Fal. These fellows will do well, master Shal-As might hold sortances with his quality, low. God keep you, master Silence; I will not The which he could not levy; whereupon use many words with you :-Fare you well, gentle-He is retir'd, to ripe his growing fortunes, men both: I thank you: I must a dozen mile to-To Scotland: and concludes in hearty prayers, night.-Bardolph, give the soldiers coats. That your attempts may overlive the hazard, And fearful meeting of their opposite. Mowb. Thus do the hopes we have in him touch And dash themselves to pieces. Hast. out. Let us sway on, and face them in the field. Arch. What well-appointed leader fronts us Mowb. I think, it is my lord of Westmoreland. Shal. Sir John, heaven bless you, and prosper your affairs, and send us peace! As you return, visit my house; let our old acquaintance be renewed: peradventure, I will with you to the court. Fal. I would you would, master Shallow. Shal. Go to; I have spoke, at a word. Fare you well. [Exeunt Shallow and Silence. Fal. Fare you well, gentle gentlemen. On, Bardolph; lead the men away. [Exeunt Bardolph, Recruits, &c.] As I return, I will fetch off these justices: I do see the bottom of Justice Shallow. Lord, lord, how subject we old men are to this vice of lying! This same starved justice hath done nothing but prate to me of the wildness of his youth, and the feats he hath done about Turnbullstreet; and every third word a lie, duer paid to the hearer than the Turk's tribute. I do remember him at Clement's-Inn, like a man made after supper of a cheese-paring: when he was naked, he was, for all the world, like a forked radish, with a head fantastically carved upon it with a knife: he was so forlorn, that his dimensions to any thick sight were invisible: he was the very genius of famine; yet lecherous as a monkey, and the whores called him-mandrake: he came ever in the rear-Unto your grace do I in chief address ward of the fashion; and sung those tunes to the The substance of my speech. If that rebellion over-scutched huswives that he heard the carmen Came like itself, in base and abject routs, whistle, and sware-they were his fancies, or his Led on by bloody youth, guarded with rage, good-nights.2 And now is this Vice's daggers be- And countenanc'd by boys, and beggary; come a squire; and talks as familiarly of John of I say, if damn'd commotion so appear'd, Gaunt, as if he had been sworn brother to him: In his true, native, and most proper shape, and I'll be sworn he never saw him but once in the You, reverend father, and these noble lords, Tilt-yard; and then he burst his head, for crowd- Had not been here, to dress the ugly form ing among the marshal's men. I saw it; and told Of base and bloody insurrection John of Gaunt, he beat his own name : 5 for you With your fair honours. You, lord archbishop,-might have truss'd him, and all his apparel, into an Whose see is by a civil peace maintain'd; eel-skin; the case of a treble hautboy was a man- Whose beard the silver hand of peace hath touch'd; sion for him, a court; and now has he land and Whose learning and good letters peace hath tutor❜d; beeves. Well; I will be acquainted with him, if Whose white investments figure innocence, I return: and it shall go hard, but I will make him The dove and very blessed spirit of peace,a philosopher's two stones to me: If the young dace Wherefore do you so ill translate yourself, be a bait for the old pike, I see no reason, in the Out of the speech of peace, that bears such grace, law of nature, but I may snap at him. Let time Into the harsh and boist'rous tongue of war? shape, and there an end. [Exit. Turning your books to graves, your ink to blood, Your pens to lances; and your tongue divine To a loud trumpet, and a point of war? Arch. What is this forest call'd? Arch. Here stand, my lords; and send discov- To know the numbers of our enemies. 'Tis well done. (1) In Clerkenwell. (2) Titles of little poems. (3) A wooden dagger like that used by the modern harlequin. Then, my lord, Arch. Wherefore do I this?-so the question Briefly to this end :-We are all diseas'd; And find our griefs heavier than our offences. We see which way the stream of time doth run, Arch. My brother general, the commonwealth, West. There is no need of any such redress; West. The earl of Hereford was reputed then Cried hate upon him; and all their prayers, and Were set on Hereford, whom they doted on, offer: And it proceeds from policy, not love. West. Mowbray, you overween,5 to take it so; Mowb. Well, by my will, we shall admit no West. That argues but the shame of your offence: Hast. Hath the prince John a full commission, West. That is intended in the general's name: I muse,8 you make so slight a question. For this contains our general grievances :- All members of our cause, both here and hence, In sight of both our battles we may meet: My lord, we will do so. peace Upon such large terms, and so absolute, Who knows, on whom fortune would then have We shall be winnow'd with so rough a wind, smil'd? But, if your father had been victor there, He ne'er had borne it out of Coventry : For all the country, in a general voice, (1) Lances. (2) Helmets, (3) The eye-holes of helmets. (4) Truncheon. (5) Think too highly. (6) Sight. That even our corn shall seem as light as chaff, Arch. No, no, my lord; Note this,—the king is (7) Understood. (8) Wonder. (9) Inventory. (12) The faith due to a king. Of dainty and such picking! grievances: To new remembrance: For full well he knows, In deeds dishonourable? You have taken up, Arch. Good my lord of Lancaster, I am not here against your father's peace: The which hath been with scorn shov'd from the Whereon this Hydra son of war is born: Whose dangerous eyes may well be charm'd asleep, Hast. Besides, the king hath wasted all his rods || And true obedience of this madness cur'd, On late offenders, that he now doth lack Arch. Our peace will, like a broken limb united, Mowb. Be it so. Arch. Before, and greet his grace :-my lord, [Exeunt. SCENE II-Another part of the forest. Enter, from one side, Mowbray, the Archbishop. Hastings, and others: from the other side. Prince John of Lancaster, Westmoreland, officers, and attendants. Stoop tamely to the foot of majesty. Mowb. If not, we ready are to try our fortunes Hast. P. John. You are too shallow, Hastings, much To sound the bottom of the after-times. West. Pleaseth your grace, to answer them di fectly, How far forth you do like their articles? And swear here by the honour of my blood, ties, As we will ours: and here, between the armies, P. John. You are well encounter'd here, my Let's drink together friendly, and embrace; cousin Mowbray : Good day to you, gentle lord archbishop ;- (1) Piddling, insignificant. (4) Labours of thought. That all their eyes may bear those tokens home, Arch. I take your princely word for these re- P. John. I give it you, and will maintain my word: And thereupon I drink unto your grace. Hast. Go, captain, [To an officer.] and deliver to the army tain. This news of peace; let them have pay, and part; I have bestow'd, to breed this present peace, Mowb. This had been cheerful, after victory. P. John. Re-enter Westmoreland. Now, cousin, wherefore stands our army still? West. The leaders, having charge from you to stand, Cole. Are not you sir John Falstaff? Fal. As good a man as he, sir, whoe'er I am. Do ye yield, sir? or shall I sweat for you? If I do sweat, they are drops of thy lovers, and they weep for thy death: therefore rouse up fear and trembling, and do observance to my mercy. Cole. I think, you are sir John Falstaff; and, in that thought, yield me. Fal. I have a whole school of tongues in this belly of mine; and not a tongue of them all speaks any other word but my name. An I had but a belly of any indifferency, I were simply the most active fellow in Europe: My womb, my womb, my womb, undoes me.-Here comes our general. Enter Prince John of Lancaster, Westmoreland, and others. P. John. The heat is past, follow no further now ; Call in the powers, good cousin Westmoreland.- Fal. I would be sorry, my lord, but it should be thus; I never knew yet, but rebuke and check was the reward of valour. Do you think me a swallow, an arrow, or a bullet? have I, in my poor and old motion, the expedition of thought? I have speeded hither with the very extremest inch of possibility; I have foundered nine-score and odd posts: and here, travel-tainted as I am, have, in m pure and Hast. My lord, our army is dispers'd already immaculate valour, taken sir John Colevile of the Like youthful steers2 unyok'd, they take their Will not go off until they hear you speak. courses Re-enter Hastings. : East, west, north, south; or, like a school broke up, P. John. I do arrest thee, traitor, of high treason:- [Exeunt. SCENE III-Another part of the Forest.- Fal. What's your name, sir? of what condition are you; and of what place, I pray? dale, a most furious knight, and valorous enemy: P. John. It was more of his courtesy than your deserving. Fal. I know not; here he is, and here I yield him: and I beseech your grace, let it be booked with the rest of this day's deeds; or, by the Lord, I will have it in a particular ballad else, with mine own picture on the top of it, Colevile kissing my foot: To the which course if I be enforced, if you do not all show like gilt two-pences to me; and I, in the clear sky of fame, o'ershine you as much as the full moon doth the cinders of the element, which show like pins' heads to her; believe not the word of the noble: therefore let me have right, and let desert mount. P. John. Thine's too heavy to mount. P. John. Thine's too thick to shine. Cole. It is, my lord. Cole. I am a knight, sir; and my name is thou, like a kind fellow, gavest thyself away; and Colevile of the dale. I thank thee for thee. To York, to present execution :- And now despatch we toward the court, my I hear, the king my father is sore sick : report. P. John. Fare you well, Falstaff: I in my condition,2 Shall better speak of you than you deserve. [Exit. Fal. I would you had but the wit; 'twere better than your dukedom.-Good faith, this same young sober-blooded boy doth not love me; nor a man cannot make him laugh;-but that's no marvel, he drinks no wine. There's never any of these demure boys come to any proof: for thin drink doth 80 over-cool their blood, and making many fishmeals, that they fall into a kind of male green-sickness; and then, when they marry, they get wenches: they are generally fools and cowards;-which some of us should be too, but for inflammation. A good sherris-sack hath a two-fold operation in it: it ascends me into the brain; dries me there all the foolish, and dull, and crudy vapours which environ it makes it apprehensive, quick, forgetive, full of nimble, fiery, and delectable shapes; which delivered o'er to the voice (the tongue,) which is the birth, becomes excellent wit. The second property of your excellent sherris is,--the warming of the blood; which, before cold and settled, left the liver white and pale, which is the badge of pusillanimity and cowardice: but the sherris warms it, and makes it course from the inwards to the parts extreme. It illumineth the face; which, as a beacon, gives warning to all the rest of this little kingdom, man, to arm and then the vital commoners, and inland petty spirits, muster me all to their captain, the heart; who, great, and puffed up with this retinue, doth any deed of courage; and this valour comes of sherris: So that skill in the weapon is nothing, without sack; for that sets it a-work and learning, a mere hoard of gold kept by a devil; till sack commences it, and sets it in act and use. Hereof comes it, that prince Harry is valiant for the cold blood he did naturally inherit of his father, he hath, like lean, steril, and bare land, manured, husbanded, and tilled, with excellent endeavour of drinking good, and good store of fertile sherris, that he is become very hot, and valiant. If I had a thousand sons, the first human principle I would teach them, should be, to forswear thin potations, and addict themselves to sack. SCENE IV-Westminster. A room in the palace. Enter King Henry, Clarence, Prince Humphrey, Warwick, and others. K. Hen. Now, lords, if heaven doth give success- To this debate that bleedeth at our doors, K. Hen. Humphrey, my son of Gloster, K. Hen. And how accompanied? P. Humph. No, my good lord; he is in presence Cla. What would my lord and father? K. Hen. Nothing but well to thee, Thomas of How chance, thou art not with the prince thy Clarence. brother? He loves thee, and thou dost neglect him, Thomas; Cla. I shall observe him with all care and love. Cla. He is not there to-day; he dines in London. Cla. With Poins, and other his continual followers. K. Hen. Most subject is the fattest soil to weeds; (6) Ready, prepared. (7) Has an attention shown him. |