Poins.
Pri.
Trust me, I note am exceeding weary.
Poi.
Is it come to that? I had thought, weariness durst
not have attach'd one of so high blood.
Pri.
'Faith, it does me note; though it discolours the complexion
of my greatness to acknowledge it. Doth it not
shew vilely in me, to desire small beer?
-- 30 --
Poi.
Why, a prince should not be so loosely study'd,
as to remember so weak a composition.
Pri.
Belike then, my appetite was not princely got;
for, in troth note, I do now remember the poor creature
small beer. But, indeed, these humble considerations
make me out of love with my greatness. What a disgrace
is it to me, to remember thy name; or to know thy face
to-morrow? or to take note how many pair of silk
stockings thou hast; viz. these note, and those that were thy
peach-colour'd ones? or note to bear the inventory of thy
shirts; as, one for superfluity, and one other note for use?—
but that, the tennis-court-keeper knows better than I:
for it is a low ebb of linnen with thee, when thou keepest note
not racket there; as thou hast not done a great while,
because the rest of thy low-countries have made a shift
to eat up note thy holland: [And God knows, whether those, note
that bawl out from the ruins of thy linnen, shall inherit
his kingdom: but the midwives say, the children are not
in the fault; whereupon the world encreases, and kindreds
are mightily strengthen'd.]
Poi.
How ill it follows, after you have labour'd so
hard, you should talk so idly? Tell me, how many good
young princes would do so, their fathers being so sick
as yours at this time is note?
Pri.
Shall I tell thee one thing, Poins?
Poi.
Yes; and note let it be an excellent good thing.
Pri.
It shall serve among wits of no higher breeding
than thine.
Poi.
Go to; I stand the push of your one thing that
you will note tell.
Pri.
Why, I note tell thee,—it is not meet that I should
be sad, now my father is sick: albeit I could tell to
-- 31 --
thee, (as to one it pleases me, for fault of a better, to call
my friend) I could be sad, and sad indeed too.
Poi.
Very hardly, upon such a subject.
Pri.
Thou note think'st me as far in the devil's book, as
thou, and Falstaff, for obduracy and persistency; Let
the end try the man. But I tell thee,—my heart bleeds
inwardly, that my father is so sick: and keeping such
vile company as thou art, hath in reason taken from me
all ostentation of sorrow.
Poi.
The reason?
Pri.
What wouldst thou think of me, if I should weep?
Poi.
I would think thee a most princely hypocrite.
Pri.
It would be every man's thought: and thou art
a blessed fellow, to think as every man thinks; never
a man's thought in the world keeps the road-way better
than thine: every man would think me an hypocrite,
indeed. And what accites note your most worshipful thought,
to think so?
Poi.
Why, because you have been so lewd, and so
much engraffed to Falstaff.
Pri.
And to thee.
Poi.
Nay, I note am well spoken of, I can hear it with
mine own ears: the worst that they can say of me, is,
that I am a second brother, and that I am a proper fellow
of my hands; and those two things, I confess, I
cannot help. Look, look, here note comes Bardolph.
Enter Bardolph, and Page.
Pri.
And the boy that I gave Falstaff: he had note him
from me christian; and see, if note the fat villain have not
transform'd him ape.
Bar.
'Save note your grace!
Pri.
And yours, most noble Bardolph!
-- 32 --
Bar.
Come note, you14Q0682 virtuous note ass, [to the Page.] you
bashful fool, must you be blushing? wherefore blush you
now? What a maidenly man at arms are you become?
Is it note such a matter, to get a pottle-pot's maidenhead?
Pag.
He call'd me even now note, my lord, through a red
lattice, and I could discern no part of his face from the
window: at last, I spy'd his eyes; and, methought, he
had made two holes in the ale-wife's new note petticoat, and
peep'd through.
Pri.
Hath not note the boy profited?
[to Poins.
Bar.
Away, you whorson upright rabbet, note away!
Pag.
Away, you rascally Althea's dream, away!
Pri.
Instruct us, boy; What dream, boy?
Pag.
Marry, my lord, Althea dream'd note, she was deliver'd
of a fire-brand; and therefore I call him, her dream.
Pri.
A crown's-worth of good interpretation;—
there &dagger2; it is note, boy.
Poi.
O, that this good note blossom could be kept from
cankers!—Well, there &dagger2; is six-pence to preserve thee.
Bar.
An you do not make him be hang'd among
you, the gallows shall have wrong note.
Pri.
And how doth thy master, Bardolph?
Bar.
Well, my lord note. He heard of your grace's coming
to town; there's &dagger2; a letter for you.
Poi.
Deliver'd note with good respect.—And how doth
the martlemas your master?
Bar.
In bodily health, sir.
Poi.
Marry, the immortal part needs a physician:
but that moves not him; though that be sick, it dies not.
Pri.
I do allow this wen to be as familiar with me
as my dog: and he holds his place; for, look you, how note
he writes.
[giving Poins the Letter.
-- 33 --
Poi. [reads.]
John note Falstaff, knight,—Every man
must know that, as oft as he hath occasion note to name
himself. Even like those that are kin to the king; for
they never prick their finger, but they say, There is note
some of the king's blood spilt: How comes that? says he,
that takes upon him not to conceive: the answer is as
ready as a borrower's note cap; I am the king's poor cousin,
sir.
Pri.
Nay, they will be kin to us, or they note will fetch
it from Japhet. But the note letter:—14Q0683
Poi.
Sir John Falstaff, knight, to the son of the king,
nearest his father, Harry prince of Wales, greeting.—Why,
this is a certificate.
Pri.
Peace!
Poi.
I will imitate the honourable Romans in brevity;
—sure, he means note brevity in breath; short-winded.—
I commend me to thee, I commend thee, and I leave thee. Be
not too familiar with Poins; for he misuses thy favours so
much, that he swears, thou art to marry his sister Nell. Repent
at idle times as thou may'st, and so farewel. Thine,
by yea and no, (which is as much as to say, as thou usest
him) Jack Falstaff, with my familiars; note John, with my
brothers and sisters; note and sir John, with all Europe.—
My lord, I will note steep this letter in sack, and make him
eat it.
Pri.
That's to make him eat twenty of his words.
But do you use me thus, Ned? must I marry your sister?
Poi.
May the wench have no note worse fortune! but I
never said so.
Pri.
Well, thus we play the fools note with the time;
and the spirits of the wise sit in the clouds, and mock
us.—Is your master here in London?
-- 34 --
Bar.
Yes, my note lord.
Pri.
Where sups he? doth the old boar feed in the
old frank?
Bar.
At the old place, my lord; in East-cheap.
Pri.
What company?
Pag.
Ephesians, my lord, of the old church.
Pri.
Sup any women with him?
Pag.
None, my lord, but old mistress Quickly, and
mistress Doll Tear-sheet.
Pri.
What pagan may that be?
Pag.
A proper gentlewoman, sir, and a kinswoman
of my master's.
Pri.
Even such kin, as the parish heifers note are to the
town bull.—Shall we steal upon them, Ned, at supper?
Poi.
I am your shadow, my lord; I'll follow you.
Pri.
Sirrah, you boy,—and Bardolph;—no word to
your master, that I am yet come to town note: There's for
your silence.
[giving them Money.
Bar.
I have no tongue, sir.
Pag.
And for mine, sir,—I will govern it.
Pri.
Fare ye note well; go. [Exeunt Pag. and Bar.] This
Doll Tear-sheet should be some road.
Poi.
I warrant you, as common as the way between
Saint Alban's and London.
Pri.
How might we see Falstaff bestow himself to-night
in his true colours, and not ourselves be seen note.
Poi. [after pausing a little.]
Put on two leather note jerkins,
and aprons, and wait upon him at his table as
drawers note.
Pri.
From a god to a bull? a heavy declension note! it
was Jove's case: From a prince to a prentice? a low
transformation! that shall be mine: for, in every thing,
-- 35 --
the purpose must weigh with the folly.—Follow me,
Ned.
[Exeunt.
Edward Capell [1767], Mr William Shakespeare his comedies, histories, and tragedies, set out by himself in quarto, or by the Players his Fellows in folio, and now faithfully republish'd from those Editions in ten Volumes octavo; with an introduction: Whereunto will be added, in some other Volumes, notes, critical and explanatory, and a Body of Various Readings entire (Printed by Dryden Leach, for J. and R. Tonson [etc.], London) [word count] [S10601].
