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Samuel Johnson [1778], The plays of William Shakspeare. In ten volumes. With the corrections and illustrations of various commentators; to which are added notes by Samuel Johnson and George Steevens. The second edition, Revised and Augmented (Printed for C. Bathurst [and] W. Strahan [etc.], London) [word count] [S10901].
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SCENE I. The English camp in France. 2 note

Enter Fluellen, and Gower.

Gow.

Nay, that's right; But why wear you your leek to-day? saint Davy's day is past.

Flu.

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

-- 153 --

prings me pread and salt yesterday, look you, and bid me eat my leek: it was in a place where I could not 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 turkey-cock.

Flu.

'Tis no matter for his swellings, nor his turkey-cocks. —Got pless you, antient Pistol! you scurvy, lowsy knave, Got pless you!

Pist.
Ha! art thou Bedlam? dost thou thirst, base Trojan,
3 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, nor 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. Will [Strikes him. you be so goot, scald knave, as eat it?

Pist.

Base Trojan, thou shalt die.

Flu.

You say very true, scald knave, when Got's will is: I will 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 4 note




squire of low

-- 154 --

degree. I pray you, fall to; if you can mock a leek, you can eat a leek.

Gow.

Enough, captain; you have 5 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 you; it is goot for your green wound, and your ploddy coxcomb.

Pist.

Must I bite?

Flu.

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

Pist.

By this leek, I will most horribly revenge; 6 note
I
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 goot do you, scald knave, heartily. Nay, pray you, throw none away; the skin is goot for your proken coxcomb. When you take occasions to see leeks hereafter, I pray you, mock at them; that is all.

Pist.

Good.

Flu.

Ay, leeks is goot:—Hold you, there is a groat to heal your pate.

Pist.

Me a groat!

Flu.

Yes, verily, and in truth, you shall take it;

-- 155 --

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. Got be 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,—begun upon an honourable respect, and worn as a memorable trophy of predeceas'd valour,—and dare not avouch in your deeds any of your words? I have seen you gleeking7 note



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 it otherwise; and, henceforth, let a Welsh correction teach you a good English condition. Fare ye well.

[Exit.

Pist.
8 noteDoth fortune play the huswife with me now?
9 note










News have I, that my Nell is dead i'the spital

-- 156 --


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 wars1 note. [Exit.
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Samuel Johnson [1778], The plays of William Shakspeare. In ten volumes. With the corrections and illustrations of various commentators; to which are added notes by Samuel Johnson and George Steevens. The second edition, Revised and Augmented (Printed for C. Bathurst [and] W. Strahan [etc.], London) [word count] [S10901].
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