And he, the noble image o. my youth, West. My sovereign lord, cheer up yourself, look up! War. Be patient, princes; you do know, these fits Are with his highness very ordinary. Stand from him, give him air; he'll straight be well. War. My gracious lord, you look beyond him Unfather'd heirs, and loathly birds of nature: quite: The prince but studies his companions, Like a strange tongue: wherein, to gain the lan guage, 'Tis needful, that the most immodest word By which his grace must mete the lives of others; K. Hen. 'Tis seldom, when the bee doth leave her comb In the dead carrion.-Who's here? Westmoreland? Enter Westmoreland. The seasons change their manners, as the years over. Cla. The river hath thrice flow'd, no ebb be- And the old folk, time's doting chronicles, That our great grandsire, Edward, sick'd and died. K. Hen. I pray you, take me up, and bear me Into some other chamber: softly, 'pray. [They convey the king into an inner part of the room, and place him on a bed. Let there be no noise made, my gentle friends; Unless some dull' and favourable hand West. Health to my sovereign! and new happi- Will whisper music to my weary spirit. ness Added to that that I am to deliver! Prince John, your son, doth kiss your grace's hand: K. Hen. O Westmoreland, thou art a summer Which ever in the haunch of winter sings Enter Harcourt. Har. From enemies heaven keep your majesty; K. Hen. And wherefore should these good news Will Fortune never come with both hands full, War. Call for the music into the other room. P. Hen. Tell it him. Heard he the good news yet? P. Humph. He alter'd much upon the hearing it. With joy, he will recover without physic. The king your father is dispos'd to sleep. P. Hen. No; I will sit and watch here by the (6) An historical fact, on October 12, 1411. Perforce must move.-My gracious lord! my fa-With gentle eye-drops. He is coming hither. K. Hen. But wherefore did he take away the crown? ther! This sleep is sound indeed; this is a sleep, Into one giant arm, it shall not force This lineal honour from me: This from thee Re-enter Warwick, and the rest. [Exit. Cla. K. Hen. Why did you leave me here alone, my Cla. We left the prince my brother here, my liege, Who undertook to sit and watch by you. K. Hen. The prince of Wales? Where is he? let me see him: He is not here. War. This door is open; he is gone this way. P. Humph. He came not through the chamber where we stay'd. I Re-enter Prince Henry. Lo, where he comes.-Come hither to me, Harry:- [Exe. Clarence, Prince Humphrey, Lords, &c. P. Hen. I never thought to hear you speak again. K. Hen. Thy wish was father, Harry, to that thought: stay too long by thee, I weary thee. That thou wilt needs invest thee with mine honours Thou seek'st the greatness that will overwhelm thee. K. Hen. Where is the crown? who took it from my pillow? War. When we withdrew, my liege, we left it here. K. Hen. The prince hath ta'en it hence:-go, Is he so hasty, that he doth suppose Find him, my lord of Warwick; chide him hither. How quickly nature falls into revolt, For this the foolish over-careful fathers Have broke their sleep with thoughts their brains The muzzle off restraint, and the wild dog with care, Their bones with industry; For this they have engrossed and pil'd up, Our thighs pack'd with wax, our mouths with honey, Now, where is he that will not stay so long Washing with kindly tears his gentle cheeks; (1) Circle. (2) Taking toll. (3) Accumulations. Shall flesh his tooth in every innocent. O my poor kingdom, sick with civil blows! The moist impediments unto my speech, And never live to show the incredulous world But thou, most fine, most honour'd, most renown'd, To try with it,-as with an enemy, But if it did infect my blood with joy, Or swell my thoughts to any strain of pride; Did, with the least affection of a welcome, That doth with awe and terror kneel to it! Heaven put it in thy mind, to take it hence, That thou might'st win the more thy father's love, Come hither, Harry, sit thou by my bed; And hear, I think, the very latest counsel Which I, with more than with a common pain, K. Hen. Look, look, here comes my John of P. John. Health, peace, and happiness, to my K. Hen. Thou bring'st me happiness, and peace, But health, alack, with youthful wings is flown P. Hen. My lord of Warwick! It hath been prophesied to me many years, ACT V. [Exeun!. That ever I shall breathe. Heaven knows, my son, SCENE I.-Glostershire. A hall in Shallows By what by-paths, and indirect crook'd ways, I met this crown; and I myself know well, How troublesome it sat upon my head: To thee it shall descend with better quiet, Have but their stings and teeth newly ta'en out; With foreign quarrels; that action, hence borne out, You won it, wore it, kept it, gave it me; (2) To be taken. house. Enter Shallow, Falstaff, Bardolph, and Page. Shal. By cock and pye, sir, you shall not away to-night.--What, Davy, I say! Fal. You must excuse me, master Robert Shallow. Shal. I will not excuse you; you shall not be excused; excuses shall not be admitted; there is no excuse shall serve; you shall not be excused -Why, Davy! Davy. Here, sir. Enter Davy. Shal. Davy, Davy, Davy,-let me see, Davy; let me see:-yea, marry, William cook, bid him come hither.-Sir John, you shall not be excused. Davy. Marry, sir, thus ;-those precepts cannot be served: and, again, sir,-Shall we sow the headland with wheat? Shal. With red wheat, Davy. But for William cook;-Are there no young pigeons? Davy. Yes, sir.--Here is now the smith's note, for shoeing, and plough-irons. 8 Shal. Let it be cast, and paid:-Sir John, you shall not be excused. Davy. Now, sir, a new link to the bucket must needs be had:-And, sir, do you mean to stop any of William's wages, about the sack he lost the other day, at Hinckley fair? Shul. He shall answer it :--Some pigeons, Davy; a couple of short-legged hens; a joint of mutton; and any pretty little tiny kickshaws, tell William cook. Davy. Doth the man of war stay all night, sir? Shal. Yes, Davy. I will use him well; A friend i'the court is better than a penny in purse. Use his men well, Davy; for they are arrant knaves, and will backbite. (6) Purchase, in Shakspeare, frequently means (1) Quality. stolen goods. (3) Spot, dirt. (4) Frights. (5) State of things. (7) Warrants. (8) Accoun.ed up. Davy. No worse than they are back-bitten, sir;| for they have marvellous foul linen. Shal. Well conceited, Davy. About thy business, Davy. Dary. I beseech you, sir, to countenance William Visor of Wincot against Clement Perkes of the hill. Ch. Just. I would, his majesty had call'd me The service that I truly did his life, War. Indeed, I think, the young king loves you not. Ch. Just. I know, he doth not; and do arm myself, Shal. There are many complaints, Davy, against that Visor; that Visor is an arrant knave, on my To welcome the condition of the time; knowledge. Which cannot look more hideously upon me Davy. I grant your worship, that he is a knave, Than I have drawn it in my fantasy. sir: but yet, God forbid, sir, but a knave should have some countenance at his friend's request. An Enter Prince John, Prince Humphrey, Clarence, honest man, sir, is able to speak for himself, when Westmoreland, and others." a knave is not. I have served your worship truly, War. Here come the heavy issue of dead Harry: sir, this eight years; and if I cannot once or twice O, that the living Harry had the temper in a quarter bear out a knave against an honest Of him, the worst of these three gentlemen! man, I have but a very little credit with your wor- How many nobles then should hold their places, ship. The knave is mine honest friend, sir; there- That must strike sail to spirits of vile sort! fore, I beseech your worship, let him be counte- Ch. Just. Alas! I fear, all will be overturn'd. nanced. P. John. Good morrow, cousin Warwick. P. Humph. Cla. Good morrow, cousin. P. John. We meet like men that had forgot to speak. Shal. Go to; I say, he shall have no wrong. Look about, Davy. [Exit Davy.] Where are you, sir John? Come, off with your boots.-Give me your hand, master Bardolph. Bard. I am glad to see your worship. War. We do remember; but our argument P. John. Well, peace be with him that hath made Ch. Just. Peace be with us, lest we be heavier! P. Humph. O, good my lord, you have lost a friend, indeed: Fal. I'll follow you, good master Robert Shallow. Bardolph, look to our horses. [Exeunt Bardolph and Page.] If I were sawed into quantities, And I dare swear, you borrow not that face I should make four dozen of such bearded hermit's- Of seeming sorrow; it is, sure, your own. staves as master Shallow. It is a wonderful thing, P. John. Though no man be assur'd what grace to see the semblable coherence of his men's spirits to find, and his: They, by observing him, do bear them- You stand in coldest expectation: selves like foolish justices; he, by conversing with I am the sorrier; 'would, 'twere otherwise. Cla. Well, you must now speak sir John Falstaff fair; I'll to the king my master that is dead, participation of society, that they flock together in Which swims against your stream of quality. consent, like so many wild geese. If I had a suit Ch. Just. Sweet princes, what I did, I did in to master Shallow, I would humour his men, with honour, the imputation of being near their master: if to his Led by the impartial conduct of my soul; men, I would curry with master Shallow, that no And never shall you see, that I will beg man could better command his servants. It is cer- A ragged and forestall'd remission.tain, that either wise bearing, or ignorant carriage, If truth and upright innocency fail me, is caught, as men take diseases, one of another: therefore, let men take heed of their company. will devise matter enough out of this Shallow, to keep prince Harry in continual laughter, the wearing-out of six fashions, (which is four terms, or two actions,) and he shall laugh without intervallums. O, it is much, that a lie, with a slight oath, and a jest, with a sad brow, will do with a fellow that never had the ache in his shoulders! O, you shall see him laugh, till his face be like a wet cloak ill laid up.2 Shal. [Within.] Sir John! Enter King Henry V. Ch. Just. Good morrow; and heaven save your King. This new and gorgeous garment, majesty, Fal. I come, master Shallow; I come, master But Harry, Harry: Yet be sad, good brothers, [Exit Falstaff. Ch. Just. How doth the king? For, to speak truth, it very well becomes you; War. Exceeding well; his cares are now all Let me but bear your love, I'll bear your cares. ended. Ch. Just. I hope, not dead. Yet weep, that Harry's dead; and so will I: War. (1) A serious face. (2) Full of wrinkles. (3) Emperor of the Turks, died in 1596; his son, who succeeded him, had all his brothers strangled. King. You all look strangely on me :-and you most; [To the Chief Justice. You are, I think, assur'd I love you not. Ch. Just. I am assur'd, if I be measur'd rightly, Your majesty hath no just cause to hate me. King. No! P. John, &c. We hope no other from your ma- To frustrate prophecies; and to raze out How might a prince of my great hopes forget Ch. Just. I then did use the person of your The image of his power lay then in me: And did commit you. If the deed were ill, To pluck down justice from your awful bench; King. You are right, justice, and you weigh this Therefore still bear the balance, and the sword : And with his spirit sadly I survive, To mock the expectation of the world; SCENE III-Glostershire. The garden of Shallow's house. Enter Falstaff, Shallow, Silence, Bardolph, the Page, and Davy. Shal. Nay, you shall see mine orchard: where, in an arbour, we will eat a last year's pippin of my own grafting, with a dish of caraways, and so forth; -come, cousin Silence ;-and then to bed. Fal. 'Fore God, you have here a goodly dwelling, and a rich. Shal. Barren, barren, barren; beggars all, begDavy; spread, Davy; well said, Davy. gars all, sir John:-marry, good air.-Spread, Fal. This Davy serves you for good uses; he is your serving-man, and your husbandman. Shal. A good varlet, a good varlet, a very good Do nothing but eat, and make good cheer, And praise heaven for the merry year; And ever among so merrily. Fal. There's a merry heart!-Good master Silence, I'll give you a health for that anon. Shal. Give master Bardolph some wine, Davy. Davy. Sweet sir, sit; [Seating Bardolph and the Page at another table. I'll be with you anon:most sweet sir, sit.- -Master page, good master page, sit: proface! What you want in meat, we'll have in drink. But you must bear; The heart's [Exit. all. Shal. Be merry, master Bardolph ;-and my little soldier there, be merry. Sil. Be merry, be merry, my wife's as all;" [Singing. For women are shrews, both short and tall: 'Tis merry in hall, when beards wag all, And welcome merry shrove-tide. Be merry, be merry, &c. Fal. I did not think, master Silence had been a man of this mettle. Sil. Who, I? I have been merry twice and once ere now. |