Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

good. Sweet knight, thou art now greatest men in the realm.

one of the

Si. By 'r lady, I think 'a be; but goodman Puff of Barson.

Pis. Puff?

Puff in thy teeth, most recreant coward base!
Sir John, I am thy Pistol, and thy friend,
And helter-skelter have I rode to thee;
And tidings do I bring, and lucky joys,

And golden times, and happy news of price.

Fal. I pr'ythee now, deliver them like a man of this world.

Pis. A foutra for the world, and worldlings base! I speak of Africa and golden joys.

Fal. O base Assyrian knight, what is thy news ? Let king Cophetua know the truth thereof.

Si. And Robin Hood, Scarlet, and John.' [sings. Pis. Shall dunghill curs confront the Helicons? And shall good news be baffled ?

Then, Pistol, lay thy head in Furies' lap.

Si. Honest gentleman, I know not your breeding. Pis. Why then, lament therefore.

Shal. Give me pardon, sir. If, sir, you come with news from the court, I take it, there is but two ways; either to utter them, or to conceal them. I ain, sir, under the king, in some authority.

Pis. Under which king, Bezonian?1 speak, or

die.

Low-born clown,

Shal. Under king Harry.

Pis.

Shal. Harry the fourth.

Pis.

Harry the fourth, or fifth?

A foutra for thine office!

Sir John, thy tender lambkin now is king;

Harry the fifth 's the man.

When Pistol lies, do this;

The bragging Spaniard.

I speak the truth. and fig me,1 like

Fal. What! is the old king dead?

Pis. As nail in door: the things I speak are just. Fal. Away, Bardolph; saddle my horse. Master Robert Shallow, choose what office thou wilt in the land; 'tis thine. Pistol, I will double-charge thee with dignities.

Bar. O joyful day! I would not take a knighthood for my fortune.

Pis. What? I do bring good news?

Fal. Carry master Silence to bed. Master Shallow, my lord Shallow, be what thou wilt; I am Fortune's steward. Get on thy boots; we 'll ride all night. O sweet Pistol! Away, Bardolph! [Exit Bar.] Come, Pistol, utter more to me; and, withal, devise something to do thyself good. Boot, boot, master Shallow; I know, the young king is sick for me. Let us take any man's horses; the laws of England are at my commandment. Happy are they which have been my friends; and woe to my lord chief justice!

Express your contempt of me.

Pis. Let vultures vile seise on his lungs also! Where is the life that late I led?'1 say they : Why, here it is. Welcome these pleasant days. [Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

London. A street.

Enter BEADLES, dragging in HOSTESS QUICKLY and

DOLL TEAR-SHEET.

Host. No, thou arrant knave; I would I might die, that I might have thee hanged: thou hast drawn my shoulder out of joint.

1 Bea. The constables have delivered her over to me; and she shall have whipping-cheer enough, I warrant her. There hath been a man or two lately killed about her.

2

Doll. Nut-hook, nut-hook, you lie. Come on: I'll tell thee what, thou damned tripe-visaged rascal; an the child I now go with, do miscarry, thou hadst better thou hadst struck thy mother, thou paperfaced villain.

Host. O the Lord, that sir John were come! He would make this a bloody day to somebody. But I pray God, the fruit of her womb miscarry!

1 Bea. If it do, you shall have a dozen of cushions again; you have but eleven now.

Come, I charge

1 Words of an old ballad.

2 A name of reproach for a catchpoll.

you both, go with me; for the man is dead, that you and Pistol beat among you.

Doll. I'll tell thee what, thou thin man in a censer! I will have you as soundly swinged for this, you blue-bottle rogue! you filthy famished correctioner! If you be not swinged, I'll forswear half-kirtles.3

1 Bea. Come, come, you she knight-errant ;

come.

Host. O, that right should thus overcome might! Well, of sufferance comes ease.

Doll. Come, you rogue, come; bring me to a justice.

Host. Ay; come, you starved blood-hound!
Doll. Goodman death! goodman bones!
Host. Thou atomy, thou!

Doll. Come, you thin thing! come, you rascal! 1 Bea. Very well.

[Exeunt.

SCENE V.

A public place near Westminster Abbey.
Enter TWO GROOMS, strewing rushes.

1 Groom. More rushes, more rushes.
2 Groom. The trumpets have sounded twice.

The censers or fire-pans had frequently the figure of some saint in a barbarous kind of embossed work, to which allusion 18 here made.

2 From the color of his livery.

Short cloaks.

1 Groom. It will be two o'clock ere they come from the coronation. Despatch, despatch.

[Exeunt Grooms.

Enter FALSTAFF, SHALLOW, PISTOL, BARDOLPH,
and PAGE.

Fal. Stand here by me, master Robert Shallow; I will make the king do you grace: I will leer upon him, as 'a comes by; and do but mark the countenance that he will give me.

Pis. God bless thy lungs, good knight!

Fal. Come here, Pistol; stand behind me. O, if I had had time to have made new liveries, I would have bestowed the thousand pound I borrowed of you. [to Shallow.] But 'tis no matter: this poor show doth better: this doth infer the zeal I had to see him.

Shal. It doth so.

Fal. It shows my earnestness of affection.

Shal. It doth so.

Fal. My devotion.

Shal. It doth, it doth, it doth.

Fal. As it were, to ride day and night; and not to deliberate, not to remember, not to have patience to shift me.

Shal. It is most certain.

Fal. But to stand stained with travel, and sweating with desire to see him; thinking of nothing else; putting all affairs else in oblivion; as if there were nothing else to be done, but to see him.

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors]
« AnteriorContinuar »