Fal.

Now Hal, what time of day is it, Lad?

Prince.

Thou art so fat-witted with drinking of old Sack and unbuttoning thee after Supper, and sleeping upon Benches in the afternoon, that thou hast forgotten to demand that truly, which thou wouldst truly know. What a Devil hast thou to do with the time of the day? unless Hours were Cups of Sack, and Minutes Capons, and Clocks the Tongues of Bawds. I see no reason why thou shouldst be so superfluous, to demand the time of the day.

Fal.

Indeed you came near me now, Hal. For we that take Purses, go by the Moon and seven Stars, and not by Phœbus, he, that wandring Knight so fair. And I pray thee sweet Wag, when thou art King, as God save thy Grace, Majesty I should say, for Grace thou wilt have none.

Prince.

What! none?

Fal.

No, not so much as will serve to be Prologue to an Egg and Butter.

Prince.

Well, how then? Come roundly, roundly.

Fal.

Marry then, sweet Wag, when thou art King, let not us that are Squires of the Nights-body, be call'd Thieves of the Days Beauty. Let us be Diana's Foresters, Gentlemen of the Shade, Minions of the Moon: and let Men say, we be Men of good Government, being governed as the Sea is, by our noble and chast Mistress the Moon, under whose countenance we steal.

Prince.

Thou say'st well, and it holds well too: for the Fortune of us that are the Moons Men, doth ebb and flow like the Sea, being governed as the Sea is, by the Moon: as for proof. Now a Purse of Gold most resolutely snatch'd on Monday night, and most dissolutely spent on Tuesday morning; got with swearing, Laid by: And spent with crying,

Bring in: Now in as low an ebb, as the foot of the Ladder; and by and by in as high a flow as the ride of the Gallows.

Fal.

Thou say'st true, Lad: And is not my Hostess of the Tavern a most sweet Wench?

Prince.

As is the Honey, my old Lad of the Castle: and is not a Buff Jerkin a most sweet Robe of durance?

Fal.

How, how? how now mad Wag? What in thy quips and thy quiddities? What a Plague have I to do with a Buff Jerkin?

Prince.

Why, what a Pox have I to do with my Hostess of the Tavern?

Fal.

Well, thou hast call'd her to a reckoning many a time and oft.

Prince.

Did I ever call thee for to pay thy part?

Fal.

No, I'll give thee thy due, thou hast paid all there.

Prince.

Yea and elsewhere, so far as my Coyn would stretch, and where it would not, I have us'd my Credit.

Fal.

Yea, and so us'd it, that were it here apparent, that thou art Heir apparent. But I prythee sweet Wag, shall there be Gallows standing in England when thou art King? and Resolution thus fobb'd as it is, with the rusty curb of old Father Antick the Law? Do not thou when thou art a King, hang a Thief.

Prince.

No, thou shalt.

Fal.

Shall I? O rare! I'll be a brave Judge.

Prince.

Thou judgest false already. I mean, thou shalt have the hanging of the Thieves, and so become a rare Hangman.

Fal.

Well, Hal, well: and in some sort it jumps with my humour, as well as waiting in the Court, I can tell you.

Prince.

For obtaining of Suits?

Fal.

Yea, for obtaining of Suits, whereof the Hangman hath no lean Wardrobe. I am as melancholy as a Gyb-Cat, or a lugg'd Bear.

Prin.

Or an old Lion, or a Lovers Lute.

Fal.

Yea, or the Drone of a Lingcolnshire Bagpipe.

Prin.

What say'st thou to a Hare, or the Melancholly of Moor-Ditch?

Fal.

Thou hast the most unsavoury Similes, and art indeed the most comparative rascallest sweet young Prince. But, Hal, I prythee trouble me no more with vanity, I would thou and I knew, where a Commodity of good Names were to be bought: an old Lord of the Council rated me the other day in the street about you, Sir; but I mark'd him not, and yet he talk'd very wisely, but I regarded him not, and yet he talkt wisely, and in the street too.

Prince.

Thou didst well: for no man regards it.

Fal.

O, thou hast damnable iteration, and art indeed able to corrupt a Saint. Thou hast done much harm unto me, Hal, God forgive thee for it. Before I knew thee, Hal, I knew nothing: and now I am (if a Man should speak truly) little better than one of the wicked. I must give

over this life, and I will give it over: and I do not, I am a Villain. I'le be damn'd for never a King's Son in Christendom.

Prin.

Where shall we take a Purse to morrow, Jack?

Fal.

Where thou wilt, Lad, I'll make one: and I do not, call me Villain, and baffle me.

Prin.

I see a good amendment of life in thee: From Praying, to Purse-taking.

Fal.

Why, Hal, 'tis my Vocation, Hal. 'Tis no sin for a Man to labour in his Vocation.

Prin.

Good morrow, Ned.

Poin.

Good morrow, sweet Hal. What says Monsieur Remorse? What says Sir John Sack and Sugar, Jack? How agrees the Devil and thee about thy Soul, that thou soldest him on Good-Friday last, for a Cup of Madera, and a cold Capons leg?

Prin.

Sir John stands to his word, the Devil shall have his Bargain, for he was never yet a Breaker of Proverbs; He will give the Devil his due.

Poin.

Then art thou damn'd for keeping thy word with the Devil.

Prin.

Else he had been damn'd for cozening the Devil.

Poin.

But, my Lads, my Lads, to morrow morning, by four a Clock early at Gads-hill, there are Pilgrims going to Canterbury with rich Offerings, and Traders riding to London with fat Purses. I have Vizards for you all; you have Horses for your selves: Gads hill lies to night in Rochester, I have bespoke Supper to morrow in Eastcheap; we may do it as secure as sleep: If you will go, I will stuff your Purses full of Crowns: If you will not, tarry at home and be hang'd.

Fal.

Hear ye Yedward, if I tarry at home, and go not, I'll hang you for going.

Poin.

You will, Chops.

Fal.

Hal, Wilt thou make one?

Prin.

Who, I rob? I a Thief? not I.

Fal.

There's neither honesty, manhood, nor good fellow-ship in thee, nor thou cam'st not of the Blood Royal, if thou dar'st not bid stand for ten Shillings.

Prin.

Well then, once in my days I'll be a Mad cap.

Fal.

Why, that's well said.

Prin.

Well, come what will, I'll tarry at home.

Fal.

I'le be a Traitor then, when thou art King.

Prin.

I care not.

Poin.

Sir John, I prethee leave the Prince and me a-lone, I will lay him down such Reasons for this Adventure, that he shall go.

Fal.

Well, may'st thou have the spirit of Perswasion; and he the Ears of profiting, that what thou speakest, may move; and what he hears

may be believed, that the true Prince may for (recreation sake) prove a false Thief; for the poor abuses of the time, want countenance. Farewell, you shall find me in East-cheap.

Prin.

Farewel the latter Spring. Farewel Allhollown Summer.

Poin.

Now, my good sweet honey Lord, ride with us to morrow. I have a jeast to execute, that I cannot manage alone. Falstaff, Harvey, Rossil, and Gads-hill, shall rob those men that we have already way-laid; your self and I will not be there: and when they have the Booty, if you and I do not rob them, cut this Head from my Shoulders.

Prin.

But how shall we part with them in setting forth?

Poin.

Why, we will set forth before or after them, and appoint them a place of meeting, wherein it is at our pleasure to fail; and then will they venture upon the Exploit themselves, which they have no sooner atchieved, but we'll set upon them.

Prin.

I, but 'tis like that they will know us by our Horses, by our Habits, and by every other Appointment to be our selves.

Poin.

Tut, our Horses they shall not see, I'le tye them in the wood; our Vizards we will change after we leave them: and, Sarrah, I have Cases of Buckram for the nonce, to immask our noted outward Garments.

Prin.

But I doubt they will be too hard for us.

Poin.

Well, for two of them, I know them to be as true-bred Cowards as ever turn'd back; and for the third, if he fight longer than he sees Reason, I'le forswear Arms. The vertue of this jeast will be, the incomprehensible lies that this fat Rogue will tell us, when we meet at Supper; how thirty at least he fought with, what wards, what blows, what extremities he endured; and in the reproof of this, lies the Jeast.

Prin.

Well, I'le go with thee, provide us all things necessary, and meet me to morrow night in Eastcheap, there I'le sup. Farewel.

Poin.
Farewel, my Lord. [Exit Poins.

Prin.
I know you all, and will a while uphold
The unyoak'd Humour of your Idleness:
Yet herein will I imitate the Sun,
Who doth permit the base contagious Clouds
To smother up his Beauty from the World;
That when he please again to be himself,
Being wanted, he may be more wondred at,
By breaking through the foul and ugly Mists.
So when this loose Behaviour I throw off,
And pay the debt I never promised:
By how much better than my Word I am,
Bo so much shall I falsifie mens Hopes,
And like bright Metal on a sullen groud,
My Reformation glittering o're my Fault
Shall shew more goodly, and attract more Eyes,
Than that which hath no soyl to set it off.

I'll so offend, to make Offence a skill,
Redeeming time, when men think least I will.

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