To the last man.

Hast. And though we here fall down,
We have supplies to second our attempt;
If they miscarry, theirs shall second them:
And so, success 9 of mischief shall be born;
And heir from heir shall hold this quarrel up,
Whiles England shall have generation.

P.John. You are too shallow, Hastings, much too shallow, To sound the bottom of the after-times.

West. Pleaseth your grace, to answer them directly, How far forth you do like their articles?

P. John. I like them all, and do allow them well:
And swear here by the honour of my blood,
My father's purposes have been mistook ;
And some about him have too lavishly
Wrested his meaning, and authority.-

My lord, these griefs shall be with speed redress'd ;
Upon my soul, they shall. If this may please you,
Discharge your powers unto their several counties,
As we will ours: and here, between the armies,
Let's drink together friendly, and embrace;
That all their eyes may bear those tokens home,
Of our restored love, and amity.

Arch. I take your princely word for these redresses. P. John. I give it you, and will maintain my word: And thereupon I drink unto your grace.

Hast. Go, captain, [To an Officer.] and deliver to

the army

This news of peace; let them have pay, and part:
I know, it will well please them; hie thee, captain.
[Exit Officer.

Arch. To you, my noble lord of Westmoreland.
West. I pledge your grace: And, if you knew what pains

I have bestow'd, to breed this present peace,
You would drink freely but my love to you
Shall show itself more openly hereafter.
Arch. I do not doubt you.

West. I am glad of it.—

Health to my lord, and gentle cousin, Mowbray.

[9] Success for succession.

WARB.

It was Westmoreland who made this deceitful proposal, as appears from Holinshed: "The earl of Westmoreland using more policie than the rest, said, whereas our people have been long in armour let them depart home to their woonted trades: in the meane time let us drink togither in signe of agreement, that the people on both sides may see it, and know that it is true, that we be light at a point." STEEV.

28*

VOL. IV.

Mowb. You wish me health in very happy season ; For I am, on the sudden, something ill.

Arch. Against ill chances, men are ever merry ; But heaviness foreruns the good event.

West. Therefore, be merry, coz ; 2 since sudden sorrow Serves to say thus,-Some good thing comes to-morrow. Arch. Believe me, I am passing light in spirit. Mowb. So much the worse, if your own rule be true. [Shouts within. P. John. The word of peace is render'd; Hark, how they shout!

Mowb. This had been cheerful, after victory. Arch. A peace is of the nature of a conquest; For then both parties nobly are subdued,

And neither party loser.

P. John. Go, my lord,

And let our army be discharged too.→

[Exit WEST.

And, good my lord, so please you, let our trains
March by us; that we may peruse the men
We would have cop'd withal.

Arch. Go, good lord Hastings,

And, ere they be dismiss'd, let them march by.

[Exit HASTINGS. P. John. I trust, my lords, we shall lie to-night to

gether.

Re-enter WESTMORELAND.

Now, cousin, wherefore stands our army still?

West. The leaders, having charge from you to stand, Will not go off until they hear you speak.

P. John. They know their duties.

Re-enter HASTINGS.

Hast. My lord, our army is dispers'd already : Like youthful steers unyok'd, they take their courses East, west, north, south; or, like a school broke up, Each hurries toward his home, and sporting-place. West. Good tidings, my lord Hastings; for the which

I do arrest thee, traitor, of high treason :

And you, lord archbishop,—and you, lord Mowbray,
Of capital treason I attach you both.

Mob. Is this proceeding just and honourable ?
West. Is your assembly so?

[1] Thus the poet describes Romeo, as feeling an unaccustomed degree of cheerfulness just before he hears the news of the death of Juliet.

STEEV.

[2] That is-Therefore, notwithstanding this sudden impulse to heaviness, be merry, for such sudden dejections forebode good. JOHNS,

Arch. Will you thus break your faith?

P. John. I pawn'd thee none:

promis'd

you redress of these same grievances, Whereof you did complain; which, by mine honour, I will perform with a most christian care. But, for you, rebels,-look to taste the due. Meet for rebellion, and such acts as yours. Most shallowly did you these arms commence, Fondly brought here, and foolishly sent hence.Strike up our drums, pursue the scatter'd stray; Heaven, and not we, hath safely fought to-day.Some guard these traitors to the block of death; Treason's true bed, and yielder up of breath.3 [Exeunt.

SCENE III.

Another part of the Forest. Alarums: Excursions. Enter FALSTAFF and COLEVILE, meeting.

Fal. What's your name, sir? of what condition are you; and of what place, I pray?

Cole. I am a knight, sir; and my name is—Colevile of the dale.

Fal. Well then, Colevile is your name; a knight is your degree; and your place, the dale: Colevile shall still be your name; a traitor your degree; and the dungeon your place,—a place deep enough ; so shall you still be Colevile of the dale.

Cole. Are not you sir John Falstaff?

Do ye

Fal. As good a man as he, sir, whoe'er I am. yield, sir? or shall I sweat for you? If I do sweat, they are drops of thy lovers, and they weep for thy death: therefore rouse up fear and trembling, and do observance to my mercy.

Cole. I think, you are sir John Falstaff; and, in that thought, yield me.

Fal. I have a whole school of tongues in this belly of mine; and not a tongue of them all speaks any other word but my name. An I had but a belly of any indifferency, I were simply the most active fellow in Europe: My womb, my womb, my womb undoes me.Here comes our general.

Enter Prince JOHN of Lancaster, WESTMORELAND, and others. P.John. The heat is past, follow no further now ;

[3] It cannot but raise some indignation to find this horrid violation of faith passed over thus slightly by the poet, without any note of censure or detestation. JOHNS.

Call in the powers, good cousin Westmoreland.

[Exit WEST. Now, Falstaff, where have you been all this while? When every thing is ended, then you come : These tardy tricks of yours will, on my life, One time or other break some gallows' back.

Fal. I would be sorry, my lord, but it should be thus ; I never knew yet, but rebuke and check was the reward of valour. Do you think me a swallow, an arrow, or a bullet have I, in my poor and old motion, the expedition of thought? I have speeded hither with the very extremest inch of possibility; I have foundered nine-score and odd posts: and here, travel-tainted as I am, have, in my pure and immaculate valour, taken sir John Colevile of the dale, a most furious knight, and valorous enemy: But what of that? he saw me, and yielded; that I may justly say with the hook-nosed fellow of Rome, -I came, saw, and overcame.

P. John. It was more of his courtesy than your deserving.

Fal. I know not; here he is, and here I yield him: and, I beseech your grace, let it be booked with the rest of this day's deeds; or, by the lord, I will have it in a particular ballad else, with mine own picture on the top of it, Colevile kissing my foot: To the which course if I be enforced, if you do not all show like gilt two-pences to me; and I, in the clear sky of fame, o'ershine you as much as the full moon doth the cinders of the element, which show like pins' heads to her; believe not the word of the noble : Therefore let me have right, and let desert mount.

P. John. Thine's too heavy to mount.

Fal. Let it shine then.

P. John. Thine's too thick to shine.

Fal. Let it do something, my good lord, that may do me good, and call it what you will.

P. John. Is thy name Colevile ?

Cole. It is, my lord.

P. John. A famous rebel art thou, Colevile.
Fal. And a famous true subject took him.
Cole. I am, my lord, but as my betters are,
That led me hither: had they been rul'd by me,
You should have won them dearer than you have.

Fal. I know not how they sold themselves: but thou, like a kind fellow, gavest thyself away; and I thank thee for thee.

Re-enter WESTMORELAND.

P. John. Now, have you left pursuit ?

West. Retreat is made, and execution stay'd. P. John. Send Colevile, with his confederates, To York, to present execution :—

Blunt, lead him hence; and see you guard him sure.
[Exeunt some with COLEVILE.
And now despatch we toward the court, my lords;
I hear, the king my father is sore sick :

Our news shall go before us to his majesty,-
Which, cousin, you shall bear, to comfort him ;
And we with sober speed will follow you.

Fal. My lord, I beseech you, give me leave to go through Glostershire: and, when you come to court, stand my good lord,4 'pray, in your good report.5

P. John. Fare you well, Falstaff: I, in my condition, Shall better speak of you than you deserve.

[Exit. Fal. I would, you had but the wit; 'twere better than your dukedom.-Good faith, this same young sober-blooded boy doth not love me; nor a man cannot make him laugh; —but that's no marvel, he drinks no wine. There's never any of these demure boys come to any proof:7 for thin drink doth so over-cool their blood, and making many fish-meals, that they fall into a kind of male green-sickness; and then, when they marry, they get wenches: they are generally fools and cowards; which some of us should be too, but for inflammation. A good sherris-sack hath a two-fold operation in it. It ascends me into the brain; dries me there all the foolish, and dull, and crudy vapours which environ it: makes it apprehensive, quick, forgetive, full of nimble, fiery, and delectable shapes; which delivered o'er to the voice, (the tongue,) which is the birth, becomes excellent wit. The second property of your excellent sherris is, the warming of the blood; which, before cold and settled, left the liver white and pale, which is

8

[4] Stand my good lord, i. e. be my good patron and benefactor. Be my good lord was the old court phrase used by a person who asked a favour of a man of high rank. PERCY.

[5] i.e. stand my good friend, in your favourable report of me. STEEV. [6] Falstaff here speaks like a veteran in life. The young prince did not love him, and he despaired to gain his affections, for he could not make him laugh. Men only become friends by community of pleasure. He who cannot be softened into gaiety, cannot easily be melted into kindness. JOHNS. [7] i. e. any confirmed state of manhood The allusion is to armour hardened till it abides a certain trial. STEEV

[8] Forgetive from forge; inventive, imaginative. JOHNS.