a King in Christendom 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 Charing-crofs. I Car. 'Odsbody, the Turkies in my panniers are quite ftarv'd. What, oftler! a plague on thee! haft thou never an eye in thy head? canft 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'dhaft no faith in thee? Enter Gads-hill. Gads. Good-morrow, carriers. What's o'clock ? Car. I think, it be two o'clock. Gads. I pr'ythee, lend me thy lanthorn, to fee my gelding in the ftable. I Car. Nay, foft, I pray ye; I know a trick worth two of that, i'faith. 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. Gads. Sirrah, carrier, what time do you mean to come to London? 2 Car. Time enough to go to bed with a Candle, I warrant thee.-Come, neighbour Mugges, we'll call 4like, a Loach,] Scotch, a lake. WARBURTON, 5 And two Razes of Ginger.] As our Author in feveral Paflages mentions a Race of Ginger, I thought proper to distinguish it i.. from the Raze mentioned here. The former fignifies no more than a fingle Root of it; but a Raze is the Indian Term for à Bale of it. THEOBALD. up up the gentlemen; they will along with Company, for they have great Charge. [Exeunt Carriers. Gads. What, ho, chamberlain !- Gads. That's ev'n as fair, as at hand, quoth the chamberlain; for thou varieft no more from picking of purfes, than giving direction doth from labouring. Thou lay'st the plot how. Cham. Good-morrow, mafter Gads-bill. It holds current, that I told you yesternight. There's a 'Franklin, in the wild of Kent, hath brought three hundred marks with him in gold; I heard him tell it to one of his company laft night at fupper, a kind of auditor, one that hath abundance of charge too, God knows what. They are up already, and call for eggs and butter. They will away presently. Gads. Sirrah, if they meet not with 'St. Nicholas' clarks, I'll give thee this neck, Cham. No, I'll none of it; I pr'ythee, keep that for the hangman; for I know thou worshipp'ft St. Nicholas as truly as a man of falfhood may. Gads. What talk'ft thou to me of the hangman ? if I hang, I'll make a fat pair of gallows. For if I hang, old Sir 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 profeffion fome grace; that would, if mat 8 ters fhould be look'd into for their own credit fake, make all whole. I am join'd with no foot-land-rakers, no long-staff-fixpenny-ftrikers, none of thofe mad Muftachio-purple-hu'd-malt-worms; but with nobility and tranquillity; ' burgo-mafters, and great Oneyers; fuch as can hold in, fuch as will 'ftrike fooner 5 I am joined with no foot land rakers,- -] That is, with no padders, no wanderers on foot. No long staff fixpenny flrikers, no fellows that infeft the road with long ftaffs and knock men down for fixpence. None of thofe mad muftachio fur ple hued malt-worms, none of those whofe faces are red with drinking ale. 9 burgo mafters, and great one-eyers.j Perhaps oneraires, Truffees, or Commiffioners; fays Mr. Pope. But how this Word comes to admit of any fuch Conftruction, I am at a lofs to know. To Mr.Pope's fecond Conjecture, of cunning Men that look sharp and aim well, I have nothing to reply seriously but chufe to drop it. The reading which I have fubftituted, I owe to the Friendfhip of the ingenious Nicholas Hardinge, Efq. A Moneyer is an Officer of the Mint, which makes Coin and delivers out the King's Money. Moneyers are alfo taken for Banquers, or those that make it their trade to turn and return Money. Fither of thefe Acceptations will admirably square with our author's Context. fuch as will frike fooner than speak; and speak fooner than DRINK; and DRINK fooner than pray;- According to the fpecimen given us in this play, of this diffolute gang, we have no reafon to think they were less ready to drink than speak. Befides, it is plain, a natural gradation was here intended to be given of their actions, relative to one another. But what has Speaking, drinking and praying to do with one another? We should certainly read THINK in both places inftead of drink; and then we have a very regular and humourous climax. They will frike fooner than speak; and speak fooner than THINK; and THINK fooner than pray. By which laft words is meant, that Tho' perhaps they may now and then reflect on their crimes, they will never repent of them. The Oxford Editor has dignified this correction by his adoption of it. WARBURTON. than : than speak and speak fooner than think; and think fooner than pray; and yet I lye, for they pray continually unto their faint the Common-wealth; or rather, not pray to her, but prey on her; for they ride up and down on her, and make her their boots. Cham. What, the common-wealth their boots? will fhe hold out water in foul way? 2 Gads. She will, fhe will; juftice hath liquor'd her. We steal as in a caftle, cock-fure; we have the receipt of Fern-feed3, we walk invifible. Cham. Nay, I think rather you are more beholden to the night, than the Fern-feed, for your walking invisible. Gads. Give me thy hand thou fhalt have a fhare in our purchase, as I am a true man. Cham. Nay, rather let me have it, as you are a falfe thief. Gads. Go to, Homo is a common name to all men. -Bid the oftler bring my gelding out of the stable, Farewell, ye muddy knave. 3 2 She will, she will; juftice bath liquor d her.] A Satire on chicane, in courts of justice; which fupports ill men in their violations of the law, under the very cover of it. WARBURTON. we have the receipt of Fern-feed,-] Fern is one of thofe plants, which have their feed on the back of the leaf fo fmall as to escape the fight. Those who perceived that fern was propagated by femination, and yet could never fee the feed, were much at a lofs for a folution of the difficulty; and as [Exeunt. SCENE III Changes to the Highway. Enter Prince Henry, Poins, and Peto. Poins. Falstaff's horfe, and he frets like a gumm'd NOME, fhelter, fhelter, I have removed velvet. P. Henry. Stand close. Enter Falftaff. Fal. Poins, Poins, and be hang'd, Poins! P. Henry. Peace, ye fat-kidney'd rafcal, what a brawling doft thou keep? Fal. What, Poins, Hall P. Henry. He is walk'd up to the top of the hill, I'll go feek him. 4 Fal. I am accurft to rob in that thief's company: the rafcal hath remov'd my horfe, and ty'd him, I know not where. If I travel but four foot by the fquare farther afoot, I fhall break my wind. Well, I doubt not but to die a fair death for all this, if I 'fcape hanging for killing that rogue. I have forfworn his company hourly any time this two and twenty year, and yet I am bewitch'd with the rogue's company. If the rascal have not given me ' medicines to make me love him, I'll be hang'd; it could not be elfe; I have drunk medicines. Poins! Hal! a Plague upon you |