My judgment is, we fhould not step too far
Till we had his affiftance by the hand.
For in a theme fo bloody-fac'd as this,
Conjecture, expectation, and furmife,
Of aids uncertain fhould not be admitted.

York. 'Tis very true, lord Bardolph; for, indeed, 77

It was young Hot-fpur's cafe at Shrewsbury.

Bard. It was, my lord, who lin'd himself with hope, ‹ I
Eating the air, on promife of Supply; to
Flatt'ring himself with project of a Power
Much fmaller than the fmalleft of his thoughts;
And fo, with great imagination,

Proper to madmen, led his Pow'rs to death,
And, winking, leap'd into deftruction.

Haft. But, by your leave, it never yet did hurt
To lay down likelihoods and forms of hope
Bard. Yes, if this prefent quality of war,
Indeed the inftant action; a caufe on foot
Lives fo in hope, as in an early Spring

We fee th' appearing buds; which, to prove fruit,
Hope gives not fo much warrant, as Defpair,

3 fep too far] The four following lines were added in the fecond edition.

4 Yes, if this prefent quality of war,] Thefe first twenty lines were firft inferted in the folio of 1623.

The first claufe of this paffage is evidently corrupted. All the folio editions and Mr. Rowe's concur in the fame reading, which Mr. Pope altered thus, Yes, if this prefent quality of war Impede the infant act. This has been filently followed by Mr. Theobald, Sir Tho. Han and Dr. Warburton; but the corruption is certainly deeper, for in the prefent reading Bardolph makes the inconvenience of hope to be that it may cause

mer,

delay, when indeed the whole of tenour of his argument is to recommend delay to the rest that are too forward, I know not what to propofe, and am afraid that fomething is omitted, and that the injury is irremediable. Yet perhaps, the alteration res quifite is no more than this, Yes, in this prefent quality of war," Indeed of inftant altion. It never, fays Haflings, did harm to lay down likelihoods of hope. Yes, fays Bardolph, it has done harm in this prefent quality of war, in a ftate of things, fuch \/: as is now before us, of war, indeed of inftant action. This is obfcure, but Mr. Pope's reading is still lefs reasonable.

That

That frofts will bite them. When we mean to build,
We first furvey the plot, then draw the model;
And when we fee the figure of the house,
Then must we rate the cost of the erection;
Which, if we find out-weighs ability,
What do we then but draw a-new the model
In fewer offices? at leaft, defift

To build at all? much more, in this
great Work,
Which is almost to pluck a Kingdom down,
And set another up, should we furvey
The plot of fituation, and the model;
Confent upon a fure foundation,
Question furveyors, know our own estate,
How able fuch a work to undergo,
To weigh against his oppofite; or elfe,
We fortify in paper and in figures,
Ufing the names of men inftead of men,
Like one that draws the model of a houfe
Beyond his pow'r to build it, who, half through,
Gives o'er, and leaves his part-created cost
A naked fubject to the weeping clouds,
And wafte for churlish winter's tyranny..

Haft. Grant, that our hopes, yet likely of fair birth,
Should be ftill born, and that we now poffeft
The utmoft man of expectation,

I think, we are a body ftrong enough,

Ev'n as we are, to equal with the King.

[fand?

Bard. What, is the King but five and twenty thou-
Haft. To us, no more; nay, not fo much, lord
Bardolph.

For his divifions, as the times do brawl,

Are in three heads; one Pow'r against the French,
And one against Glendower; perforce, a third
Muft take up us; fo is the unfirm King
In three divided; and his coffers found
With hollow poverty and emptinefs.

[gether,

York. That he thould draw his fev'ral ftrengths to

And come against us in full puissance,

T

4

1

Need

Need not be dreaded.

Haft. If he fhould do fo3,

He leaves his back unarm'd, the French and Welfb
Baying him at the heels; never fear That.

Bard. Who, is it like, fhould lead his forces hither?
Haft. The Duke of Lancaster, and Weftmorland :
Against the Welsh, himfelf and Harry Monmouth:
But who is fubftituted 'gainst the French,

I have no certain notice.

York. Let us on;

And publish the occafion of our arms.

The Commonwealth is fick of their own choice;
Their over-greedy love hath furfeited.

An habitation giddy and unfure

Hath he, that buildeth on the vulgar heart.
O thou fond Many! with what loud applaufe
Did'st thou beat heav'n with bleffing Bolingbroke,
Before he was, what thou would'ft have him be?"
And now, being trim'd up in thine own defires,
Thou, beaftly feeder, art fo full of him,
That thou provok'ft thyfelf to caft him up..
So, fo, thou common dog, didft thou difgorge
Thy glutton bofom of the royal Richard,
And now thou would't eat thy dead vomit up,
And howl'ft to find it. What Truft is in these times?
They, that when Richard liv'd, would have him die,
Are now become enamour'd on his Grave;
Thou, that threw'ft duft upon his goodly head,
When through proud London he came fighing on
After th' admired heels of Bolingbroke,

Cry'st now, O Earth, yield us that King again,

5 If he fhould do fo,] This paffage is read in the first editions thus: If he should do so, French and Welfh he leaves his back unarm'd, they baying him at the heels, never fear that. Thefe lines, which were evidently printed from an interlined copy not underflood, are properly

regulated in the next edition, and are here only mentioned to show what errors may be fufpected to remain.

6 Let us on, &c.] This excellent fpeech of York was one of the paffages added by ShakeSpeare after his firft Edition. POPE.

And

And take thou this. O thoughts of men accurft! Past and to come, feem beft; things prefent, worst. Mowb. Shall we go draw our numbers and fet on? Haft. We are time's fubjects, and time bids, be gone.

[Exeunt.

ACT II. SCENE

I.

A Street in LONDON.

Enter Hoftefs, with two Officers, Phang and Snare.

M

HOSTESS.

R. Phang, have you enter'd the action?
Phang. It is enter'd.

Hoft. Where's your yeoman? is he a lufty yeoman? Will he ftand to it?

Phang. Sirrah, where's Snare?

Hoft. O Lord, ay, good Mr. Snare.
Snare. Here, here,

Phang. Snare, we must arrest Sir John Falstaff.
Hoft. Ay, good Mr. Snare, I have enter'd him and

all.

Snare. It may chance coft fome of us our lives, for he will ftab.

Hoft. Alas-the-day! take heed of him; he ftab'd me in mine own, houfe, and that moft beaftly; he cares not what mifchief he doth, if his weapon be out. He will foin like any devil; he will spare neither man, woman, nor child.

Phang. If I can clofe with him, I care not for his thruft.

Hoft. No, nor I neither.I'll be at your elbow.

VOL. IV.

S

Phang

7

Phang. If I but fift him once; ' if he come but within my vice.

Hoft. I am undone by his going; I warrant you, he is an infinitive thing upon my score. Good Mr. Phang, hold him fure; good Mr. Snare, let him not 'fcape. He comes continually to Pie corner, faving your manhoods, to buy a faddle: and he is indited to dinner to the Lubbars-head in Lombard-ftreet, to Mr. Smooth's the Silkman. I pray ye, fince my exion is enter'd, and my cafe fo openly known to the world, let him be brought in to his answer. 9 A hundred

8

mark is a long Lone, for a poor lone woman to bear; and I have borne, and borne, and borne, and have been fub'd off, and fub'd off, from this day to that day, that it is a fhame to be thought on. There is no honefty in fuch dealing, unless a woman fhould be made an Afs and a beaft, to bear every knave's wrong.

Enter Falstaff, Bardolph, and the boy.

Yonder he comes, and that arrant malmfey-nose knave Bardolph with him. Do your offices, do your offices, Mr. Phang and Mr. Snare, do me, do me, do me your offices.

Fal. How now? whose mare's dead? what's the matter?