P. HEN. Sirrah, you boy,-and Bardolph ;no word to your master, that I am yet come to town: there's for your silence.

BARD. I have no tongue, sir.

a

PAGE. And for mine, sir,-I will govern it. P. HEN. Fare ye well; go. [Exeunt BARDOLPH and Page. This Doll Tear-sheet should be some road.

POINS. I warrant you, as common as the way between saint Alban's and London.

P. HEN. How might we see Falstaff bestow himself to-night in his true colours, and not ourselves be seen?

POINS. Put on two leathern jerkins, and aprons, and wait him at his table as * drawers.

upon

(*) First folio, like.

a Yet come to town:] The folio has, "yet in town."

P. HEN. From a god to a bull? a heavy declension! it was Jove's case. 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.

Became the accents of the valiant ;

For those that could speak low, and tardily,
Would turn their own perfection to abuse,

To seem like him. So that, in speech, in gait,
In diet, in affections of delight,

In military rules, humours of blood,

He was the mark and glass, copy and book,

That fashion'd others. And him,—O wondrous him!

O miracle of men !-him did you leave,
(Second to none, unseconded by you,)
To look upon the hideous god of war
In disadvantage; to abide a field,

Where nothing but the sound of Hotspur's name
Did seem defensible :-so you left him:
Never, O never, do his ghost the wrong,
To hold your honour more precise and nice
With others, than with him; let them alone;
The marshal, and the archbishop, are strong:
Had my sweet Harry had but half their numbers,
To-day might I, hanging on Hotspur's neck,
Have talk'd of Monmouth's grave.

NORTH.

Beshrew your heart, Fair daughter! you do draw my spirits from me, With new lamenting ancient oversights. But I must go, and meet with danger there;

Or it will seek me in another place, And find me worse provided.

LADY N. O, fly to Scotland, Till that the nobles, and the armed commons, Have of their puissance made a little taste. LADY P. If they get ground and vantage of the king,

Then join you with them, like a rib of steel,

To make strength stronger; but, for all our loves,
First let them try themselves: so did your son;
He was so suffer'd; so came I a widow;
And never shall have length of life enough,
To rain upon remembrance with mine eyes,
That it may grow and sprout as high as heaven,
For recordation to my noble husband.

NORTH. Come, come, go in with me: 'tis with my mind,

As with the tide swell'd up unto his height,
That makes a still-stand, running neither way.
Fain would I go to meet the archbishop,
But many thousand reasons hold me back :-
I will resolve for Scotland; there am I,
Till time and vantage crave my company.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.-London. A Room in the Boar's Head Tavern, in Eastcheap.

Enter two Drawers.

*

1 DRAW. What the devil hast thou brought there? apple-Johns? thou knowest sir John cannot endure an apple-John.

d

2 DRAW. Mass,† thou say'st true. The prince once set a dish of apple-Johns before him, and told him, there were five more sir Johns: and, putting off his hat, said, I will now take my leave of these six dry, round, old, withered knights. It angered him to the heart; but he hath forgot that.

1 DRAW. Why then, cover, and set them down: and see if thou canst find out Sneak's noise ;* mistress Tear-sheet would fain hear some music. Dispatch. The room where they supped, is too hot; they'll come in straight.

2 DRAW. Sirrah, here will be the prince, and master Poins anon: and they will put on two of our jerkins, and aprons; and sir John must not know of it: Bardolph hath brought word.

(*) First folio omits, the devril. (+) First folio omits, Mass.

d An apple-John.] An apple which may be kept without much injury for a couple of years, but, after some time, appears to be shrunk and dried up. The French call it deux-ans, whence, in this country formerly, it was corruptly known as deusants.

e Sneak's noise:] "A noise of musicians" signified a band or company of them. Sneak was probably a jocular name applied to the leader of an itinerant "noise."

f Dispatch. The room where they supped, is too hot; they'll come in straight.] The folio omits this passage.

HOST. I'faith,† sweet heart, methinks now you are in an excellent good temperality: your pulsidge beats as extraordinarily as heart would desire; and your colour, I warrant you, is as red as any rose in good truth, la! But, i'faith,† you have drunk too much canaries; and that's a marvellous searching wine, and it perfumes the blood ere one § can say,-what's this? How do you now? DOLL. Better than I was. Hem!

HOST. Why, that's || well said; a good heart's worth gold. Look, here comes sir John.

Enter FALSTAFF, singing.

FAL. When Arthur first in court-Empty the jordan. And was a worthy king: (3) [Exit Drawer.] How now, Mistress Doll?

HOST. Sick of a calm: yea, and good faith.* FAL. So is all her sect; an† they be once in a calm, they are sick.

DOLL. You muddy rascal, is that all the comfort you give me?

FAL. You make fat rascals, mistress Doll. DOLL. I make them! gluttony and diseases make them; I make them not.

FAL. If the cook help to make the gluttony, you help to make the diseases, Doll: we catch of you, Doll, we catch of you; grant that, my poor virtue, grant that.

DOLL. Ay, marry; our chains, and our jewels. FAL. Your brooches, pearls, and owches :-for

(*) First folio, yen goud sooth.

(†) First folio, if. (1) First folio omits, help to.

old ballad, "The Boy and the Mantle," which is reprinted in Percy's "Reliques," vol. III. p. 401, Edit. 1812:

"A kirtle and a mantle,

This boy had him upon,

With brooches, rings, and owches Full daintily bedone."

HOST. Why, this is the old fashion; you two never meet, but you fall to some discord: you are both, in good troth, as rheumatic as two dry toasts; you cannot one bear with another's confirmities. What the good-year ! one must bear, and that must be you: [To DOLL.] you are the weaker vessel, as they say, the emptier vessel.

DOLL. Can a weak empty vessel bear such a huge full hogshead? there's a whole merchant's venture of Bordeaux stuff in him; you have not seen a hulk better stuffed in the hold.-Come, I'll be friends with thee, Jack: thou art going to the wars; and whether I shall ever see thee again, or no, there is nobody cares.

Re-enter Drawer.

DRAW. Sir, ancient Pistol's' below, and would speak with you.

DOLI.. Hang him, swaggering rascal! let him not come hither: it is the foul-mouth'dst rogue in England.

HOST. If he swagger, let him not come here: no, by my faith ;* I must live amongst my neighbours; I'll no swaggerers: I am in good name and fame with the very best.-Shut the door; there comes no swaggerers here! I have not lived all this while, to have swaggering now: shut the door, I pray you.

FAL. Dost thou hear, hostess?

HOST. Pray you, pacify yourself, sir John; there comes no swaggerers here.

FAL. Dost thou hear? it is mine ancient. HOST. Tilly-fally, sir John, never tell me ; your ancient swaggerer comes not in my doors. I was before master Tisick, the deputy, the other day; and, as he said to me,-'twas no longer ago than Wednesday last,-Neighbour Quickly, says he ;-master Dumb, our minister, was by then-Neighbour Quickly, says he, receive those that are civil; for, saith he, you are in an ill name ;-now he said so, I can tell whereupon; for, says he, you are an honest woman, and well

(*) First folio omits, no, by my faith.

a DOLL. Hang yourself, &c.] This speech is omitted in the folio.

b Ancient Pistol-] In modern phrase, ensign Pistol. The banner and banner bearer of old were called ancient, as they are both now termed ensign.

c A tame cheater,-] Cheater, in old language, usually means gamester, or cozener:-"They call their art by a new-found name, as cheating, themselves cheators, and the dice cheters, borrowing the term from among our lawyers, with whom all such casuals as fall to the lord at the holding of his leets as waifes and straies, and such like, be called chetes, and are accustomably said to be

Enter PISTOL, BARDOLPH, and Page.

PIST. God save you, sir John!

FAL. Welcome, ancient Pistol. Here, Pistol, I charge you with a cup of sack: do you discharge upon mine hostess.

PIST. I will discharge upon her, sir John, with two bullets.

FAL. She is pistol-proof, sir; you shall hardly offend her.

HOST. Come, I'll drink no proofs, nor no bullets; I'll drink no more than will do me good, for no man's pleasure, I.

PIST. Then to you, mistress Dorothy; I will charge you.

DOLL. Charge me? I scorn you, scurvy companion. What you poor, base, rascally, cheating, lack-linen mate! Away, you mouldy rogue, away! I am meat for your master.

PIST. I know you, mistress Dorothy.

DOLL. Away, you cut-purse rascal! you filthy bung, away! by this wine, I'll thrust my knife in your mouldy chaps, an § you play the saucy cuttle with me. Away, you bottle-ale rascal! you basket-hilt stale juggler, you!-Since when, I pray you, sir?-What! with two points on your shoulder? much!d

PIST. I will murder your ruff for this.
FAL. No more, Pistol; || I would not have you

(*) First folio omits, b my troth. (1) First folio omits, God.

(+) First folio, if it. (§) First folio, if.

() First folio omits this speech. escheted to the lord's use."-MIHIL MUMCHAUNCE, his Discovery of the art of Cheating in False Dyce Play. Tume cheater, however, in the sense of a craven bird of some kind, was undoubtedly a cant phrase applied to a petty rogue. Thus, in Beaumont and Fletcher's "Fair Maid of the Inn," Act IV, Sc. 2: You are worse than simple widgeons, and will be drawn into the net by this decoy-duck, this tame cheater "

d Much!] An expression of supreme contempt.

go off here: discharge yourself of our company, Pistol.

HOST. No, good captain Pistol; not here, sweet captain.

DOLL. Captain! thou abominable damned cheater, art thou not ashamed to be called-captain? An* captains were of my mind, they would truncheon you out, for taking their names upon you before you have earned them. You a captain, you slave! for what? for tearing a poor whore's ruff in a bawdy-house?-He a captain? hang him, rogue! he lives upon mouldy stewed prunes, and dried cakes. A captain! God's light! these villains will make the word captain as odious as the word occupy; which was an excellent good word before it was ill sorted therefore captains had need look to it. BARD. Pray thee, go down, good ancient. FAL. Hark thee hither, mistress Doll.

PIST. Not I: I tell thee what, corporal Bardolph ;

I could tear her :-I'll be reveng'd on her.

PAGE. Pray thee, go down.

PIST. I'll see her damned first to Pluto's damned lake; by this hand! † to the infernal deep, with Erebus and tortures vile also. Hold hook

and line, say I. Down! down, dogs! down, faitors!§ Have we not Hiren here? ↳

HOST. Good captain Peesel, be quiet; it is very late, i'faith: || I beseek you now, aggravate your choler.

PIST. These be good humours, indeed! Shall
pack-horses,

And hollow pamper'd jades of Asia,
Which cannot go but thirty miles a day,
Compare with Cæsars, ¶ and with Cannibals,
And Trojan Greeks? nay, rather damn them with
King Cerberus; and let the welkin roar.
Shall we fall foul for toys?

HOST. By my troth, captain, these are very bitter words.

BARD. Be gone, good ancient: this will grow to a brawl anon.

PIST. Die men, like dogs; give crowns like pins; have we not Hiren here?

HOST. O' my word, captain, there's none such here. What the good-year! do you think, I would deny her? for God's sake, ** be quiet.

(*) First folio, if. (1) First folio, where. () First folio omits, i'faith.

(+) First folio omits, by this hand. (§) First folio, Fates. (4) First folio, Cæsar. (**) First folio, I pray.

aAs odious as the word occupy ;] The perversion of this word to the offensive sense, which a reference to dictionaries of the period will explain, would appear to have been recent when our author wrote. It has now resumed its place as "an excellent good word." The folio omits the passage altogether; reading thus:-"A captaine? These Villaines will make the word Captaine odious: Therefore Captaines had neede looke to it."

Have we not Hiren here!] Pistol's rant is chiefly made up of bombastic quotations stolen from the playhouse. Thus, the line above was no doubt taken from an old play now lost, by George Peele, called "The Turkish Mahomet and Hyren the

PIST. Then, feed, and be fat, my fair Calipolis. Come, give's some sack.

Sè fortuna me tormenta, la speránza me contenta,° Fear we broadsides? no, let the fiend give fire: Give me some sack ;—and, sweetheart, lie thou there. [Laying down his sword. Come we to full points here; and are et cetera's nothing?

FAL. Pistol, I would be quiet.

PIST. Sweet knight, I kiss thy neif: what! we have seen the seven stars.

DOLL. For God's sake,† thrust him down stairs; I cannot endure such a fustian rascal.

PIST. Thrust him down stairs! know we not Galloway nags?

FAL. Quoit him down, Bardolph, like a shovegroat shilling (4) nay, an he do nothing but speak nothing, he shall be nothing here.

BARD. Come, get you down stairs.

PIST. What shall we have incision? shall we imbrue? [Snatching up his sword. Then death rock me asleep, abridge my doleful days! (5)

Why then, let grievous, ghastly, gaping wounds
Untwine the sisters three! Come, Atropos, I say!
HOST. Here's goodly stuff toward!
FAL. Give me my rapier, boy.

DOLL. I pr'ythee, Jack, I pr'ythee, do not draw.
FAL. Get you down stairs.
[Drawing.

HOST. Here's a goodly tumult! I'll forswear keeping house, afore § I'll be in these tirrits and frights. So; murder, I warrant now. Alas, alas! put up your naked weapons, put up your naked weapons.

[Exeunt PISTOL and BARDOLPH. DOLL. I pr'ythee, Jack, be quiet; the rascal is gone. Ah, you whoreson little valiant villain, you. HOST. Are you not hurt i' the groin? methought, a' made a shrewd thrust at your belly.

Re-enter BARDOLPH.

FAL. Have you turned him out of doors? BARD. Yea, sir. The rascal's drunk: you have hurt him, sir, in the shoulder.

FAL. A rascal! to brave me!

(*) First folio, give me. (1) First folio, if.

(+) First folio omits, For God's sake. (§) First folio, before.

Fair Greek;" as the "hollow pamper'd jades of Asia" was borrowed from Marlowe's robustious drama of "Tamburlaine the Great," 1590:

"Holla, ye pamper'd jades of Asia,

What! car you draw but twenty miles a day?"

e Cannibals.-] He means Hannibals.

d My fair Calipolis.] From a line in "The Battle of Alcazar," 1594, a play Mr. Dyce attributes to Peele :-

"Feed then, and faint not, my fair Calipolis."

e Sè fortuna, &c.] In the original this motto is corruptly printed

si fortune me tormente, sperato me contento, perhaps intentionally. f Neif:] Neif is fist,