Are clamorous groans, that strike upon my heart,
Which is the bell: so sighs, and tears, and groans,
Show minutes, times, and hours; but my time
Runs posting on in Bolingbroke's proud joy,
While I stand fooling here, his Jack o' the clock.
This music mads me: let it sound no more;
For though it hath holpe madmen to their wits,
In me, it seems, it will make wise men mad.
Yet blessing on his heart that gives it me!
For 'tis a sign of love; and love to Richard
Is a strange brooch in this all-hating world.

FALSTAFF AND PRINCE HAL

From First Part of King Henry IV.

Prince Henry,

Scene: Eastcheap. A Room in the Boar's Head Tavern.
Poins. Enter Falstaff, Gadshill, Bardolph, and Peto.

P

OINS- Welcome, Jack. Where hast thou been? Falstaff-A plague of all cowards, I say, and a vengeance too! marry, and amen!- Give me a cup of sack, boy.-Ere I lead this life long, I'll sew nether-stocks, and mend them, and foot them too. A plague of all cowards!-Give me a cup of sack, rogue. Is there no virtue extant? [He drinks.

Prince Henry-Didst thou never see Titan kiss a dish of butter? pitiful-hearted Titan, that melted at the sweet tale of the sun! If thou didst, then behold that compound.

Falstaff-You rogue, here's lime in this sack too; there is nothing but roguery to be found in villainous man: yet a coward is worse than a cup of sack with lime in it; a villainous coward. - Go thy ways, old Jack; die when thou wilt, if manhood, good manhood, be not forgot upon the face of the earth, then am I a shotten herring. There live not three good men unhanged in England; and one of them is fat, and grows old: God help the while! a bad world, I say. I would I were a weaver: I could sing psalms or anything. A plague of all cowards, I say still.

Prince Henry-How now, wool-sack! what mutter you?

Falstaff-A king's son! If I do not beat thee out of thy kingdom with a dagger of lath, and drive all thy subjects afore

thee like a flock of wild geese, I'll never wear hair on my face more. You Prince of Wales!

Prince Henry-Why, you whoreson round man, what's the

matter?

Falstaff-Are you not a coward? answer me to that! and Poins there?

Poins-Zounds! ye fat paunch, and ye call me coward, I'll stab thee.

Falstaff-I call thee coward! I'll see thee damned ere I call thee coward; but I would give a thousand pound I could run as fast as thou canst. You are straight enough in the shoulders; you care not who sees your back. Call you that backing of your friends? A plague upon such backing! give me them that will face me. -Give me a cup of sack: I am a rogue if I drunk to-day.

Prince Henry-O villain! thy lips are scarce wiped since thou drunkest last.

Falstaff-All's one for that. [He drinks.] A plague of all cowards, still say I.

Prince Henry-What's the matter?

Falstaff-What's the matter? there be four of us here have ta'en a thousand pound this day morning.

Prince Henry-Where is it, Jack! where is it?

Falstaff-Where is it? taken from us it is: a hundred upon poor four of us.

Prince Henry-What, a hundred, man?

Falstaff-I am a rogue, if I were not at half-sword with a dozen of them two hours together. I have 'scaped by miracle. I am eight times thrust through the doublet; four through the hose; my buckler cut through and through; my sword hacked like a hand-saw: ecce signum. [Drawing it.] I never dealt better since I was a man: all would not do. A plague of all cowards! -Let them speak: if they speak more or less than truth they are villains, and the sons of darkness.

Prince Henry-Speak, sirs: how was it?
Bardolph-We four set upon some dozen,-
Falstaff-Sixteen, at least, my lord.

Bardolph-And bound them.

Peto-No, no, they were not bound.

Falstaff-You rogue, they were bound, every man of them;

or I am a Jew else, an Ebrew Jew.

Bardolph-As we were sharing, some six or seven fresh men

set upon us,—

Falstaff-And unbound the rest, and then come in the other. Prince Henry-What! fought ye with them all?

Falstaff- All? I know not what ye call all: but if I fought not with fifty of them, I am a bunch of radish; if there were not two or three and fifty upon poor old Jack, then am I no two-legged creature.

Prince Henry-Pray God you have not murdered some of them.

Falstaff-Nay, that's past praying for: I have peppered two of them; two, I am sure, I have paid; two rogues in buckram suits. I tell thee what, Hal-if I tell thee a lie, spit in my face, call me horse. Thou knowest my old ward;-here I lay, and thus I bore my point. Four rogues in buckram let drive at

me,

Prince Henry-What, four? thou saidst but two even now. Falstaff-Four, Hal; I told thee four.

Poins-Ay, ay, he said four.

Falstaff-These four came all a-front, and mainly thrust at me. I made me no more ado, but took all their seven points in my target, thus.

Prince Henry-Seven? why, there were but four even now. Falstaff-In buckram.

Poins-Ay, four in buckram suits.

Falstaff-Seven, by these hilts, or I am a villain else.

Prince Henry [to Poins]-Pr'ythee, let him alone: we shall

have more anon.

Falstaff-Dost thou hear me, Hal?

Prince Henry-Ay, and mark thee too, Jack.

Falstaff-Do so, for it is worth the listening to. These nine

in buckram, that I told thee of,

Prince Henry-So, two more already.

Falstaff-Their points being broken,—
Poins-Down fell their hose.

Falstaff-Began to give me ground; but I followed me close, came in, foot and hand, and with a thought, seven of the eleven I paid.

Prince Henry-Oh, monstrous! eleven buckram men grown out of two.