I'll know your business, Harry, that I will. Lady P. Come, come, you paraquito,2 answer me Directly to this question that I ask. In faith, I'll break thy little finger, Harry, Away, you trifler !-Love?—I love thee not; Lady P. Do you not love me? do you not, indeed? Well, do not then; for, since you love me not, Strengthen. 2 Little parrot. 3 Puppets. This evening must I leave you, gentle Kate. No lady closer; for I well believe, Thou wilt not utter what thou dost not know; you, Kate: Hot. Not an inch farther. But hark Whither I go, thither shall you go too; To-day will I set forth, to-morrow you.— Will this content you, Kate? Enter PRINCE HENRY and POINS. P. Hen. Ned, pr'ythee, come out of that fat room, and lend me thy hand to laugh a little. Poins. Where hast been, Hal? P. Hen. With three or four loggerheads, amongst three or four score hogsheads. I have sounded the very base string of humility. Sirrah, I am sworn brother to a leash of drawers; and can call them all by their Christian names, as -Tom, Dick, and Francis. They take it already upon their salvation, that, though I be but prince of Wales, yet I am the king of courtesy; and tell me flatly I am no proud jack, like Falstaff; but a Corinthian, a lad of mettle, a good boy, by the Lord, so they call me; and when I am king of England, I shall command all the good lads in Eastcheap. They call-drinking deep, dying scarlet; and when you breathe in your watering, they cry-hem! and bid you play it off. To conclude, I am so good a proficient in one quarter of an hour, that I can drink with any tinker in his own language during my life. I tell thee, Ned, thou hast lost much honor, that thou wert not with me in this action. But, sweet Ned,-to sweeten which name of Ned, I give thee this pennyworth of sugar, clapped even now in my hand by an underskinker; 1 one that never spake other English in his life, than― Eight shillings and sixpence,' and 'You are welcome;' with this shrill addition,-' Anon, anon, sir!'- -Score a pint of bastard 2 in the Halfmoon,' or so. But, Ned, to drive away the time till Falstaff come, I pr'ythee, do thou stand in some by-room, while I question my puny drawer, to what end he gave me the sugar; and do thou never leave calling-Francis, that his tale to me may be nothing but-Anon. Step aside, and I'll show thee a precedent. Poins. Francis! P. Hen. Thou art perfect. Poins. Francis! [Exit Poins. 1 Tapster. 2 A kind of sweet wine. Enter FRANCIS. Fran. Anon, anon, sir.-Look down into the Pomegranate, Ralph. P. Hen. Come hither, Francis. Fran. My lord. P. Hen. How long hast thou to serve, Francis ? Fran. Forsooth, five year, and as much as toPoins. [within.] Francis. Fran. Anon, anon, sir. P. Hen. Five years! by 'r lady, a long lease for the clinking of pewter. But, Francis, darest thou be so valiant, as to play the coward with thy indenture, and to show it a fair pair of heels, and run from it? Fran. O lord, sir! I'll be sworn upon all the books in England, I could find in my heart— Poins. [within.] Francis ! Fran. Anon, anon, sir. P. Hen. How old art thou, Francis? Fran. Let me see,-About Michaelmas next I shall be Poins. [within.] Francis! Fran. Anon, sir.-Pray you, stay a little, my lord. P. Hen. Nay, but hark you, Francis. For the sugar thou gavest me,-'twas a pennyworth, was 't not? Fran. O lord, sir! I would, it had been two. P. Hen. I will give thee for it a thousand pound; ask me when thou wilt, and thou shalt have it. Poins. [within.] Francis! Fran. Anon, anon. P. Hen. Anon, Francis? No, Francis; but tomorrow, Francis; or, Francis, on Thursday; or, indeed, Francis, when thou wilt. But, Francis,— Fran. My lord? P. Hen. Wilt thou rob this leathern-jerkin, crystal-button, nott-pated, agate-ring, puke-stocking, caddis-garter, smooth-tongue, Spanish-pouch,Fran. O lord, sir, who do you mean? P. Hen. Why then, your brown bastard is your only drink for, look you, Francis, your white canvas doublet will sully: in Barbary, sir, it cannot come to so much. Fran. What, sir? Poins. [within.] Francis! P. Hen. Away, you rogue. Dost thou not hear them call? [here they both call him; the Drawer stands amazed, not knowing which way to go. Enter VINTNER. Vint. What! standest thou still, and hearest such a calling? Look to the guests within. [Exit Fran. My lord, old sir John, with half a dozen more, are at the door. Shall I let them in? P. Hen. Let them alone awhile, and then open the door. [Exit Vintner.] Poins! |