8

ing-lay by; and spent with crying-bring in: now, :n as low an ebb as the foot of the ladder; and, by and by, in as high a flow as the ridge of the gallows. Falstaff. Thou say'st true, lad. And is not my hostess of the tavern a most sweet girl?

Prince Henry. As the honey of Hybla, my old lad of the castle. And is not a buff jerkin a most sweet robe of durance?1

Falstaff. How now, how now, mad wag? what, in thy quips, and thy quiddities? what have I to do with a buff jerkin?

Prince Henry. Why, what have I to do with my hostess of the tavern?

Falstaff. Well, thou hast called her to a reckoning, many a time and oft.

Prince Henry. Did I ever call for thee to pay thy part?

Falstaff. No; I'll give thee thy due, thou hast paid. all there.

Prince Henry. Yea, and elsewhere, so far as my coin would stretch; and, where it would not, I have used my credit.

Falstaff. Yea, and so used it, that were it not here apparent that thou art heir apparent,-But, I pr'ythee, sweet wag, shall there be gallows standing in England when thou art king? and resolution thus fobbed as it is, with the rusty curb of old father antick the law? Do not thou, when thou art king, hang a thief.

Prince Henry. No; thou shalt.

Falstaff Shall I? O rare! I'll be a brave judge.

Prince Henry. Thou judgest false already; I mean, thou shalt have the hanging of the thieves, and so become a rare hangman.

Falstaff. Well, Hal, well; and in some sort it jumps with my humour, as well as waiting in the court, I can tell you.

Prince Henry. For obtaining of suits?

Falstaff. Yea, for obtaining of suits: whereof the 8 Stand still. More wine.

The dress of sheriffs' officers.

nangman hath no lean wardrobe. I am as melancholy as a lugged bear.

Prince Henry. Or an old lion; or a lover's lute. Falstaff. Yea, or the drone of a Lincolnshire bagpipe.2

Prince Henry. What sayest thou to a hare, or the melancholy of Moor-ditch?

Falstaff. Thou hast the most unsavoury similes; and art, indeed, the most comparative, rascalliest,-sweet young prince,-But, Hal, I pr'ythee, trouble me no more with vanity. I wish thou and I knew where a commodity of good names were to be bought: An old lord of the council rated me the other day in the street about you, sir; but I marked him not: and yet he talked very wisely; but I regarded him not: and yet he talked wisely, and in the street too.

Prince Henry. Thou didst well; for wisdom cries out in the streets, and no man regards it.

Falstaff. O thou art, indeed, able to corrupt a saint. Thou hast done much harm upon me, Hal,-Heaven forgive thee for it! Before I knew thee, Hal, I knew nothing; and now am I, if a man should speak truly, little better than one of the wicked. I must give over this life, and I will give it over; an I do not, I am a villain.

Prince Henry. Where shall we take a purse to-morrow, Jack?

Falstaff. Where thou wilt, lad, I'll make one; an I do not, call me villain, and baffle3 me.

Prince Henry. I see a good amendment of life in thee; from praying, to purse-taking.

Enter POINS, at a distance.

Falstaff. Why, Hal, 'tis my vocation, Hal; 'tis no sin for a man to labour in his vocation. Poins!-Now shall we know if Gadshili have set a match. This is

2 Croak of a frog.
4 Made an appointment.

4

3 Treat me with ignominy.

the most omnipotent villain that ever cried, Stand, to

a true man.

Prince Henry. Good morrow, Ned.

Poins. Good morrow, sweet Hal.-What says monsieur Remorse? What says sir John Sack-and-Sugar?— My lads, my lads, to-morrow morning, by four o'clock, early at Gadshill: There are pilgrims going to Canterbury with rich offerings, and traders riding to London with fat purses: I have visors for you all, you have horses for yourselves: Gadshill lies to-night in Rochester: I have bespoke supper to-morrow night in Eastcheap; we may do it as secure as sleep: If you will go, I will stuff your purses full of crowns: if you will not, tarry at home, and be hanged.

Falstaff. Hear me, Yedward; if I tarry at home, and go not, I'll hang you for going.

Poins. You will, chops?

Falstaff. Hal, wilt thou make one?

Prince Henry. Who, I rob? I a thief? not I, by my faith.

Falstaff. There's neither honesty, manhood, nor good fellowship in thee, nor thou camest not of the blood royal, if thou darest not stand for ten shillings. 5

Prince Henry. Well, then, once in my days I'll be a madcap.

Falstaff. Why, that's well said.

Prince Henry. Well, come what will, I'll tarry at home. Falstaff. I'll be a traitor then, when thou art king. Prince Henry. I care not.

Poins. Sir John, I pr'ythee, leave the prince and me alone; I will lay him down such reasons for this adventure, that he shall go.

Falstaff. Well, mayst thou have the spirit of persuasion, and he the ears of profiting, that what thou speakest may move, and what he hears may be believed, that the true prince may (for recreation sake) prove a false thief; for the poor abuses of the time want countenance. Farewell: You shall find me in Eastcheap.

The value of a coin called real or royal.

Prince Henry. Farewell, thou latter spring! Farewell All-hallown summer!6 [Exit FALSTAFF. Poins. Now, my good sweet honey lord, ride with us to-morrow; I have a jest to execute, that I cannot manage alone. Falstaff, Bardolph, Peto, and Gadsnill, shall rob those men that we have already waylaid; yourself, and I, will not be there: and when they have the booty, if you and I do not rob them, cut this head from my shoulders.

Prince Henry. But how shall we part with them in setting forth.

Poins. Why, we will set forth before or after them, and appoint them a place of meeting, wherein it is at our pleasure to fail; and then will they adventure upon the exploit themselves; which they shall have no sooner achieved, but we'll set upon them.

Prince Henry. Ay, but, 'tis like, that they will know us, by our horses, by our habits, and by every other appointment, to be ourselves.

Poins. Tut! our horses they shall not see, I'll tie them in the wood; our visors we will change, after we leave them; and, sirrah, I have cases of buckram for the nonce, to immask our noted outward garments.

7

Prince Henry. But, I doubt, they will be too hard for us.

Poins. Well, for two of them, I know them to be as true-bred cowards as ever turned back; and for the third, if he fight longer than he sees reason, I'll forswear arms. The virtue of this jest will be, the incomprehensible lies that this same fat rogue will tell us, when we meet at supper: how thirty, at least, he fought with; what wards, what blows, what extremities he endur'd; and, in reproof of this, lies the jest.

Prince Henry. Well, I'll go with thee; provide us all things necessary, and meet me to-morrow night in Eastcheap; there I'll sup. Farewell.

Fine weather at All-hallown-tide, (i. e. All-Saints, Nov. 1st,) is called an All-hallown summer.

7 Occasion.

Poins. Farewell, my lord.

[Exit POINS.

Prince Henry. I know you all, and will a while uphold

The unyok'd humour of your idleness:

Yet herein will I imitate the sun;

Who doth permit the base contagious clouds
To smother up his beauty from the world,
That, when he please again to be himself,
Being wanted, he may be more wonder'd at,
By breaking through the foul and ugly mists
Of vapours, that did seem to strangle him.
If all the year were playing holidays,
To sport would be as tedious as to work;
But when they seldom come, they wish'd-for conie.
And nothing pleaseth but rare accidents,
So, when this loose behaviour I throw off,
And pay the debt I never promised,
By how much better than my word I am,
By so much shall I falsify men's hopes;
And, like bright metal on a sullen ground,
My reformation, glittering o'er my fault,
Shall show more goodly, and attract more eyes,
Than that which hath no foil to set it off.
I'll so offend, to make offence a skill;
Redeeming time, when men think least I will.

SCENE III.-Another Room in the Palace.

[Exit.

Enter KING HENRY, NORTHUMBERLAND, WORCESTER,
HOTSPUR, SIR WALTER BLUNT, and Others.
King Henry. My blood hath been too cold and tem
perate,

Unapt to stir at these indignities,

And you have found me; for, accordingly,

You tread upon my patience; but, be sure,
I will from henceforth rather be myself,

Mighty, and to be fear'd, than my condition;8 Which hath been smooth as oil, soft as young down, 8 Disposition.