bleffed Sun of heav'n prove a micher, and eat blackberries? a question not to be afk'd. Shall the fon of England prove a thief and take purfes? a question to be afk'd. There is a thing, Harry, which thou haft often heard of, and it is known to many in our Land by the name of pitch; this pitch, as ancient writers do report, doth defile; fo doth the company thou keep'ft; for, Harry, now do I not speak to thee in drink, but in tears; not in pleasure, but in paffion; not in words only, but in woes alfo.-And yet there is a virtuous man, whom I have often noted in thy company, but I know not his name.

P. Henry. What manner of man, an it like Majefty?

your

Fal. A goodly portly man, i'faith, and a corpulent; of a chearful look, a pleafing eye, and a most noble carriage; and, as I think, his age fome fifty, or, by'r lady, inclining to threefcore; and now, I remember me, his name is Falstaff. If that man fhould be lewdly given, he deceives me; for, Harry, I fee virtue in his looks. If then the 7 fruit may be known by the tree, as the tree by the fruit, then peremptorily I fpeak it, there is virtue in that Falstaff; him keep with, the rest banish. And tell me now, thou naughty varlet, tell me, where haft thou been this month?

P. Henry. Dost thou fpeak like a King? Do thou stand for Me, and I'll play my father.

Fal. Depofe me.-If thou doft it half fo gravely, fo majestically, both in word and matter, hang me up by the heels for a rabbet-fucker, or a poulterer's hare.

6 a micher,] i. e. Truant; to mich, is to lurk out of fight, a hedge-creeper.

WARBURTON. The allution is to a truant-boy, who, unwilling to go to school, and afraid to go home, lurks in the fields, and picks wild fruits.

7 This paffage is happily re

ftored by Sir Thomas Hanmer.

8 Rabbet-fucker is, I fuppofe, a fucking rabbet. The jeft is in comparing himfelf to fomething thin and little. So a poulierer's bare, a hare hung up by the hind legs without a fkin, is long and flender.

M 4

P. Henry

P. Henry. Well, here I am set.

Fal. And here I ftand; judge, my masters.
P. Henry. Now, Harry, whence come you ?
Fal. My poble lord, from East-cheap.

P. Henry. The Complaints I hear of thee are grievous.

Fal. 'Sblood, my lord, they are falfeI'll tickle ye for a young Prince.

Nay,

P. Henry. 'Sweareft thou, ungracious boy? henceforth ne'er look on me. Thou art violently carried away from grace; there's a devil haunts thee, in the likeness of a fat old man: a tun of man is thy companion. Why dost thou converfe with that trunk of humours, that boulting hutch of beaftlinefs, that fwoln parcel of dropfies, that huge bombard of fack, that ftufft cloak-bag of guts, that roafted Manningtree Ox with the pudding in his belly, that reverend vice, that grey iniquity, that father ruffian, that vanity in years? Wherein is he good, but to tafte fack and drink it? wherein neat and cleanly, but to carve a capon and eat it? wherein cunning, but in craft? wherein crafty, but in villany? wherein villainous, but in all things? wherein worthy, but in nothing?

2

Fal. I would, your Grace would take me with you. Whom means your Grace?

P. Henry. That villainous abominable mif-leader of youth, Falstaff, that old white bearded Satan. Fal. My lord, the man I know.

P. Henry. I know, thou doft.

Fal. But to fay, I know more harm in him than

in my felf, were to fay more than I know.

9 Boulting hutch. ] Boling butch is, I think, a meal-lag.

Of the Manning-tree Ox I can give no account, but the meaning is clear.

* Cunning was not yet debased

That

to a bad meaning. It fignified knowing or fkilful.

2 Take me with you] That is, go no fafter than I can follow you. Let me know your meaning.

he is old, the more is the pity, his white hairs do witnefs it; but that he is, faving your reverence, a whoremafter, that I utterly deny. If fack and fugar be a fault, God help the wicked. If to be old and merry, be a fin, then many an old Hoft, that I know, is damn'd. If to be fat, be to be hated, then Pharoah's lean kine are to be lov'd. No, my good lord, banish Peto, banish Bardolph, banish Poins; but for fweet Jack Falstaff, kind Jack Falstaff, true Jack Falstaff, valiant Jack Falstaff, and therefore more valiant, being as he is, old Jack Falstaff, banifh not him thy Harry's company; banish plump Jack, and banish all the world.

P. Henry. I do, I will.

[Knocking; and Hoftefs goes out.

Enter Bardolph running. ·

Bard. O, my lord, my lord, the Sheriff with a moft monftrous Watch, is at the door.

Fal. Out, you rogue!-Play out the Play; I have much to say in behalf of that Falstaff.

Re-enter the Hofiefs.

Heft. O, my lord, my lord!

Fal. Heigh, heigh, the devil rides upon a fiddleftick what's the matter?

Hoft. The Sheriff and all the watch are at the door : they are come to fearch the houfe. Shall I let them in? Fal. Doft thou hear, Hal? never call a true piece of gold a counterfeit; thou art effentially mad, without feeming fo.

P. Henry. And thou a natural coward, without inftinct.

Fal. I deny your major. If you will deny the Sheriff, fo, if not, let him enter. If I become not a cart as well as another man, a plague on my bringing up; I

hope

hope I fhall as foon be ftrangled with a halter, as

another.

P. Henry. Go, hide thee behind the arras, the reft walk up above. Now, my mafters, for a true face and good confcience.

Fal. Both which I have had; but their date is out, and therefore I'll hide me.

[Exeunt Falstaff, Bardolph, &c.

P. Henry. Call in the Sheriff.

Now, master Sheriff, what is your will with me? Sher. First, pardon me, my lord.-A hue and cry Hath follow'd certain men unto this house.

P. Henry. What men?

Sher. One of them is well known, my gracious lord, A grofs fat man.

Car. As fat as butter.

P. Henry. The man, I do affure you, is not here, For I my felf at this time have imploy'd him; And, Sheriff, I engage my word to thee, That I will, by to morrow dinner time, Send him to answer thee, or any man, For any thing he fhall be charg'd withal; And fo let me intreat you leave the house.

Sher. I will, my lord. There are two gentlemen Have in this robbery loft three hundred marks. P. Henry. It may be fo; if he have robb'd these men, He fhall be anfwerable; and fo farewel.

Sher. Good night, my noble lord.

-hide thee behind the arras,]. The bulk of Falstaff made him not the fitteft to be concealed behind the hangings, but every poet facrifices fomething to the

fcenery; if Falstaff had not been hidden he could not have been found asleep, nor had his pockets fearched.

P. Henry.

P. Henry. I think, it is good morrow, is it not?
Sher. Indeed, my lord, I think it be two o'clock.

[Exit. P. Henry. This oily rascal is known as well as Paul's; go call him forth. 3

Peto. Falstafffnorting like a horse.

-fast asleep, behind the arras, and

P. Henry. Hark, how hard he fetches breath. Search his Pockets.

[He fearches his pockets, and finds certain papers. P. Henry. What haft thou found?

Peto. Nothing but papers, my lord.

P. Henry. Let's fee, what be they? read them.
Peto. Item, a capon, 2 s. 2 d.

Item, Sawce, 4 d.

Item, Sack, two gallons, 5 s. 8 d.

Item, Anchoves and fack after fupper, 2s. 6d.
Item, Bread, a halfpenny.

P. Henry. O monftrous! but one halfpenny-worth of bread, to this intolerable deal of fack? What there is elfe, keep clofe, we'll read it at more advantage; there let him fleep till day. I'll to the Court in the morning we must all to the wars, and thy place fhall

3 go call him forth.] The fcenery here is fomewhat perplexed. When the fheriff came, the whole gang retired, and Fal faf was hidden. As foon as the fheriff is fent away the Prince orders Falstaff to be called: by whom? by Peto. But why had not Peto gone up ftairs with the reft, and if he had, why did not the reft come down with him? The converfation that follows between the prince and Peto, feems to be apart from the others. I cannot but fufpect that for Peto ye fhould read Porn: what had Peto done that his place fhould be