Fal. Go to; peace, Mouldy, you shall go, Mouldy. Shal. Peace, fellow, peace; stand aside; Know you where are? you For the other, sir John: let me see; Simon Shadow!

Fal. Come, I will go drink with you, but I cannot tarry dinner. I am glad to see you, in good troth, master Shallow.

Shal. O, sir John, do you remember since we lay

Fal. Well said, good woman's tailor! well said, courageous Feeble! Thou wilt be as valiant as the wrathful dove, or most magnanimous mouse. — Prick the woman's tailor well, master Shallow ; deep, master Shallow.

Fee. I would, Wart might have gone, sir.

Fal. I would thou wert a man's tailor; that thou migh'st mend him, and make him fit to go. I cannot put him to a private soldier, that is the leader of so many thousands: Let that suffice, most forcible Feeble.

Fee. It shall suffice, sir.

Fal. I am bound to thee, reverend Feeble. Who is next?

Shal. Peter Bull-calf of the green!

Fal. Yea, marry, let us see Bull-calf.

Bull. Here, sir.

Fal. Trust me, a likely fellow! - Come, prick me Bull-calf till he roar again.

Bull. O lord! good my lord captain, -
Fal. What, dost thou roar before thou art pricked?
Bull. O lord, sir! I am a diseased man.
Fal. What disease hast thou?

Bull. A cold, sir; a cough, sir; which I caught with ringing in the king's affairs, upon his coronation-day, sir.

Fal. Come, thou shalt go to the wars in a gown; we will have away thy cold; and I will take such order, that thy friends shall ring for thee. - Is here all?

Shal. Here is two more called than your number? you must have but four here, sir ; · and so, I pray you, go in with me to dinner.

Fal. No more of that, good master Shallow, no more of that.

Shal. Ha, it was a merry night. And is Jane Night alive?

Fal. She lives, master Shallow.

Shal. She never could away with me.

Fal. Never, never: she would always say, she could not abide master Shallow.

Shal. By the mass, I could anger her to the heart She was then a bona-roba. Doth she hold her own well?

Fal. Old, old, master Shallow.

Shal. Nay, she must be old; she cannot choose but be old; certain she's old; and had Robin before I came to Clement's Inn.

Sil. That's fifty-five year ago.

Shal. Ha, cousin Silence, that thou hadst seen that that this knight and I have seen! Ha, sir John, said I well? Fal. We have heard the chimes at midnight, master Shallow.

Shal. That we have, that we have, that we have: in faith, sir John, we have; our watch-word was, Hem, boys! Come, let's to dinner; come, let's to dinner :- O, the days that we have seen! - Come, come. [Exeunt FALSTAFF, SHALLOW, and SILENCE.

Bull. Good master corporate Bardolph, stand my friend; and here is four Harry ten shillings in French crowns for you. In very truth, sir, I had as lief be hanged, sir, as go: and yet, for mine own part, sir, I do not care; but, rather, because I am unwilling, and, for mine own part, have a desire to stay with my friends; else, sir, I did not care, for mine own part, so much.

Bard. Go to; stand aside.

Moul. And good master corporal captain, for my old dame's sake, stand my friend: she has nobody to do any thing about her, when I am gone: and she is old, and cannot help herself: you shall have forty, sir.

Bard. Go to; stand aside.

Fee. By my troth I care not; -a man can die but once; we owe God a death; I'll ne'er bear a base mind; -an't be my destiny, so; an't be not, so: No man's too good to serve his prince; and, let it go which way it will, he that dies this year, is quit for the next.

Bard. Well said; thou'rt a good fellow.
Fee. Nay, I'll bear no base mind.

Re-enter FALSTAFF, and Justices.

Fal. Come, sir, which men shall I have?
Shal. Four, of which you please.

Bard. Sir, a word with you: I have three pound to free Mouldy and Bull-calf.

Fal. Go to; well.

Shal. Come, sir John, which four will you have? Fal. Do you choose for me.

Shal. Marry then, - Mouldy, Bull-calf, Feeble, and Shadow.

Fal. Mouldy, and Bull-calf: - For you, Mouldy, stay at home, still; you are past service: - and, for your part, Bull-calf, grow till you come unto it; I will none of you. Shal. Sir John, sir John, do not yourself wrong;

they are your likeliest men, and I would have you

served with the best.

Fal. Will you tell me, master Shallow, how to choose a man? Care I for the limb, the thewes, the stature, bulk, and big assemblance of a man! Give me the spirit, master Shallow. Here's Wart; you see what a ragged appearance it is: he shall charge you, and discharge you, with the motion of a pewterer's hammer; come off, and on, swifter than he that gibbets-on the brewer's bucket. And this same half-faced fellow, Shadow, - give me this man; he presents no mark to the enemy; the foeman may with as great aim level at the edge of a penknife: And, for a retreat, how swiftly will this Feeble, the woman's tailor, run off? O, give me the spare men, and spare me the great ones. — Put me a caliver 6 into Wart's hand, Bardolph. Bard. Hold, Wart, traverse 7; thus, thus, thus. Fal. Come, manage me your caliver. So: very well go to: - very good :—exceeding good. O, give me always a little, lean, old, chapped, bald shot. - Well said, Wart; hold, there's a tester for thee.

-

Shal. He is not his craft's master, he doth not do it right. I remember at Mile-end green, (when I lay at Clement's Inn, - I was then sir Dagonet in Arthur's show 8,) there was a little quiver fellow, and 'a would manage you his piece thus: and 'a would about and about, and come you in, and come you in: rah, tah, tah, would 'a say; bounce, would 'a | say; and away again would 'a go, and again would 'a come: I shall never see such a fellow.

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. 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 Turnbull-street 1; 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: he was so forlorn, that his dimensions to any thick sight were invisible: he was the very Genius of famine; he came ever in the rearward of the fashion; and sung those tunes to the huswives that he heard the carmen whistle, and sware- they were his fancies, or his good-nights. ? And now is this Vice's daggers become a squire; and talks as familiarly of John of Gaunt, as if he had been sworn brother to him: and I'll be sworn he never saw him but once in the Tilt-yard; and then he burst his head, for crowding among the marshal's men. I saw it; and told John of Gaunt, he beat his own name: for you might have truss'd him, and all his apparel, into an eel-skin; the case of a treble haut-boy was a mansion for him, a court; and now has he land and beeves. Well; I will be acquainted with him, if I return: and it shall go hard, but I will make him a philosopher's stone to me: If the young dace be a bait for the old pike, I see no reason, in the law of nature, but I may snap at him. Let time shape, and there an end.

[Exit.

grace.

Arch. Here stand, my lord; and send discoverers forth,

To know the numbers of our enemies.

Hast. We have sent forth already.
Arch.

'Tis well done.
My friends and brethren in these great affairs,
I must acquaint you that I have receiv'd
New-dated letters from Northumberland;
Their cold intent, tenour and substance, thus: -
Here doth he wish his person, with such powers
As might hold sortance with his quality,
The which he could not levy; whereupon
He is retir'd, to ripe his growing fortunes,
To Scotland and concludes in hearty prayers,
That your attempts may overlive the hazard,
And fearful meeting of their opposite.

Mowb. Thus do the hopes we have in him touch ground, And dash themselves to pieces.

Hast.

Enter a Messenger

Now, what news? Mess. West of this forest, scarcely off a mile, In goodly form comes on the enemy: And, by the ground they hide, I judge their number Upon, or near, the rate of thirty thousand.

Mowb. The just proportion that we gave them out. Let us sway on, and face them in the field.

Came like itself, in base and abject routs,
Led on by bloody youth, guarded with rage,
And countenanc'd by boys and beggary;
I say, if vile commotion so appear'd,
In his true, native, and most proper shape,
You, reverend father, and these noble lords,
Had not been here, to dress the ugly form
Of base and bloody insurrection
With your fair honours.

You, lord archbishop, – Whose see is by a civil peace maintain'd; Whose beard the silver hand of peace hath touch'd; Whose learning and good letters peace hath tutor'd; Whose white investments figure innocence, The dove and very blessed spirit of peace, Wherefore do you so ill translate yourself, Out of the speech of peace, that bears such grace, Into the harsh and boist'rous tongue of war? 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. Wherefore do I this? so the question stands,
Briefly to this end : — We are all diseased;
And, with our surfeiting, and wanton hours,
Have brought ourselves into a burning fever,
And we must bleed for it: of which disease
Our late king, Richard, being infected, died.
But, my most noble lord of Westmoreland,
I take not on me here as a physician;
Nor do I, as an enemy to peace,
Troop in the throngs of military men;
But, rather, show a while like fearful war,
To diet rank minds, sick of happiness;
And purge the obstructions, which begin to stop
Our very veins of life. Hear me more plainly.
I have in equal balance justly weigh'd
What wrongs our arms may do, what wrongs
suffer,

And find our griefs? heavier than our offences.
We see which way the stream of time doth run,
And are enforc'd from our most quiet sphere
By the rough torrent of occasion:

And have the summary of all our griefs,
When time shall serve, to show in articles:
Which, long ere this, we offer'd to the king,
And might by no suit gain our audience:
When we are wrong'd, and would unfold our griefs,
We are denied access unto his person

Even by those men that most have done us wrong.
The dangers of the days but newly gone,
(Whose memory is written on the earth
With yet-appearing blood,) and the examples
Of every minute's instance, (present now,)
Have put us in these ill-beseeming arms :
Not to break peace, or any branch of it;
But to establish here a peace indeed,
Concurring both in name and quality.

West. When ever yet was your appeal denied?
Wherein have you been galled by the king?
What peer hath been suborn'd to grate on you?
That you should seal this lawless bloody book
Of forg'd rebellion with a seal divine,
And consecrate commotion's bitter edge?

Arch. My brother general, the commonwealth, I make my quarrel in particular.

West. There is no need of any such redress; Or, if there were, it not belongs to you.

Mowb. Why not to him, in part; and to us all, That feel the bruises of the days before; And suffer the condition of these times, 7 Grievances.

To lay a heavy and unequal hand Upon our honours?

West. O my good lord Mowbray, Construe the times to their necessities, And you shall say indeed, — it is the time, And not the king, that doth you injuries. Yet, for your part, it not appears to me, Either from the king, or in the present time, That you should have an inch of any ground To build a grief on; Were you not restor'd To all the duke of Norfolk's signiories, Your noble and right-well remember'd father's? Mowb. What thing, in honour, had my father lost, That need to be reviv'd, and breath'd in me? The king, that lov'd him, as the state stood then, Was, force perforce, compell'd to banish him : And then, when Harry Bolingbroke, and he, Being mounted, and both roused in their seats, Their neighing coursers daring of the spur, Their armed staves in charge, their beavers down, | Their eyes of fire sparkling through sights of steel, And the loud trumpet blowing them together; Then, then, when there was nothing could have staid My father from the breast of Bolingbroke, O, when the king did throw his warder 8 down, His own life hung upon the staff he threw : Then threw he down himself; and all their lives, That by indictment, and by dint of sword, Have since miscarried under Bolingbroke.

West. You speak, lord Mowbray, now you know not what :

The earl of Hereford was reputed then

In England the most valiant gentleman;
Who knows, on whom fortune would then have 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,

Cried hate upon him; and all their prayers, and love,
Were set on Hereford, whom they doted on,
And bless'd and grac'd indeed, more than the king.
But this is mere digression from my purpose.
Here come I from our princely general,
To know your griefs; to tell you from his grace,
That he will give you audience: and wherein
It shall appear that your demands are just,
You shall enjoy them; every thing set off,
That might so much as think you enemies.

Mowb. But he hath forc'd us to compel this offer; And it proceeds from policy, not love.

West. Mowbray, you overween 9, to take it so; This offer comes from mercy, not from fear: For, lo! within a ken ', our army lies: Upon mine honour, all too confident To give admittance to a thought of fear. Our battle is more full of names than yours, Our men more perfect in the use of arms, Our armour all as strong, our cause the best ; Then reason wills, our hearts should be as good : Say you not then, our offer is compell'd.

Mowb. Well, by my will, we shall admit no parley. West. That argues but the shame of your offence. A rotten case abides no handling.

Hast. Hath the prince John a full commission, In very ample virtue of his father, To hear, and absolutely to determine Of what conditions we shall stand upon? West. That is intended in the general's name : I muse3, you make so slight a question.

P. John. I like them all, and do allow & them well:
And swear here by the honour of my blood,
My father's purposes have been mistook;
And some about him have too lavishly
Wrested his meaning and authority.

My lord, these griefs shall be with speed redress'd;
Upon my soul they shall. If this may please you,
Discharge your powers unto their several counties,
As we will ours: and here, between the armies
Let's drink together friendly, and embrace;
That all their eyes may bear those tokens home,
Of our restored love, and amity.

Arch. I take your princely word for these redresses.
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

This news of peace; let them have pay, and part: I know it will well please them; Hie thee, captain. [Exit Officer. Arch. To you, my noble lord of Westmoreland. West. I pledge your grace: And, if you knew what pains

I have bestow'd, to breed this present peace,
You would drink freely: but my love to you
Shall show itself more openly hereafter.

Arch. I do not doubt you.
West.
I am glad of it :-
Health to my lord, and gentle cousin, Mowbray.
Mowb. You wish me health in very happy season;
For I am, on the sudden, something ill.

Arch. Against ill chances, men are ever merry; But heaviness foreruns the good event.

West. Therefore be merry, coz; since sudden

Re-enter Westmoreland.

Now, cousin, wherefore stands our army still?

I promis'd you redress of these same grievances,
Whereof you did complain; which, by mine honour,
I will perform with a most Christian care.
But, for you, rebels, -look to taste the due
Meet for rebellion, and such acts as yours.
Most shallowly did you these arms commence,
Fondly 9 brought here, and foolishly sent hence.—
Strike up our drums, pursue the scatter'd stray ;
Heaven, and not we, have safely fought to-day. -
Some guard these traitors to the block of death,
Treason's true bed, and yielder up of breath.

[Ereunt.

SCENE III. Another Part of the Forest. Alarums: Excursions. Enter FALSTAFF and COLEVILE, meeting.

Fal. What's your name, sir? of what condition are you; and of what place, I pray?

Cole. I am a knight, sir; and my name isColevile of the dale.

Fal. Well then, Colevile is your name; a knight is your degree; and your place, the dale: Colevile shall still be your name, -a traitor your degree; and the dungeon your place, - a place deep enough;

so shall you still be Colevile of the dale.

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 : 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. [Exit WESTMORELAND. Now, Falstaff, where have you been all this while? When every thing is ended, then you come : These tardy tricks of yours will, on my life, One time or other break some gallows' back.

Fal. I would be sorry, my lord, but it should be

stand,

Will not go off until they hear you speak.

P. John. They know their duties.

Re-enter HASTINGS.

Hast. My lord, our army is dispers'd already : Like youthful steers unyok'd, they take their courses East. west, north, south; or, like a school broke up, Each hurries towards his home, and sporting-place.

• Approve.

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 my pure and immaculate valour, taken sir John Colevile of the dale, a most furious knight, and valorous enemy:

9 Foolishly.