The oldest sins the newest kind of ways? P. Henry. O, pardon me, my liege! but for my How troublesome it sat upon my head: To thee it shall descend with better quiet, Better opinion, better confirmation; For all the soil of the atchievement goes 5 With me into the earth. It seem'd in me, But as an honour snatch'd with boisterous hand; And I had many living, to upbraid My gain of it by their assistances; 10 Which daily drew to quarrel, and to blood-shed, Wounding supposed' peace: all these bold fears, Thou see'st, with peril I have answered:— For all my reign hath been but as a scene Acting that argument; and now my death Changes the mode: for what in me was purchas'd, 15 Falls upon thee in a more fairer sort, 20 [do, So thou the garland wear'st' successively. Have but their stings and teeth newly ta'en out; 35 But thou, most fine,most honour'd,most renown'd, To try with it,as with an enemy, That had before my face murder'd my father,- 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, 145 You won it, wore it, kept it, gave it me; peace, son John; But health, alack, with youthful wings is flown From this bare, wither'd trunk: upon thy sight, My worldly business makes a period. 50 Where is my lord of Warwick? Heaven put it in thy mind to take it hence, Come hither, Harry, sit thou by my bed; ways, P. Henry. My lord of Warwick ! K. Henry. Doth any name particular belong It hath been prophesy'd to ine many years, [Exeunt. 1i. e. curator: a bold figure. 2 i. e. loval. 'Dr. Johnson says, "There has long prevailed an opinion, that a solution of gold has great medicinal virtues, and that the incorruptibility of gold might be communicated to the body impregnated with it. Some have pretended to make potable gold, among other frauds practised on credulity." i. e. turpitude, reproach. 'i. e. counterfeited, imagined. Fear is here used for that which causes fear. i. e. by order of succession. Perhaps we should read my friends. 8 ACT SCENE I. ACT V. Shallow's Seat in Glostershire. Fal. You must excuse me, master Robert Shal- Shal. I will not excuse you; you shall not be excus'd; excuses shall not be admitted: there is no excuse shall serve; you shall not be excus'd.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 excus'd, 10 15 Davy. Marry, sir, thus;-those precepts' cannot be serv'd: and, again, sir,-Shall we sow the 20 head-land 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 excus'd. man, I have but very little credit with your worship. The knave is mine honest friend, sir;. therefore, I beseech your worship, let him be countenanc'd. Shul. Go to; I say, he shall have no wrong. Look about, 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. Shal. I thank thee with all my heart, kind master Bardolph:---and welcome, my tall fellow. [to the page.] Come, Sir John. Fal. I'll follow you, good master Robert Shallow. Bardolph, look to our horses. [Exeunt Shallow, Bardolph, &c.]—If I were saw'd into quantities, I should make four dozen of such bearded hermit's staves as master Shallow. It is a wonderful thing, to see the semblable coherence of his men's spirits and his: They, by observing of him, do bear themselves like foolish justices; he, by conversing with them, is turned into a justicelike serving-man: their spirits are so married in conjunction with the participation of society, that they flock together in consent, like so many wild25 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 Shaliow, 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 40 him laugh 'till his face be like a wet cloak ill laid up. 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 30 other day at Hinckley fair? Shal. He shall answer it:-Some pigeons, Davy; a couple of short-legg'd 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. Davy. No worse than they are back-bitten, sir for they have marvellous foul linen. ; Shal. Well conceited, Davy. About thy business, Davy. 35 Davy. I beseech you, sir, to countenance Wil-45 liam Visor of Woncot, against Clement Perkes of the hill. Shal. There are many complaints, Davy, against that Visor; that Visor is an arrant knave, on my knowledge. Shal, [within] Sir John! Fal. I come, master Shallow; I come, master SCENE II. 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 serv'd your worship truly, 55 sir, these eight years; and if I cannot once or twice in a quarter bear out a knave against an honest 'See note*, p. 48. [ended. Ch. Just. How doth the king? War. He's walk'd the way of nature; Ch. Just. I would his majesty had call'd me Anciently, the lower orders of people had no surnames, but in their stead were content to adopt the titles of their several professions. ? Precept is a justice's warrant. The The service that I truly did his life, Hath left me open to all injuries. War. Indeed, I think, the young king love: you not. Ch. Just. I know, he doth not; and do arm 5 To welcome the condition of the time; Enter Lord John of Lancaster, Gloster, and Cla-10 War. Here come the heavy issue of dead O, that the living Harry had the temper Ch. Just. Alas, I fear, all will be overturn'd. Lan. We meet like men that had forgot to speak. Lan. Well, peace be with him that hath made Ch. Just. Peace be with us, lest we be heavier! Glo. O, good my lord, you have lost a friend indeed: War. Here comes the prince. Enter King Henry. Ch. Just. Good morrow; and heaven save your majesty! K. Henry. This new and gorgeous garment, Sits not so easy on me as you think.- But Harry, Harry:-Yet be sad, good brothers, That I will deeply put the fashion on, 20 Let me but bear your love, I'll bear your cares. 25 And I dare swear, you borrow not that face I am the sorrier; 'would, 'twere otherwise. Which swims against your stream of quality. Led by the impartial conduct of my soul; 1 you most; Lun. &c. We hope no other from your majesty. K. Henry. No! How might a prince of my So great indignities you laid upon me? Ch. Just. I then did use the person of your father; The image of his power lay then in mes Whereon, Meaning, abase, ignominious pardon, begged by a voluntary concession of offence, and anticipation of the charge. 2 The chief justice, in this play, was Sir William Gascoigne, of whom the following memoir is given by Sir John Hawkins: "While at the bar, Henry of Bolingbroke had been his client; and upon the decease of John of Gaunt, by the above Henry, his heir, then in banishment, he was appointed his attorney, to sue in the court of Wards the livery of the estates descended to him. Richard II. revoked the letters patent for this purpose, and defeated the intent of them, and thereby furnished a ground for the invasion of his kingdom by the heir of Gaunt; who becoming afterwards Henry IV. appointed Gascoigne chief justice of the King's Bench in the first year of his reign. In that station Gascoigne acquired the character of a learned, an upright, a wise, and an intrepid judge. The story so frequently alluded to of his committing the prince for an insult on his person, and the court wherein he presided, is thus related by Sir Thomas Elyot, in his book entitled, The Governour: "The moste renomed prince king Henry the fyfte, late kynge of Englande, durynge the lyfe of his father, was noted to be fiers and of wanton courage: it hapned, that one of his seruantes, whom he well fauoured, was for felony by him committed, arrained at the kynges benche: whereof the prince being aduertised, and incensed by lyghte persones aboute him, in furious rage came hastily to the barre, where his seruant stode as a prisoner, and commaunded hym to be vngyued and set at libertie: wherat all men were abashed, reserued the chiefe justice, who humbly exhorted the prince, to be contented, that his seruaunt mought be ordred, accordynge to the aunciente lawes of this realme: or if he wolde haue hym saued from the rigour of the lawes, that he Whereon, as an offender to your father, K.Henry. You are right, justice, and you weigh Therefore still bear the balance, and the sword: Into the hands of justice.-You did commit me: Now call we our high court of parliament: And let us chuse such limbs of noble counsel, 25 That the great body of our state may go 30 In equal rank with the best-govern'd nation; he shulde opteyne, if he moughte, of the kynge his father, bis gratious pardon, wherby no lawe or iustyce shulde be derogate. With whiche answere the prince nothynge appeased, but rather more inflamed, endeuored him selfe to take away his seruant. The judge considering the perilous example, and inconuenience that mought therby insue, with a valyant spirite and courage, commanded the prince upon his alege.nce, to leaue the prisoner, and depart his way. With which commandment the prince being set all in a fury, all chafed and in a terrible maner, came vp to the place of iugement, men thynking that he wold haue slayne the iuge, or haue done to hym some damage: but the iuge sittynge styll without mouing, declaring the maiestie of the kynges place of iugement, and with an assured and bolde countenat nice, had to the prince, these wordes followyng, Syr, remembre your selfe, I kepe here the place of the kyng your soueraine lorde and father, to whom ye owe double obedience, wherfore eftesoones in his name, I charge you desyste of your wylfulnes and vnlauful enterprise, & from hensforth giue good example to those, whyche hereafter shall be your propre subiectes. And nowe, for your contempte and disobedience, goo you to the prysone of the kynges benche, wherevnto I commyttee you, and remayne ye there prisoner vntyll the pleasure of the kynge your father be further knowen.' With whiche wordes beinge abashed, and also wondrynge at the ineruaylous grauitie of that worshypfulle justyce, the noble prince layinge his weapon aparte, doynge reuerence, departed, and wente to the Kynges benche, as he was commanded. Whereat his seruauntes di daynynge, came and shewed to the kynge all the hole affaire. Whereat he awhyles studyenge, after as a man all rauyshed with gladnesse, holdynge his eien and handes vp towarde heuen, abraided, saying with a loude voice, O mercyfull God, howe moche am I, aboue all other men, bounde to your infinite goodnes, specially for that ye haue gyuen me a iuge, who feareth nat to minister iustyce, and also a soune, who can suffre semblably, and obeye iustyce?" And here it may be noted, that Shakspeare has deviated from history in bringing the chief justice and Henry V. together; for it is expressly said by Fuller, in his Worthies in Yorkshire, and that on the best authority, that Gascoigne died in the life-time of his father, z. on the first day of November, 14 Henry IV. See Dugd. Origines Juridic. in the Chronica Series, fol. 54. 56. Mr. Malone adds, that in the foregoing account of this transaction, there is no mention of the prince's having struck Gascoigne, the chief justice.-Speed, however, who quotes Elyot, says, on I know not what authority, that the prince gave the judge a blow on the face. To defeat the process of justice. 2i. e. to treat with con tempt your acts executed by a representative. 'i. e. image to yourself a son. i. e. admonition. "The meaning seems to be-My wild dispositions having ceased on iny father's death, and being now as it were buried in his tomb, he and wildness are interred in the same grave. 'i. e. seriously, gravely. Sad is opposed to wild. 'i. e. the assembly, or general meeting of the floods: for all rivers, running into the sea, are there represented as holding their sessions. And And (heaven consigning to my good intents) Shallow's Seat in Glostershire. 5 Shal. Nay, you shall see mine orchard: where, in an arbour, we will eat a last year's pippin of 10| my own grafting, with a dish of carraways', and so forth;-come, cousin Silence;-and then to bed. Fal. You have here a goodly dwelling, and a rich. Shal. Barren, barren, barren; beggars all, beg-15 gars all, Sir John:-marry, good air.- -Spread, Davy, spread, Davy: well said, Davy. Fal. This Davy serves you for good uses: he is your serving-man, and your husband-man. Shal. A good varlet, a good varlet, a very good 20 varlet, Sir John.-By the mass, I have drank too much sack at supper::-a good varlet. Now sit down, now sit down:—come, cousin. Sil. Ah, sirrah! quoth-a, We shal do nothing but eat, and make good chear, 25 [Singing. And praise heaven for the merry year; So merrily, and ever among so merrily, &c. 30 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:-I'll be with you anon; -most sweet sir, sit.-Master page, good master 35 page, sit: Proface! What you want in meat, we'll have in drink. But you must bear; The heart's' all. [Exit. Shal. Be merry, master Bardolph;-and my little soldier there, be merry. Sil. [Singing] Be merry, be merry, mywife has all; 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. 3 6 Re-enter Davy. Davy. There is a dish of leather-coats for you. [Setting them before Bardolph. Shal. Davy,- Sil. [Singing] A cup of wine, that's brisk and fine, And a merry heart lives long-a. Fal. Well said, master Silence. Sil. An we shall be merry, now comes in the sweet of the night. Ful. Health and long life to you, master Silence! Shal. Honest Bardolph, welcome: If thou Bard. Yes, sir, in a pottle pot. Shal. I thank thee:-The knave will stick by thee, I can assure thee that: he will not out; he is true bred. Bard. And I'll stick by him, sir. [One knocks at the door. Shal. Why, there spoke a king. Lack nothing: be merry. Look who's at door there: Ho! who knocks? Fal. Why, now you have done me right. [To Silence, who drinks a bumper. Sil. Is't so? Why, then say, an old man can do 145 Fal. From the court? let him come in.- How now, Pistol? Pist. Sir John, 'save you, sir! Fal. What wind blew you hither, Pistol? A comfit or confection so called in our author's time, according to Dr. Warburton; but a dish of apples of that name, according to Dr. Goldsmith; and Mr. Steevens says, there is a pear called a carraway, which may be corrupted from caillouel, Fr. 2 Here the double sense of the word dear must be remembered. Italian, from profaccia; that is, much good may it do you. That is, the intention with which the entertainment is given. This was the term by which an airy, splendid, irregular fellow was distinguished. To do a man right and to do him reason, were formerly the usual expressions in pledging healths. He who drank a bumper expected a bumper should be drank to his toast. It was the custom of the good fellows in Shakspeare's days to drink a very large draught of wine, and sometimes a less palatable potation, on their knees, to the health of their mistress. He who performed this exploit was dubb'd a knight for the evening. Samingo, that is, San Domingo, as Sir T. Hanmer has rightly observed. But what is the meaning and propriety of the name here, has not been shewn. Justice Silence is here introduced as in the midst of his cups: and Mr. Warton says, he remembers ablack-letter bailad, in which either a San Domingo or a signior Domingo, is celebrated for his miraculous fe ts in drinking. Silence, in the abundance of his festivity, touches upon some old song, in which this convivial saint or signior was the burden. Perhaps too the pronunciation is here suited to the character. 7 good. |