wench have no worfe fortune! But thus we play the fool with the time, the wife fit in the clouds and mock us. e in London? Lord. re fups he doth the old boar feed ald place, my Lord, in East-cheap. · ans, my Lord, of the old church. my Lord, but old Mrs. Quickly, and What Pagan may that be? per gentlewoman, Sir, and a kinfwoman Even fuch kin as the parish-heifers are to in your fhadow, my Lord, I'll follow you. Sirrah, you boy, and Bardolph, no word. ter that I am yet come to town. There's ince. have no tongue, Sir. ad for mine, Sir, I will govern it. J. Fare well: fome road. This Doll Tear-fheet I warrant you, as common as the way be- ry. How might we fee Falstaff bestow himself in his true colours, and not ourselves be feen? Put on two leather jerkins and aprons, and on him at his table, as drawers. enry. From a god to a bull? a heavy defcenIt was Jove's cafe. From a prince to a prentice? ransformation; that shall be mine: for in every the purpose must weigh with the folly. Follow [Exeunt. ed. L. IV. A a SCENE P. Henry. And how doth thy mafter, Bardolph? Bard. Well, my good Lord. He heard of your Grace's coming to town. There's a letter for you. P. Henry. Deliver'd with good respect ?—and how doth the Martlemas, your mafter ?na 195967 voy Tỉ Bard. In bodily health, Sir. Poins. Marry, the immortal part needs a phyfician; but that moves not him; though that be fick, it dies not. 1 P. Henry. 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... [Gives Poins the letter. Poins reads. John Falstaff, Knight,Everyman must know that as often as he hath occafion to name himself: even like thofe that are kin to the King; for they never prick their finger but they fay, There is fome of the King's blood Spilt. How comes that fays he that takes upon him not to conceive: the answer is as ready as a borrower's cap; I am the King's poor code fin, Sir. P. Henry Nay, they will be kin to us, or they will fetch it from Japhet. But, to the letter. at 4 Poins. Sir John Falstaff, Knight, to the fon of the King, nearest his father, Harry Prince of Wales, greeting. Why this is a certificate, do P. Henry. Peace. 3 *Poins. I will imitate the honourable Roman* in brevity. Sure, he means brevity in breath; fhort-winded. I commend me to thee, I commend thee, and I love thee. Be not too familiar with Poins; for he misuses thy favours fo much, that he fwears thou art to marry his fifter Nell. Repent at idle times as thou may'ft, and fo farewel Thine, by yea and no which is as much as to fay, as thou ufeft him. Jack Falstaff with my familiars John with my brothers and fifters: and Sir John with all Europe. My Lord, I will fteep this letter in fack, and make him eat it. P. Henry. That's to make him cat plenty of his words: But do you use me thus, Ned? muft I marry your fister? *Meaning M. Brutus, who affected great brevity of style. Mr. Warbon. Poins. May the wench have no worse fortune! But never faid fo. P. Henry. Well, thus we play the fool with the time, and the fpirits of the wife fit in the clouds and mock us. Is your mafter here in London? Bard. Yes, my Lord. P. Henry. Where fups he? doth the old boar feed in the old frank? Bard. At the old place, my Lord, in Eaft-cheap. Page. Ephefians, my Lord, of the old church. Page. None, my Lord, but old Mrs. Quickly, and Mrs. Doll Tear-fheet. P. Henry. What Pagan may that be? Page. A proper gentlewoman, Sir, and a kinfwoman of my master's. 4 P. Henry. Even fuch kin as the parish-heifers are to the town-bull. Shall we fteal upon them, Ned, at fupper? Poins. I am your fhadow, my Lord, I'll follow you. P. Henry. Sirrah, you boy, and Bardolph, no word to your mafter that I am yet come to town. for your filence. Bard. I have no tongue, Sir. Page. And for mine, Sir, I will govern it. There's P. Henry. Fare ye well: go. This Doll Tear-fheet fhould be fome road. Poins. I warrant you, as common as the way between St. Alban's and London. P. Henry. How might we fee Falstaff bestow himself to-night in his true colours, and not ourfelves be feen? Poins. Put on two leather jerkins and aprons, and wait upon him at his table, as drawers. P. Henry. From a god to a bull? a heavy defcenfion. It was Jove's cafe. 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. VOL. IV. A a SCENE ed all her litter but one. If the Prince put thee into my fervice for any other reason than to fet me off, why, then I have no judgment. Thou whorfon mandrake, thou art fitter to be worn in my cap, than to wait at my heels. I was never mann'd with an agot till now: but I will fet you neither in gold nor filver, but in vile apparel, and fend you back again to your master, for a jewel. The Juvenal, the Prince your mafter! whose chin is not yet fledg'd; I will fooner have a beard grow in the palm of my hand, than he shall get one on his cheek; yet he will not stick to say, his face is a faceroyal. Heav'n may finith it when it will, it is not a hair amifs yet; he may keep it ftill as a face-royal, for a barber fhall never earn fixpence out of it; and yet he will be crowing, as if he had writ man ever fince his father was a batchelor. He may keep his own grace, but he is almoft out of mine, I can affure him What faid Mr. Dombledon, about the fatten for my fhort cloak and flops? Page. He faid, Sir, you should procure him better affurance than Bardolph: he would not take his bond and your's, he lik'd not the security. Fal. Let him be damn'd like the glutton, may his tongue be hotter! a whorfon Achitophel, a rafcally ye-forfooth-knave, to bear a gentleman in hand, and then ftand upon fecurity! the whorson-smooth-pates do now wear nothing but high fhoes, and bunches of keys at their girdles; and if a man is thorough with them in honeft taking up, then they muft ftand upon fecurity. I had as lief they would put rats-bane in my mouth, as offer to stop it with fecurity. I looked he fhould have fent me two and twenty yards of fatten, as I am a true knight, and he fends me fecurity. Well, he may fleep in fecurity, for he hath the horn of abundance. And the lightness of his wife fhines through it, and yet cannot he fee, though he have his own lanthorn to light him. Where's Bardolph ? Page. He's gone into Smithfield to buy your Worship a horfe. Fal. I bought him in Paul's *, and he'll buy me a * At that time the refort of idle people, cheats, and knights of the poft. 2 horfe |