SCENE III.-The same. Another room in the Out of the bowels of the harmless earth, palace. Enter King Henry, Northumberland, Which many a good tall fellow had destroy'd Worcester, Hotspur, Sir Walter Blunt, and So cowardly; and, but for these vile guns, others. He would himself have been a soldier. K. Hen. My blood hath been too cold and tem- This bald unjointed chat of his, my lord, perate, Unapt to stir at these indignities, And you have found me; for, accordingly, serves The scourge of greatness to be used on it; North. My lord, K. Hen. Worcester, get thee gone, for I see danger And disobedience in thine eye: 0, sir, You were about to speak. Hot. My liege, I did deny no prisoners. And 'twixt his finger and his thumb he held He question'd me; among the rest demanded I then, all smarting, with my wounds being cold, And telling me, the sovereign'st thing on earth That villanous salt-petre should be digg'd I answer'd indirectly, as I said; To such a person and in such a place, That we, at our own charge, shall ransom straight To ransom home revolted Mortimer. Hot. Revolted Mortimer! He never did fall off, my sovereign liege, He did confound the best part of an hour drink, Upon agreement, of swift Severn's flood; Nor never could the noble Mortimer Then let him not be slander'd with revolt. He never did encounter with Glendower; He durst as well have met the devil alone, [Exeunt King Henry, Blunt, and train. Hot. And if the devil ccme and roar for them, I will not send them:-I will after straight, (5) Parrot. (6) Pain. (7) Brave. (9) Expend. (11) Curled. And tell him so; for I will ease my heart, And now I will unclasp a secret book, North. What, drunk with choler? stay, and I'll read you matter deep and dangerous; pause a while; Here comes your uncle. Re-enter Worcester. Hot. North. He was; I heard the proclamation: From whence he, intercepted, did return Wor. And for whose death, we in the world's Live scandaliz'd, and foully spoken of. Hot. But, soft, I pray you: Did king Richard Proclaim my brother Edmund Mortimer : North. The cords, the ladder, or the hangman rather?- Wor. Peace, cousin, say no more: (2) The dog-rose. (4) A rival. (5) Friendship. (6) Shapes created by his imagination. As full of peril, and advent'rous spirit, Hot. If he fall in, good night :-or sink or swim. North. Imagination of some great exploit Hot. By heaven, methinks, it were an easy leap, Wor. He apprehends a world of figures here. I'll keep them all; Hot. Nay, I will; that's flat:- Wor. Cousin, a word. Hear you, Hot. All studies here I solemnly defy," Wales, But that I think his father loves him not, And would be glad he met with some mischance, Wor. Farewell, kinsman! I will talk to you, North. Why, what a wasp-stung and impatient Art thou, to break into this woman's mood;" Hot. Why, look you, I am whipp'd and scourg'd Nettled, and stung with pismires, when I hear In Richard's time,-What do you call the place?- Hot. You say true:- Wor. Then once more to your Scottish prisoners. Deliver them up without their ransom straight, And make the Douglas' son your only mean For powers in Scotland; which,-for divers reasons, Which I shall send you written,-be assur'd, Will easily be granted.-You, my lord,[To Northumberland. Your son in Scotland being thus employ'd,Shall secretly into the bosom creep Of that same noble prelate, well belov'd, The archbishop. Hot. Of York, is't not? Wor. True; who bears hard His brother's death at Bristol, the lord Scroop. As what I think might be, but what I know Hot. I smell it; upon my life, it will do well. North. Before the game's a-foot, thou still let'st slip. Hot. Why, it cannot choose but be a noble plot: And then the power of Scotland, and of York,— To join with Mortimer, ha? Wor. The king will always think him in our debt; Wor. Cousin, farewell:-No further go in this, trust. I'll be hanged: Charles' wain is over the new chimney, and yet our horse not packed. What, ostier! Ost. [Within.] Anon, anon. 1 Car. I pr'ythee, Tom, beat Cut's saddle, put a few flocks in the point; the poor jade is wrung in the withers out of all cess. Enter another Carrier. 2 Car. Pease and beans are as dank here as a dog, and that is the next way to give poor jades the bots: this house is turned upside down, since Robin ostler died. 1 Car. Poor fellow! never joyed since the price of oats rose; it was the death of him. 2 Car. I think, this be the most villanous house in all London road for fleas : I am stung like a tench." 1 Car. Like a tench? by the mass, there is ne'er a king in Christendom could be better bit than I have been since the first cock. 2 Car. Why, they will allow us ne'er a jorden, and then we leak in your chimney; and your chamber-lie breeds fleas like a loach. io' 1 Car. What, ostler! come away and be hanged, come away. 2 Car. I have a gammon of bacon, and two razes of ginger, to be delivered as far as Charing-cross. 1 Car. 'Odsbody! the turkeys in my pannier are quite starved.-What, ostler!-A plague on thee! hast thou never an eye in thy head? canst not hear? An 'twere not as good a deed as drink, to break the pate of thee, I am a very villain.Come, and be hanged:-Hast no faith in thee? Enter Gadshill. Gads. Good morrow, carriers. What's o'clock ? 1 Car. I think it be two o'clock. Gads. I pr'ythee, lend me thy lantern, to see my gelding in the stable. 1 Car. Nay, soft, I pray ye; I know a trick worth two of that, i'faith. Gads. I pr'ythee, lend me thine. 2 Car. Ay, when? canst tell?-Lend me thy lantern, quoth-a ?-marry, I'll see thee hanged first. Gads. Sirrah carrier, what time do you mean to come to London? 2 Car. Time enough to go to bed with a candle, I warrant thee.-Come, neighbour Mugs, we'll call up the gentlemen; they will along with company, for they have great charge. [Ere. Carriers. Gads. What, ho! chamberlain ! Cham. [Within.] At hand, quoth pick-purse. Gads. That's even as fair as-at hand, quoth the chamberlain: for thou variest no more from picking of purses, than giving direction doth from labour ing; thou lay'st the plot how. Gads. Sirrah, if they meet not with Saint Nicho- miles afoot with me; and the stony-hearted villains las' clerks, I'll give thee this neck. know it well enough: A plague upon't, when Cham. No, I'll none of it: I pr'ythee keep that thieves cannot be true to one another! [They whisfor the hangman; for, I know, thou worship'st tle.] Whew!-A plague upon you all! Give me Saint Nicholas as truly as a man of falsehood may. my horse, you rogues; give me my horse, and be Gads. What talkest thou to me of the hangman? hanged. if I hang, I'll make a fat pair of gallows: for, if I P. Hen. Peace, ye fat-guts! lie down; lay thine hang, old sir John hangs with me; and, thou ear close to the ground, and list if thou canst hear knowest, he's no starveling. Tut! there are other the tread of travellers. Trojans that thou dreamest not of, the which, for Fal. Have you any levers to lift me up again, sport sake, are content to do the profession some being down? "Sblood, I'll not bear mine own flesh grace; that would, if matters should be looked so far afoot again, for all the coin in thy father's into, for their own credit sake, make all whole. I exchequer. What a plague mean ye to colt'i me am joined with no foot land-rakers, no long-staff, thus? six-penny strikers; none of these mad, mustachio,P. Hen. Thou liest, thou art not colted, thou art purple-hued malt-worms: but with nobility, and uncolted. tranquility; burgomasters, and great oneyers ;3 Fal. I pr'ythee, good prince Hal, help me to my such as can hold in: such as will strike sooner than horse; good king's son. speak, and speak sooner than drink, and drink sooner P. Hen. Out, you rogue! shall I be your ostler? than pray: And yet I lie; for they pray continually Fal. Go, hang thyself in thy own heir-apparent to their saint, the commonwealth; or, rather, not garters! If I be ta'en, I'll peach for this. An I pray to her, but prey on her; for they ride up and have not ballads made on you all, and sung to filthy down on her, and make her their boots.4 tunes, let a cup of sack be my poison: When a jest is so forward, and afoot too, I hate it. Enter Gadshill. Cham. What, the commonwealth their boots? will she hold out water in foul way? Gads. She will, she will; justice hath liquored her. We steal as in a castle, cock-sure; we have the receipt of fern-seed, we walk invisible. Cham. Nay, by my faith; I think you are more beholden to the night, than to fern-seed, for your walking invisible. Gads. Give me thy hand: thou shalt have a share in our purchase, as I am a true' man. 6 Cham. Nay, rather let me have it, as you are false thief. a Gads. Go to; Homo is a common name to all men. Bid the ostler bring my gelding out of the stable. Farewell, you muddy knave. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-The road by Gadshill. Enter Prince Henry and Poins; Bardolph and Peto at some distance. Poins. Come, shelter, shelter; I have removed Falstaff's horse, and he frets like a gummed velvet. P. Hen. Stand close. Enter Falstaff. Fal. Poins! Poins, and be hanged! Poins! P. Hen. Peace, ye fat-kidneyed rascal; What brawling dost thou keep! a on us. Peto. How many be there of them? Fal. Zounds! will they not rob us? P. Hen. What, a coward, sir John Paunch? Fal. Indeed, I am not John of Gaunt, your grandfather; but yet no coward, Hal. P. Hen. Well, we leave that to the proof. Poins. Sirrah Jack, thy horse stands behind the hedge; when thou needest him, there thou shalt find him. Farewell, and stand fast. Fal. Now cannot I strike him, if I should be hanged. P. Hen. Ned, where are our disguises? Fal. Where's Poins, Hal? P. Hen. He is walked up to the top of the hill; I'll go seek him. [Pretends to seek Poins. Fal. I am accursed to rob in that thief's company: the rascal hath removed my horse, and tied him I know not where. If I travel but four foot by the squire further afoot, I shall break my wind. Well, I doubt not but to die a fair death for all this, if I 'scape hanging for killing that rogue. I say I; every man to his business. have forsworn his company hourly any time this two and twenty years, and yet I am bewitched [Exeunt P. Henry and Poins. Fal. Now, my masters, happy man be his dole,12 Enter Travellers. Thieves. Stand. Trav. Jesu bless us! with the rogue's company. If the rascal have not 1 Trav. Come, neighbour; the boy shall lead our given me medicines to make me love him, I'll be horses down the hill: we'll walk afoot awhile, and hanged; it could not be else; I have drunk medi-ease our legs. cines.-Poins!-Hal!-a plague upon you both!Bardolph!-Peto!-I'll starve, ere I'll rob a foot further. An 'twere not as good a deed as drink to Fal. Strike, down with them; cut the villains' turn true1o man, and leave these rogues, I am the throats: Ah! whoreson caterpillars! bacon-fed veriest varlet that ever chewed with a tooth. Eight knaves! they hate us youth: down with them; yards of uneven ground, is threescore and ten fleece them. (1) Cant term for highwaymen. Footpads. (3) Public accountants. (6) In what we acquire. (7) Honest. 1 Trav. O, we are undone, both we and ours infidel! Ha! you shall see now, in very sincerity for ever. of fear and cold heart, will he to the king, and lay Fal. Hang ye, gorbellied' knaves; Are ye un- open all our proceedings. O, I could divide mydone? No, ye fat chuffs; I would, your store self, and go to buffets, for moving such a dish o were here! On, bacons, on! What, ye knaves? skimmed milk with so honourable an action! Hang young men must live: You are grand-jurors, are him! let him tell the king: We are prepared: I ye? We'll jure will set forward to-night. [Exeunt Fal. &c. driving the Travellers out. ye, i'faith. Re-enter Prince Henry and Poins. P. Hen. The thieves have bound the true men: Now could thou and I rob the thieves, and go merrily to London, it would be argument for a week, laughter for a month, and a good jest for ever. Poins. Stand close, I hear them coming. Re-enter Thieves. Fal. Come, my masters, let us share, and then to horse before day. An the prince and Poins be not two arrant cowards, there's no equity stirring: there's no more valour in that Poins, than in a wild duck. P. Hen. Your money. [Rushing out upon them. [As they are sharing, the Prince and Poins set P. Hen. Got with much ease. Now merrily to The thieves are scatter'd, and possess'd with fear Enter Lady Percy. How now, Kate? I must leave you within these Lady. O, my good lord, why are you thus alone? Serv. He is, my lord, an hour ago. Serv. One horse, my lord, he brought, even now. Hot. -But, for mine own part, my lord, I could be well contented to be there, in respect of the love I beer your house.-He could be contented,-Why is he not then? In respect of the love he bears our house-he shows in this, he loves his own barn better than he loves our house. Let me see some more. The purpose you undertake, is dangerous;— Why, that's certain; 'tis dangerous to take a cold, to sleep, to drink: but I tell you, my lord fool, out of this nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety. That roan shall be my throne. The purpose you undertake, is dangerous; the Well, I will back him straight: O esperance!"— friends you have named, uncertain; the time itself Bid Butler lead him forth into the park. [Ex. Serv. unsorted; and your whole plot too light, for the Lady. But hear you, my lord. counterpoise of so great an opposition.-Say you so, say you so? I say unto you again, you are a shallow, cowardly hind, and you lie. What a lackbrain is this? By the Lord, our plot is a good plot My love, my horse. as ever was laid; our friends true and constant: Lady. a good plot, good friends, and full of expectation: A weasel hath not such a deal of spleen, an excellent plot, very good friends. What a frosty-As you are toss'd with. In faith, spirited rogue is this! Why, my lord of York com- I'll know your business, Harry, that I will. mends the plot, and the general course of the I fear, my brother Mortimer doth stir action. Zounds, an I were now by this rascal, I About his title; and hath sent for you, could brain him with his lady's fan. Is there not To lines his enterprize: But if you gomy father, my uncle, and myself? lord Edmund Hot. So far afoot, I shall be weary love. Mortimer, my lord of York, and Owen Glendower? Lady. Come, come, you paraquito,' answer me Is there not, besides, the Douglas? Have I not all Directly to this question that I ask. their letters, to meet me in arms by the ninth of the In faith, I'll break thy little finger, Harry, next month? and are they not, some of them, set An if thou wilt not tell me all things true. forward already? What a pagan rascal is this! an Hot. Away, My horse Out, you mad-headed ape! Away, you trifler!-Love?-I love thee not, (7) Motto of the Percy family. |