Pistol, groaning and hanging his head.
Fal.
Heigh; heigh; whose other mare's dead?
Pistol.
Come Clotho, Atropos, and sisters three!
Wind up my web; for Pistol's flash is out.
Fal.
What is the matter, Peto?
Peto.
Matter, Sir John! The mob at Westminster
have almost murder'd poor Pistol, here. I thought I
never should have been able to get him home alive.
-- 33 --
Fal.
And how so?
Peto.
Why, Sir John, being got upon a cobler's bulk
to see what was become of your honour, a raw-bon'd
swaggering serjeant, that was coming by, whipt hold of
him by the leg, and threw him on the people's heads;
where, being no room for him to come to the ground,
they shoulder'd him about from post to pillar, as they
would have done a hedge-hog, or a dead rabbit that had
been thrown among them. I faith, I thought they would
have kill'd him.
Fal.
How! was that Pistol? I saw the bustle at a
distance, but took the cause of it for some huge boar cat,
the porters and 'prentices had got, to make sport withal.
By the Lord, Pistol, I have a fellow-feeling for thy misfortunes.
But art thou hurt? where art thou wounded?
Pistol.
Ah, luckless knight! is merit thus repaid?
Doth fortune play the jilt with men of mould?
Then Pistol lay thy head in Parco's lap.
Fal.
Good ancient, let me advise thee to hie to bed,
and lay thy head on a pillow.—Peto, see to him.—I too
will follow.—Bardolph!
Light me to bed—let Dol bring up the sack,
Empty the jorden, and tuck up my back.
[Exeunt.
End of the Second Act.
William Kenrick [1760], Falstaff's Wedding: a comedy. Being a Sequel to the Second Part of the Play of King Henry the Fourth. Written in Imitation of Shakespeare, By Mr. Kenrick (Printed for J. Wilkie... [and] F. Blyth [etc.], London) [word count] [S34600].
