Sivut kuvina
PDF
ePub

Bard. Ay, marry, there's the point:
But if without him we be thought too feeble,
My judgment is, we should not step too far
Till we had his assistance by the hand :
For, in a theme so bloody-fac'd as this,
Conjecture, expectation, and surmise
Of aids uncertain, should not be admitted.
Arch. 'Tis very true, lord Bardolph; for,
indeed,

It was young Hotspur's case at Shrewsbury.
Bard. It was, my lord; who lin'd himself with
hope,

Eating the air on promise of supply,
Flattering himself with project of a power
Much smaller than the smallest of his thoughts:
And so, with great imagination,
Proper to madmen, led his powers to death,
And, winking, leap'd into destruction.

Hast. But, by your leave, it never yet
burt,

To lay down likelihoods, and forms of hope.
Bard. Yes, in this present quality

war ;

did

of

Indeed the instant action, (a cause on foot,)
Lives so in hope, as in an early spring
We see the appearing buds; which, to prove
fruit,

Hope gives not so much warrant, as despair,
That frosts will bite them. When we mean to
build,

We first survey the plot, then draw the model;
And when we see the figure of the house,
Then must we rate the cost of the erection:
Which if we find outweighs ability,

What do we then, but draw anew the model
In fewer offices; or, at least, desist

To build at all? Much more, in this great
work,

(Which is, almost, to pluck a kingdom down,
And set another up,) should we survey
The plot of situation, and the model;
Cousent upon a sure foundation;
Question surveyors; know our own estate,
How able such a work to undergo,
To weigh against his opposite; or else,

We fortify in paper, and in figures,

[blocks in formation]

But who is substituted 'gainst the French,
I have no certain notice.

Arch. Let us on;

And publish the occasion of our arms.
The commonwealth is sick of their own choice,
Their over-greedy love hath surfeited :-
A habitation giddy and unsure

Hath he, that buildeth on the vulgar heart.
O thou fond many! with what loud applause
Didst thou beat heaven with blessing Boling-
broke,

Before he was what thou wouldst have him be?
And being now trimm'd in thine own desires,
Thou, beastly feeder, art so full of him,
That thou provok'st thyself to cast him up.
So, so, thou common dog, didst thou disgorge
Thy glutton bosom of the royal Richard;
And now thou wouldst eat thy dead vomit up,
And howl'st to find it. What trust 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'st dust upon his goodly head,
When through proud London he came sighing

on

After the admired heels of Bolingbroke,

Cry'st now, O earth, yield us that king again,
And take thou this! O thoughts of men accurst!
Past, and to come, seem best; things present,
worst.

Mowb. Shall we go draw our numbers, and
set on?

Hast. We are time's subjects, and time bids
be gone.
[Exeunt.

ACT II.

SCENE 1.-London.-A Street.

Enter HOSTESS; FANG, and his Boy, with her; and SNARE following.

Host. Master Fang, have you entered the action?

Fang. It is entered.

[blocks in formation]

Hast. Grant that our hopes (yet likely for staff. fair birth,)

Should be still-born, and that we now sess'd

Host. Yea, good master Snare; I have enpos-tered him aud all.

The utmost man of expectation;
I think we are a body strong enough,
Even as we are, to equal with the king.
Bard. What is the king but five and twenty
thousand ?

Hast. To us, no more; nay, not so much,
lord Bardolph.

For his divisions, as the times do brawl,
Are in three heads: one power against the
French,

And one against Glendower; perforce, a third
Must take up us: So is the unfirm king
In three divided; and his coffers sound
With hollow poverty and emptiness.

Arch. That he

should draw his strengths together,

And come against us in full puissance,

Need not be dreaded.

Hast. If he should do so,

Snare. It may chance cost some of us our lives, for he will stab.

Host. Alas the day! take heed of him; he stabbed me in mine own house, and that most beastly: in good faith, 'a cares not what mischief he doth, if his weapon be out: he will foin † like any devil; be will spare neither man, woman, nor child.

Fang. If I can close with him, I care not for bis thrust.

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

Fang. An I but fist him once; an 'a come but within my vice:

Hos. I am undone by his going; I warrant several you, he's an intinite thing upon my score:→ Good master Faug, hold him sure;-good master Snare, let me not scape. He comes continuantly to Pie-corner, (saving your manhoods,) to buy a saddle; and he's indited to and dinner to the lubbar's head in Lumbert-street, to master Smooth's the silkman: I pray ye, since my exion is entered, and my case so openly known to the world, let him be brought in to his answer. A hundred mark is a long

He leaves his back unarm'd, the French

Welsh

Baying him at the heels: never fear that.
Bard. Who is it like should lead his forces
hither?

Hast. The duke of Lancaster, and West-
moreland:

Against the Welsh, himself and Harry Monmouth:

12, 000 Frenchmen landed at Milford Haven during this rebellion to aid Glendower. ↑ Thrust.

wound? And didst thou not, when she was gone down stairs, desire me to be no more so familiarity with such poor people; saying, that ere long they should call me madani? And didst thou not kiss me, and bid me fetch thee thirty shiilings? I put thee now to thy book-oath; deny

loan for a poor lone woman to bear and I have
borne, and borne, and borne; and have been
fubbed off, and fubbed off, and fubbed off,
from this day to that day, that it is a shame to
be thought ou. There is no honesty in such
dealing; unless a woman should be made an
ass, and a beast, to bear every knave's wrong.-it, if thou canst.
Enter Sir JOHN FALSTAFF, PAGE, and BAR-

DOLPH.

Fal. My lord, this is a poor mad soul; and she says, up and down the town, that her eldest sou is like you: she hath been in good case, and the Yonder he comes; and that arrant malmsey-truth is, poverty hath distracted her. But for nose knave, Bardolph, with him. Do your these foolish officers, I beseech you, I may have offices, do your offices, master Fang, and mas- redress against them. ter Spare; do me, do me, do me your offices. Fal. How now? whose mare's dead? what's the matter?

Fang. Sir John, I arrest you at the suit of mistress Quickly.

Fal. Away, varlets!-Draw, Bardolph; cnt me off the villain's head; throw the quean in the channel.

Host. Throw me in the channel? I'll throw thee in thee channel. Wilt thou wilt thou? thou bastardly rogue !-Murder, murder! O thou honey-suckle villain! wilt thou kill God's officers, and the king's? O thou honey-seed rogue! thou art a honey-seed; a man-queller, and a woman-queller.

Fal. Keep them off, Bardolph.
Fang. A rescue! a rescue!

Host. Good people, bring a rescue or two.Thou wo't, wo't thou? thou wo't, wo't thou ? do, do, thou rogue! do, thou hemp-seed!

Fal. Away, you scullion! you rampallian! you fustilarian! I'll tickle your catastrophe.

Enter the Lord CHIEF JUSTICE, attended. Ch. Just. What's the matter? keep the peace here, ho!

Host. Good my lord, be good to me! I beseech you, stand to me!

Ch. Just. How now, Sir John? what, are you brawling here?

Doth this become your place, your time, and business?

You should have been well on your way to York.

Stand from him, fellow; Wherefore hang'st

[blocks in formation]

Fal. I think, I am as like to ride the mare, if I have any vantage of ground to get up.

Ch. Just. How comes this, Sir John? Fie! what man of good temper would endure this tempest of exclamation? Are you not ashamed, to enforce a poor widow to so rough a course to come by her own?

Fal. What is the gross sum that I owe thee? Host. Marry, if thou wert an honest man, thyself and the money too. Thou didst swear to me upon a parcel-gilt 1 goblet, sitting in my Dolphin-chamber, at the round table, by a seacoal fire, upon Wednesday in Whitsun-week, when the prince broke thy head for liking his father to a singing-man of Windsor: thou didst swear to me then, as I was washing thy wound, to marry me, and make me my lady thy wife. Canst thou deny it? Did not goodwife Keech, the butcher's wife, come in then, and call me gossip Quickly? coming in to borrow a mess of vinegar; telling us, she had a good dish of prawns: whereby thou didst desire to eat some; whereby I told thee, they were ill for a green Homicidal. + Homicide

1 Party gik.

Ch. Just. Sir John, Sir John, I am well acquainted with your manner of wrenching the true cause the false way. It is not a confident brow, nor the throng of words that come with such more than impudent sauciness from you, can thrust me from a level consideration: you have, as it appears to me, practised upon the easy-yielding spirit of this woman, and made her serve your uses both in purse and person.

Host. Yea, in troth, my lord.

Ch. Just. Pr'ythee, peace :-Pay her the debt you owe her, and unpay the villainy you have done with her: the one you may do with sterling money, and the other with current repentance.

Fal. My lord, I will not undergo this sneap without reply. You call honourable boldness, inpudent sauciness: if a man will make court'sy, and say nothing, he is virtuous: No, my lord, my humble duty remembered, I will not be your suitor; I say to you, I do desire deliverance from these officers, being upon hasty employment in the king's affairs.

Ch. Just. You speak as having power to do wrong: but answer in the effect of your reputation, and satisfy the poor woman. Fal. Come hither, hostess.

[Taking her aside.

[blocks in formation]

Are near at hand: the rest the paper tells.
Fal. As I am a gentleman; --
Host. Nay, you said so before.

Fal. As I am a gentleman;--Come, no more words of it.

Host. By this heavenly ground I tread on, I must be fain to pawn both my plate, and the tapestry of any dining-chan.bers.

Fal. Glasses, glasses, is the only drinking: and for thy walls,-a pretty slight drollery, or the story of the prodigal, or the German hunting in water-work, is worth a thousand of these bed-hangings, and these fly-bitten tapestries. Let it be ten pound, if thou canst. Come, an it were not for thy humours, there is not a better wench in England. Go, wash thy tace, and 'draw thy ac tion: Come, thou must not be in this humour with me; dost not know me? Come, come, I know thou wast set on to this.

Host. Pray thee, Sir John, let it be but tw.nty nobles; i'faith I am loath to pawn my plate, in good earnest, la.

Fal. Let it alone; I'll make other shift: you'll be a fool still.

Host. Well, you shall have it, though I pawn my gown. I hope you'll come to supper: You'll pay me all together?

Fal. Will I live?-Go, with her, with her; [To BARDOLPH.] hook ou, hook on.

Host. Will you have Doll Tear-sheet meet yon at supper?

Fal. No more words; let's have her.

[Exeunt HOSTESS, BARDOLPH, Officers,
and PAGE.

Ch. Just. I have heard better news.
Fal. What's the news, my good lord?
Ch. Just. Where lay the king last night?
• Snub.
Snitable to your character.

fault of a better, to call my friend,) I could be

Gow. At Basingstoke, my lord.
Ful. I hope, my lord, all's well: What's the sad, and sad indeed too.
news, my lord?

Ch. Just. Come all his forces back?
Gow. No; fifteen hundred foot, five hundred
horse,

Are march'd up to my lord of Lancaster.
Against Northumberland, and the archbishop.
Fal. Comes the king back from Wales, my
noble lord ?

Ch. Just. You shall have letters of me presently Come, go along with me, good master

Gower.

Fal. My lord !

Ch. Just. What's the matter?

Fal. Master Gower, shall I entreat you with me to dinner?

Poins. Very hardly, upon such a subject. P. Hen. By this hand, thou think'st me as far in the devil's book, as thou and Falstaff, for obduracy and persistency: Let the end try the man. But I tell thee,-my heart bleeds inwardly, that my father is so sick and keeping such vile company as thou art, hath in reason taken from me all ostentation of sorrow.

Poins. The reason?

P. Hen. What would'st thou think of me, if I should weep?

Poins. I would think thee a most princely hypocrite.

P. Hen. It would be every man's thought : and thou art a blessed fellow, to think as every

Gow. I must wait upon my good lord here: Iman thinks; never a man's thought in the world thank you, good Sir John.

Ch. Just. Sir John, you loiter here too long, seeing you are to take soldiers up in counties as

you go.

Fal. Will you sup with me, master Gower? Ch. Just. What foolish master taught you these manuers, Sir John ?

Fal. Master Gower, if they become me not, he was a fool that taught them me.-This is the right fencing grace, my lord; tap for tap, and so part fair.

Ch. Just. Now the Lord lighten thee! thou art a great fool. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-The same.-Another Street. Enter Prince HENRY and POINS. P. Hen. Trust me, I am exceeding weary. Poins. Is it come to that? I had thought weariness durst not have attached one of so high blood.

keeps the road-way better than thine: every man would think me a hypocrite indeed. And what accites your most worshipful thought, to think 50 ?

Poins. Why, because you have been so lewd, and so much engraffed to Falstaff.

P. Hen. And to thee.

Poins. By this light, I am well spoken of, I can hear it with my own ears; the worst that they can say of me is, that I am a second brother, and that I am a proper fellow of my hands; and those two things, I confess, I cannot help. By the mass, here comes Bardolph.

P. Hen. And the boy that I gave Falstaff: be had him from me Christian; and look, if the fat villain hath not transformed him ape.

Enter BARDOLPH and PAGE.

Bard. 'Save your grace!

P. Hen. And your's, most noble Bardolph! Bard. Come, you virtuous ass, [To the PAGE.] P. Hen. 'Faith, it does me: though it dis- you bashful fool, must you be blushing? wherecolours the complexion of my greatness to ac-fore blush you now? What a maidenly man at knowledge it. Doth it not show vilely in me, to arms are you become? Is it such a matter, to desire small beer? get a pottle-pot's maidenhead.

Poins. Why, a prince should not be so loosely studied, as to remember so weak a composition.

P. Hen. Belike then, my appetite was not princely got; for, by my troth, I do now remember the poor creature, small beer. But, indeed, these humble considerations make me out of love with my greatness. What a disgrace is it to me, to remember thy name? or to know thy face to-morrow? or to take note how many pair of silk stockings thou hast; viz. these, and those that were the peach-colour'd ones or to bear the inventory of thy shirts; as, one for superfluity, and one other for use? -but that, the tennis-court keeper knows better than I; for it is a low ebb of linen with thee, when thou keepest not racket there; as thou hast not done a great while, because the rest of thy low-countries have made a shift to eat up thy Holland: and God knows, whether those that hawl out the ruins of thy linen, shall inherit his kingdom: but the midwives say, the children are not in the fault; whereupon the world increases, and kindreds are mightily strengthened.

Page. He called me even now, my lord, through a red lattice, and I could discern no part of his face from the window at last, I spied his eyes; and, methought, he had made two holes in the ale-wife's new petticoat, and peeped through. P. Hen. Hath not the boy profited?

Bard. Away, you whoreson upright rabbit, away!

Page. Away, you rascally Althea's dream, away!

P. Hen. Instruct us, boy: What dream, boy? Page. Marry, my lord, Althea dreamed she was delivered of a fire-brand; and therefore I call him her dream.

P. Hen. A crown's worth of good interpretation.-There it is, boy. [Gives him money. Poins. O that this good blossom could be kept from cankers!-Well, there is sixpence to preserve thee.

Bard. An you do not make him be hanged among you, the gallows shall have wrong. P. Hen. And how doth thy master, Bardolph ?

Bard. Well, my lord. He heard of your grace's

Poins. How ill it follows, after you have la-coming to town; there's a letter for you. boured so hard, you should talk so idly? Tell me, how many good young princes would do so, their fathers being so sick as your's at this time is ?

P. Hen. Shall I tell thee one thing, Poins? Poins. Yes; and let it be an excellent good thing.

P. Hen. It will serve among wits of no higher breeding than thine.

Poins. Go to I stand the push of your one thing that you will tell.

P. Hen. Why, I tell thee,-it is not meet that I should be sad, now my father is sick albeit I could tell to thee, (as to one it pleases me, for

• Children wrapped up in his old shirts.

Poins. Delivered with good respect.-And how doth the martlemas, + your master? Bard. In bodily health, Sir.

Poins. Marry, the immortal part needs a physician but that moves not him; though that be sick, it dies not.

P. Hen. I do allow this went to be as familiar with me as my dog and he holds his place; for look you how he writes.

Poins. [Reads.] John Falstaff, knight,Every man must know that, as oft as he has occasion to name himself. Even like those that

An ale-house window.

↑ Martinmas, St. Martin's day is Nov. 11.
1 Swoln excrescence.

are kin to the king; for they never prick their | finger, but they say, There is some of the king's blood spilt: How comes that? says he, that takes upon him not to conceive the answer is as ready as a borrower's cap; I am the king's poor cousin, Sir.

P. Hen. Nay, they will be kin to us, or they will fetch it from Japhet. But the letter :

Poins. Sir John Falstaff, knight, to the son of the king, nearest his father, Harry Prince of Wales, greeting.-Why, this is a certifi

cate.

P. Hen. Peace.

Puins. I will imitate the honourable Roman in brevity:-he sure means brevity in breath; short-winded.-I commend me to thee, I commend thee, and I leave thee. Be not too familiar with Poins; for he misuses thy favours so much, that he swears thou art to marry his sister Nell. Repent at idle times as thou may'st, and so farewell.

Thine, by yea and no, (which is as much as to say, as thou usest him,)| Jack Falstaff, with my familiars; John,with my brothers and sisters; and Sir John, with all Europe. My lord, I will steep this letter in sack, and make him eat it.

P. Hen. That's to make him eat twenty of his words. But do you use me thus, Ned? must I marry your sister?

Poins. May the wench have no worse fortune! but I never said so.

P. Hen. Well, thus we play the fools with the time; and the spirits of the wise sit in the clouds and mock us.-Is your master here in

London ?

Burd. Yes, my lord.

P. Hen. Where sups he? doth the old boar feed in the old frank?*

Bard. At the old place, my lord; in Eastcheap.

P. Hen. What company?

Page. Ephesians, my lord; of the old church.
P. Hen, Sup any women with him?
Page. None, my lord, but old mistress Quickly,
and mistress Doll Tear-sheet.

P. Hen. What Pagan may that be?

[ocr errors]

Give even way unto my rough affairs:
Put not you on the visage of the times,
And be, like them, to Percy troublesome.
Lady N. I have given over, I will speak no

more :

Do what you will; your wisdom be your guide. North. Alas, sweet wife, my honour is at pawn;

And, but my going, nothing can redeem it.
Lady P. O yet, for God's sake, go not to these
wais!

The time was, father, that you broke your word,
When you were more endear'd to it than now;
When your own Percy, when my heart's dear
Harry,

Threw many a northward look to see his father
Bring up his powers; but he did long in

vain.

Who then persuaded you to stay at home?
There were two honours lost; your's and your
son's.
For your's-may heavenly glory brighten it!
For his,-it stuck upon him, as the sun
In the grey vault of heaven; and, by his light,
Did all the chivalry of England move
To do brave acts: he was indeed, the glass
Wherein the noble youth did dress themselves.
He had no legs, that practised not his gait :
And speaking thick, which nature made his
blemish,

Became the accents of the valiant ;
For those that could speak low, and tardily,
Would turn their own perfection to abuse,
To seem like him: So that, in speech, in gait,
In diet, in affections of delight,
In military rules, humours of blood,
He was the mark and glass, copy and book,
That fashion'd others. And him,-O wondrous
him!

O miracle of men!-him did you leave,
(Second to none, unseconded by you,)
To look upon the hideous god of war
In disadvantage; to abide a field,
Where nothing but the sound of Hotspur's

name

Did seem defensible :-so you left him :
Never, O never, do his ghost the wrong,
To hold your honour more precise and nice

Page. A proper gentlewoman, Sir, and a kins-With others than with him; let them alone, woman of my master's.

P. Hen. Even such kin, as the parish heifers are to the town bull.-Shall we steal upon them, Ned, at supper?

Poins. I am your shadow, my lord; I'll follow you.

P. Hen. Sirrah, you boy, -and Bardolph ;no word to your master, that I am yet come to town: There's for your silence.

Bard. I have no tongue, Sir.

Page. And for mine, Sir,-I will govern it. P. Hen. Fare yo well; go. [Exeunt BARDOLPH and PAGE.]—This Doll Tear-sheet should be some road.

Poins. I warrant you, as common as the way between Saint Alban's and London.

P. Hen. How might we see Falstaff bestow himself to-night in his true colours, and not ourselves be seen?

Poins. Put on two leather jerkins and aprons, and wait upon him at his table as drawers.

P. Hen. From a god to a bull? a heavy descension! it was Jove's case. From a prince to a prentice? a low transformation! that shall be mine: for, in every thing, the purpose must weigh with the folly. Follow me, Ned. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.-Warkworth.--Before the
Castle.

Enter NORTHUMBERLAND, Lady NouтHUM-
BRRLAND, and Lady PERCY.

The marshal and the archbishop are strong:
Had my sweet Harry had but half their num
bers,

To-day might I, hanging on Hotspur's neck,
Have talk'd of Monmouth's grave.

North. Beshrew your heart,

Fair daughter! you do draw my spirits from
me,

With new lamenting ancient oversights.
But I must go, and meet with danger there;
Or it will seek me in another place,
And find me worse provided.

Lady N. O fly to Scotland,
Till that the nobles, and the armed commons,
Have of their puissance made a little taste.
Lady P. If they get ground and vantage of

the king,

Then join you with them like a rib of steel,
To make strength stronger; but, for all our
loves,

First let them try themselves: So did your son;
He was so suffer'd; so came I a widow;
And never shall have length of life enough,
To rain upon remembrance with mine eyes,
That it may grow and sprout as high as heaven
For recordation to my noble husband.

North. Come, come, go in with me: 'tis with

my mind,

As with the tide swell'd up unto its height,
That makes a still-stand, running neither way,
Fain would I go to meet the archbishop,
But many thousand reasons hold me back :-

North. I pray thee, loving wife, and gentle I will resolve for Scotland; there am I,
Till time and vantage crave my company.

daughter,

• Sty.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.-London.-A Room in the Boar's

Head Tavern, in Eastcheap.

Enter two DRAWERS.

1 Draw. What the devil hast thou brought there? apple-Johns? thou know'st, Sir John cannot endure an apple-John.*

2 Draw. Mass, thou sayest true: The prince once set a dish of apple-Johus before him, and told him, there were five more Sir Johns and, putting off his hat, said, I will now take my leave of these six dry, round, old, wither'd knights. It angered him to the heart; but he hath forgot that.

1 Draw. Why then, cover, and set them down: And see if thou canst find out Sneak's noise; mistress Tear-sheet would fain hear room where some music. Despatch :-The they supped is too straight.

hot: they'll come in

2 Draw. Sirrah, here will be the prince and master Poins anon; and they will put on two of our jerkins and aprons; and Sir John must not know of it: Bardolph hath brought word. 1 Draw. By the mass, here will be old utis: It will be an excellent stratagem.

2 Draw. I'll see if I can find out Sneak.

[Exit.

Enter HOSTESS and DOLL TEAR-SHEET. Host. l'faith, sweet heart, methinks now you are in an excellent good temperality; your pul: sidge heats as extraordinarily as heart would desire; and your colour, I warrant you, is as red as any rose: But, i'faith, you have drunk too much canaries; and that's a marvellous searching wine, and it perfumes the blood ere oue can say,-What's this? How do you now? Hem !

Dol. Better than I was. Host. Why, that's well said; a good heart's worth gold. Look, here comes Sir John.

Enter FALSTAFF, singing.

Fal. When Arthur first in Court-Empty the jordan. And was a worthy king: [Exit DRAWER.] How now, mistress Doll?

Host. Sick of a calm: yea, good sooth. Fal. So is all her sect; an they be once in a calm, they are sick.

Dol. You muddy rascal, is that all the comfort you give me ?

Fal. You make fat rascals, mistress Doll. Dol. I make them! gluttony and diseases make them; I make them not.

Fal. If the cook help to make the gluttony, you help to make the diseases, Doll: we catch of you, Doll, we catch of you; grant that, my poor virtue, grant that.

Draw. Sir, ancient would speak with you.

Pistol's below, and

Dol. Hang him, swaggering rascal! let him not come hither: it is the foul mouth'dst rogue in England.

Host. If he swagger, let him not come here: no, by my faith; I must live amongst my neighbours; I'll no swaggerers: I am in good name and fame with the very best :-Shut the door;-there comes no swaggerers here: I have not lived all this while, to have swaggering now: shut the door, I pray you.

Fal. Dost thou hear, hostess ?Host. Pray you, pacify yourself, Sir John; there comes no swaggerers here.

Fal. Dost thou hear? it is mine ancient. Host. Tilly-fally, Sir John, never tell me; your ancient swaggerer comes not in my doors. I was before master Tisick, the deputy, the other day; and, as he said to me,-it was no longer ago than Wednesday last,- Neighbour Quickly, says he ;-master Dumb, our minister, was by them;-Neighbour Quickly, says he; receive those that are civil; for, saith he, you are in an ill name;-now he said so, I can tell whereupon; for, says he, you are an honest woman, and well thought on; therefore take heed what guests you receive: Receive, says he, no swaggering companions.--There comes none here;-you would bless you to hear what he said;-no, I'll no swaggerers.

Fal. He's no swaggerer, hostess; a tame cheater, he; you may stroke him as gently as a puppy greyhound: he will not swagger with a Barbary hen, if her feathers turn back in any show of resistance.-Call him up, drawer.

Host. Cheater, call you him? I will bar no honest man my house, nor no cheater: But I do not love swaggering; by my troth, I am the worse, when one says-swagger: feel, masters, how I shake; look you, I warrant you. Dol. So you do, hostess.

Host. Do I? yea, in very truth, do I, an 'twere an aspen leaf: I cannot abide swag

gerers.

Enter PISTOL, BARDOLPH, and PAGE.
Pist. 'Save you, Sir John!

Fal. Welcome, ancient Pistol. Here, Pistol, I charge you with a cup of sack: do you discharge upon mine hostess.

Pist. I will discharge upon her, Sir John, with two bullets.

Fal. She is pistol proof, Sir; you shall hardly offend her.

Host. Come, I'll drink no proofs, nor no bullets: I'll drink no more than will do me good, for no man's pleasure, I.

Pist. Then to you, mistress Dorothy; I will charge you.

Dol. Aye, marry; our chains, and our jewels. Fal. Your brooches, pearls, and owches: -for to serve bravely, is to come halting off, Dol. Charge me? I scorn you, scurvy comyou know: To come off the breach with his pike bent bravely, and to surgery bravely; to ven-panion. What! you poor, base, rascally, cheatture upon the charged chambers bravely :--Dol. Hang yourself, you muddy conger, hang yourself!

Host. By my troth, this is the old fashion; you two never meet, but you fall to some discord: you are both, in good troth, as theumatic as two dry toasts; you cannot one bear with another's confirmities. What the good-year ! one must bear, and that must be you: [70 DOLL.] you are the weaker vessel, as they say, the emptier vessel.

Dol. Can a weak empty vessel bear such a huge full hogshead? there's a whole merchant's venture of Bourdeaux stuff in him; you have not seen a hulk better stuffed in the hold.-Come, I'll be friends with thee, Jack: thou art going to the wars; and whether I shall ever see thee again, or no, there is nobody cares.

An apple that will keep two years.

+ Sneak was a street minstrel: a noise of musicians
actently signified a concert. 1 Merry doings.
Small pieces of ordnance.

ing, lacklinen mate! Away you mouldy rogue, away! I am meat for your master.

Pist. I know you, mistress Dorothy. Dol. Away, you cut-purse rascal! you filthy bung, away I by this wine, I'll thrust my knife in your mouldy chaps, an you play the sancy cuttle with me. Away, you bottle-ale rascal! you basket-hilt stale juggler, you !-Since when,

pray you, Sir ?-What, with two points on your shoulder! much! §

Pist. I will murder your ruff for this.
Fal. No more, Pistol; I would not have you
go off here: discharge yourself of our company,
Pistol.

Host. No, good captain Pistol; not here, sweet captain.

Del. Captain!

thou abominable damned cheater, art thou not ashamed to be called

[blocks in formation]
« EdellinenJatka »