Fal.

How now? who's mare's dead? what's the matter?

Pha.

Sir John ^note, I arrest you at the suit of mistress Quickly.

Fal.

Away, varlets!—Draw, Bardolph: cut me off the villain's head; throw the quean in the kennel.

Hos.

Throw me in the kennel? I'll throw thee there. Wilt ^note thou? wilt thou? thou bastardly rogue:—Murder! murder!—O thou ^note hony-suckle villain! wilt thou kill God's officers, and the king's? O thou ^note hony-seed rogue! thou art a hony-seed; a man-queller, and a woman-queller.

Fal.

Keep them off, Bardolph.

Pha.

A rescue! a rescue!

Hos.

Good people, bring a rescue.—Thou ^note wo't, wo't ^note thou? thou wo't, wo't thou? do, do, thou rogue; do, thou hemp-seed.

Pag.

Away, you14Q0680 scullion! you rampallian! you fustillarian! I'll tickle ^note your catastrophe.

Ch. J.

What is ^note the matter? keep the peace here, ho!

Hos.

Good my lord, be good to me! I beseech you, stand to me!

Ch. J.

How now, sir John? what, are you brawling here? Doth this become your place, your time, and business? You should have been well on your way to York.— Stand from him, fellow; Wherefore hang'st thou on ^note him?

Hos.

O my most worshipful lord, an't please your grace, I am a poor widow of East-cheap, and he is arrested at my suit.

Ch. J.

For what sum?

Hos.

It is more than for some, my lord; it is for all,

all I have ^note: he hath eaten me out of house and home; he hath put all my substance into that fat belly of his:—but I will have some of it out again, or I will ride thee o'nights, like the mare.

Fal.

I think, I am as like to ride the mare, if I have any vantage of ground to get up.

Ch. J.

How comes this, sir John? Fie ^note! what man ^note of good temper would endure this tempest of exclamation? Are you not asham'd, to enforce a poor widow to so rough a course to come by her own?

Fal.

What is the gross sum that I owe thee?

Hos.

Marry, if thou wert an honest man, thyself, and the money too. Thou didst swear to me upon a parcel-gilt goblet, sitting in my dolphin-chamber, at the round table, by a sea-coal fire, on wednesday in Whitson-week, when the prince broke thy head for liking his father14Q0681 to ^note a singing-man of Windsor; thou didst swear to me then, as I was washing thy wound, to marry me, and make me my lady thy wife. Canst thou deny it? Did not goodwife Keech, the butcher's wife, come in then, and call me gossip Quickly? coming in to borrow a mess of vinegar; telling us, she had a good dish of prawns; whereby thou didst desire to eat some; whereby I told thee, they were ill for a green wound? And didst thou not ^note, when she was gone down stairs, desire me to be no more so familiarity with ^note such poor people; saying, that ere long they should call me madam? And didst thou not kiss me, and bid me fetch thee thirty shillings? I put thee now to thy book-oath; deny it, if thou canst.

Fal.

My lord, this is a poor mad ^note soul; and she says, up and down the town, that her eldest son is like you:

she hath been in good case, and, the truth is, poverty hath distracted her: But for these foolish officers,—I beseech you, I may have redress against them.

Ch. J.

Sir John, sir John, I am well acquainted with your manner of wrenching the true cause the false way: It is not a confident brow, nor the throng of words that come with such more than impudent sauciness from you, can thrust me from a level consideration; I know, you have practis'd upon the easy-yielding spirit of this woman.

Hos.

Yes, in troth, ^note my lord.

Ch. J.

Pr'ythee ^note, peace:—Pay her the debt you owe her, and unpay the villany you have done her ^note; the one you may do with sterling money, and the other with current repentance.

Fal.

My lord, I will not undergo this sneap without reply. You call honourable boldness, impudent sauciness: if a ^note man will make ^note curt'sy, and say nothing, he is virtuous: No, my lord, (my humble ^note duty remember'd) I will not be your suitor; I say to you, I do desire ^note deliverance from these officers, being upon hasty ^note employment in the king's affairs.

Ch. J.

You speak as having power to do wrong: but answer in the effect of your reputation, and satisfy the poor woman.

Fal.

Come hither, hostess.

Ch. J.
Now, master Gower; What news?

Mes.
The king, my lord, and Harry ^note prince of Wales,
Are near at hand: the rest the paper tells. [delivering a Packet.

Fal.

As I am a gentleman;—

Hos.

Nay, you ^note said so before.

Fal.

As I am a gentleman;—Come, no more words of it.

Hos.

By this heavenly ground I tread on, I must be fain to pawn both my plate and the tapestry of my dining-chambers.

Fal.

Glasses, glasses, is the only drinking: and for thy walls,—a pretty slight drollery, or the story of the prodigal, or the German hunting in water-work, is worth a thousand of these bed-hangings ^note, and these fly-bitten tapestries ^note. Let it be ten pound, if thou canst: Come, if it were ^note not for thy humours, there is not a better wench in England. Go, wash thy face, and draw thy action ^note: Come, thou must not be in this humour with me; come, ^note I know thou wast set on to this.

Hos.

Pray thee ^note, sir John, let it be but twenty nobles; I am ^note loth to pawn my plate, in good earnest, la. ^note

Fal.

Let it alone; I'll make ^note other shift: you'll be a fool still.

Hos.

Well, you shall have it, though ^note I pawn my gown. I hope, you'll come to supper: You'll pay me altogether?

Fal.

Will I live?—&clquo;Go, with her, with her; [to Bar.]&crquo; &clquo;hook on, hook on.&crquo;

Hos.

Will you have Doll Tear-sheet meet you at supper?

Fal.

No more words; let's have her.

Ch. J.

I have heard better ^note news.

Fal.

What's the news, my lord ^note?

Ch. J.

Where lay the king last night ^note?

Mes.

At Basingstoke ^note, my lord.

Fal.

I hope, my lord, all's well; What's the news, my lord?

Ch. J.
Come all his forces back?

Mes.
No; fifteen hundred foot, five hundred horse,
Are march'd up to my lord of Lancaster,
Against Northumberland, and the archbishop.

Fal.
Comes the king back from Wales, my noble lord?

Ch. J.
You shall have letters of me presently:
Come, go along with me, good master Gower.

Fal.

My lord!

Ch. J.

What's the matter?

Fal.

Master Gower, [turning short from the Ch. Just.] shall I entreat you with me to dinner?

Mes.

I must wait upon my good lord here: I thank you, good sir John.

Ch. J.

Sir John, you loiter here too long, being you are to take soldiers up in counties ^note as you go.

Fal.

Will you sup with me, master Gower?

Ch. J.

What foolish master taught you these manners, sir John?

Fal.

Master Gower, if they become me not, he was a fool that taught them me.—This is the right fencing grace, my lord; tap for tap, and so part fair.

Ch. J.

Now the Lord lighten thee! thou art a great fool.