Shal. Let it be caft and paid-Sir John, you fhall not be excus'd. [Goes to the other fide of the ftage.

Davy. Now, Sir, a new link to the bucket muft needs be had. And, Sir, do you mean to ftop any of William's wages about the fack he lost the other day at Hinckly Fair?

Shal. He fhall anfwer it. Some Pigeons, Davy, a couple of fhort-legg'd Hens, a joint of mutton, and any pretty little tiny kickshaws. Tell William Cook. Davy. Doth the man of war ftay all night, Sir? Shal. Yes, Davy. I will ufe him well. A friend i' th' Court is better than a penny in purfe. Ufe his men well, Davy, for they are arrant knaves, and will back-bite.

Davy. No worse than they are back-bitten, Sir; for they have marvellous foul linnen.

Shal. Well conceited, Davy. About thy business, Davy.

Davy, I beseech you, Sir, to countenance William Vifor of Wancot against Clement Perkes of the hill.

Shal. There are many complaints, Davy, against that Vifor; that Vifor is an arrant knave, on my knowledge.

Davy. I grant your Worship, that he is a knave, Sir; but yet God forbid, Sir, but a knave fhould have some countenance at his friend's request. An honeft man, Sir, is able to speak for himself, when a knave is not. I have ferv'd your Worfhip truly, Sir, thefe eight years; and if I cannot once or twice in a quarter bear out a knave against an honeft man, I have but very little credit with your Worship. The knave is mine honeft friend, Sir, therefore, I befeech your Worship, let him be countenanc'd.

Shal. Go to, I fay, he shall have no wrong. Look about, Davy. Where are you, Sir John? Come, off with your boots. Give me your hand, mafter Bardolph.

Bard. I am glad to fee your Worship.
VOL. IV.

Ꮓ

Shal.

Shal. I thank thee with all my heart, kind master Bardolph. And welcome, my tall fellow. [To the Page.] Come, Sir John.

Fal. I'll follow you, good mafter Robert Shallow. [Exeunt Shallow, Silence, &c.] Bardolph, look to our horfes. If I were faw'd into quantities, I fhould make four dozen of fuch 7 bearded hermites-ftaves as mafter Shallow. It is a wonderful thing to fee the femblable coherence of his mens' fpirits and his; they, by obferving of him, do bear themfelves like foolish juftices; he, by conversing with them, is turn'd into a juftice-like fervingman. Their fpirits are fo married in conjunction, with the participation of fociety, that they flock together in confent, like fo many wild Geefe. If I had a fuit to mater Shallow, I would humour his men with the imputation of being near their mafter; if to his men, I would curry with mafter Shallow, that no man could better command his fervants. It is certain, that either wife Bearing or ignorant Carriage is caught, as men take diseases, one of another, therefore let men take heed of their company. I will devife matter enough out of this Shallow to keep Prince Henry in continual laughter the wearing out of fix fashions, which is four terms or two actions, and he fhall laugh without Intervallums. O, it is much, that a lie with a flight oath, and a jeft with a fad brow, will do with a 9 fellow that never had the ache in his fhoulders. O, you shall fee him laugh, till his face be like a wet cloak ill laid up.

Shal. [within.] Sir John

Bearded-hermites-ftaves.] He had before called him the ftarved juftice. His want of flesh is a ftanding jeft.

Two actions.] There is fomething humorous in making a fpendthrift compute time by

the operation of an action for debt.

9 Fellow that never had the ache.] That is, a young fellow, one whofe difpofition to merriment, time and pain have not yet impaired.

Fal.

Fal. I come, mafter Shaklow; I come, mafter Shal

love.

SCENE

[Exit Falstaff.

II.

Changes to the Court, in LONDON.

Enter the Earl of Warwick, and the Lord Chief Justice.

War.

OW now, my lord Chief Justice, whither away?

How

Ch. Just. How doth the King?

War. Exceeding well; his cares are now all ended. Ch. Juft. I hope, not dead?

War. He's walk'd the way of Nature;

And to our purposes he lives no more.

Ch. Juft. I would, his Majefty had call'd me with

him :

The service, that I truly did his life,

Hath left me open to all injuries.

War. Indeed, I think, the young King loves you

not.

Ch. Just. I know, he doth not; and do arm myself To welcome the condition of the time,

Which cannot look more hideously on me,
Than I have drawn it in my fantaly.

Enter Lord John of Lancaster, Gloucefter, and Clarence.

War. Here come the heavy iffue of dead Harry.
O, that the living Harry had the temper
Of him, the worst of these three gentlemen,
How many Nobles then should hold their places,
That muft ftrike fail to fpirits of vile fort!
Ch. Juft. Alas, I fear, all will be overturn'd.
Lan. Good morrow, coufin Warwick.

Glou. Cla. Good morrow, coufin.

Lan. We meet, like men that had forgot to speak.

Z 2

War.

War. We do remember; but our argument Is all too heavy to admit much Talk.

Lan. Well, peace be with him that hath made us heavy!

Ch. Juft. Peace be with us, left we be heavier! Glou. O, good my lord, you've loft a friend, indeed; And I dare fwear, you borrow not that face Of feeming forrow; it is, fure, your own.

Lan. Tho' no man be affur'd what grace to find, You ftand in coldest expectation.

I am the forrier; 'would, 'twere otherwise.

Cla. Well, you must now fpeak Sir John Falstaff fair,

Which fwims against your ftream of quality.

Ch. Just. Sweet Princes, what I did, I did in Ho

nour,

Led by th' impartial conduct of my foul;
And never fhall you fee, that I will beg
'A ragged and foreftall'd remiffion.
If truth and upright innocency fail me,
I'll to the King my mafter that is dead,
And tell him who hath fent me after him.
War. Here comes the Prince.

Enter Prince Henry.

Ch. Juft. Heav'n fave your Majesty!

K. Henry. This new and gorgeous garment, Majesty!

1A RAGGED and forefall'd remiffion.] Ragged has no fenfe here. We should read,

A rated and foreji all'd remiffion. i. e. a remiffion that must be fought for, and bought with fupplication. WARBURTON. Different minds have different perplexities. I am more puzzled with forestall'd than with ragged, for agged, in our authour's li

centious diction, may eafily fig nify beggarly, mean, hofe, igno minious; but foreftalled I know not how to apply to remiffion in any fenfe primitive or figurative. I fhould be glad of another word, but cannot find it. Perhaps by foreftall'd remiffion, he may mean a pardon begged by a voluntary confeffion of offence, and anticipation of the charge.

Sits not so easy on me, as you think.

2

Brothers, you mix your fadness with fome fear;
This is the English, not the Turkish Court;
Not Amurath an Amurath fucceeds,

But Harry, Harry. Yet be fad, good brothers,
For, to speak truth, it very well becomes you:
Sorrow fo royally in you appears,

That I will deeply put the fashion on,

And wear it in my heart. Why then, be fad;
But entertain no more of it, good brothers,
Than a joint burthen laid upon us all.
For me, by heav'n, I bid you be affur'd,
I'll be your father and your brother too,
Let me but bear your love, I'll bear your cares.
Yet weep that Harry's dead; and fo will I;
But Harry lives, that shall convert those tears
By number into hours of happiness.

Lan. &c. We hope no other from your Majesty. K. Henry. You all look ftrangely on me; and you [To the Ch. Juft. You are, I think, affur'd, I love you not.

moft;

Ch. Just. I am affur'd, if I be measur'd rightly, Your Majefty hath no just cause to hate me.

K. Henry. No! might a Prince of my great hopes forget

So great indignities you laid upon me?

What! rate, rebuke, and roughly fend to prifon
Th' immediate heir of England? was this eafy?
May this be wash'd in Lethe, and forgotten?
Ch. Juft. I then did use the perfon of
The image of his Power lay then in me;
And in th' adminiftration of his Law,

your

father,