P. Hen. I say, 'tis copper: darest thou be as good as thy word now? Fal. Rare words! brave world!- -Hostess, [Exit. Fal. Why, Hal, thou knowest, as thou art but O, I could wish, this tavern were my drum. man, I dare: but, as thou art prince, I fear thee, as I fear the roaring of the lion's whelp. P. Hen. And why not, as the lion? Fal. The king himself is to be feared as the lion: Dost thou think, I'll fear thee as I fear thy father? nay, an I do, I pray God, my girdle break! P. Hen. O, if it should, how would thy guts fall about thy knees! Bat, sirrah, there's no room for faith, truth, nor honesty, in this bosom of thine; it is filled up with guts, and midriff. Charge an honest woman with picking thy pocket! Why, thou whoreson, impudent embossed rascal, if there were any thing in thy pocket but tavernreckonings, memorandums of bawdy-houses, and one poor penny-worth of sugar-candy to make thee long winded; if thy pocket were enriched with any other injuries but these, I am a villain. And yet you will stand to it; you will not pocket up wrong: Art thou not ashamed? Fal. Dost thou hear, Hal? thou knowest, in the state of innocency, Adam fell; and what should poor Jack Falstaff do, in the days of villany? Thou seest, I have more flesh than another man; and therefore more frailty.then, you picked my pocket? You confess P. Hen. It appears so by the story. Fal. Hostess, I forgive thee: Go, make ready breakfast; love thy husband, look to thy servants, cherish thy guests: thou shalt find me tractable to any honest reason: thou seest I am pacifiedStill-Nay, pr'ythee, be gone, [Exit HOSTESS.] Now, Hal, to the news at court: for the robbery, lad,-How is that answered? P. Hen. O, my sweet beef, I must still be good angel to thee :-The money is paid back again. Fal. O, I do not like that paying back, 'tis a double labour. P. Hen. I am good friends with my father, and may do any thing. Fal. Rob me the exchequer the first thing thou doest, and do it with unwashed hands too. Bard. Do, my lord. P. Hen. I have procured thee, Jack, a charge of foot. ACT IV. SCENE I.—The Rebel Camp near Shrewsbury. Enter HOTSPUR, WORCESTER, and DOUGLAS. Hot. Well said, my noble Scot: if speaking In this fine age, were not thought flattery, Hot. Do so, and 'tis well : Enter a MESSENGER, with letters. In you. Mess. These letters come from your father,Hot. Letters from him! why comes he not himself? Mess. He cannot come, my lord; he's grievous sick. Hot. 'Zounds! how has he the leisure to be sick, such a justling time? Who leads his power?} And at the time of my departure thence, Wor. I would, the state of time had first been Ere he by sickness had been visited; Fal. I would, it had been of horse. Where Bard. My lord. He writes me here, that inward sickness- P. Hen. Go bear this letter to lord John of Yet doth he give us bold advertisement, Lancaster, My brother John; this to my lord of Westmore- Go, Poins, to horse, to horse; for thou, and I, Meet me to-morrow i' the temple hall At two o'clock i' the afternoon: That with our small conjunction, we should on, Wor. Your father's sickness is a maim to us. There shalt thou know thy charge; and there Seems more than we shall find it :-Were it receive Money, and order for their furniture. [Exeunt PRINCE, POINS, and Bardolph. * Swoln, puffy. good, To set the exact wealth of all our states *This expression is applied by way of pre-eminence to the head of the Douglas family. † Disdain. Meet him face to face. Forces. || Languishing. ¶ Informed. It were not good: for therein should we read Doug. 'Faith, and so we should! A comfort of retirement lives in this. Hot. A rendezvous, a home to fly unto, If that the devil and mischance look big Upon the maidenhead of our affairs. [here, Wor. But yet, I would your father had been Of our proceedings, kept the earl from hence; Hot. You strain too far. I, rather, of his absence make this use ;- Spoke of in Scotland, as this term of fear. Enter Sir RICHARD VERNON. Hot. My cousin Vernon! welcome, by my soul. The earl of Westmoreland, seven thousand strong, Hot. No harm: What more? son, The nimble-footed mad-cap prince of Wales, To turn and wind a fiery Pegasus, in March, This praise doth nourish agues. Let them come; Ver. There is more news: I learn'd in Worcester, as I rode along, Bard. I will, captain: farewell. [Exit. Fal. If I be not ashamed of my soldiers, I am a souced gurnet. I have misused the king's press Where is his damnably. I have got, in exchange of a hundred and fifty soldiers, three hundred and odd pounds. I press me none but good householders, yeomen's sons: inquire me out contracted bachelors, such as had been asked twice on the bans; such a commodity of warm slaves, as had as lief hear the devil as a drum: such as fear the report of a caliver, worse than a struck fowl, or a hurt wild duck. I pressed me none but such toasts and butter, with hearts in their bellies no bigger than pins' heads, and they have bought out their services; and now my whole charge consists of ancients, corporals, lieutenants, gentlemen of companies, slaves as ragged as Lazarus in the painted cloth, where the glutton's dogs licked his sores: and such as, indeed, were never soldiers; but discarded unjust serving-men, younger sons to younger brothers, revolted tapsters, and ostlers trade-fallen; the cankers of a calm world, and a long peace; ten times more dishonourably Ver. All furnish'd, all in arms, * Line. The complexion, the character. † Whereas. Threw off. ** Armour. 1 ragged than an old faced ancient:* and such have 1, to fill up the rooms of them that have bought out their services, that you would think, that I had a hundred and fifty tattered prodigals, lately come from swine-keeping, from eating draff and husks. A mad fellow met me on the way, and told me, I had unloaded all the gibbets, and pressed the dead bodies. No eye hath seen such scare-crows. I'll not march through Coventry with them, that's flat:-Nay, and the villains march wide betwixt the legs, as if they had gyvest on; for, indeed, I had the most of them out of prison. There's but a shirt and a half in all my company: and the half shirt is two napkins, tacked together, and thrown over the shoulders like a herald's coat without sleeves; and the shirt, to say the truth, stolen from my host at Saint Alban's, or the red-nose inu-keeper of Daintry.‡ But that's all one; they'll find linen enough on every hedge. Enter Prince HENRY and WESTMORELAND. P. Hen. How now, blown Jack? how now, quilt? Fal. What, Hal? How now, mad wag? what a devil dost thou in Warwickshire?-My good lord of Westmoreland, I cry you mercy; I thought, your honour had already been at Shrewsbury. West. 'Faith, Sir John, 'tis more than time that I were there, and you too; but my powers are there already: The king, I can tell you, looks for us all; we must away all night. Fal. Tut, never fear me; I am as vigilant as a cat to steal cream. P. Hen. I think, to steal cream indeed; for thy theft hath already made thee butter. But tell me, Jack; Whose fellows are these that come after? Fal. Mine, Hal, mine. P. Hen. I did never see such pitiful rascals. Fal. Tut, tut; good enough to toss; food for powder, food for powder; they'll fill a pit, as well as better; tush, man, mortal men, mortal men. West. Ay, but, Sir John, methinks they are exceeding poor and bare; too beggarly. Fal. Faith, for their poverty,-I know not where they had that: and for their bareness, I am sure, they never learned that of me. P. Hen. No, I'll be sworn; unless you call three fingers on the ribs, bare. But, sirrah, make haste; Percy is already in the field. Fal. What, is the king encamped? West. He is, Sir John; I fear, we shall stay too long. Fal. Well, To the latter end of a fray, and the beginning of a feast, Fits a dull fighter, and a keen guest. [Exeunt. SCENE III-The Rebel Camp, near Shrews bury. Hot. His is certain, ours is doubtful. Wor. Good cousin, be advis'd; stir not tonight. Ver. Do not, my lord. Doug. You do not counsel well; You speak it out of fear, and cold heart. Ver. Do me no slander, Douglas: by my life, (And I dare well maintain it with my life,) If well respected honour bid me on, I hold as little counsel with weak fear, As you, my lord, or any Scot that lives :Let it be seen to-morrow in the battle, Which of us fears. I Doug. Yea, or to-night. Ver. Content. Hot. To-night, say I. Ver. Come, come, it may not be. wonder much, being men of such great leading, That you foresee not what impediments Drag back our expedition: Certain horse Of my cousin Vernon's are not yet come up: Your uncle Worcester's horse came but to-day; And now their pride and mettle is asleep, Their courage with hard labour tame and dull, That not a horse is half the half himself. Hot. So are the horses of the enemy In general, journey-bated, and brought low; The better part of ours is full of rest. Wor. The number of the king exceedeth ours: For God's sake, cousin, stay till all come in. [The trumpet sounds a parley. Enter Sir Walter Blunt. Blunt. I come with gracious offers from the king, If you vouchsafe me hearing, and respect. You were of our determination! Blunt. And God defend, but still I should stand So, So long as, out of limit and true rule, Hot. The king is kind; and, well we know, the king Knows at what time to promise, when to pay. Enter HOTSPUR, WORCESTER, DOUGLAS, and And,-when he was not six and twenty strong, VERNON. Hot. We'll fight with him to-night. Wor. It may not be. Doug. You give him then advantage. Ver. Not a whit. Sick in the world's regard, wretched and low, Hot. Why say you so? looks he not for sup- He came but to be duke of Lancaster, Ver. So do we. With tears of innocency, and terms of zeal,-- In short time after, he deposed the king; Blunt. Shall I return this answer to the king? Go to the king; and let there be impawn'd As I am truly given to understand, The king, with mighty and quick-raised power, Meets with lord Harry: and I fear, Sir Michael,What with the sickness of Northumberland, (Whose power was in the first proportion,) And what with Owen Glendower's absence, thence, (Who with them was a rated sinew too,* And comes not in, o'er-rul'd by prophecies,)I fear, the power of Percy is too weak To wage an instant trial with the king. Gent. Why, good my lord, you need not fear; there's Douglas, And Mortimer. Arch. No, Mortimer's not there. Gent. But there is Mordake, Vernon, lord Harry Percy, And there's my lord of Worcester; and a head Of gallant warriors, noble gentlemen. Arch. And so there is: but yet the king hath drawn The special head of all the land together ;- Gent. Doubt not, my lord, they shall be well oppos'd. Arch. I hope no less, yet needful 'tis to fear; And, to prevent the worst, Sir Michael, speed: For, if lord Percy thrive not, ere the king Dismiss his power, he means to visit us,➡ For he hath heard of our confederacy,And 'tis but wisdom to make strong against him; Therefore, make haste: I must go write again To other friends; and so farewell, Sir Michael. [Exeunt severally. ACT V. SCENE I.-The King's Camp near Shrewsbury. Enter King HENRY, Prince HENRY, Prince JOHN of Lancaster, Sir WALTER BLUNT, and Sir JOHN FALSTAFF. K. Hen. How bloodily the sun begins to peer P. Hen. The southern wind K. Hen. Then with the losers let it sympathize, For nothing can seem foul to those that win. Trumpet.-Enter WORCESTER and VERNON. How now, my lord of Worcester? 'tis not well, That you and I should meet upon such terms As now we meet: You have deceiv'd our trust; And made us doff our easy robes of peace, To crush our old limbs in ungentle steel: This is not well, my lord, this is not well. What say you to't? will you again unknit This churlish knot of all-abhorred war? And move in that obedient orb again, Where you would give a fair and natural light; And be no more an exhal'd meteor, A prodigy of fear, and a portent Of broached mischief to the unborn times? For mine own part, I could be well content * A strength on which they reckoned, † Woody. I have not sought the day of this dislike. K. Hen. You have not sought for it! how comes it then? Fal. Rebellion lay in his way, and he found it. P. Hen Peace, chewet,* peace. Wor. It pleas'd your majesty, to turn your looks Of favour, from myself, and all our house; In Richard's time; and posted day and night What with the injuries of a wanton time; That even our love durst not come near your sight, For fear of swallowing; but with nimble wing Out of your sight, and raise this present head: K. Hen. These things, indeed, you have ar- Proclaim'd at market-crosses, read in churches; And never yet did insurrection want P. Hen. In both our armies, there is many a Shall pay full dearly for this encounter, To grace this latter age with noble deeds. K. Hen. And, prince of Wales, so dare we venture thee, Albeit, considerations infinite Do make against it :-No, good Worcester, no, [Exeunt WORCESTER and VERNON. P. Hen. It will not be accepted, on my life: The Douglas and the Hotspur together Are confident against the world in arms. K. Hen. Hence, therefore, every leader to his charge; For, on their answer, will we set on them; [Exeunt KING, BLUNT, and Prince JOHN. Fal. Hal, if thou see me down in the battle, and bestride me, so; 'tis a point of friendship. P. Hen. Nothing but a colossus can do thee that friendship. Say thy prayers, and farewell. Fal. I would it were bed-time, Hal, and all well. P. Hen. Why, thou owest God a death. [Exit. Fal. 'Tis not due yet; I would be loath to pay him before his day. What need I be so forward with him that calls not on me? Well, 'tis no matter; Honour pricks me on. Yea, but how if honour pricks me off when I come on; how then? Can honour set a leg? No. Or an arm? No. Or take away the grief of a wound? No. Honour hath no skill in surgery then? No. What is honour? A word. What is in that word, honour? What is that honour? Air. A trim reckoning!-Who hath it? He that died o' Wedmesday. Doth he feel it? No. Doth he hear it? No. Is it insensible then? Yea, to the dead. But will it not live with the living? No. Why? Detraction will not suffer it :-therefore I'll none of it: Honour is a mere scutcheon,* and so ends my catechism. [Exit. SCENE II-The Rebel Camp.-Enter WORCESTER and VERNON. Wor. O, no, my nephew must not know, Sir The liberal kind offer of the king. Wor. Then are we all undone. |