Tuesday morning; got with swearing 'Lay by' and spent with crying 'Bring in ;' now in as low an ebb as the foot of the ladder, and by and by in as high a flow as the ridge of the gallows. Fal. By the Lord, thou sayest true, lad. And is not my hostess of the tavern a most sweet wench? 39 Prince. As the honey of Hybla, my old lad of the castle. And is not a buff jerkin a most sweet robe of durance? Fal. How now, how now, mad wag! what, in thy quips and thy quiddities? what a plague have I to do with a buff jerkin? 45 Prince. Why, what a pox have I to do with my hostess of the tavern? Fal. Well, thou hast called her to a reckoning many a time and oft. Prince. Did I ever call for thee to pay thy part? 50 Fal. No; I'll give thee thy due, thou hast paid all there. Prince. Yea, and elsewhere, so far as my coin would stretch; and where it would not, I have used my credit. 54 Fal. Yea, and so used it that, were it not here apparent that thou art heir apparent-But, I prithee, sweet wag, shall there be gallows standing in England when thou 34 Lay by'] Layd by F,F,F4. lug out Hanmer 36 ridge]ride FF3F4. tide Rowe (ed. 2). of the castle] of Castile quoted by 40 As the] Qq. As is the Ff. As Collier MS. of Hybla] Qq. Omitted in Ff. 43 How now] How how F2. How, how F3F4 what, in] what in Q1Q5QqFf. 48 called her] been called by her Bubier conj. 50 for thee] thee for F 55 were it not] Qq. were it Ff. it is Collier MS. 56 heir] th' heir Anon. conj. apparent-But] Rowe. apparant. art king? and resolution thus fobbed as it is with the rusty curb of old father antic the law? Do not thou, when thou art king, hang a thief. Prince. No; thou shalt. 60 Fal. Shall I? O rare! By the Lord, I'll be a brave judge. Prince. Thou judgest false already: I mean, thou shalt have the hanging of the thieves and so become a rare hangman. 66 Fal. Well, Hal, well; and in some sort it jumps with my humour as well as waiting in the court, I can tell you. Prince. For obtaining of suits? Fal. Yea, for obtaining of suits, whereof the hangman hath no lean wardrobe. 'Sblood, I am as melancholy as a gib cat or a lugged bear. Prince. Or an old lion, or a lover's lute. 72 Fal. Yea, or the drone of a Lincolnshire bagpipe. Prince. What sayest thou to a hare, or the melancholy of Moor-ditch? 76 Fal. Thou hast the most unsavoury similes, and art indeed the most comparative, rascalliest, sweet young prince. But, Hal, I prithee, trouble me no more with vanity. I would to God thou and I knew where a commodity of good names were to be bought. An old lord of the council rated me the other day in the street about you, sir, but I marked him not; and yet he talked very wisely, but I regarded him not; and yet he talked wisely, and in the street too. 85 Prince. Thou didst well; for wisdom cries out in the streets, and no man regards it. Fal. O, thou hast damnable iteration, and art indeed able to corrupt a saint. [Thou hast done much harm upon me, Hal; God forgive thee for it! Before I knew thee, Hal, I knew nothing; and now am I, if a man should speak truly, little better than one of the wicked. I must give over this life, and I will give it over: by the Lord, an I do not, I am a villain: I'll be damned for never a king's son in Christendom. 95 Prince. Where shall we take a purse to-morrow, Jack? Fal. 'Zounds, where thou wilt, lad; I'll make one; an I do not, call me villain and baffle me. Prince. I see a good amendment of life in thee; from praying to purse-taking. 100 Fal. Why, Hal, 'tis my vocation, Hal; 'tis no sin for a man to labour in his vocation. Enter POINS. Poins! Now shall we know if Gadshill have set a match. O, if men were to be saved by merit, what hole in hell 84 but......talked wisely,] Omitted by Rowe (ed. 2). 85 and in] in Q8Q7Q8° 86, 87 wisdom...and] Omitted in Ff. 87 streets] Qq. street Pope. 88 iteration] attraction Hanmer. irrit ation Heath conj. 89 upon] Q1 unto The rest. 91 am I] I am Ff. 93 over: by the Lord,] Qq. over by the lord; Pope. by the Lord] Omitted in Ff. an] Pope. and QqFf. 97 'Zounds] Omitted in Ff. 98 an] Q1Qg and The rest. 103 SCENE III. Pope. Enter Poins.] Enter Poines. Qq. Poins Poynes Q1 Poynes, Q2- match] Qq. Watch Ff. were hot enough for him? This is the most omnipotent villain that ever cried Stand' to a true man. Prince. Good morrow, Ned. 106 Poins. Good morrow, sweet Hal. What says Monsieur Remorse? what says Sir John Sack and Sugar? Jack! how agrees the devil and thee about thy soul, that thou soldest him on Good Friday last for a cup of Madeira and a cold capon's leg? 112 Prince. Sir John stands to his word, the devil shall have his bargain; for he was never yet a breaker of proverbs: he will give the devil his due. 115 Poins. Then art thou damned for keeping thy word Iwith the devil. Prince. Else he had been damned for cozening the devil. 119 Poins. But, my lads, my lads, to-morrow morning, by four o'clock, early at Gadshill! there are pilgrims going to Canterbury with rich offerings, and traders riding to London with fat purses: I have vizards for you all; you have horses for yourselves: Gadshill lies to-night in Rochester: I have bespoke supper to-morrow night in Eastcheap we may do it as secure as sleep. If you will go, I will stuff your purses full of crowns; if you will not, tarry at home and be hanged. Fal. Hear ye, Yedward; if I tarry at home and go not, I'll hang you for going. Poins. You will, chops? Fal. Hal, wilt thou make one? 109, 110 Sugar? Jack !] Rowe. Sugar F3F4. 110 agrees...thee] agree...thou Pope. 114 yet] om. Q.Q7Q8 130 115 he...due] Printed in italics in Ff. 129 ye] me Steevens (1793). Prince. Who, I rob? I a thief? not I, by my faith. Fal. There's neither honesty, manhood, nor good fellowship in thee, nor thou camest not of the blood royal, if thou darest not stand for ten shillings. 136 Prince. Well then, once in my days I'll be a madcap. Fal. Why, that's well said. Prince. Well, come what will, I'll tarry at home. Fal. By the Lord, I'll be a traitor then, when thou art king. Prince. I care not. 141 145 Poins. Sir John, I prithee, leave the prince and me alone I will lay him down such reasons for this adventure that he shall go. Fal. Well, God give thee the spirit of persuasion and him the ears of profiting, that what thou speakest may move and what he hears may be believed, that the true prince may, for recreation sake, prove a false thief; for the poor abuses of the time want countenance. Farewell: you shall find me in Eastcheap. 151 Prince. Farewell, thou latter spring! farewell, Allhallown summer! [Exit Falstaff. Poins. Now, my good sweet honey lord, ride with us to-morrow: I have a jest to execute that I cannot manage alone. Falstaff, Bardolph, Peto and Gadshill shall rob those men that we have already waylaid; |