hill, fhall rob thofe men that we have already waylaid; your felf and I will not be there; and when they have the booty, if you and I do not rob them, cut this head from off my fhoulders.

P. Henry. But how fhall we part with them in fetting forth?

Poins. Why, we will fet forth before or after them; and appoint them a place of meeting, wherein it is at our pleasure to fail; and then will they adventure upon the exploit themfelves, which they fhall have no fooner atchiev'd, but we'll fet upon them.

P. Henry. Ay, but, 'tis like, they will know us by our horfes, by our habits, and by every other appointment, to be our felves.

Poins. Tut, our horfes they fhall not fee, I'll tye them in the wood; our vizors we will change after we leave them; and, firrah, I have cafes of buckram for the nonce, to immafk our noted outward garments.

us.

P. Henry. But, I doubt, they will be too hard for

Poins. Well, for two of them, I know them to be as true-bred cowards as ever turn'd Back; and for the third, if he fights longer than he sees reason, I'll forfwear arms. The virtue of this jeft will be, the incom

that we have already way-laid.] Thus We have two Perfons named, as Characters in this Play, that never were among the Diamatis Perfon. But let us fee who they were, that committed this Robbery. In the fecond Act, we come to a Scene of the High-way. Falstaff, wanting his Horfe, calls out on Hal, Poin, Bardolph, and Peto. Prefently, Gads-hill joins 'em, with Intelligence of Travellers being at hand; upon which the Prince fays, You four fhall front 'em in the narrow Lane, Ned Poins

and I will walk lower. So that the Four to be concerned are Falstaff, Bardolph, Peto, and Gadsbill

Accordingly, the Robbery is committed; and the Prince and Poins afterwards rob these Four. In the Boar's-Head Tavern, the Prince rallies Peto and Bardolph for their running away; who confefs the Charge. Is it not plain, that Bardolph, and Peto were two of the four Robbers? And who then can doubt, but Harvey and Roffil were the Names of the Actors.

THEOBALD.

prehenfible

prehenfible lies that this fame fat rogue will tell us when we meet at fupper; how thirty at least he fought with, what wards, what blows, what extremities he endured; and, in the reproof of this, lies the jeft.

P. Henry. Well, I'll go with thee; provide us all things neceffary, and meet me to morrow night in Eaft-cheap, there I'll fup. Farewel.

Poins. Farewel, my lord.

[Exit Poins. P. Henry. I know you all, and will a while uphold The unyok'd humour of your idleness; Yet herein will I imitate the Sun,

Who doth permit the base contagious clouds
To fmother up his beauty from the world;
That when he please again to be himself,
Being wanted, he may be more wondred at,
By breaking through the foul and ugly mists
Of
vapours, that did feem to ftrangle him.

If all the year were playing holidays,
To fport would be as tedious as to work;
But when they feldom come, they wifht-for come,
And nothing pleafeth but rare Accidents.
So, when this loofe behaviour I throw off,
And pay the debt I never promised;
By how much better than my word I am,
By fo much' fhall I falfifie men's hopes;
And, like bright metal on a fullen ground,
My Reformation glittering o'er my fault,
Shall fhew more goodly, and attract more eyes,
Than that which hath no foil to fet it off.

from appearing vile in the opinion of the audience; it prepares them for his future reformation, and, what is yet more valuable, exhibits a natural picture of a great mind offering excufes to itfelf, and palliating thofe follies which it can neither justify nor forlake.

I'll fo offend, to make offence a skill;

Redeeming time, when men think leaft I will. [Exit.

SCENE IV.

Changes to an Apartment in the Palace.

Enter King Henry, Northumberland, Worcester,
Hot fpur, Sir Walter Blunt, and others.
Hot-fpur,

Y blood hath been too cold and tem

K. Henry. MY

perate,

Unapt to ftir at thefe indignities;

And you have found me; for accordingly
You tread upon my patience: but be sure,
7 I will from henceforth rather be myself,
Mighty and to be fear'd, than my Condition;
Which hath been fmooth as oyl, foft as young down,
And therefore loft that title of Respect,

Which the proud foul ne'er pays, but to the proud. Wor. Our Houfe, my fovereign Liege, little deferves

7 I will from henceforth rather

be myself, Mighty and to be fear'd, than

my Condition;] i. e. I will from henceforth rather put on the character that becomes me, and exert the refentment of an injured King, than fill continue in the inactivity and mildness of my natural difpofition. And this fentiment he has well expreffed, fave that by his ufual licence, he puts the word condition for difpofition: which ufe of terms de paring our Oxford Editor, as it frequently does, he in a lofs for the meaning, fubfitutes in for shan,

Mighty and to be fear'd in my condition.

So that by condition, in this reading, must be meant ftation, office. But it cannot be predicated of ftation and office, that it is Smooth as oyl, foft as young down: which fhews that condition muft needs be licentiously used for dif pofition, as we faid before. WAR B.

The commentator has well explained the fenfe which was not very difficult, but is mistaken in fuppofing the ufe of condition licentious. Shakespeare ufes it very frequently for temper of mind, and in this fenfe the vulgar ftill fay a good or ill-conditioned man.

The

The scourge of Greatness to be used on it;

And that fame Greatnefs too, which our own hands

Have help'd to make so portly.

North. My good lord,

K. Henry. Worcester, get thee gone; for I do fee Danger and difobedience in thine eye.

O Sir, your prefence is too bold and peremptory;
And Majefty might never yet endure
'The moody frontier of a fervant brow.
You have good leave to leave us.

When we need

Your ufe and counfel, we fhall fend for you.

You were about to speak.

North. Yes, my good lord.

[Exit Worcester.

[To Northumberland.

Thofe prisoners, in your Highness' name demanded,
Which Harry Percy here at Holmedon took,

Were, as he fays, not with fuch strength deny'd
As was deliver'd to your Majefty.

Or Envy therefore, or Mifprifion,
Is guilty of this fault, and not my fon.
Hot. My Liege, I did deny no prifoners;
But I remember, when the fight was done,
When I was dry with rage, and extream toil,
Breathlefs, and faint, leaning upon my fword;
Came there a certain lord, neat, trimly drefs'd;
Fresh as a bridegroom, and his chin, new-reap'd,
Shew'd like a stubble land 9 at harvest-home.
He was perfumed like a milliner;

And 'twixt his finger and his thumb, he held

'A pouncet-box, which ever and anon

He gave his nofe: and took't away again;
Who, therewith angry, when it next came there,
Took it in fnuff. And still he fmil'd, and talk'd;
And as the foldiers bare dead bodies by,
He call'd them untaught knaves, unmannerly,
To bring a flovenly, unhand fome coarse
Betwixt the wind, and his Nobility.

With many holiday and lady terms

He queftion'd me: amongst the rest, demanded
My prifoners, in your Majesty's behalf.

I, then all fmarting with my wounds being cold,
To be fo pefter'd with a popinjay,

Out of my Grief, and my impatience,

Anfwer'd, neglectingly, I know not what ;
He fhould, or fhould not; for he made me mad,
To fee him fhine fo brifk, and smell fo fweet,
And talk fo like a waiting-gentlewoman,

Of guns, and drums, and wounds; (God fave the mark!)

wound; being GAL'D "To be fo pefter'd with a popinjay, &c.

WARBURTON. Whatever Percy might fay of his rare and toil, which is merely declamatory and apologetical, his wounds would at this time be certainly cold, and when they were cold would smart, and not before. If any alteration were neceffary I fhould tranfpofe the lines.

I then all fmarting with my
wounds being cold,
Out of my grief, and my im
patience,

To be fo pefter'd with a popin-
jay,

Anfwer'd neglectingly.
A pojinjay is a parrot.

And