And, in your power, soft silencing your son: King. You are right, justice, and you weigh this well; Therefore still bear the balance, and the sword: The unstained sword that you have us'd to bear; My voice shall sound as you do prompt mine ear; To your well practis'd, wise directions. For in his tomb lie my affections; in your state,] In your regal character and office, not with the passion of a man interested, but with the impartiality of a legislator. JOHNSON. 8 remembrance,] That is, admonition. 9 My father is gone wild-] The meaning is-My wild dispo sitions having ceased on my father's death, and being now as it were buried in his tomb, he and wildness are interred in the same grave. And with his spirit sadly I survive,' Our coronation done, we will accite, As I before remember'd, all our state: And (God consigning to my good intents,) No prince, nor peer, shall have just cause to say,Heaven shorten Harry's happy life one day. [Exeunt. SCENE III. Glostershire. The Garden of Shallow's House. Enter FALSTAFF, SHALLOW, SILENCE, BARDOLPH, the Page, and DAVY. Shal. Nay, you shall see mine orchard: where, in an arbour, we will eat a last year's pippin of my 1with his spirit sadly I survive,] Sadly is the same as soberly, seriously, gravely. Sad is opposed to wild. JOHNSON. 2 the state of floods,] i. e. dignity of floods, or of the ocean. own graffing, with a dish of carraways, and so forth;-come, cousin Silence ;-and then to bed. Fal. 'Fore God, you have here a goodly dwelling, and a rich. Shal. Barren, barren, barren; beggars all, beggars all, sir John:-marry, good air.-Spread, Davy; spread, Davy; Well said, Davy. Fal. This Davy serves you for good uses; he is your serving-man, and your husbandman. Shal. A good varlet, a good varlet, a very good varlet, sir John.-By the mass, I have drunk too much sack at supper:A good varlet. down, now sit down :-come, cousin. Sil. Ah, sirrah! quoth-a,-we shall Now sit Do nothing but eat, and make good cheer, [Singing. And ever among so merrily. Fal. There's a merry heart!-Good master Silence, I'll give you a health for that anon. Shal. Give master Bardolph some wine, Davy. Davy. Sweet sir, sit; [Seating BARDOLPH and the Page at another table. I'll be with you anon :most sweet sir, sit.-Master page, good master page, sit: proface! What you want in meat, we'll have in drink. But you must bear; The heart's all.5 [Exit. 3 and females dear, &c.] This very natural character of Justice Silence is not sufficiently observed. He would scarcely speak a word before, and now there is no possibility of stopping his mouth. -proface!] Italian from profaccia; a cant term in Italy, that is, much good may it do you. The heart's all.] That is, the intention with which the entertainment is given. The humour consists in making Davy act as master of the house. JOHNSON. 9 Shal. Be merry, master Bardolph ;—and my little soldier there, be merry. Sil. Be merry, be merry, my wife's as all; [Singing. For women are shrews, both short and tall: 'Tis merry in hall, when beards wag all, And welcome merry shrove-tide. Be merry, be merry, &c. Fal. I did not think, master 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 dish of leather-coats for you. [Setting them before BARDOLPH. Shal. Davy, Davy. Your worship?-I'll be with you straight. [To BARD.]-A cup of wine, sir? Sil. A cup of wine, that's brisk and fine, And drink unto the leman mine ; And a merry heart lives long-a. Fal. Well said, master Silence. [Singing. Sil. And we shall be merry ;-now comes in the sweet of the night. Fal. Health and long life to you, master Silence. Sil. Fill the cup, and let it come ; I'll pledge you a mile to the bottom. Shal. Honest Bardolph, welcome: If thou wantest any thing, and wilt not call, beshrew thy heart.Welcome, my little tiny thief; [To the Page.] and welcome, indeed, too. I'll drink to master Bardolph, and to all the cavaleroes" about London. ← leather-coats-] The apple commonly denominated russetine, in Devonshire, is called the buff-coat. 7 — cavaleroes-] This was the term by which an airy, Davy. I hope to see London once ere I die. Bard. An I might see you there, Davy,Shal. By the mass, you'll crack a quart together. Ha! will you not, master Bardolph ? Bard. Yes, sir, in a pottle pot. Shal. I thank thee:-The knave will stick by thee, I can assure thee that: he will not out; he is true bred. Bard. And I'll stick by him, sir. Shal. Why, there spoke a king. Lack nothing: be merry. [Knocking heard.] Look who's at door there: Ho! who knocks? [Exit DAVY. Fal. Why, now you have done me right. Sil. Do me right, And dub me knight :9 Samingo.' Is't not so? Fal. "Tis so. [Singing. Sil. Is't so? Why, then say, an old man can do somewhat. Re-enter Davy. Davy. An it please your worship, there's one Pistol come from the court with news. splendid, irregular fellow was distinguished. The soldiers of King Charles were called Cavaliers from the gaiety which they affected in opposition to the sour faction of the parliament. & Do me right,] To do a man right, and to do him reason, were formerly the usual expressions in pledging healths. He who drank a bumper, expected a bumper should be drank to his toast. " And dub me knight :] It was the custom of the good fellows of Shakspeare's days to drink a verylarge draught of wine, and sometimes a less palatable potation, on their knees, to the health of their mistress. He who performed this exploit was dubb'd a knight for the evening. 1. Samingo.] Samingo, that is, San Domingo, as some of the commentators have rightly observed. But what is the meaning and propriety of the name here, has not yet been shown. |