Obrázky stránek
PDF
ePub

the caftle; 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?

P. Henry. Why, what a pox have I to do with my Hostess of the tavern?

Fal. Well, thou haft call'd her to a reckoning many a time and oft.

P. Henry. Did I ever call thee to pay thy part?

Fal. No, I'll give thee thy due, thou hast paid all there.

P. Henry. Yea and elsewhere, fo far as my coin would ftretch; and where it would not, I have us'd my credit.

Fal. Yea, and fo us'd it, that were it not here apparent, that thou art heir apparent—–But, I pr'ythee, sweet wag, fhall there be Gallows standing in England, when thou art King? and refolution thus fobb'd as it is, with the rufty curb of old father antick, the law? Do not thou, when thou art a King, hang a thief.

P. Henry. No: thou fhalt.

Fal. Shall I? O rare! By the Lord, I'll be a brave judge.

coward to boot. The beft is, Sir John Falstaff bath relieved the memory of Sir John Oldcastle, and of late is fubftituted buffoon in his place. Book 4. p. 168. But, to be candid, I believe there was no malice in the matter. ShakeSpear wanted a droll name to his character, and never confidered whom it belonged to: we have a like inftance in the Merry Wives of Windfor, where he calls his French Quack, Caius, a name, at that time, very respectable, as belonging to an eminent and

learned phyfician, one of the founders of Caius College in Cambridge. WARBURTON.

5 And is not a buf jerkin a mft fweet robe of durance?] To understand the propriety of the Prince's answer, it must be remarked that the sheriff's officers were formerly clad in buff. So that when Falstaff asks whether his heftefs is not a fweet wen b, the Prince afks in return, whether it will not be a fweet thing to go to prifon by running in】debi to this feet wench,

I 3

P. Henry.

P. Henry. Thou judgeft falfe already: I mean, thou fhalt have the hanging of the thieves, and fo become a rare hangman.

Fal. Well, Hal, well; and in fome fort it jumps with my humour, as well as waiting in the Court, I can tell you.

[blocks in formation]

For obtaining of fuits?—

Fal. Yea, for obtaining of fuits; whereof the hangman hath no lean wardrobe.

'Sblood, I am as me

lancholy as a 'gib-cat, or a lugg'd bear.

P. Henry. Or an old Lion, or a lover's lute.
Fal. Yea, or the drone of a Lincolnshire bagpipe.
P. Henry. What fay'ft thou to a Hare, or theme-
lancholy of Moor-ditch?

Fal. Thou haft the most unfavoury fimilies; and art, indeed, the most comparative, rafcallieft, fweet young Prince-But, Hal, I pr'ythee, 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 ftreet about you, Sir; but I mark'd him not, and yet he talk'd very wifely, and in the street too.

P. Henry. Thou didst well; for wisdom cries out in the streets, and no man regards it.

Fal. O, thou haft damnable iteration, and art,

6 For obtaining of fuits.] Suit, fpoken of one that attends at court, means a petition; ufed with refpect to the hangman, means the cloaths of the offender. Emasculated? A Gib-cat means, I know not why, an old cat.

8 The melancholy of Moorditch I do not understand, unlefs it may allude to the croaking of frogs.

9 The most comparative.] Sir T. Hanmer, and Dr. Warburton

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

indeed, able to corrupt a faint. Thou haft done much harm unto 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 muft give over this life, and I will give it over; by the lord, an I do not, I am a villain. I'll be damn'd for never a King's fon in chriftendom.

P. Henry. Where shall we take a purse to morrow, Jack?

Fal. Where thou wilt, lad, I'll make one; an I do not, call me villain, and baffle me.

P. Henry. I fee a good amendment of life in thee, from praying to purse-taking.

2

Fal. Why, Hal, 'tis my vocation, Hal. 'Tis no

fpeech a text is very indecently and abufively applied, to which Falfaff anfwers, thou haft damnable iteration, or, a wicked trick of repeating and applying holy

texts. This I think is the meaning.

2 In former Editions: Fal Why, Hal, 'tis my Vocation, Hal. Tis no Sin for a Man to labour in his vocation.

Enter Poins.

Poins. Now fhall we know, if Gads-hill have fet a Match.] Mr. Pepe has given us one fignal Obfervation in his Preface to our Author's Works. Throughout his Plays, fays he, had all the Speeches been printed without the very Names of the Perfons, I believe one might have applied them with Certainty to every Speaker. But how fallible the most fufficient Critick may be, the Paffage in Controverfy is a main Inftance. As fignal a Blunder has efcaped

fin

all the Editors here, as any thro' the whole Set of Plays. Will any one perfuade me, Shakespeare could be guilty of fuch an Inconfiftency, as to make Poins at his firft Entrance want News of Gads-hill, and immediately after to be able to give a full Account of him? -No; Falaff, teeing Poins at hand, turns the Stream of his Difcourfe from the Prince, and fays. Now fhall we know whether Gads bill has fet a Match for Us; and then immediately falls into Railing and Invectives against tons. How admirably is this in Character for Falfaff! And Poins, who knew well his abufive manner, feems in part to overhear him: and fo foon as he has return'd the Prince's Salutation, cries, by way of Answer, What Jays Monfieur Remorfe? What Jays Sir John Sack and Sugar.

THEOBALD. Mr. Theobald has faftened on an I 4 obferva

fin for a Man to labour in his vocation.

Poins!

Now fhall we know, if Gads-hill have fet a match. O, if men were to be fav'd by merit, what hole in hell were hot enough for him!

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors]

Enter Poins.

This is the most omnipotent Villain, that ever cry'd, Stand, to a true Man.

P. Henry. Good morrow, Ned.

Poins. Good morrow, fweet Hal. What fays Monfieur Remorse? what fays Sir John Sack and Sugar? Jack! how agree the devil and thou about thy foul, that thou foldelt him on Good-Friday laft, for a cup of Madera, and a cold capon's leg?

P. Henry. Sir John ftands to his word; the devil fhall have his bargain, for he was never yet a breaker of proverbs; He will give the devil bis due.

Poins. Then thou art damn'd for keeping thy word with the devil.

P. Henry. Elfe he had been damn'd for cozening the devil.

Poins. But, my lads, my lads, to morrow morning, by four o'clock, early at Gads-bill; there are pilgrims going to Canterbury with rich offerings, and traders riding to London with fat purfes. I have vifors for you all; you have horses for yourselves: Gadfbill lies to night in Rochefter, I have bespoke fupper to morrow night in Eaft cheap; we may do it, as fecure as fleep: if you will go, I will ftuff your purses

cbfervation made by Pote, hyperbolical enough, but not contradicted by the erroneous reading in this place, the fpeech not being fo characteristick as to be infallibly applied to the speaker.

Theobald's triumph over the other Editors might have been abated by a confeffion, that the firft edition gave him at leaft a glimpse of the emendation.

full

- full of crowns; if you will not, tarry at home, and

be hang'd.

Fal. Hear ye, redward; if I tarry at home, and go not, I'll hang you for going. Poins. You will, chops?

Fal. Hal, wilt thou make one?

P. Henry. Who, I rob? I a thief? not I, by my

faith.

Fal. There is neither honefty, manhood, nor good fellowship in thee, nor thou cam'ft not of the blood royal, if thou dar'ft not cry, stand, for ten fhillings. P. Henry. Well then, once in my days I'll be a madcap.

Fal. Why, that's well faid.

P. Henry. Well, come what will, I'll tarry at home. Fal. By the lord, I'll be a traitor then when thou art King.

P. Henry. I care not.

Poins. Sir John, I pr'ythee, leave the Prince and me alone; I will lay him down fuch reasons for this adventure, that he fhall go.

Fal. Well, may'st thou have the fpirit of perfuafion, and he the ears of profiting, that what thou fpeak'it may move, and what he hears may be believ'd; that the true Prince may (for recreation-fake,) prove a falfe thief; for the poor abufes of the time want countenance. Farewel, you fhall find me in Eaft-cheap.

P. Henry. Farewel, thou latter fpring! Farewel, all-hallown fummer! [Exit Falstaff. Poins. Now, my good fweet hony lord, ride with us to morrow. I have a jeft to execute, that I cannot manage alone. Falstaff, Bardolph, Peto, and Gadf

4

3 The prefent reading may perhaps be right, but I think it neceffary to remark, that all the old Editions read, if thou dareft

not fand for ten fillings.

bill,

4 In former editions: Falftaff, HARVEY, ROSSIL, and Gads-hill

rob thefe men

that

« PředchozíPokračovat »