Shal.

Come on, come on, come on; give me your hand, sir, give me your hand, sir: an early stirrer, by the rood^{1 note}

Sil.^{2 note}

Good morrow, good cousin Shallow.

Shal.

And how doth my cousin, your bedfellow? and your fairest daughter, and mine, my god-daughter Ellen?

Sil.

Alas, a black ouzel, cousin Shallow.

Shal.

By yea and nay, sir, I dare say, my cousin William is become a good scholar: He is at Oxford, still, is he not?

Sil.

Indeed, sir; to my cost.

Shal.

He must then to the inns of court shortly: I was once of Clement's-inn; where, I think, they will talk of mad Shallow yet.

Sil.

You were called—lusty Shallow, then, cousin.

Shal.

By the mass, I was called any thing; and I would have done any thing, indeed, and roundly too. There was I, and little John Doit of Staffordshire, and black George Bare, and Francis Pickbone, and Will Squele a Cotswold man^{3 note}

not four such swinge-bucklers^{4 note}

Sil.

This sir John, cousin, that comes hither anon about soldiers?

Shal.

The same sir John, the very same. I saw

him break Skogan's head^{7 note}

Sil.

Thereafter as they be: a score of good ewes may be worth ten pounds.

Shal.

And is old Double dead!

Sil.

Here come two of sir John Falstaff's men, as I think.

Bard.

Good morrow, honest gentlemen* ^note: I beseech you, which is justice Shallow?

Shal.

I am Robert Shallow, sir; a poor esquire of this county, and one of the king's justices of the peace: What is your good pleasure with me?

Bard.

My captain, sir, commends him to you: my captain, sir John Falstaff: a tall gentleman, by heaven, and a most gallant leader.

Shal.

He greets me well, sir; I knew him a good backsword man: How doth the good knight? may I ask, how my lady his wife doth?

Bard.

Sir, pardon; a soldier is better accommodated, than with a wife.

Shal.

It is well said, in faith, sir; and it is well said indeed too. Better accommodated!—it is good; yea, indeed, it is: good phrases are surely, and ever were, very commendable. Accommodated! —it comes from accommodo: very good; a good phrase^{3 note}

Bard.

Pardon me, sir; I have heard the word. Phrase, call you it? By this good day, I know not the phrase: but I will maintain the word with my sword, to be a soldier-like word, and a word of exceeding good command. Accommodated; That is, when a man is, as they say, accommodated: or, when a man is,—being,—whereby,—he may be thought to be accommodated; which is an excellent thing.

Shal.

It is very just:—Look, here comes good sir John.—Give me your good hand, give me your worship's good hand: By my troth, you look well, and bear your years very well: welcome, good sir John.

Fal.

I am glad to see you well, good master Robert Shallow:—Master Sure-card, as I think^{4 note}.

Shal.

No, sir John; it is my cousin Silence, in commission with me.

Fal.

Good master Silence, it well befits you should be of the peace.

Sil.

Your good worship is welcome.

Fal.

Fye! this is hot weather.—Gentlemen, have you provided me here half a dozen sufficient men?

Shal.

Marry, have we, sir. Will you sit?

Fal.

Let me see them, I beseech you.

Shal.

Where's the roll? where's the roll?

where's the roll?—Let me see, let me see. So, so, so, so: Yea, marry, sir:—Ralph Mouldy:—let them appear as I call; let them do so, let them do so.—Let me see; Where is Mouldy?

Moul.

Here, an't please you.

Shal.

What think you, sir John? a good limbed fellow: young, strong, and of good friends.

Fal.

Is thy name Mouldy?

Moul.

Yea, an't please you.

Fal.

'Tis the more time thou wert used.

Shal.

Ha, ha, ha! most excellent, i' faith! things, that are mouldy, lack use: Very singular good!—In faith, well said, sir John; very well said.

Fal.

Prick him.

Moul.

I was pricked well enough before, an you could have let me alone: my old dame will be undone now, for one to do her husbandry, and her drudgery: you need not to have pricked me; there are other men fitter to go out than I.

Fal.

Go to; peace, Mouldy, you shall go. Mouldy, it is time you were spent.

Moul.

Spent!

Shal.

Peace, fellow, peace; stand aside: Know you where you are?—For the other, sir John:— let me see;—Simon Shadow!

Fal.

Ay marry, let me have him to sit under: he's like to be a cold soldier.

Shal.

Where's Shadow.

Shad.

Here, sir.

Fal.

Shadow, whose son art thou?

Shad.

My mother's son, sir.

Fal.

Thy mother's son! like enough; and thy father's shadow: so the son of the female is the shadow of the male: It is often so, indeed; but not much of the father's substance.

Shal.

Do you like him, sir John?

Fal.

Shadow will serve for summer, prick him;

—for we have a number of shadows to fill up the muster-book^{5 note}

Shal.

Thomas Wart!

Fal.

Where's he?

Wart.

Here, sir.

Fal.

Is thy name Wart?

Wart.

Yea, sir.

Fal.

Thou art a very ragged wart.

Shal.

Shall I prick him, sir John?

Fal.

It were superfluous; for his apparel is built upon his back, and the whole frame stands upon pins: prick him no more.

Shal.

Ha, ha, ha!—you can do it, sir; you can do it: I commend you well.—Francis Feeble!

Fee.

Here, sir.

Fal.

What trade art thou, Feeble?

Fee.

A woman's tailor, sir.

Shal.

Shall I prick him, sir?

Fal.

You may: but if he had been a man's tailor, he would have pricked you.—Wilt thou make as many holes in an enemy's battle, as thou hast done in a woman's petticoat?

Fee.

I will do my good will, sir; you can have no more.

Fal.

Well said, good woman's tailor! well said, courageous Feeble! Thou will be as valiant as the wrathful dove, or most magnanimous mouse.—Prick the woman's tailor well, master Shallow; deep, master Shallow.

Fee.

I would, Wart might have gone, sir.

Fal.

I would, thou wert a man's tailor; that thou might'st mend him, and make him fit to go. I cannot put him to a private soldier, that is the leader of so many thousands: Let that suffice, most forcible Feeble.

Fee.

It shall suffice, sir.

Fal.

I am bound to thee, reverend Feeble.— Who is next?

Shal.

Peter Bull-calf of the green!

Fal.

Yea, marry, let us see Bull-calf.

Bull.

Here, sir.

Fal.

'Fore God, a likely fellow!—Come, prick me Bull-calf till he roar again.

Bull.

O lord! good my lord captain,—

Fal.

What, dost thou roar before thou art pricked?

Bull.

O lord, sir! I am a diseased man.

Fal.

What disease hast thou?

Bull.

A whoreson cold, sir; a cough, sir; which I caught with ringing in the king's affairs upon his coronation day, sir.

Fal.

Come, thou shalt go to the wars in a gown; we will have away thy cold; and I will take such order^{6 note}
, that thy friends shall ring for thee.—Is here all?

Shal.

Here is two more called than your number^{7 note}

Fal.

Come, I will go drink with you, but I cannot tarry dinner. I am glad to see you, in good troth, master Shallow.

Shal.

O, sir John, do you remember since we lay all night in the windmill in Saint George's fields^{8 note}

.

Fal.

No more of that, good master Shallow, no more of that.

Shal.

Ha, it was a merry night. And is Jane Night-work alive?

Fal.

She lives, master Shallow.

Shal.

She never could away with me^{9 note}

Fal.

Never, never: she would always say, she could not abide Master Shallow.

Shal.

By the mass, I could anger her to the heart. She was then a bona-roba^{1 note}

Fal.

Old, old, master Shallow.

Shal.

Nay, she must be old; she cannot choose but be old; certain, she's old; and had Robin Night-work by old Night-work, before I came to Clement's-inn.

Sil.

That's fifty-five year ago.

Shal.

Ha, cousin Silence, that thou hadst seen that that this knight and I have seen!—Ha, sir John, said I well^{2 note}?

Fal.

We have heard the chimes at midnight^{3 note}
, master Shallow.

Shal.

That we have, that we have, that we have; in faith, sir John, we have; our watch-word was, Hem, boys!—Come, let's to dinner; come, let's to dinner:—O, the days that we have seen!— Come, come.