Baik'd in their own blood, did Sir Walter see vernment; being governed, as the sea is, by our Oa Holmedon's plains: Of prisoners, Hotspur took noble and chaste mistress the moon, under whose Mordake the earl of Fife, and eldest son countenance wen-steal. To beaten Douglas; and the earls of Athol, P. Hen. Thou say'st well; and it holds well too : Of Murray, Angus, and Monteith. for the fortune of us, that are the moon's men, doth And is not this an honourable spoil? ebb and low like the sea; being governed, as the A gallant prize ? ha, cousin, is it not ? sea is, by the moon. As, for proof, now: A purse West. In faith, of gold most resolutely snatched on Monday night, It is a conquest for a prince to boast of. and most dissolutely spent on Tuesday morning; K. Flen. Yea, there thou mak'st me sad, and got with swe urin-ay by; and spent with crying mak'st me sin, -bring in: now, in as low an ebb as the foot of In envy that my lord Northumberland the ladder: and, by and by, in as high a flow as Should be the father of so blest a son: the ridge of the gallows. A son, who is the theme of honour's tongue; Fal. By the lord, thou say'st true, lad. And is Amongst a grove, the very straightest plant; not my hostess of the tavern a most sweet wench ? Who is sweet fortune's minion, and her pride : P. Hen. As the honey of Hybla, my old lad of Whilst I, by looking on the praise of him, the castle. And is not a buff jerkin a most sweet See riot ard dishonour stain the brow robe of durance ? Of my young Harry. O, that it could be prov'd, Ful. How now, how now, mad wag? what, in That some nigni-tripping fairy had exchang'd thy quips, and thy quiddities? what a plague have In cradle-clothes our children where they lay, I to do with a buff jerkin ? And cau'a mine-Percy, his-Plantagenet! P. Hen. Why, what a pox have I to do with my Then would I have his Harry, and he mine. [coz’, hostess of the tavern ? But let nim from my thoughts :-What think you, Fal. Well, thou hast called her to a reckoning, Of this young Percy's pride ? the prisoners, many a time and oft. Which he in this adventure hath surpris'd, P. Hen. Did I ever call for thee to pay thy part? To his own use he keeps; and sends me word Fal. No; I'll give thee thy due, thou hast paid I shall have none but Mordake earl of Fife, [ter, all there. West. This is his uncle's teaching, this is Worces- P. Hen. Yea, and elsewhere, so far as my coin Malevoient to you in all aspects; would stretch; and, where it would not, "Y have Which makes him prune himself, and bristle up used my credit. The crest of youth against your dignity. Fal. Yea, and so used it, that were it not here K. Hen. But I have sent for him to answer this : apparent that thou art heir apparent,-But, I pr’yAnd, for tais cause, awhile we must neglect thee, sweet wag, shall there be gallows standing in Our holy purpose to Jerusalem. England when thou art king ? and resolution thus Cousin, on Wednesday next our council we fobbed as it is, with the rusty curb of old father an. Will hold at Windsor, so inform the lords: tick the law?' Do not thuu, when thou art king, But come yourself with speed to us again; hang a thief. For more is to be said, and to be done, P. Hen. No; thou shalt. Than out of anger can be uttered. Fal, Shall I? O rare ! By the Lord, I'll be a West. I will, my liege. (Exeunt. brave judge. SCENE II. The same. Another Room in the P. Hen. Thou judgest false already; I mean, Palace. thou shalt have the hanging of the thieves, and so become a rare hangman. Enter Henry, Prince of Wales, and Falstaff. Fal. Well, Hal, well; and in some sort it jumps Fal. Now, Hal, what time of day is it, lad ? with my humour, as well as waiting in the court, I P. Hen. Thou art so fat-witted, with drinking of can tell you. old sack, and unbuttoning thee after supper, and P Hen. For obtaining of suits ? sleeping upon benches after noon, that thou hast Fal. Yea, for obtaining of suits : whereof the forgotten to demand that truly which thou would'st bangman hath no lean wardrobe. 'Sblood, I am as truly know. What a devil hast thou to do with the melancholy as a gib cat, or a lugged bear. time of the day ? unless hours were cups of sack, P. Hen. Or an old lion; or a lover's lute. and minutes capons, and clocks the tongues of bawds, Fal. Yea, or the drone of a Lincolnshire bagand dials the signs of leaping houses, and the blessed pipe. sun himself a fair hot wench in flame-colour'd taf- P. Hen. What say'st thou to a hare, or the mefatı; I see no reason, why thou should’st be so su- lancholy of Moor-ditch? perfluous to demand the time of the day. Fal. Thou hast the most unsavoury similes; and Fal. Indeed, you come near me now, Hal: for art, indeed, the most comparative, rascalliest, we, that take purses, go by the moon and seven sweet young prince, -But, Hal, I prythee, trouble stars; and not by Phæbus, -he, that wandering me no more with vanity. I would to God, thou and knight so fair. And, I pray thee, sweet wag, when I knew where a commodity of good names were to thou art king:—as, God save thy grace (majesty, I be bought: An old lord of the council rated me the should say; for grace thou wilt have none.) other day in the street about you, sir; but I marked P. Hen. What! none? him not: and yet he talked very wisely, but I reFal. No, by my troth ; not so much as will serve garded him not; and yet he talked wisely, and in to be prologue to an egg and butter. the street too. P. Hen. Well, how then! come, roundly, roundly. P. Hen. Thou did'st well; for wisdom cries out Fal. Marry thep, sweet wag, when thou art king, in the streets, and no man regards it. let not us, that are squires of the night's body, be Fal. O, thou hast damnable iteration : and art, call'd thieves of the day's beauty ; let us be-Diana's indeed, able to corrupt a saint. Thou hast done foresters gentlemen of the shade, minions of the much harm upon me, Hal,—God forgive thee for And let men say, we be men of good go-it! Befor: I knew thee, Hal, I knew nothing ; moon man. and now am I, if a man should speak truly, little not manage alone. Falstaff, Bardolph, Peto, and better than one of the wicked. I must give over Gadshill, shall rob those men that we have already this life, and I will give it over; by the Lord, an Iway-laid; yourself, and I, will not be there: and do not, I am a villain ; I'll be damned, for never a when they have the .booty, if you and I do not rob king's son in Christendom. them, cut this head from my shoulders. P. Hen. Where shall we take a purse to-morrow, P. Hen. But how shall we part with them in setJack? ting forth ? Fal. Where thou wilt, lad, I'll make one; an I Poins. Why, we will set forth before or after do not, call me a villain, and baffle me. them, and appoint them a place of meeting, wherein P. Hen. I see a good amendment of life in thee; it is at our pleasure to fail: and then they will adfrom praying, to purse-taking. venture upon the exploit themselves; which they Enter Poins, at a distance. shall have no sooner achieved, but we'll set upon them. Fal. Why, Ilal, 'tis my vocation, Hal; 'tis no P. Hen. Ay, but 'tis like, that they will know us, sin for a man to labour in his vocation Poins ! - by our horses, by our habits, and by every other ap. Now shall we know if Gadshill have set a match. pointment, to be ourselves. 0, if men were to be saved by merit, what hole in Poins. Tut! our horses they shall not see, I'll hell were hot enongh for him? This is the most tie them in the wood; our visors we will change, omnipotent villain that ever cried, Stand, to a true after we leave them; and, sirrah, I have cases of buckram for the nonce, to inmask our noted outP. Hen. Good morrow, Ned ward garments. Poins. Good morrow, sweet Hal.- What says P. Hen. But, I doubt, they will be too hard for monsieur Remorse? What says sir John Sack-and. us. Sugar ? Jack, how agrees the devil and thee about Poins. Well, for two of them, I know them to be thy soul, that thou soldest him on Good Friday last, as true bred cowards as ever turned back; and for for a cup of Madeira, and a cold capon's leg ? the third, if he fight longer than he sees reason, I'll P. Hen. Sir John stands to his word, the devil forswear arms. The virtue of this jest will be, the shall have his bargain; for he was never yet a incomprehensible lies that this same fat rogue will breaker of proverbs, he will give the devil his due. tell us, when we meet at supper: how thirty, at Poins. Then art thou damn'd for keeping thy least, he fought with ; what wards, what blows, what word with the devil. extremities he endured; and, in the reproof of this, P. Hen. Else he had been damn'd for cozening lies the jest. the devil. P. Hen. Well, I'll go with thee; provide us all Poins. But, my lads, my lads, to-morrow morn- things necessary, and meet me to-morrow night in ing, by four o'clock, early at Gadshill : There are Eastcheap; there I'll sup. Farewell. pilgrims going to Canterbury with rich offerings, Poins Farewell, my lord. [Erit Poins. and traders riding to London with fat purses : I P. Hen. I know you all, and will awhile uphold have visors for you all, you have horses for your. The unyok'd humour of your idleness; selves; Gadshill lies to-night in Rochester; I have Yet herein will I imitate the sun ; bespoke supper to-morrow night in Eastcheap; we Who doth permit the base contagious clouds may do it as secure as sleep: If you will go, I will To smother up his beauty from the world, stuif your purses full of crowns; if you will not, That when he please again to be himself, tarry at home, and be hanged. Being wanted, he may be more wonder'd at, Fal. Hear me, Yedward; if I tarry at home and By breaking through the foul and ugly mists go not, I'll hang you for going. Of vapours, that did seem to strangle him. Poins. You will, chops ? If all the year were playing holidays, Fal. Hal, wilt thou make one ? (faith. To sport woula be as tedious as to work; P. Hen. Who! I rob? I a thief? not I, by my But, when they celdom come, they wish'd-for come, Fal. There's neither honesty, manhood, nor good And nothing pleaseth but rare accidents. 'ellowship in thee, nor thou camest not of the blood So, when this loose hehaviour I throw off, royal, if thou darest not stand for ten shillings. And pay the debts I never promised, P. Hen. Well, then, once in my days Pu be a By how much better than my word í mad-cap. By so much shall I falsify men's hopes ; Fal. Why, that's well said. And, like bright metal on a sullen ground, P. Hen. Well, come what will, I'll tarry at home. My reformation, glittering o'er my fault, Fal. By the Lord, I'll be a traitor then, when Shall show more goodly, and attract more eyes, thou art king. Than that which hath no foil to set it off. t. Hen. I care not. I'll so offend, to make offence a skill; Poins. Sir John, I pr’ythee, leave the prince and Redeeming time, when men think least I will. me alone; I will lay him down such reasons for (Ecit. this adventure, that he shall go. SCENE JII. The same. Another Room in the Fal. Well, may'st thou have the spirit of persua Palace. sion, and he the ears of profiting, that what thou speakest may move, and what he hears may be be- Enter King HENRY, NORTHUMBERLAND, Wor. lieved, that the true prince may (for recreation CESTER, HOTSPUR, Sir WALTER Blunt, and others. sake) prove a false thief; for the poor abuses of the time wants countenance. Farewell: You shall find K. Hen. My blood hath been too cold and tern. me in Eastcheap. perate, P. Hen. Farewell, thou latter spring! Farewell, Unapt to stir at these indignities, All-ballown summer! (Exit Falstaff. And you have found me; for, accordingly, Poins. Now, my good sweet honey lord, ride with You tread upon my patience : but, be sure, us to-morrow; I have a jest to execute, that I can. I will from henceforth rather be myselt, am, serves Mighty, and to be fear'd, than my condition; To do him wrong, or any way impeach K. Hen. Why, yet he doth deny his prisoners; His brother-in-law, the foolish Mortimer; The scourge of greatcess to be used on it; Who, on my soul, hath wilfully betray'd And that same greatness too which our own hands The lives of those that he did lead to fight Have holp to make so portly. Against the great magician, damn'd Glendower ; North. My lord, Whose daughter, as we hear, the earl of March K. Hen. Worcester, get thee gone, for I see danger Hath lately married. Shall our coffers then And disobedience in thine eye : 0, sir, Be emptied, to redeem a traitor home ? Your presence is too bold and peremptory, Shall we buy treason ? and indent with fears, And majesty might never yet endure When they have lost and forfeited themselves ? The moody frontier of a servant brow. No, on the barren mountains let him starve; You have good leave to leave us; when we need For I shall never hold that man my friend, Your use and counsel, we shall send for you.- Whose tongue shall ask me for one penny cost (Erit Worcester. To ransome home revolted Mortimer. You were about to speak. [То Noктн. Hot. Revolted Mortimer! North. Yea, my good lord. He never did fall off, my sovereign liege, Those prisoners in your highness' name demanded, But by the chance of war;—To prove that true, Whicb Harry Percy here at Holmedon took, Needs no more but one tongue for all those wounds, Were, as he says, not with such strength denied, Those mouthed wounds, which valiantly he took, As is deliver'd to your majesty : When on the gentle Severn's sedgy bank, Either envy, therefore, or misprision In single opposition, hand to hand, Is guilty of this fault, and not my son. He did confound the best part of an hour Hot. My liege, I did deny no prisoners. In changing hardiment with great Glendower: drink, Blood-stained with these valiant combatants. Colour her working with such deadly wounds; He gave his nose, and took't away again; Nor never could the noble Mortimer K. Hen. Thou dost belie him, Percy; thou dost He callid them-untaught knaves, unmannerly, belie him, To bring a slovenly unhandsome corse He never did encounter with Glendower; Betwixt the wind and his nobility. I tell thee, He durst as well have met the devil alone, Art not ashamed ? But, sirrah, henceforth Send me your prisoners with the speediest means, Out of my grief and my impatience, Or you shall hear in such a kind from me Answer'd neglectingly, I know not what; As will displease you.—My lord Northumberland, He should, or he should not;—for he made me mad, We license your departure with your son :To see him shine so brisk, and smell so sweet, Send us your prisoners, or you'll hear of it. And talk so like a waiting-gentlewoman, (mark !) (Ereunt King HENRY, Blunt, and Train. Of guns, and drums, and wounds (God save the Hot. And if the devil come and roar for them, And telling me, the sovereign'st thing on earth I will not send them :-I will after straight, Was parmaceti , for an inward bruise ; And tell him so; for I will ease my heart, And that it was great pity, so it was, Although it be with hazard of my head. (awhile; That villainous salt-petre should be digg’d North. What, drunk with choler ? stay, and pause Out of the bowels of the harmless earth, Here comes your uncle. Re-enter WORCESTER. Hot. Speak of Mortimer? This bald unjointed chat of his, my lord, 'Zounds, I will speak of him; and let my soul I answer'd indirectly, as I said ; Want mercy, if I do not join with him: And, I beseech you, let not his report Yea, on his part, I'll empty all these veins, Come current for an accusation, And shed my dear blood drop by drop i’the dust, Betwixt my love and your high majesty. But I will lift the down-trod Mortimer Blunt. The circumstance consider'd, good my lord, ' As high i'the air as this unthankful king, Whatever Harry Percy then had said, As this ingrate and canker'd Bolingbroke. To such a person, and in such a place, North. Brother, the king hath made your nephew At such a time, with all the rest re-told, mad. ( To WORCESTER. May reasonably die and never rise Wor. Who struck this heat up, after I was gone! Hear you, Hoi. He will, forsooth, have all my prisoners; Wor. He apprehends a world of figures here, And when I urg'd the ransom once again of my wife's brother, then his cheek look'd pale ; Good cousin, give me audience for a while. And on my face he turn’d an eye of death, Hot. I cry you mercy. Trembling even at the name of Mortimer. (claimed Wor. Those same noble Scots, Wor. I cannot blame him : Was he not pro- That are your prisoners, By Richard that dead is, the next of blood ? Hot. I'll keep them all North. He was; I heard the proclamation : By heaven, he shall not have a Scot of them: And then it was, when the unhappy king No, if a Scot would save his soul, he shall not (Whose wrongs in us God pardon !) did set forth I'll keep them, by this hand. Upon his Irish expedition ; Wor. You start away, From whence he, intercepted, did return And lend no ear unto my purposes. To be depos'd, and, shortly, murdered. Those prisoners you shall keep. Wor. And for whose death, we in the world's Hot. Nay, I will; that's fat:wide mouth He said, he would not ransome Mortimer, Live scandaliz’d, and foully spoken of. (then Forbad my tongue to speak of Mortimer; Hot. But, soft, I pray you; Did king Richard But I will find him when he lies asleep, Proclaiın my brother Edmund Mortimer And in his ear I'll holla—Mortimier! Heir to the crown ? Nay, He did; myself did hear it. I'll have a starling shall be taught to speak Wor. Cousin ; a word. And, for his sake, wear the detested blot Hot. All studies here I solemnly defy, Of murd'rous subornation, -shall it be, Save how to gall and pinch this Bolingbroke : That you a world of curses undergo ; And that same sword-and-buckler prince of Wals, Being the agents, or base second means, But that I think his father loves him not, The cords, the ladder, or the hangman rather ? And would be glad he met with some mischance, 0, pardon me, that I descend so low, I'd have him poison’d with a pot of ale. To show the line, and the predicament, Wor. Farewell, kinsman! I will talk to you, Wherein you range under this subtle king.– When you are better temper'd to attend. Shall it, for shame, be spoken in these days, North. Why, what a wasp-stung and impatient fool Or fill up chronicles in time to come, Art thou, to break into this woman's mood; That men of your nobility and power, Tying thine ear to no tongue but thine own? Did 'gage them both in an unjust behalf, Hot. Why, look you, I am whipp'd and scourg'd As both of you, God pardon it! have done, with rods, Why, what a candy deal of courtesy Look, when his infant fortune came to age, Peace, cousin, say no more; And, -gentle Harry Percy,—and, kind cousin ! And now I will unclasp a secret book, 0, the devil take such cozeners ! -God forgive And to your quick-conceiving discontents I'll read you matter deep and dangerous ; Good uncle, tell your tale, for I have done. As full of peril, and advent'rous spirit, Wor. Nay, if you have not, to't again; As to o'er-walk a current, roaring loud, We'll stay your leisure. On the unsteadfast footing of a spear. (swim : Hot. I have done, i'faith. Hot. If he fall in, good night :-or sink or Wor. Then once more to your Scottish prisoners. Send danger from the east unto the west, Deliver them up without their ransome straight, So honour cross it from the north to south, And make the Douglas' son your only mean And let them grapple ;-0! the blood more stirs, For powers in Scotland; which,-for divers reasons, To rouse a lion, than to start a hare. Which I shall send you written,-be assur'd, North. Imagination of some great exploit Will easily be granted.--You, my lord, Drives him beyond the bounds of patience. [To NORTHUMBERLAND Of that same noble prelate, well belov'd, Hot. Of York, is't not ? His brother's death at Bristol, the lord Scrnop. But out upon this half-fac'd fellowship! 1 I speak pot this in estimation, me ! As what I think might be, but what I know pate of thee, I am a very villain.-Come, and be Is ruminated, plotted, and set down; hanged.--Hast no faith in thee ? And only stays but to behold the face Enter GADSHILL. Gads. Good morrow, carriers. What's o clock ? I Car. I think it be two o'clock. North. Before the game's a-foot, thou still let'st slip. Gads. I pr’ythee, lend me thy lantern, to see my Hot. Why, it cannot choose but be a noble plot:- gelding in the stable. And then the power of Scotland, and of York, 1 Car. Nay, soft, I pray ye; I know a trick wortb To join with Mortimer, ha ? two of that, i'faith. Wor. And so they shall. Gads. I pr’ythee, lend me thine. Hot. In faith, it is exceedingly well aim'd. 2 Car. Ay, when ? canst tell ?-Lend me thy lanWor. And 'tis no little reason bids us speed, tern, quoth a? -Marry, I'll see thee hanged first. Gads. Sirrah carrier, what time do you mean to To save our heads by raising of a head : For, bear ourselves as even as we can, come to London ? The king will always think him in our debt; 2 Car. Time enough to go to bed with a candle, And think we think ourselves unsatisfied, I warrant thee.-Come, neighbour Mugs, we'll call Till he hath found a time to pay us home. up the gentlemen; they will along with company, for they have great charge. And see already, how he doth begin (Exeunt Carriers. Gads. What, ho! chamberlain ! Cham. (Within.) At hand, quoth pick-purse. Wor. Cousin, farewell; - No further go in this, Gads. That's even as fair as — at hand, quoth the Than I by letters shall direct your course. chamberlain: for thou variest no more from picking When time is ripe, (which will be suddenly,) of purses, than giving direction doth from labouring; I'll steal to Glendower, and Lord Mortimer; thou lay'st the plot how. Where you and Douglas, and our powers at once, Enter Chamberlain. (As I will fashion it,) shall happily meet, Cham. Good-morrow, master Gadshill. It holds To bear our fortunes in our own strong arms, current, that I told you yesternight: There's a FrankWhich now we hold at much uncertainty. lin in the wild of Kent hath brought three hundred North. Farewell, good brother: we shall thrive, marks with him in gold: I heard him tell it to one I trust. of his company, last night at supper; a kind of Hot. Uncle, adieu:-0, let the hours be short, auditor; one that hath abundance of charge too, Till fields, and blows, and groans applaud our sport! Go I knows what. They are up already, and call [Exeunt. for eggs and butter: they will away presently. Gads. Sirrah, if they meet not with saint Nicho las' clerks, I'll give thee this neck. ACT II. Cham. No, I'll none of it: I pr’ythee, keep that for the hangman; for, I know, thou worship’st saint SCENE I.-Rochester. An Inn Yard. Nicholas as truly as a man of falshood may. Gads. What talkest thou to me of the hangman ? Enter a Carrier, with a lantern in his hand. if I hang, I'll make a fat pair of gallows; for, if I 1 Car. Heigh ho! An't be not four by the day, hang, old sir John hangs with me; and, thou knowI'll be hanged: Charles' wain is over the new chim est, he's no starveling. Tut! there are other Tro. Dey, and yet our borse not packed. What, ostler! jans that thou dreamest not of, the which, for sport Ost. [Within.) Anon, anon., sake, are content to do the profession some grace ; 1 Car. I pr'ythee, Tom, beat Cut's saddle, put a that would, if matters should be looked into, for few flocks in the point; the poor jade is wrung in their own credit sake, make all whole. I am joined the withers out of all cess. with no foot land-rakers, no long-staff, sixpenny strikers; none of these mad, mustachio purple-hued Enter another Carrier. malt-worms: but with nobility, and tranquillity; 2 Car. Pease and beans are as dank here as a burgomasters, and great oneyers; such as can hold dog, and that is the next way to give poor jades the in; such as will strike sooner than speak, and speak bots: this house is turned upsirle down, since Robin sooner than drink, and drink sooner than pray: ostler died. And yet I lie; for they pray continually to their 1 Car. Poor fellow! never joyed since tne price saint, the commonwealth; or, rather, not pray to of oats rose; it was the death of him. her, but prey on her; for they ride up and down on 2 Car. I think this be the most villainous house in her, and make her their boots. all London road for fleas: I am stung like a tench. Cham. What, the commonwealth their boots ? will I Car. Like a tench? by the mass, there is ne'er she hold out water in foul way? a king in Christendom could be better bit than I Gads. She will, she will; justice hath liquored have been since the first cock. her. We steal as in a castle, cock-sure; we have 2 Car. Why, they will allow us ne'er a jorden, the receipt of fern-seed, we walk invisible. and then we leak in your chimney; and your cham- Cham. Nay, by my faith; I think you are more ber-lie breeds feas like a loach. beholden to the night, than to fern-seed, for your I Car. What, ostler! come away, and be hanged, walking invisible. come away, Gads. Give me thy hand : thou shalt have a share 2 Car. I have a gammon of bacon, and two razes in our purchase, as I am a true man. of ginger, to be delivered as far as Charing-cross. Cham. Nay, rather let me have it, as you are a i Car. 'Odsbody! the turkies in my pannier are false thief. quite starved. -What, ostler ! - A plague on thee ! Gads. Go to Homo is a common name to all men. hast thou never an eye in thy read? canst not hear? Bid the ostler bring my gelding out of the stable. Au 'twere not as good a deed as drink, tr break the Facewell, you muddy knavo. Eseunt |