Gads. That's even as fair as-at hand, quoth the chamberlain for thou variest no more from picking of purses, than giving direction doth from labouring; thou lay'st the plot how.

Cham. Good morrow, mafter Gads-hill. It holds current, that I told you yesternight: There's a franklin in the wild of Kent, hath brought three hundred marks with him in gold: I heard him tell it to one of his company, laft night at fupper; a kind of auditor; one that hath abundance of charge too, God knows what. They are up already, and call for eggs and butter: They will away presently.

Gads. Sirrah, if they meet not with faint Nicholas' clerks, I'll give thee this neck.

Cham. No, I'll none of it: I pr'ythee, keep that for the hangman; for, I know, thou worship'ft faint Nicholas as truly as a man of falfhood may.

f

Gads. What talk'ft thou to me of the hangman? if I hang, I'll make a fat pair of gallows: for, if I hang, old fir John hangs with me; and, thou know'ft, he's no starveling. Tut! there are other Trojans that thou dream'ft not of, the which, for fport fake, are content to do the profeffion fome grace; that would, if matters fhould be look'd into, for their own credit fake, make all whole. I am join'd with no foot land-rakers, no longftaff, fix-penny strikers; none of these mad, mustachio, Furple-hu'd malt-worms: but with nobility, and tran

a franklin]-a yeoman.

faint Nicholas' clerks]—or knights, a cant name for robbers, as Old Nick is for the devil. f Trojans]-thieves. LOVE'S LABOUR LOST, Vol. I. p. 618 and 619. King and Coft. & no foot land-rakers, &c.]-no foot pads, no fellows that infeft the roads with long ftaves, and ftop men for fixpence.

h

muftachio, purple-hu'd mali-worms:]-red faced tipplers, with whiskers.

quillity;

quillity; burgomasters, and great oneyers; such as can * hold in; fuch as will ftrike fooner than speak, and speak fooner than drink, and drink fooner than

pray: And yet I lie; for they pray continually unto their faint, the commonwealth; or, rather, not pray to her, but prey on her; for they ride up and down on her, and make her their 1 boots.

Cham. What, the common-wealth their boots? m will fhe hold out water in foul way ?

Gads. She will, fhe will; juftice hath liquor'd her. We fteal as in a caftle, cock-fure; we have the receipt of fern-feed, we walk invisible.

Cham. Nay, by my faith; I think, you are more beholden to the night, than to fern-feed, for your walking invisible.

Gads. Give me thy hand: thou fhalt have a fhare in our purchase, as I am a true man.

Cham. Nay, rather let me have it, as you are a false thief.

P

Gads. Go to; Homo is a common name to all men.— Bid the oftler bring my gelding out of the ftable. Farewell, you muddy knave. [Exeunt.

oneyers; officers of the exchequer-moncyers, officers of the mint, or bankers; mynbeers; feigniors.

bold in ; &c.]-fuch as will flick to their game; or close to one an other, not peach :-such as will take a purfe without hub-bub; and though rather apt to preach over their liquor, are more inclined to drink than to pray. boats,]-booty.

m will she hold out water in foul way? &c.]-help you out at a dead lift? Yes, the chicanery of the law will bring us out of any fcrapes. fern-feed,]-which grows fecretly on the back of the leaf, whence it was fuppofed to convey invifibility.

purchase, acquifition, fpoil." They will feal any thing, and "call it purchase." HENRY V. Act III. S. 2. Boy. P Go to ;]-you might have faid " falie man."

SCENE

SCENE II.

The Road by Gads-bill.

Enter Prince Henry, Poins, and Peto.

Pains. Come, fhelter, shelter; I have remov'd Falstaff's horse, and he frets like a gumm'd velvet.

Fal. Poins! Poins, and be hang'd! Poins!

P. Henry. Peace, ye fat-kidney'd rafcal; What a brawling doft thou keep?

Fal. What, Poins, Hal!

P. Henry. He is walk'd up to the top of the hill; I'll go feek him.

Fal. I am accurft to rob in that thief's company: the rascal hath remov'd my horse, and ty'd him I know not where. If I travel but four foot by the fquare further afoot, I fhall break my wind. Well, I doubt not but to die a fair death for all this, if I 'fcape hanging for killing that rogue. I have forfworn his company hourly any time this two and twenty year, and yet I am bewitch'd with the rogue's company. If the rascal have not given me medicines to make me love him, I'll be hang'd; it could not be elfe; I have drunk medicines.-Poins-Hal! -a plague upon you both!-Bardolph!-Peto!-I'll starve ere ' I'll rob a foot further. An 'twere not as good a deed as drink, to turn true man, and to leave these rogues, I am the verieft varlet that ever chew'd with a tooth.

4 by the Square]-mile, measure, efquierre.

jumps twelve foot and a half by th' Squire.."

WINTER'S TALE, Vol. II. p. 638. Ser. Ill rob]-proceed upon this plan a foot further,

Eight yards of uneven ground, is threefcore and ten miles afoot with me; and the ftony-hearted villains know it well enough: A plague upon't, when thieves cannot be true one to another! [they whistle.] Whew!-A plague upon you all! Give me my horfe, you rogues; give me my horse, and be hang'd.

P. Henry. Peace, ye fat-guts! lye down; lay thine ear close to the ground, and lift if thou canst hear the tread of travellers.

Fal. Have you any levers to lift me up again, being down? 'Sblood, I'll not bear mine own flesh fo far afoot again, for all the coin in thy father's exchequer. What a plague mean ye, to colt me thus ?

P. Henry. Thou lieft, thou art not colted, thou art uncolted.

Fal. I pr'ythee, good prince Hal, help me to my horfe; good king's fon.

P. Henry. Out, you rogue! fhall I be your oftler?

Fal. Go, hang thyfelf in thy own heir-apparent garters! If I be ta'en, I'll peach for this. An I have not ballads made on you all, and fung to filthy tunes, let a cup of fack be my poison: When a jeft is fo 'forward, and afoot too!-I hate it.

Enter Gads-bill and Bardolph.

Gads. Stand.

Fal. So I do, against my will.

Poins. O, 'tis our fetter; I know his voice.

Bardolph, what news?

Bard. Cafe ye, cafe ye; on with your vifors; there's money of the king's coming down the hill, 'tis going to the king's exchequer.

to colt me]-trick, fool.

forward,]-carried fo far.

Fal.

Fal. You lie, you rogue; 'tis going to the king's tavern. Gads. There's enough to make us all,

Fal. To be hang'd.

P. Henry. Sirs, you four fhall front them in the narrow lane; Ned Poins, and I, will walk lower: if they 'scape from your encounter, then they light on us.

Peto. But how many be there of them?

Gads. Some eight, or ten.

Fal. Zounds! will they not rob us?

P. Henry. What, a coward, fir John Paunch?

Fal. Indeed, I am not John of Gaunt, your grandfather; but yet no coward, Hal.

P. Henry. Well, we leave that to the proof.

Poins. Sirrah Jack, thy horfe ftands behind the hedge; when thou need'ft him, there thou fhalt find him. Farewell, and stand fast.

Fal. Now cannot I ftrike him, if I fhould be hang'd. P. Henry. Ned, where are our disguises?

Poins. Here, hard by; ftand clofe.

Fal. Now, my mafters, "happy man be his dole, fay I, every man to his business.

Enter Travellers.

Trav. Come, neighbour; the boy fhall lead our horses. down the hill: we'll walk afoot a while, and ease our legs. Thieves. Stand.

Trav. Jefu blefs us!

Fal. Strike; down with them; cut the villains' throats: Ah! whorefon caterpillars! bacon-fed knaves! they hate us youth down with them; fleece them.

Trav. O, we are undone, both we and ours, for ever.

W

Fal. Hang ye, gorbellied knaves; Are ye undone ?

happy man be bis dole,]-good luck betide us.

TAMING OF THE SHREW, Vol. II. p. 288. Hor. gar bellied-corpulent.

No,