Welcome to PhiloLogic  
   home |  the ARTFL project |  download |  documentation |  sample databases |   
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].
To look up a word in a dictionary, select the word with your mouse and press 'd' on your keyboard.

Previous section

Next section

SCENE II. The English Camp in France. note

Enter Fluellen
and Gower.

Gower.

Nay, that's right.—But why wear you your Leek to day? St. David's day is past.

Flu.

There is occasions and causes why and wherefore in all things. I will tell you as a friend, captain Gower; the rascally, scauld, beggarly, lowsy, pragging knave, Pistol, which you and yourself and all the world know to be no petter than a fellow, look you now, of no merits; he is come to me and prings

-- 472 --

me pread and salt yesterday, look you, and bid me eat my Leek. It was in a place where I could breed no contentions with him; but I will be so pold as to wear it in my cap, 'till I see him once again; and then I will tell him a little piece of my desires.

Enter Pistol.

Gow.

Why, here he comes swelling like a Turkycock.

Flu.

'Tis no matter for his swelling, nor his Turkycocks. God plesse you, aunchient Pistol: you scurvy lowsy knave, God plesse you.

Pist.
Ha! art thou beldam? dost thou thirst, base Trojan,
2 noteTo have me fold up Parca's fatal web?
Hence!—I am qualmish at the smell of leek.

Flu.

I peseech you heartily, scurvy lowsy knave, at my desires, and my requests and my petitions, to eat, look you, this leek; because, look you, you do not love it, and your affections, and your appetites, and your digestions, does not agree with it, I would desire you to eat it.

Pist.
Not for Cadwallader and all his Goats.

Flu.
There is one Goat for you. [Strikes him.
Will you be so good, scauld knave, as eat it?

Pist.
Base Trojan, thou shalt die.

Flu.

You say very true, scauld knave, when God's will is. I desire you to live in the mean time and eat your victuals; come, there is sauce for it—[Strikes him.] You call'd me yesterday Mountain-Squire, but I will make you to day a * noteSquire of low degree. I pray you, fall to; if you can mock a leek, you can eat a leek.

Gow.

Enough, captain; you have † noteastonish'd him.

Flu.

I say, I will make him eat some part of my leek, or I will peat his pate four days. Pite, I pray

-- 473 --

you; it is good for your green wound and your ploody coxcomb.

Pist.

Must I bite?

Flu.

Yes, out of doubt, and out of questions too, and ambiguities.

Pist.

By this leek, I will most horribly revenge; I 3 note
eat and eat I swear—

Flu.

Eat, I pray you. Will you have some more sauce to your leek? there is not enough leek to swear by.

Pist.

Quiet thy cudgel; thou dost see, I eat.

Flu.

Much good do you, scauld knave, heartily. Nay, pray you throw none away, the skin is good for your proken coxcomb. When you take occasions to see leeks hereafter, I pray you, mock at 'em. That's all.

Pist.

Good.

Flu.

Ay, leeks is good. Hold you, there is a groat to heal your pate.

Pist.

Me a groat!

Flu.

Yes, verily, and in truth, you shall take it, or I have another leek in my pocket, which you shall eat.

Pist.

I take thy groat in earnest of revenge.

Flu.

If I owe you any thing, I will pay you in cudgels; you shall be a woodmonger, and buy nothing of me but cudgels; God pe wi'you, and keep you, and heal your pate.

[Exit.

Pist.

All hell shall stir for this.

Gow.

Go, go, you are a counterfeit cowardly knave. Will you mock at an ancient tradition, began upon an honourable respect, and worn as a memorable trophy of predeceas'd valour, and dare not avouch in your

-- 474 --

deeds any of your words? I have seen you gleeking and galling at this gentleman twice or thrice. You thought, because he could not speak English in the native garb, he could not therefore handle an English cudgel; you find 'tis otherwise; and henceforth let a Welsh-correction teach you a good English condition. Fare you well.

[Exit.

Pist.
Doth 4 notefortune play the huswife with me now?
* noteNews have I, that my Dol is dead i' th' spittle
Of malady of France,
And there my rendezvous is quite cut off;
Old I do wax, and from my weary limbs
Honour is cudgell'd. Well, bawd will I turn,
And something lean to cut-purse of quick hand,
To England will I steal, and there I'll steal;
And patches will I get unto these cudgell'd scars,
And swear, I got them in the Gallia Wars.5 note








[Exit.6 note

-- 475 --

Previous section

Next section


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].
Powered by PhiloLogic