Now call we our high Court of Parliament;
And let us chufe fuch limbs of noble counsel,
That the great body of our state may go
In equal rank with the best govern'd nation;
That War or Peace, or both at once, may be
As things acquainted and familiar to us;
In which you, father, fhall have foremoft hand.
[To the Lord Chief Justice.

Our Coronation done, we will accite

As I before remember'd, all our State,

And (Heav'n configning to my good intents)
No Prince, nor Peer, fhall have juft caufe to fay,`
Heav'n fhorten Harry's happy life one day. [Exeunt.

Changes to Shallow's Seat in Gloucestershire.

Enter Falstaff, Shallow, Silence, Bardolph, the Page,

Shal.

NA

and Davy.

AY, you fhall fee mine orchard, where in an arbour we will eat a laft year's pippin of my own graffing, with a difh of carraways, and fo forth.-Come, coufin Silence.-And then to bed.

Fal. You have here a goodly dwelling, and a rich. Shal, Barren, barren, barren. Beggars all, beggars all, Sir John. Marry, good air. Spread, Davy, fpread, Davy well faid, Davy.

V

Fal. This Davy ferves you for good uses; he is your fervingman, and your hufbandman.

Shal. A good varlet, a good varlet, a very good varlet, Sir John. By th' Mafs, I have drank too

much Sack at fupper.

A good varlet. Now fit down, now fit down: come, coufin.

Sil. Ah, firrah, quoth-a,, to

We fball do nothing but cat, and make good chear, [Singing.
And praife heav'n for the merry year;
When flesh is cheap and females dear,
And lufty lads roam here and there;
mus?

So merrily, and ever among, fo merrily, &c.
Fal. There's a merry heart. Good mafter Silence,
I'll give you a health for that anon.

Shal. Give Mr. Bardolph fome wine, Davy.

Davy. Sweet Sir, fit; I'll be with you anon; most fweet Sir, fit. Mafter Page, fit; good mafter Page, fit; * proface. What you want in meat, we'll have in drink; but you muft bear; the heart's all. [Exit. Shal. Be merry, mafter Bardolph, and, my little foldier there, be merry.

Sil. [Singing.] Be merry, be merry, my wife has all, For women are Shrews, both fhort and tall;

'Tis merry in hall, when beards wag all,

And welcome merry Shrovetide..

Be merry, be merry.

Fal. I did not think, mafter Silence had been a man of this mettle.

Sil. Who I? I have been merry twice and once ere now.
Re-enter Davy.

Davy. There is a difh of leather-coats for you.
Shal Davy,

Davy. Your Worship-I'll be with you ftreightA cup of wine, Sir?

*Proface.] Italian from profaccia; that is, much good may it HANMER

do you.
I rather think proface is utter-
ed by mistake for perforce, Da-
vy impertinently afks Bardolph
and the Page, who, according
to their place, were standing, to
fit down. Bardolph complies;

the Page, knowing his duty, declines the feat, and Davy cries proface, and fets him down by force.

The heart's all.] That is, the intention with which the entertainment is given. The hu mour confifts in making Davy act as mafter of the house.

Sil. [Singing] A cup of wine,

That's brifk and fine,

And drink unto the leman mine;

And a merry heart lives long-a.

Fal. Well faid, mafter Silence.

Sil. If we shall be merry, now comes in the fweet of the night.

Fal. Health and long life to you, master Silence.
Sil. Fill the cup, and let it come.
I'll pledge you,

were't a mile to the bottom.

Shal. Honeft Bardolph, welcome; if thou want’st any thing and wilt not call, befhrew thy heart. Welcome, my little tiny thief, and welcome, indeed, too. I'll drink to mafter Bardolph, and to all the 2 cavaleroes about London.

Davy. I hope to fee London, ere I die.

Bard. If I might fee you there, Davy, Shal. You'll crack a quart together? ha-will not, mafter Bardolph?

Bard. Yes, Sir, in a pottle pot.

you

Shal. By God's liggens, I thank thee; the knave will stick by thee, I can affure thee that. He will not out, he is true-bred.

Bard. And I'll stick by him, Sir.

[One knocks at the door. Shel. Why, there fpoke a King. Lack nothing, be merry. Look, who's at the door there, ho.-Who knocks?

Fal. Why, now you have done me right.

Sil. [Singing.] Do me right, and dub me Knight, 3 Samingo. Is't not fo?

Fal. 'Tis fo.

2 Cavaleroes. This was the term by which an airy fplendid irregular fellow was diftinguished. The foldiers of King Charles were called Cavaliers from the gayety which they affected in op

pofition to the four faction of the parliament.

to

3 Samingo ] He means fay, San Domingo. HANMER. Of Samingo, or San Domingo, I fee not the ufe in this place.

Sil. Is't fo? why, then fay, 4 an old man can do fomewhat.

Davy. If it pleafe your Worship, there's one Piftol come from the Court with news.

Fal. From the Court? let him come in.

How now, Piftol?

Pift. Sir John, 'fave

you, Sir.

Fal. What wind blew you hither, Pifiol?

Pift. Not the ill wind which blows no man good. Sweet Knight, thou art now one of the greateft men in the Realm.

Sil. Indeed, I think he be, but goodman Puff of Barfor

Pift. Puff?

Puff in thy teeth, moft recreant coward base,
-Sir John, I am thy Pistol and thy friend;
And helter fkelter have I rode to thee;
And tidings do I bring, and lucky joys,

And golden times, and happy news of price.

Fal. I pr'ythee now, deliver them like a man of this world.

Pift. A foutra for the world and worldlings bafe! I fpeak of Africa and golden joys.

Fal. O bafe Affyrian Knight, what is thy news? 5 Let King Cophetua know the truth thereof.

}

1

Sil. And Robin-hood, Scarlet, and John.

[Sings.

Pit. Shall dunghill curs confront the Helicons? And fhall good news be baffled?

Then Pistol lay thy head in Fury's lap.

Shal. Honeft gentleman, I know not your breeding. Pift. Why then, lament therefore,

Shal. Give me pardon, Sir. If, Sir, you come with news from the Court, I take it, there is but two ways: either to utter them, or to conceal them. Lam, Sir, under the King, in fome authority.

Pift. Under which King? 6 Bezonian, fpeak or die. Shal. Under King Harry.

Pift. Harry the Fourth? or Fifth?

Shal. Harry the Fourth.

Pift. A foutra for thine office!

Sir John, thy tender Lambkin now is King.
Harry the Fifth's the man. I fpeak the truth.
When Pistol lies, do this, and fig me like
The bragging Spaniard.

*

Fal. What, is the old King dead?
Pift. As nail in door.

"

The things I fpeak are juft. Fal. Away, Bardolph, faddle my horie. Mafter Robert Shallow, chufe what office thou wilt in the Land, 'tis thine. Pistol, I will double charge thee with Dignities.

Bard. O joyful day, I would not take a Knighthood for my fortune.

Pift. What? I do bring good news.

Fal. Carry mafter Silence to bed. Mafter Shallow, my Lord Shallow, be what thou wilt; I am fortune's

6 Bezonian, Speak or die.]rically, a bafe Scoundrel. So again Suffolk fays in 2d Henry VI.

Great men oft die by vile Be

zonians.

It is a term of Reproach, frequent in the Writers contemporary with our Poet. Bijognofo, a needy Perfon; thence metapho

THEOBALD.

Fig me like

The bragging Spaniard.] To fig, in Spanish, Higas dar, is to infult by putting the thumb between the fore and middle finger. From this Spanish custom we yet fay in contempt, a fig for you.

Steward.