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. 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?1 Shal. 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.2 Use his men well, Davy; for they are arrant knaves, and will backbite. Davy. No worse than they are back-bitten, sir; for they have marvellous foul linen. Shal. Well conceited, Davy. About thy business, Davy. Davy. I beseech you, sir, to countenance William Visor of Woncot against Clement Perkes of the hill. 8 for others' glorious shields, "Give me a voider; and above my hearse, "For a trutch sword, my naked knife stuck up." Steevens. those precepts cannot be served:] Precept is a justice's warrant. To the offices which Falstaff gives Davy in the following scene, may be added that of justice's clerk. Davy has almost as many employments as Scrub in The Stratagem. Johnson. 9 Let it be cast,] That is, cast up, computed. M. Mason. 1 2 Hinckley fair?] Hinckley is a town in Leicestershire. Steevens. A friend i' the court &c.] So, in Chaucer's Romaunt of the Rose, v. 5540: Friendship is more than cattell "For frende in courte aie better is, "Than peny is in purse, certis." Steevens. "A friend in court is worth a penny in purse," is one of Cam den's proverbial sentences. See his Remaines, 4to. 1605. VOL. IX. Malone. Shal. There are many complaints, Davy, against that Visor; that Visor is an arrant knave, on my knowledge. Davy. I grant your worship, that he is a knave, sir: but yet, God forbid, sir, but a knave should have some countenance at his friend's request. An honest man, sir, is able to speak for himself, when a knave is not. I have served your worship truly, sir, this eight years; and if I cannot once or twice in a quarter bear out a knave against an honest man, I have but a very little credit with your worship. The knave is mine honest friend, sir; therefore, I beseech your worship, let him be countenanced. Shal. Go to; I say, he shall have no wrong. Look about, Davy. [exit DAVY] Where are you, sir John? Còme, off with your boots.-Give me your hand, master Bardolph. Bard. I am glad to see your worship. Shal. I thank thee with all my heart, kind master Bardolph:-and welcome, my tall fellow. [to the Page] Come, sir John. [Exit SHAL. Fal. I'll follow you, good master Robert Shallow. Bardolph, look to our horses. [exeunt BARD. and Page] If I were sawed into quantities, I should make four dozen of such bearded hermit's-staves as master Shallow.5 It is a wonderful thing, to see the semblable coherence of his men's spirits and his: They, by observing him, do bear themselves like foolish justices; he, by conversing with them, is turned into a justice-like serving-man: their spirits are so married in conjunction with the participation of society, that they flock together in consent," 3 my tall fellow.] Whether the epithet tall, in the present instance, is used with reference to the diminutive size of the page, or has the ancient signification-gallant, let the reader determine. Thus, in Chapman's version of the eleventh Iliad: 4 66 as little suffer I "In this same tall exploit of thine." Steevens. bearded hermit's-staves-] He had before called him the starved justice. His want of flesh is a standing jest. Johnson. 5 master Shallow.] Shallow's folly seems to have been almost proverbial. So, in Decker's Satiromastix, 1602: "- - We must have false fires to amaze these spangle babies, these true heirs of master Justice Shallow.” Steevens. like so many wild geese. If I had a suit to master Shallow, I would humour his men, with the imputation of being near their master: if to his men, I would curry with master Shallow, that no man could better command his servants. It is certain, that either wise bearing, or ignorant carriage, is caught, as men take diseases, one of another: therefore, let men take heed of their company. I will devise matter enough out of this Shallow, to keep prince Harry in continual laughter, the wearingout 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,9 will do with a fellow that never had the ache1 in his shoulders! O, you shall see him laugh, till his face be like a wet cloak ill laid up. Shal. [within] Sir John! 8 Fal. I come, master Shallow; I come, master Shallow. SCENE II. [Exit FAL. 6 Westminster. A Room in the Palace. Enter WARWICK, and the Lord Chief Justice. War. How now, my lord chief justice? whither away? they flock together in consent,] i. e. in concentu, or in one mind, one party. So, Macbeth: "If you shall cleave to my consent." See Vol. VII, p. 80, n. 7, and note on King Henry VI, Part I, Act I, sc. i, line 5, Vol. X. The word, however, may be derived from consentio, consensus, Lat. Steevens. in concent,] i. e. in union, in accord. In our author's time the word in this sense was written consent, (as it here is in the old copy) and that spelling continued to Cowley's time. See Davideis, Book III: 7 66 Learning consent and concord from his lyre." Malone. · near their master :] i. e. admitted to their master's confidence. Steevens. 8- two actions,] There is something humorous in making a spendthrift compute time by the operation of an action for debt. Johnson. 66 9 - a sad brow,] i. e. a serious face. So, in The Winter's Tale: 'My father and the gentlemen are in sad talk." Steevens. -fellow that never had the ache ] That is, a young fellow, one whose disposition to merriment, time and pain have not yet impaired. Johnson. 1 Ch. Just. How doth the king? War. Exceeding well; his cares are now all ended. Ch. Just. I hope, not dead. War. He's walk'd the way of nature; And, to our purposes, he lives no more. Ch. Just. I would, his majesty had call'd me with him: The service that I truly did his life, Hath left me open to all injuries. War. Indeed, I think, the young king loves you not. Ch. Just. I know, he doth not; and do arm myself, To welcome the condition of the time; Which cannot look more hideously upon me Enter Prince JOHN, Prince HUMPHREY, CLARENCE, War. Here come the heavy issue of dead Harry: P. John. We meet like men that had forgot to speak. Is all too heavy to admit much talk. P. John. Well, peace be with him that hath made us heavy! Ch. Just. Peace be with us, lest we be heavier! P. Humph. O, good my lord, you have lost a friend, indeed: And I dare swear, you borrow not that face P.John. Though no man be assur'd what grace to find, You stand in coldest expectation: I am the sorrier; 'would, 'twere otherwise. Cla. Well, you must now speak sir John Falstaff fair; Which swims against your stream of quality. Ch. Just. Sweet princes, what I did, I did in honour, Led by the impartial conduct2 of my soul; 2 impartial conduct-] Thus the quartos. The folio reads imperial. Steevens. And never shall you see, that I will beg Impartial is confirmed by a subsequent speech addressed by the King to the Chief Justice: That you use the same "With the like bold, just, and impartial spirit, Malone. 3 A ragged and forestall'd remission.] Ragged has no sense here. We should read: A rated and forestall'd remission. i. e. a remission that must be sought for, and bought with supplication Warburton. Different minds have different perplexities. I am more puzzled with forestall'd than with ragged; for ragged, in our author's licentious diction, may easily signify beggarly, mean, base, ignominious; but forestall'd I know not how to apply to remission in any sense primitive or figurative. I should be glad of another word, but cannot find it. Perhaps, by forestall'd remission, he may mean a pardon begged by a voluntary confession of offence, and anticipation of the charge. Johnson. The same expression occurs in two different passages in Massinger. In The Duke of Milan, Sforza says to the Emperor: "Nor come I as a slave "Falling before thy feet, kneeling and howling And, in The Bondman, Pisander says: "Ourselves to most advantage, than to trust In all these passages a forestall'd remission seems to mean, a remission that it is predetermined shall not be granted, or will be rendered nugatory. Shakspeare uses, in more places than one, the word forestall in the sense of to prevent. Horatio says to Hamlet, “If your mind dislike any thing, obey it. I will forestall their repair hither." In this very play, the Prince says to the King: "But for my tears, &c. "I had forestall'd this dear and deep rebuke." In Hamlet, the King says: "And what 's in prayer, but this twofold force,— "Or pardon'd, being down?" M. Mason. I believe, forestall'd only means asked before it is granted. If he will grant me pardon unasked, so; if not, I will not condescend to solicit it. In support of the interpretation of forestall'd remission, i. e. a remission obtained by a previous supplication, the following passage in Cymbeline may be urged: "This night forestall him of the coming day!" Malone, |