Davy.
Shal.
Nay, you shall see mine orchard, where in
an arbour we will eat a last year's pippin
of my own graffing, with * notea 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, beggars
all, Sir John. Marry, good air. Spread, Davy, spread,
Davy; well said, Davy.
Fal.
This Davy serves you for good uses; he is
your servingman, and your husbandman.
Shal.
A good varlet, a good varlet, a very good
varlet, Sir John.—By th' Mass, I have drank too
-- 345 --
much Sack at supper.—A good varlet. Now sit
down, now sit down: come, cousin.
Sil.
Ah, sirrah, quoth-a,
We shall do nothing but eat, and make good chear,
[Singing.
And praise heav'n for the merry year;
When flesh is cheap and females dear,
And lusty lads roam here and there;
So merrily, and ever among, so merrily, &c.
Fal.
There's a merry heart. Good master Silence,
I'll give you a health for that anon.
Shal.
Give Mr. Bardolph some wine, Davy.
Davy.
Sweet Sir, sit; I'll be with you anon; most
sweet Sir, sit. Master Page, sit; good master Page,
sit; * note
proface. What you want in meat, we'll have in
drink; but you must bear; 1 notethe heart's all.
[Exit.
Shal.
Be merry, master Bardolph; and, my little
soldier there, be merry.
Sil. [Singing.]
Be merry, be merry, my wife has all,
For women are Shrews, both short and tall;
'Tis merry in hall, when beards wag all,
And welcome merry Shrovetide.
Be merry, be merry.
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.
Re-enter Davy.
Davy.
There is a dish of leather-coats for you.
Shal.
Davy,—
Davy.
Your Worship—I'll be with you streight—
A cup of wine, Sir?
-- 346 --
Sil. [Singing.]
A cup of wine,
That's brisk and fine,
And drink unto the leman mine;
And a merry heart lives long-a.
Fal.
Well said, master Silence.
Sil.
If we shall be merry, now comes in the sweet
of the night.
Fal.
Health and long life to you, master Silence.
Sil.
Fill the cup, and let it come. I'll pledge you,
were't a mile to the bottom.
Shal.
Honest Bardolph, welcome; if thou want'st
any thing and wilt not call, beshrew thy heart. Welcome,
my little tiny thief, and welcome, indeed, too.
I'll drink to master Bardolph, and to all the 2 notecavaleroes
about London.
Davy.
I hope to see London, ere I die.
Bard.
If I might see you there, Davy,—
Shal.
You'll crack a quart together? ha—will you
not, master Bardolph?
Bard.
Yes, Sir, in a pottle pot.
Shal.
By God's liggens, 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 the door there, ho.—Who
knocks?
Fal.
Why, now you have done me right.
Sil. [Singing.]
Do me right, and dub me Knight,
3 note
Samingo. Is't not so?
Fal.
'Tis so.
-- 347 --
Sil.
Is't so? why, then say, 4 notean old man can do
somewhat.
Davy.
If it please your Worship, there's one Pistol
come from the Court with news.
Fal.
From the Court? let him come in.
Samuel Johnson [1765], The plays of William Shakespeare, in eight volumes, with the corrections and illustrations of Various Commentators; To which are added notes by Sam. Johnson (Printed for J. and R. Tonson [and] C. Corbet [etc.], London) [word count] [S11001].
