

P. Henry. I fee a good amendment of life in thee, from praying to purse-taking.

(4) Fal. Why, Hal, 'tis my vocation, Hal. "Tis no

fin

(4) Fal. Why, Hal, 'tis my Vocation, Hal. 'Tis no Sin for a Man to labour in his Vocation.

Enter Poins.

Poins. Now shall we know, if Gads-hill have fet a Match.] Mr. Pope has given us one fignal Obfervation in his Preface to our Author's Works. Throughout his Plays, fays he, had all the Speeches been printed without the very Names of the Perfons, I believe, one might have apply'd them with Certainty to every Speaker. But how fallible the most fufficient Critick may be, the Paffage in Controverfy is a main Inftance. As fignal a Blunder has efcap'd all the Editors here, as any one thro' the whole Set of Plays. Will any one perfuade me, Shakespeare could be guilty of such an Inconfiftency, as to make Poins at his first Entrance want News of Gads-hill, and immediately after to be able to give a full Account of him?—No; Falftaff, feeing Poins at hand, turns the Stream of his Difcourfe from the Prince, and says, Now fhall we know whether Gadsbill has fet a Match for Us; and then immediately falls into Railing and Invectives against Poins. How admirably is This who knew well his in Character for Falstaff! And Poins, abusive manner, seems in part to overhear him and fo foon

as

fin for a man to labour in his vocation. Poins! Now shall we know, if Gads-hill have fet a match. O, if men were to be faved by merit, what hole in hell were hot enough for him!

Enter Poins.

This is the moft omnipotent Villain, that ever cry'd, Stand, to a true Man.

P. Henry. Good morrow, Ned.

Poins. Good morrow, fweet Hal. What fays Monfieur Remorfe? what fays Sir John Sack and Sugar? Jack! how agree the devil and thou about thy foul, that thou foldelt him on Good-Friday laft, for a cup of Madera, and a cold capon's leg?

P. Henry. Sir John ftands to his word; the devil shall have his bargain, for he was never yet a breaker of proverbs; He will give the devil his due.

Poins. Then thou art damn'd for keeping thy word with the devil.

P. Henry. Elfe he had been damn'd for cozening the devil.

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. I have vifors for you all; you have horses for your felves: Gads-hill lies to night in Rochester, I have befpoke fupper to morrow night in Eaft-cheap; we may do it, as fecure as fleep: if you will go, I will ftuff your purfes full of crowns; you will not, tarry at home and be hang'd.

if

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?

P. Henry. Who, I rob? I a thief? not I, by my faith.

as he has return'd the Prince's Salutation, cries, by way of Answer, What says Monfieur Remorse? What Says Sir John Sack and Sugar?

E 2

Fa!.

Fal. There is neither honefty, manhood, nor good fellowship in thee, nor thou cam'ft not of the blood royal, if thou dar'ft not cry, ftand, for ten fhillings. P. Henry. Well then, once in my days I'll be a mad

сар.

Fal. Why, that's well said.

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.

Poins. Sir John, I pr'ythee, leave the Prince and me alone; I will lay him down fuch reasons for this adventure, that he shall go.

Fal. Well, may'ft thou have the fpirit of perfuafion, and he the ears of profiting, that what thou freak'st may move, and what he hears may be believ'd; that the true Prince may (for recreation-fake,) prove a false thief; for the poor abuses of the time want countenance. Farewel, you shall find me in Eaft-cheap.

P. Henry. Farewel, thou latter spring! Farewel, allhallown fummer!

[Exit Fal. Poins. Now, my good sweet hony lord, ride with us to morrow. I have a jeft to execute, that I cannot manage alone. (5) Falftaff, Bardolph, Peto, and Gads

bill,

(5) Falstaff, Harvey, Rossil, and Gads-hill shall rob those Men that We have already way laid.] Thus the whole Stream of Editions, from the Firft downwards. But thus We have two Perfons named, as Characters in this Play, that never were once inferted among the Dramatis Perfona in any of the Impreffions whatsoever. But let us fee who they were, that committed this Robbery; and then, perhaps, we may be able to account for this Pair of additional Thieves, as They at prefent feem. In the fecond A&, We come to a Scene of the High-way. Falstaff, wanting his Horfe, which had been hid on purpose to plague him, calls out on Hal, Poins, Bardolfe, and Peto; and fays, He has a great Mind to leave thefe Rogues. Prefently, Gads-hill joins 'em, with Intelligence of Travellers being at hand; upon which the Prince fays, Call front 'em in the narrow Lane, Ned Poins and I will walk

- You Four

lower.