Enter the Lord Chief Justice, attended.

Ch. Just. What's the matter? keep the peace here, ho! you, stand to me! Host. Good my lord, be good to me! I beseech Ch. Just. How now, sir John? what, are you brawling here?

Doth this become your place, your time, and business?

You should have been well on your way to York.— Stand from him, fellow! Wherefore hang'st thou on him?

Host. O, my most worshipful lord, an't please your grace, I am a poor widow of Eastcheap, and he is arrested at my suit.

Ch. Just. For what sum?

Host. It is more than for some, my lord; it is for all, all I have: he hath eaten me out of house and home; he hath put all my substance into that fat belly of his -but I will have some of it out again, or I'll ride thee o'nights, like the mare.

Fal. I think, I am as like to ride the have any vantage of ground to get up.

inare, if I

Ch. Just. How comes this, sir John? Fy! what man of good temper would endure this tempest of exclamation? Are you not ashamed, to enforce a poor widow to so rough a course to come by her own?

Fal. What is the gross sum that I owe thee?

Host. By this heavenly ground I tread on, I must be fain to pawn both my plate, and the tapestry of my dining-chambers.

Fal. Glasses, glasses, is the only drinking: and for thy walls, a pretty slight drollery, or the story of the prodigal, or the German hunting in waterwork, is worth a thousand of these bed hangings, and these fly-bitten tapestries. Let it be ten pound, if thou caust. Come, an it were not for thy humours, there is not a better wench in England. Go, wash thy face, and draw thy action: Come, thou must not be in this humour with me; dost not know me? Come, come, I know thou wast set on to this.

Host. Pray thee, sir John, let it be but twenty nobles; i'faith I am loath to pawn my plate, in good earnest, la. [be a fool still.

Fal. Let it alone; I'll make other shift: you'll Host. Well, you shall have it, though I pawn my gown. I hope, you'll come to supper: You'll pay me all together?

Fal. Will I live?-Go, with her, with her; (to
fat supper?
Host. Will you have Doll Tear-sheet meet you
Fal. No more words: let's have her.

[Exeunt Hostess, Bardolph, Officers,
and Page.

Ch. Just. I have heard better news.
Fal. What's the news, my good lord?
Ch. Just. Where lay the king last night?
Gow. At Basingstoke, my lord.

Host. Marry, if thou wert an honest man, thyself and thy money too. Thou didst swear to nie upon a parcel-gilt goblet, sitting in my Dolphin-Bardolph hook on, book on. chamber, at the round table, by a sea-coal fire, upon Wednesday in Whitsun-week, when the prince broke thy head for liking his father to a singingman of Windsor: thou didst swear to me then, as I was washing thy wound, to marry me, and make me my lady thy wife. Canst thou deny it? Did not goodwife Keech, the butcher's wife, come in then, and call me gossip Quickly! coming in to borrow a mess of vinegar; telling us, she had a good dish of prawns: whereby thou didst desire to eat some; whereby I told thee, they were ill for a green wound? And didst thou not, when she was gone down stairs, desire me to be no more so familiarity with such poor people; saying, that ere long they should call me madam? And didst thon not kiss me, and bid me fetch thee thirty shillings? I put thee now to thy book-oath; deny it, if thou canst.

Fal. My lord, this is a poor mad soul; and she says, up and down the town, that her eldest son is like you: she hath been in good case, and, the truth is, poverty hath distracted her. But for these foolish officers, I beseech you, I may have redress against them.

Ch. Just. Sir John, sir John, I am well acquainted with your manner of wrenching the trae cause the false way. It is not a confident brow, nor the throng of words, that come with such more than impudent sanciness from you, can thrust me from a level con sideration: you have, as it appears to me, practised upon the easy-yielding spirit of this woman, and made her serve your uses both in purse and person. Host. Yea, in troth, my lord.

Ch. Just. Prythee, peace:-Pay her the debt you owe her, and unpay the villainy you have done with her; the one you may do with sterling money, and the other with current repentance.

Fal. My lord, I will not undergo this sneap without reply. You call honourable boldness, impudent sauciness; if a man will make court'sy, and say nothing, he is virtuous; No, my lord, my humble duty remembered, I will not be your suitor: I say to you, I do desire deliverance from these officers, being upon hasty employment in the king's affairs.

Ch. Just. You speak as having power to do wrong but auswer in the effect of your reputation, and satisfy the poor woman.

Fal. Come hither, hostess. (Taking her aside.

Fal. I hope, my lord, all's well: What's the news, my lord?

[horse,

Ch. Just. Come all his forces back?
Gow. No; fifteen hundred foot, five hundred
Are march'd up to my lord of Lancaster,
Against Northumberland and the archbishop.

Fal. Comes the king back from Wales, my noble lord?

Ch. Just. You shall have letters of me presently:
Come, go along with me, good master Gower.
Fal. My lord!

[to dinner?

Ch. Just. What's the matter?
Fal. Master Gower, shall I eatreat you with me
Gow. I must wait upon my good lord here: I
thank you, good sir John.

Ch. Just. Sir John, you loiter here too long, he-
ing you are to take soldiers up in counties as you go.
Fal. Will you sup with me, master Gower?
Ch. Just. What foolish master taught you these
manners, sir John?

Fal. Master Gower, if they become me not, he was a fool that taught them me.-This is the right fencing grace, my lord; tap for tap, and so part fair. Ch. Just. Now the Lord lighten tuce! thou art a great fool. [Exeunt.

SCENE II-The same. Another Street.

Enter Prince HENRY and POINS.

P. Hen. Trust me, I am exceeding weary. Poins. Is it come to that? I had thought, weariness durst not have attached one of so high blood

P. Hen. Faith, it does me; though it discolours the complexion of my greatness to acknowledge it Doth it not show vilely in me, to desire small beer?

Poins. Why, a prince should not be so loosely studied, as to remember so weak a composition.

P. Hen. Belike then, my appetite was not princely got; for, by my troth, I do now remember the poor creature, small beer. But, indeed, these humble

Poins. O, that this good blossom could be kept from cankers!-Well, there is sixpence to preserve thee.

Bard. An you do not make him be hanged among the gallows shall have wrong.

you,

P. Hen. And how doth thy master, Bardolph ? Bard. Well, my lord. He heard of your grace's coming to town; there's a letter for you. Poins. Delivered with good respect.-And how doth the martlemas, your master?

considerations make me out of love with my great- P. Hen. A crown's worth of good interpretation. What a disgrace is it to me to remember thy-There it is, boy. (Gives him money.) Lame? or to know thy face to-morrow? or to take mte how many pair of silk stockings thou hast; viz. Bese, and those that were the peach-colour'd ones? or to hear the inventory of thy shirts; as, one for pertlaity, and one other for use?-but that, the tennis-court keeper knows better than I; for it is a low ebb of linen with thee, when thou keepest not racket there; as thou hast not done a great while, because the rest of thy low-countries have made a shift to eat up thy holland: and God knows, whether those that bawl out the ruins of thy linen, shall inherit his kingdom: but the midwives say, the children are not in the fault; whereupon the world increases, and kindreds are mightily strengthened. Poins. How ill it follows, after you have laboured so hard, you should talk so idly? Tell me, how many good young princes would do so, their fathers being so sick as yours at this time is?

P. Hen. Shall I tell thee one thing, Poins? Poins. Yes; and let it be an excellent good thing. P. Hen. It shall serve among wits of no higher breeding than thine. [that you will tell. Poins. Go to; I stand the push of your one thing P. Hen. Why, I tell thee,-it is not meet, that I bald be sad, now my father is sick : albeit I could tril to thee, (as to one it pleases me, for fault of a better, to call my friend,) I could be sad, and sad deed too.

Poins. Very hardly, upon such a subject.

P. Hen. By this hand, thou think'st me as far in the devil's book as thou, and Falstaff, for obduracy And persistency: let the end try the man. But I tell thee, my heart bleeds inwardly, that my father is so sick and keeping such vile company as thou art, hath in reason taken from me all ostentation of Poins. The reason? [sorrow. P. Hen. What would'st thou think of me, if I dead weep? [crite.

Pos. I would think thee a most princely hypoP Hen. It would be every man's thought: and the art a blessed fellow, to think as every man ks; never a man's thought in the world keeps Le road-way better than thine: every man would k me an hypocrite indeed. And what accites er most worshipful thought, to think so? Porns. Why, because you have been so lewd, and so much engrafted to Falstaff.

P. Hen. And to thee.

Pons. By this light, I am well spoken of, I can hear it with my own ears: the worst that they can say of me is, that I am a second brother, and that I am a proper fellow of my hands; and those two ugs, I confess, I cannot help. By the mass, here emes Bardolph.

P. Hen. And the boy that I gave Falstaff: he had from me christian; and look, if the fat villain have not transformed him ape.

Enter BARDOLPH and Page.

Bard 'Save your grace!

P. Hen. And yours, most noble Bardolph! Bard. Come, you virtuous ass, (to the Page) bashful fool, must you be blushing? wherefore ⚫h you now? What a maidenly man at arms are * become? Is it such a matter, to get a pottleits maidenhead?

Paye. He called me even now, my lord, through red lattice, and I could discern no part of his face from the window: at last, I spied his eyes; and, neth zht, be had made two holes in the ale-wife's ww petticoats, and peeped through.

P. He Hath not the boy profited? Bard Away, you whoreson upright rabbit, away! Page Away, you rascally Althea's dream, away! P. Hen. Instruct us, boy: What dream, boy? Page. Marry, my lord, Althea dreamed she was devered of a tire-brand; and therefore I call him wi dream.

Bard. In bodily health, sir.

Poins. Marry, the immortal part needs a physician: but that moves not him; though that be sick, it dies not.

P. Hen. I do allow this wen to be as familiar with me as my dog: and he holds his place; for, look you, how he writes.

Poins. (Reads.) John Falstaff, knight,-Every man must know that, as oft as he has occasion to name himself. Even like those, that are kin to the king; for they never prick their finger, but they say, There is some of the king's blood spilt: How comes that? says he, that takes upon him not to conceive: the answer is as ready as a borrower's cap; I am the king's poor cousin, sir.

P. Hen. Nay, they will be king to us, or they will fetch it from Japhet. But the letter:

Poins. Sir John Falstaff, knight, to the son of the king, nearest his father, Harry prince of Wales, greeting.-Why, this is a certificate.

P. Hen. Peace!

Poins. I will imitate the honourable Roman in brevity:-he sure means brevity in breath; shortwinded. I commend me to thee, I commend thee, and I leave thee. Be not too familiar with Poins; for he misuses thy favours so much, that he swears, thou art to marry his sister Nell. Repent at idle times as thou may'st, and so farewell.

Thine, by yea and no, (which is as much as to say, as thou usest him, Jack Falstaff, with my familiars; John, with my brothers and sisters; and sir John, with all Europe. My lord, I will steep this letter in sack, and make him eat it.

P. Hen. That's to make him eat twenty of his words. But do you use me thus, Ned? must 1 marry your sister? [but I never said so,

Poins. May the wench have no worse fortune! P. Hen. Well, thus we play the fools with the time; and the spirits of the wise sit in the clouds, and mock us.-Is your master here in London? Bard. Yes, my lord.

P. Hen. Where sups he? doth the old boar feed in the old frank?

Bard. At the old place, my lord; in Eastcheap.
P. Hen. What company?

Page. Ephesians, my lord; of the old church.
P. Hen. Sup any women with him?

Page. None, my lord, but old mistress Quickly, and mistress Doll Tear-sheet.

P. Hen. What pagan may that be? Page. A proper gentlewoman, sir, and a kinswoman of my master's.

P. Hen. Even such kin, as the parish heifers are to the town bull.-Shall we steal upon them, Ned, at supper? [you.

Poins. I am your shadow, my lord; I'll follow P. Hen. Sirrah, you boy,-and Bardolph ;-no word to your master, that I am yet come to town: There's for your silence.

Bard. I have no tongue, sir.

Page. And for mine, sir,-I will govern it.

P. Hen. Fare ye well; go. [Exeunt Bardolph and Page.]-This Doll Tear-sheet should be some

road.

Poins. I warrant yon, as common as the way between St. Alban's and London.

P. Hen. How might we see Falstaff bestow himself to-night in his true colours, and not ourselves be seen?

Poins. Put on two leather jerkins, and aprons, and wait upon him at his table as drawers.

P. Hen. From a god to a bull? a heavy descension! it was Jove's case. From a prince to a prentice? a low transformation! that shall be mine: for, in every thing, the purpose must weigh with the folly. Follow me, Ned.

[Exeunt.

Before the Castle.

SCENE III-Warkworth.
Enter NORTHUMBERLAND, Lady NORTHUMBER-
LAND, and Lady PERCY.

North. I pray thee, loving wife, and gentle daugh-
Give even way unto my rough atlairs:
[ter,
Put not you on the visage of the times,
And be, like them, to Percy troublesome.
Lady N. I have given over, I will speak no more :
Do what you will; your wisdom be your guide.

North. Alas, sweet wife, my honour is at pawn ;
And, but my going, nothing can redeem it.

Lady P. O, yet, for God's sake go not to these
wars!

The time was, father, that you broke your word,
When you were more endear'd to it than now;

When your own Percy, when my heart's dear Harry,
Threw many a northward look, to see his father
Bring up his powers; but he did long in vain.
Who then persuaded you to stay at home?
There were two honours lost; yours, and your son's.
For yours,-may heavenly glory brighten it!
For his, it stuck upon him, as the sun
In the grey vault of heaven: and, by his light,
Did all the chivalry of England move
To do brave acts; he was, indeed, the glass
Wherein the noble youth did dress themselves.
He had no legs, that practis'd not his gait:
And speaking thick, which nature made his blemish,
Became the accents of the valiant:

For those, that could speak low, and tardily,
Would turn their own perfection to abuse,
To seem like him: So that, in speech, in gait,
In diet, in affections of delight,

In military rules, humours of blood,
He was the mark and glass, copy and book,

That fashion'd others. And him,-O wondrous bim!
O miracle of meu!-him did you leave,
(Second to none, unseconded by you,)
To look upon the hideous god of war
In disadvantage, to abide a field,

Where nothing but the sound of Hotspur's name
Did seem defensible :-so you left him:
Never, O never, do his ghost the wrong,
To hold your honour more precise and nice
With others, than with him; let them alone;
The marshal, and the archbishop, are strong;
And my sweet Harry had but half their numbers,
To-day might I. hanging on Hotspur's neck,
Have talk'd of Monmouth's grave.
North.

Beshrew your heart,
Fair daughter! you do draw my spirits from me,
With new lamenting ancient oversights.
But I must go, and meet with danger there;
Or it will seek me in another place,
And find me worse provided.
Lady N.
O, fly to Scotland,
Till that the nobles, and the armed commons,
Have of their puissance made a little taste.
Lady P. If they get ground and vantage of the
king,

Then join you with them, like a rib of steel,
To make strength stronger; but, for all our loves,
First let them try themselves: So did your sou;
He was so suffer'd; so came I a widow;
And never shall have length of life enough,
To rain upon remembrance with mine eyes,
That it grow and sprout as high as heaven,
For recordation to my noble husband.

mind, North. Come, come, go in with me: 'tis with my

As with the tide swell'd up unto its height.
That makes a still-stand, running neither way.
Fam would I go to meet the archbishop,
But many thousand reasons hold me back:
I will resolve for Scotland; there am I,
Till time and vantage crave my company. Exeunt
SCENE IV. London. A Room in the Boar's
Head Tavern, in Eastcheap.

Enter Two Drawers.

1 Draw. What the devil hast thou brought there? apple-Johns? thou know'st, sir John cannot endure an apple-John.

2 Draw. Mass, thou sayest true: The brince once set a dish of apple-Johns before him, and told him, there were five more sir Johns: and, putting off his hat, said, I will now take my leave of these six dry. round, old, witheredknights. Itangered him to the heart; but he hath forgot that.

I Draw. Why then, cover, and set them down. And see if thou canst find out Sneak's noise: mistress Tear-sheet would fain hear some music. Despatch: -The room where they supped, is too hot; they'll come in straight.

2 Draw. Sirrah, here will be the prince, and jerkins, and aprons; and sir John must not know master Poins anon and they will put on two of our of it: Bardolph hath brought word.

1 Draw. By the mass, here will be old utis: It will be an excellent stratagem.

2. Draw. I'll see if I can find out Sneak. [Exit.

Enter Hostess and DOLL TEAR-SHEET.

Host. Ifaith, sweet heart, methinks now you are in an excellent good temperality: your pulsidge beats as extraordinarily as heart would desire; and your colour, I warrant you, is as red as any rose: But, i'faith, you have drunk too much canaries; and that's a marvellous searching wine, and it perfumes the blood ere one can say,-What's this? How do you now?

Doll. Better than I was. Hem.

Host. Why, that's well said; a good heart's worth gold. Look, here comes sir John.

Enter FALSTAFF, singing.

Fal. When Arthur first in court-Empty the jordan. And was a worthy king: Exit Drawer How now, mistress Doll?

Host. Sick of a calm: yea, good sooth. Fal. So is all her sect; an they be once in a calm, they are sick. [you give me? Doll. You muddy rascal, is that all the comfort Fat You make fit rascals, mistress Doll. Doll. I make them! gluttony and diseases make them; I make them not.

Fal. If the cook help to make the gluttony, you help to make the diseases, Doll: we catch of you, Doll, we catch of you; grant that, my poor virtue, grant that.

Doll. Ay, marry; our chains and our jewels.

Fal. Your brooches, pearls and owches ;-for to serve bravely, is to come halting off, you know: To come off the breach with his pike bent bravely, and to surgery bravely; to venture upon the charge chambers bravely: [yourself!

Doll. Hang yourself, you muddy conger, hang Host. By my troth, this is the old fashion; you two never meet, but you fall to some discord: you are both, in good troth, as rheumatic as two dry toasts, you cannot one bear with another's confirmities. What the good year! one must bear, and that must be you: to Doll you are the weaker vessel, as they say, the emptier vessel.

Doll. Can a weak empty vessel bear such a huge full hogshead? there's a whole merchant's venture of Bordeaux stuff in him: you have not seen a bulk better stuffed in the hold.-Come, I'll be friends with thee, Jack: thou art going to the wars; al

whether I shall ever see thee again, or no, there is | have earned them. You a captain, you slave! for wowly cares.

land

Host. If he swagger, let him not come here: no, by my faith; I must live amongst my neighbours; Ito swagzerers: I am in good name and fame with the very best:-Shut the door;-there comes swaggerers here: I have not lived all this while, is have swaggering now:-shut the door, I pray you. Fal. Dost thou hear, hostess?

Hot. Pray you, pacify yourself, sir John; there Comes Do swaggerers here.

Fal Dost thou hear! it is mine ancient. Hest. Tilly fally, sir John, never tell me; your aparat swaggerer comes not in my doors. I was before master Tisick, the deputy, the other day; and, as he said to me,-it was no longer ago than Wednesday last,-Neighbour Quickly, says he ;master Dumb, our minister, was by then,-Neigh Quickly, says he, receive those that are civil; fr sath be, you are in an ill name;—now he said I can tell whereupon; for, says he, you are an hat woman and well thought on; therefore take what guests you receive: Receive, says he, no gering companions.--Theae come none here;would bless you to hear what he said :-no, I'll

Je swagzerers.

Fal. He's no swaggerer, hostess; a tame cheater, be may stroke him as gently as a puppy grey d: he will not swagger with a Barbary hen, if her feathers turn back in any show of resistance. Lan up, drawer.

Hast. Cheater, call you him? I will bar no homan my house, nor no cheater: But I do not five swaggering: by my troth, I am the worse, one says-swagger: feel, masters, how I ke: look you, I warrant you. D. So you do, hostess.

Host. Do I? yea, in very truth, do I, an 'twere aapen leaf: I cannot abide swaggerers.

Enter PISTOL, BARDOLPH, and Page. Put. Save you, sir John!

Fal. Welcome, ancient Pistol. Here, Pistol, I are you with a cup of sack: do you discharge comme hostess.

wballets.

Past. I will discharge upon her, sir John, with {offend her. Fa. She is pistol-proof, sir; you shall hardly Hat Come, I'll drink no proofs, nor no bullets: drink no more than will do me good for no pleasure, I. [charge you. Put Then to yon, mistress Dorothy; I will Doll Charge me? I scorn yon, scurvy companion. What you poor, base, rascally, cheating, lackmate! Away, you mouldy rogue, away! I am wat for your master.

what? for tearing a poor whore's ruff in a bawdy-
house-He a captain! Hang him, rogue! He lives
upon mouldy stewed prunes, and dried cakes. A
captain! these villains will make the word captain
as odious as the word occupy: which was an ex-
vellent good word before it was ill sorted: there-
fore captains had need look to it.

Bard. Pray thee, go down, good ancient.
Fal. Hark thee hither, mistress Doll.
Pist. Not I: tell thee what, corporal Bardolph ;-
I could tear her :-I'll be revenged on her.
Page. Pray thee, go down.

Pist. I'll see her damned first;-to Pluto's damned lake, to the infernal deep, with Erebus and tortures vile also. Hold hook and line, say 1. Down! down, dogs! down faitors! Have we not Hiren here?

Host. Good captain Peesel, be quiet; it is very
late, i'faith: I beseek you now, aggravate your choler.
Pist. These be good humours, indeed! Shall
And hollow pamper'd jades of Asia, [pack-horses,
Which cannot go but thirty miles a day,
Compare with Cæsars, and with Cannibals,
And Trojan Greeks? nay, rather damn them with
King Cerberus ; and let the welkin roar.
Shall we fall foul for toys?

Host. By my troth, captain, these are very bitter
words.
[a brawl anon.
Bard. Be gone, good ancient: this will grow to
Pist. Die men, like dogs; give crowns like pins;
Have we not Hiren here?

Host. O' my word, captain, there's none such here. What the good year! do you think, I would deny her? For God's sake, be quiet.

Pist. Then, feed and be fat, my fair Calipolis: Come, give's some sack.

Si fortuna me tormenta, sperato me contenta.Fear we broadsides? no, let the fiend give fire: Give me some sack;-and, sweetheart, lie thon there. (Laying down his sword.) Come we to full points here; and are et ceteras nothing?

Fal. Pistol, I would be quiet.

Pist. Sweet knight, I kiss thy neif: What! we have seen the seven stars.

Doll. Thrust him down stairs; I cannot endure such a fustian rascal.

Pist. Thrust him down stairs! know we not Galloway nags?

Fal. Quoit him down, Bardolph, like a shovegroat shilling: nay, if he do nothing but speak nothing, he shall be nothing here.

Bard. Come, get you down stairs.

imbrue ?

Pist. What! shall we have incision? shall we
(Snatching up his sword.)
Then death rock me asleep, abridge my doleful day
Why then, let grievous, ghastly, gaping wounds
Untwine the sisters three! Come, Atropos, I say!
Host. Here's goodly stuff toward!
Fal. Give me my rapier, boy.
Doll. I pray thee, Jack, I pray thee, do not draw.
Fal. Get you down stairs.

Pat. I know you, mistress Dorothy,
(Drawing and driving Pistol out.)
Doll Away, you cut-purse rascal! you filthy Host. Here's a goodly tumult! I'll forswear
aaway! by this wine, I'll thrust my knife in keeping house, afore I'll be in these tirrits and
monidy chaps, an you play the sancy cuttle frights. So; murder, I warrant now.-Alas, alas
Away, you bottle-ale rascal! you basket-put up your naked weapons, put up your naked
at stale jazzler, you!-Since when, I pray you,
[Exeunt Pistol and Bardolph.
-What, with two points on your shoulder?
Doll. I pray thee, Jack, be quiet; the rascal is
gone. Ah, you whoreson little valiant villain, you.
Host. Are you not hurt i'the groin? methought,
he made a shrewd thrust at your belly.

Pat. I will murder your ruff for this.

Fal. No more, Pistol; I would not have you go here: discharge yourself of our company, Pistol. Had. No, good captain Pistol: not here, sweet

Lail. Captain thou abominable damned cheater, at ashamed to be called-captain? If cap were of my mind, they would truncheon you for taking their names upon you before you

weapons.

Re-enter BARDOLPH.

Fal. Have you turned him out of doors? Bard. Yes, sir. The rascal's drunk; you have hurt him, sir, in the shoulder.

Fal. A rascal! to brave me!

Doll. Ah, you sweet little rogue, you! Alas

Fal. Thou whoreson mad compound of majesty, Doll. Do, if thou darest for thy heart: if thou-by this light flesh aud corrupt blood, thou art dost, I'll canvas thee between a pair of sheets. welcome. Leaning his hand upon Doll, Doll. How! you fat fool, I scorn you.