P. Hen. For worms, brave Percy: fare thee well, great heart !— Ill-weaved ambition, how much art thou shrunk! Is room enough :—this earth, that bears thee dead, If thou wert sensible of courtesy, I should not make so dear a show of zeal :— Adieu, and take thy praise with thee to heaven! But not remembered in thy epitaph!— [He spieth FALSTAFF on the ground. What, old acquaintance! could not all this flesh Keep in a little life? Poor Jack, farewell! I could have better spared a better man. [Exit. Fal. [Rising.] Embowelled if thou embowel me to-day, I'll give you leave to powder me, and eat me too, to-morrow. 'Sblood, 't was time to counterfeit, or that hot termagant Scot had paid me scot and lot too. Counterfeit ? I lie; I am no counterfeit to die, is to be a counterfeit; for he is but the counterfeit of a man, who hath not the life of a man; but to counterfeit dying, when a man thereby liveth, is to be no counterfeit, but the true and perfect image of life indeed. The better part of valour is discretion; in the which better part I have saved my life. Zounds, I am afraid of this gunpowder Percy, though he be dead. How, if he should counterfeit too, and rise by my faith, I am afraid he would prove the better counterfeit. Therefore I'll make him sure; yea, and I'll swear I killed him. Why may not he rise, as well as I? Nothing confutes me but eyes, and nobody sees me: therefore, sirrah, [stabbing him] with a new wound in your thigh come you along with me. [He takes HOTSPUR on his back. Re-enter Prince HENRY and Prince JOHN. P. Hen. Come, brother John; full bravely hast thou fleshed Thy maiden sword. P. John. But, soft! whom have we here? Did you not tell me this fat man was dead? P. Hen. I did; I saw him dead, breathless and bleeding On the ground.— Art thou alive? or is it fantasy That plays upon our eyesight? pr'ythee, speak; man; Fal. No, that's certain; I am not a double but if I be not Jack Falstaff, then am I Jack. There is Percy; [throwing the body down] if your father will do me any honour, so; if not, let him kill the next Percy himself. I look to be either earl or duke, I can assure you. P. Hen. Why, Percy I killed myself, and saw thee dead. Fal. Didst thou ?-Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying!—I grant you I was down, and out of breath, and so was he; but we rose both at an instant, and fought a long hour by Shrewsbury clock. If I may be believed, so; if not, let them that should reward valour bear the sin upon their own heads. I'll take it upon my death, I gave him this wound in the thigh: if the man were alive, and would deny it, zounds, I would make him eat a piece of my sword. P. John. This is the strangest tale that e'er I heard. P. Hen. This is the strangest fellow, brother Come, bring your luggage nobly on your back: [A retreat is sounded. The trumpet sounds retreat; the day is ours. [Exeunt Prince HENRY and Prince JOHN. Fal. I'll follow, as they say, for reward. He that rewards me, God reward him! If I do grow great, I'll grow less; for I'll purge, and leave sack, and live cleanly as a nobleman should do. [Exit, bearing off the body. SCENE V.-Another Part of the Field. The trumpets sound. Enter King HENRY, Prince HENRY, Prince JOHN, WESTMORELAND, and others, with prisoners. WORCESTER, and VERNON, K. Hen. Thus ever did rebellion find rebuke.- If, like a Christian, thou hadst truly borne Wor. What I have done, my safety urged me to, And I embrace this fortune patiently, Since not to be avoided it falls on me. K. Hen. Bear Worcester to the death, and Vernon too; Other offenders we will pause upon.— [Exeunt WORCESTER and VERNON guarded. How goes the field? |