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FAL. [Rising up] Embowelled! if thou embowel me to-day, I'll give you leave to powder me and eat me too to-morrow. 'Sblood, 't was time to counterfeit, or that hot termagant Scot had paid me scot and lot too. Counterfeit? I lie, I am no counterfeit: to die, is to be a counterfeit; for he is but the counterfeit of a man who hath not the life of a man: but to counterfeit dying, when a man thereby liveth, is to be no counterfeit, but the true and perfect image of life indeed. The better part of valour is discretion; in the which better part I have saved my life. 'Zounds, I am afraid of this gunpowder Percy, though he be dead: how, if he should counterfeit too, and rise? by my faith, I am afraid he would prove the better counterfeit. Therefore I'll make him sure; yea, and I'll swear I killed him. Why may he not rise as well as I? Nothing confutes me but eyes, and nobody sees me. Therefore, sirrah [stabbing him], with a new wound in your thigh, come you along with me.

[Takes up Hotspur on his back.

Re-enter the PRINCE OF WALES and LORD JOHN OF LANCASTER

PRINCE. Come, brother John; full bravely hast thou flesh'd

Thy maiden sword.

112 powder] pickle or salt.

114 scot and lot] a weak pun: to "pay scot and lot" was a familiar phrase

meaning to "pay one's taxes."

121 gunpowder Percy] explosive Percy.

LAN.

Did

But, soft! whom have we here? 130

you not tell me this fat man was dead? PRINCE. I did; I saw him dead,

Breathless and bleeding on the ground. Art thou alive?

Or is it fantasy that plays upon our eyesight?
I prithee, speak; we will not trust our eyes
Without our ears: thou art not what thou seem'st.

FAL. No, that's certain; I am not a double man: but if I be not Jack Falstaff, then am I a Jack. There is Percy [throwing the body down]: if your father will do me any honour, so; if not, let him kill the next Percy himself. I look to be either earl or duke, I can assure you.

PRINCE. Why, Percy I killed myself, and saw thee dead.

FAL. Didst thou? Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying! I grant you I was down and out of breath; and so was he: but we rose both at an instant, and fought a long hour by Shrewsbury clock. If I may be believed, so; if not, let them that should reward valour bear the sin upon their own heads. I'll take it upon my death, I gave him this wound in the thigh: if the man were alive, and would deny it, 'zounds, I would make him eat a piece of my sword.

LAN. This is the strangest tale that ever I heard. PRINCE. This is the strangest fellow, brother John. Come, bring your luggage nobly on your back:

138 a Jack] a Jackanapes.

149 I'll take it upon my death] I'll stake my life on it.

141

152

For my part, if a lie
may do thee grace,
I'll gild it with the happiest terms I have.

[A retreat is sounded.

The trumpet sounds retreat; the day is ours.
Come, brother, let us to the highest of the field,
To see what friends are living, who are dead.

[Exeunt Prince of Wales and Lancaster.

FAL. I'll follow, as they say, for reward. He that rewards me, God reward him! If I do grow great, I'll grow less; for I'll purge, and leave sack, and live cleanly as a nobleman should do.

[Exit.

160

SCENE V ANOTHER PART OF THE FIELD

The trumpets sound.

Enter the KING, Prince of Wales, LORD JOHN OF LANCASTER, EARL OF WESTMORELAND, with WORCESTER and VERNON prisoners

KING. Thus ever did rebellion find rebuke.
Ill-spirited Worcester! did not we send grace,
Pardon and terms of love to all of you?
And wouldst thou turn our offers contrary?
Misuse the tenour of thy kinsman's trust?
Three knights upon our party slain to-day,
A noble earl and many a creature else
Had been alive this hour,

If like a Christian thou hadst truly borne

Betwixt our armies true intelligence.

WOR. What I have done my safety urged me to;

2 Ill-spirited] Of evil disposition.

10

And I embrace this fortune patiently,

Since not to be avoided it falls on me.

KING. Bear Worcester to the death, and Vernon too: Other offenders we will pause upon.

How goes the field?

[Exeunt Worcester and Vernon, guarded.

PRINCE. The noble Scot, Lord Douglas, when he saw The fortune of the day quite turn'd from him,

The noble Percy slain, and all his men
Upon the foot of fear, fled with the rest;
And falling from a hill, he was so bruised
That the pursuers took him. At my tent
The Douglas is; and I beseech your grace
I may dispose of him.

KING.

With all my heart.

PRINCE. Then, brother John of Lancaster, to you This honourable bounty shall belong:

Go to the Douglas, and deliver him

20

Up to his pleasure, ransomless and free:
His valour shown upon our crests to-day

Hath taught us how to cherish such high deeds
Even in the bosom of our adversaries.

LAN. I thank your grace for this high courtesy, Which I shall give away immediately.

KING. Then this remains, that we divide our power. You, son John, and my cousin Westmoreland

15 pause upon] postpone sentence on.

20 Upon the foot of fear] Rushing off in fear.

29 shown... crests] attested by the marks of his blows on our helmets. 32-33 I thank . . . immediately] These two lines appear only in the first four Quartos. They are omitted by the Folios.

30

Towards York shall bend you with your dearest speed,
To meet Northumberland and the prelate Scroop,
Who, as we hear, are busily in arms:

Myself and you, son Harry, will towards Wales,
To fight with Glendower and the Earl of March.
Rebellion in this land shall lose his sway,
Meeting the check of such another day:
And since this business so fair is done,
Let us not leave till all our own be won.

36 dearest speed] utmost haste.

[Exeunt.

40

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