Shal.

By cock and pie, sir ^note, you shall not away to-night. What, Davy, I say!

Fal.

You must excuse me, Master Robert Shallow.

Shal.

I will not excuse you; you shall not be excused; excuses shall not be admitted; there is no excuse shall serve; you shall not be excused. Why, Davy!

Davy.

Here, sir.

Shal.

Davy, Davy, Davy, Davy, let me see, Davy ^note; let me see, Davy; let me see: yea, marry ^note, William cook, bid him come hither. Sir John, you shall not be excused.

Davy.

Marry, sir, thus; those precepts cannot be served: and, again, sir, shall we sow the headland ^note with wheat?

Shal.

With red wheat, Davy. But for William cook: are there no young pigeons?

Davy.

Yes ^note, sir. Here is now the smith's note for shoeing and plough-irons.

Shal.

Let it be cast and paid. Sir John, you shall not be excused.

Davy.

Now ^note, sir, a new link to the bucket must needs be had: and, sir, do you mean to stop any of William's wages, about the sack he lost the other day ^note at Hinckley ^note fair?

Shal.

A' shall answer it. Some pigeons, Davy, a couple of short-legged hens, a joint of mutton, and any pretty little tiny ^note kickshaws, tell William cook.

Davy.

Doth the man of war stay all night, sir?

Shal.

Yea ^note, Davy. I will use him well: a friend i' the court is better than a penny in purse. Use his men well, Davy; for they are arrant knaves, and will backbite.

Davy.

No worse than they are backbitten ^note, sir; for they have marvellous ^note foul linen.

Shal.

Well conceited, Davy: about thy business, Davy.

Davy.

I beseech you, sir, to countenance William Visor of Woncot ^note against Clement Perkes of the hill.

Shal.

There is ^note many complaints, Davy, against that Visor: that Visor is an arrant knave, on my knowledge.

Davy.

I grant your worship that he is a knave, sir; but yet, God ^note forbid, sir, but a knave should have some countenance at his friend's request. An honest man, sir, is able to speak for himself, when a knave is not. I have served your worship truly, sir, this ^note eight years; and if ^note I cannot once or twice in a quarter bear out a knave against an honest man, I have but a very little ^note credit with your worship. The knave is mine honest friend, sir; therefore, I beseech your worship ^note, let him be countenanced.

Shal.

Go to; I say he shall have no wrong. Look about, Davy. [Exit Davy. ^note] Where are you, Sir John? Come, come, come, ^note off with your boots. Give me your hand, Master Bardolph ^note.

Bard.

I am glad to see your worship.

Shal.

I thank thee with all ^note my heart, kind Master

Bardolph: and welcome, my tall fellow [to the Page ^note]. Come, Sir John.

Fal.

I'll follow you, good Master Robert Shallow. [Exit Shallow. ^note] Bardolph, look to our horses. [Exeunt Bardolph ^note and Page.] If I were sawed into quantities, I should make four dozen of such bearded hermits' staves ^note as Master Shallow. It is a wonderful thing to see the sembable coherence of his men's spirits and his: they, by observing of him ^note, do bear themselves like foolish justices; he, by conversing with them, is turned into a justice-like serving-man: their spirits are so married in conjunction with the participation of society that they flock together in consent ^note, like so many wild-geese. If I had a suit to Master Shallow, I would humour his men with the imputation of being near their master: if to his men, I would curry with Master Shallow that no man could better command his servants. It is certain that either wise bearing or ignorant carriage is caught, as men take diseases, one of another: therefore let men take heed of their company. I will devise matter enough out of this Shallow to keep Prince Harry ^note in continual laughter the wearing out of six fashions, which is four terms, or two actions, and a' ^note shall laugh without ^note intervallums. O, it is much that a lie with a slight oath and a jest with a sad brow will do with a fellow that never had the ache in his shoulders! O, you shall see him laugh till his face be like a wet cloak ill laid up!

Shal. [Within ^note]

Sir John!

Fal.

I come, Master Shallow; I come, Master Shallow.

^note Scene II. [Footnote: Westminster. The palace. Enter ^note Warwick and the Lord Chief Justice, meeting.

War.
How now, my lord chief justice! whither ^note away?

Ch. Just.
How doth the king?

War.
Exceeding well; his cares are now all ended ^note.

Ch. Just.
I hope, not dead.

War.
He's walk'd the way of nature;
And to our purposes he lives no more.

Ch. Just.
I would his majesty had call'd me with him:
The service that I truly did his life
Hath left me open to all injuries.

War.
Indeed I think the young king loves you not.

Ch. Just.
I know he doth not, and do arm myself
To welcome the condition of the time,
Which cannot look more hideously upon ^note me
Than I have drawn it in my fantasy. Enter ^note Lancaster, Clarence, Gloucester, Westmoreland, and others ^note.

War.
Here come the heavy issue of dead Harry:
O that the living Harry had the temper
Of him ^note, the worst of these three gentlemen!
How many nobles then should hold their places,
That must strike sail to spirits of vile sort!

Ch. Just.
O God ^note, I fear all will be overturn'd!

Lan.
Good morrow, cousin Warwick, good morrow ^note.

Glou. Clar. ^note
Good morrow, cousin.

Lan.
We meet like men that had forgot to speak.

War.
We do remember; but our argument
Is all too heavy to admit much talk.

Lan.
Well, peace be with him that hath made us heavy!

Ch. Just.
Peace be with us, lest we be heavier!

Glou.
O, good my lord, you have ^note lost a friend indeed;
And I dare swear you borrow not that face
Of seeming sorrow, it is sure your own.

Lan.
Though no man be assured what grace to find,
You stand in coldest expectation:
I am the sorrier; would 'twere otherwise.

Clar.
Well, you must now speak Sir John Falstaff fair;
Which swims against your stream of quality.

Ch. Just.
Sweet princes, what I did, I did in honour,
Led by the impartial ^note conduct of my soul;
And never shall you see that I will beg
A ragged ^note and forestall'd ^note remission.
If truth ^note and upright innocency fail me, ^note
I'll to the king my master that is dead,
And tell him who hath sent me after him.

War.
Here comes the prince. Enter ^note King Henry the fifth, attended. ^note

Ch. Just.
Good morrow; and God ^note save your majesty!

King. ^note
This new and gorgeous garment, majesty,
Sits not so easy on me as you think.
Brothers, you mix ^note your sadness with some fear:
This is the English, not the Turkish court;
Not Amurath an Amurath ^note succeeds,
But Harry Harry. Yet be sad, good brothers,
For, by my faith ^note, it very well becomes you:
Sorrow so royally in you appears
That I will deeply put the fashion on
And wear it in my heart: why then, be sad;
But entertain no more of it, good brothers,
Than a joint burden laid upon us all.
For me, by heaven, I bid you be assured,
I'll be your father and your brother too;
Let me but bear your love, I'll bear your cares:
Yet ^note weep that Harry's dead; and so will I;
But Harry lives, that shall convert those tears
By number into hours of happiness.

Princes. ^note
We hope no other ^note from your majesty. ^note

King.
You all look strangely on me: and you most;
You are, I think, assured I love you not.

Ch. Just.
I am assured, if I be measured rightly,
Your majesty hath no just cause to hate me.

King.
No!
How might ^note a prince of my great hopes forget
So great ^note indignities you laid upon me?
What! rate, rebuke, and roughly send to prison
The immediate heir of England! Was this easy?
May this be wash'd in Lethe ^note, and forgotten?

Ch. Just.
I then did use the person of your father;

The image of his power lay then in me:
And, in the administration of his law,
Whiles I was busy for the commonwealth,
Your highness pleased to forget my place,
The majesty and power of law and justice,
The image of the king whom I presented,
And struck me in my very seat of judgement;
Whereon, as an offender to your father,
I gave bold way to my authority,
And did commit you. If the deed were ill,
Be ^note you contented, wearing now the garland,
To have a son set your decrees at nought,
To pluck down justice from your awful bench,
To trip the course of law and blunt the sword
That guards the peace and safety of your person;
Nay, more, to spurn at your most royal image
And mock your workings in a second body. ^note
Question your royal thoughts, make the case yours;
Be now the father and propose a son,
Hear your own dignity so much profaned,
See your most dreadful laws so loosely slighted,
Behold yourself so by a son disdain'd;
And then imagine me taking your ^note part
And in your power soft ^note silencing your son:
After this cold considerance, sentence me;
And, as you are a king, speak in your state
What I have done that misbecame my place,
My person, or my liege's sovereignty.

King.
You are right, justice, and you weigh this well;
Therefore still bear the balance and the sword:
And I do wish your honours may increase,
Till you do live to see a son of mine
Offend you, and obey you, as I did.

So shall I live to speak my father's words:
‘Happy am I, that have a man so bold,
That dares do justice on my proper son;
And not ^note less happy, having such a son,
That would deliver up his greatness so
Into the hands of justice.’ You ^note did commit ^note me:
For which, I do commit into your hand
The unstained sword that you have used to bear;
With this remembrance, that you use the same
With the like bold, just, and impartial spirit
As you have done 'gainst me. There is my hand.
You shall be as a father to my youth:
My voice shall sound as you do prompt mine ear,
And I will stoop; and humble my intents
To your well-practised wise directions.
And, princes all, believe me, I beseech you;
My father is gone wild ^note into his grave,
For in his tomb lie my affections ^note;
And ^note with his spirit sadly I survive,
To mock the expectation of the world,
To frustrate prophecies and to raze out
Rotten opinion, who ^note hath writ me down
After my seeming. The tide of blood in me ^note
Hath proudly flow'd in vanity till now:
Now doth it turn and ebb back to the sea,
Where it shall mingle with the state of floods ^note
And flow henceforth in formal majesty.
Now call we our high court of parliament:
And let us choose such limbs of noble counsel,
That the great body of our state may go
In equal rank with the best govern'd nation;
That war, or peace, or both at once, may be
As things acquainted and familiar to us;

In which you ^note, father, shall have foremost hand.
Our coronation done, we will accite,
As I before remember'd, all our state:
And, God consigning ^note to my good intents,
No prince nor peer shall have just cause to say,
God ^note shorten Harry's happy life one day! [Exeunt. ^note Scene III. [Footnote: Gloucestershire. Shallow's orchard. ^note Enter Falstaff, Shallow, Silence, Davy, Bardolph, and the Page. ^note

Shal.

Nay, you shall see my ^note orchard, where, in an arbour, we will eat a last year's pippin of my ^note own graffing, with a dish of caraways, and so forth: come, cousin Silence: and then to bed.

Fal.

'Fore God ^note, you have here a goodly ^note dwelling and a rich.

Shal.

Barren, barren, barren; beggars all, beggars all, Sir John: marry, good air. Spread, Davy; spread, Davy: well said ^note, Davy.

Fal.

This Davy serves you for good uses; he is your serving-man and your husband ^note.

Shal.

A good varlet, a good varlet, a very good varlet, Sir John: by the mass ^note, I have drunk ^note too much sack at supper: a good varlet. Now sit down, now sit down: come, cousin.

Sil.

Ah ^note, sirrah! quoth-a, we shall

Do ^note nothing but eat, and make good cheer, [Singing. ^note
And praise God ^note for the merry year;
When flesh is cheap and females dear, ^note
And ^note lusty lads roam ^note here and there
  So merrily ^note,
And ever among so merrily. ^note

Fal.

There's a merry heart! Good Master Silence, ^note I'll give you a health ^note for that anon.

Shal.
Give Master Bardolph some ^note wine, Davy.

Davy.

Sweet sir, sit; I'll be with you anon; most sweet sir, sit. Master page ^note, good master page, sit. Proface! ^{note note}What you want in meat, we'll have in drink: but you must ^note bear; the heart's all.

Shal.

Be merry, Master Bardolph; and, my little soldier there, be merry.

Sil.
Be merry, be merry, my wife has all ^note; [Singing. ^note
For women are shrews, both short and tall:
'Tis merry in hall when beards wag ^note all,
  And welcome merry Shrove-tide.
Be merry, be merry. ^{note note}

Fal.

I did not think Master Silence had been a man of this mettle ^note.

Sil.

Who, I? I have been merry twice and once ere now.

Re-enter Davy. ^note

Davy.

There's ^note a dish of leather-coats for you.

Shal.

Davy!

Davy.

Your worship! I'll be with you straight [to Bardolph ^note]. A cup of wine, sir?

Sil.
A cup of wine that's brisk and fine, [Singing. ^note
And drink unto the leman mine;
  And a merry heart lives long-a ^note.

Fal.

Well said, Master Silence.

Sil.

An we shall be merry, ^note now comes in the sweet o' the ^note night ^note.

Fal.

Health and long life to you, Master Silence.

Sil.
Fill the cup, and let it come; [Singing. ^note
I'll pledge you a mile ^note to the bottom. ^note

Shal.

Honest Bardolph, welcome: if thou wantest any thing, and wilt not call, beshrew thy heart. Welcome, my little tiny ^note thief [to the Page ^note], and welcome indeed too. I'll drink to Master Bardolph, and to all the cavaleros ^note about London.

Davy.

I hope to see London once ^note ere I die.

Bard.

An ^note I might see you there, Davy,—

Shal.

By the mass ^note, you'll crack a quart together, ha! will you not, Master Bardolph?

Bard.

Yea ^note, sir, in a pottle-pot.

Shal.

By God's liggens ^note, I thank thee: the knave will

stick by thee, I can assure thee that. A' ^note will not out; he is ^note true bred.

Bard.

And I'll stick by him, sir.

Shal.

Why, there spoke a king. Lack nothing: be merry. [Knocking within. ^note] Look who's at door there, ho! ^note who knocks?

Fal.

Why, now you have done me right.

Sil.

Do me right, [Singing. ^note
And dub me knight:
  Samingo. ^note

Is't not so?

Fal.

'Tis so.

Sil.

Is't so? ^note Why then, say an old man can do somewhat.

Davy.

An't ^note please your worship, there's one Pistol come from the court with news.

Fal.
From the court! let him come in. Enter Pistol. ^{note note}
How now, Pistol!

Pist.

Sir John, God save you ^note!

Fal.

What wind blew you hither, Pistol?

Pist.

Not the ill wind which blows no man to good ^note. Sweet knight, thou art now one of the greatest men in this ^note realm.

Sil.

By'r lady ^note, I think a' ^note be, but goodman Puff of Barson ^note.

Pist.
Puff!
Puff in thy teeth, most recreant coward base!
Sir John, I am thy Pistol and thy friend,
And ^note helter-skelter have I rode to thee,
And tidings do I bring and lucky joys
And golden times and happy news of price. ^note

Fal.

I pray thee ^note now, deliver them like a man of this world.

Pist.
A foutre ^note for the world and worldlings ^note base!
I speak of Africa and golden joys.

Fal.
O base Assyrian knight, what is thy news?
Let King Cophetua ^note know the truth thereof.

Sil.
And Robin Hood, Scarlet, and John ^note. [Singing. ^note

Pist.
Shall dunghill curs confront the Helicons?
And shall good news be baffled?
Then, Pistol, lay thy head in Furies' ^note lap. ^{note note}

Shal.
Honest gentleman, I know not your breeding.

Pist.
Why then, lament therefore.

Shal.

Give me pardon, sir: if, sir, ^note you come with news from the court, I take it there's ^note but two ways, either to utter them, or to conceal ^note them. I am, sir, under the king, in some authority.

Pist.
Under which king, Besonian ^note? speak, or die.

Shal.
Under King Harry.

Pist.
Harry the fourth? or fifth?

Shal.
Harry the fourth.

Pist.
A foutre ^note for thine office!
Sir John, thy tender lambkin now is king;
Harry the fifth's the man. I speak the truth:
When Pistol lies, do this; and fig me, like
The bragging Spaniard. ^note

Fal.

What, is the old king dead?

Pist.
As nail in door: the things I speak are just.

Fal.

Away, Bardolph! saddle my horse. Master Robert Shallow, choose what office thou wilt in the land, 'tis thine. Pistol, I will double-charge thee with dignities. ^note

Bard.
O joyful day!
I would not take a knighthood ^note for my fortune.

Pist.
What! I do bring good news. ^note

Fal.

Carry Master Silence to bed. Master Shallow, my Lord Shallow,—be what thou wilt; I am fortune's steward—get ^note on thy boots: we'll ride all night. O sweet Pistol! Away, Bardolph! [Exit Bard. ^note] Come, Pistol, utter more to me; and withal devise something to do thyself good. Boot, boot ^note, Master Shallow: I know the young king is sick for me. Let us take any man's horses; the laws of England are at my commandment. Blessed are they that ^note have been my friends; and woe to ^note my lord chief-justice!

Pist.
Let vultures vile ^note seize on his lungs also!
‘Where is the life that late I led?’ say they:
Why, here it is; welcome these pleasant days ^note! ^note [Exeunt. ^note

^note Scene IV. [Footnote: London. A street. ^note Enter ^note Beadles, dragging in Hostess Quickly and Doll Tearsheet.

Host.

No, thou arrant knave; I would to God that ^note I might die, that I might have thee hanged: thou hast drawn my shoulder out of joint.

First Bead. ^note

The constables have delivered her over to me; and she shall have whipping-cheer enough ^note, I warrant her: there hath been a man or two lately ^note killed about her.

Dol. ^note

Nut-hook, nut-hook, you lie. Come on; I'll tell thee what, thou damned tripe-visaged rascal, an ^note the child I now ^note go with do miscarry, thou wert ^note better thou hadst struck thy mother, thou paper-faced villain.

Host.

O the Lord ^note, that Sir John were come! he ^note would make this a bloody day to somebody. But I pray God ^note the fruit of her womb miscarry ^note!

First Bead.

If it do, you shall have a dozen of cushions again; you have but eleven now. Come, I charge you both go with me; for the man is dead that you and Pistol beat amongst ^note you.

Dol.

I'll tell you what, you ^note thin man in a censer, I will have you as soundly swinged for this,—you blue-bottle ^note

rogue, you filthy famished correctioner, if you be not swinged, I'll forswear half-kirtles.

First Bead.

Come, come, you she knight-errant ^note, come.

Host.

O God ^note, that right should thus overcome ^note might! Well, of sufferance comes ease.

Dol.

Come, you rogue, come; bring me to a justice.

Host.

Ay, come ^note, you starved blood-hound.

Dol.

Goodman death, goodman bones!

Host.

Thou atomy ^note, thou!

Dol.

Come, you thin thing; come, you rascal.

First Bead.

Very well.