Bardolph, and the Page.
Fal.
Stand here by me, master Shallow note; I will make
the king do you grace: I will leer upon him, as 'a comes
by; and do but mark the countenance that he will give
me.
Pis.
'Bless note thy lungs, good knight!
Fal.
Come here, Pistol; stand behind me.—O, if I
had had time to have made new liveries, I would have
bestowed the thousand pound I borrow'd of you. But
'tis note no matter; this poor shew doth better: this doth
infer the zeal I had to see him.
Sha.
It note doth so.
Fal.
It shews my earnestness of affection note:
Sha. note
It doth so.
Fal.
My devotion.
Sha. note
It doth, it doth, it doth.
Fal.
As it were, to ride day and night; and not to
-- 108 --
deliberate, not to remember, not to have patience to
shift me.
Sha.
It is most certain.
Fal.
But to note stand stained with travel, and sweating
with desire to see him: thinking of nothing else; putting
all affairs else in oblivion; as if there were nothing else
to be done, but to see him.
Pis.
'Tis semper idem; for, obsque note hoc nihil est: 'tis all note
in every part.
Sha.
'Tis so, indeed.
Pis.
My knight, I will enflame thy noble liver,
And make thee rage.
Thy Doll, and Helen of thy noble thoughts,
Is in base durance, and contagious prison;
Hal'd thither
By most mechanical and dirty hand:—
Rouze up revenge from ebon den with fell Alecto's snake,
For Doll is in; Pistol speaks nought but truth.
Fal.
I will deliver her.
Pis.
There roar'd the sea, and trumpet-clangor sounds.
Flourish of Trumpets, &c.
Enter the King, and Train of Nobles, &c.
in Procession; the Lord Chief Justice
among them.
Fal.
God note save thy grace, king Hal! my royal Hal!
Pis.
The heavens thee guard and keep, most royal imp of fame!
Fal.
God note save thee, my sweet boy!
Kin.
My lord chief justice, speak to that vain man.
Ch. J.
Have you your wits? [to Fal.] know you what 'tis you speak?
Fal.
My king! my Jove! I speak to thee, my heart.
-- 109 --
Kin.
I know thee not, old man: Fall to thy prayers;
How ill white hairs become note a fool, and jester!
I have long dream'd note of such a kind of man,
So surfeit-swell'd, so old, and so prophane;
But, being awake note, I do despise my dream.
Make less thy body, hence, and more thy grace;
Leave gormandizing; know, the grave doth gape
For thee thrice wider than for other men:—
Reply not to me14Q0719 with a fool-born jest;
Presume not, that I am the thing I was:
For heaven doth note know, so shall the world perceive,
That I have turn'd away my former self;
So will I those that kept me company.
When thou dost hear I am as I have been,
Approach me; and thou shalt be as thou wast,
The tutor and the feeder of my riots:
'Till then, I banish thee, on pain of death,—
As I have done the rest of my misleaders,—
Not to come near our person by ten mile.
For competence of life, I will allow you;
That lack of means enforce you not to evil note:
And, as we hear you do reform note yourselves,
We will,—according to your strength note, and qualities,—
Give you advancement.—Be it your charge, my lord,
[to the Chief Justice.
To see perform'd the tenour of our word.—
Set on.
[Exeunt King, and his Train.
Fal.
Master Shallow, I owe you a thousand pound.
Sha.
Ay, marry note, sir John; which I beseech you to
let me have home with me.
Fal.
That can hardly be, master Shallow. Do not
-- 110 --
you grieve at this; I shall be sent for in private to him:
look you, he must seem thus to the world. Fear not
your advancement; I will be the man yet, that shall
make you great.
Sha.
I cannot perceive note how; unless you give note me
your doublet, and stuff me out with straw. I beseech
you, good sir John, let me have five hundred of my
thousand.
Fal.
Sir, I will be as good as my word: this that
you heard, was but a colour.
Sha.
A colour, I fear note, that you will die in, sir John.
Fal.
Fear no colours; go with me to dinner:—
Come, lieutenant Pistol;—come, Bardolph:—I shall be
sent for soon at night.
Re-enter Prince John, and the Chief Justice; Officers with them.
Ch. J.
Go carry sir John Falstaff to the fleet;
[to the Officers.
Take all his company along with him.
Fal.
My lord, my lord,—
Ch. J.
I cannot now speak; I will hear you soon:—
Take them away.
Pis.
Si fortuna me tormenta, spero me contenta. note
[Exeunt Fal. Sha. Pis. Page, Bar. and Officers.
Pr. J.
I like this fair proceeding of the king's:
He hath intent, his wonted followers
Shall all be very well provided for;
But all are banish'd, 'till their conversations
Appear more wise and modest to the world.
Ch. J.
And so they are.
Pr. J.
The king hath call'd his parliament, my lord.
Ch. J.
He hath.
-- 111 --
Pr. J.
I will lay odds,—that, ere this year expire,
We bear our civil swords, and native fire,
As far as France: I heard a bird so sing;
Whose music, to my thinking, pleas'd the king.
Come, will you hence?
[Exeunt.
EPILOGUE; spoken by a Dancer.
First, my fear; then, my curt'sy note; last, my speech. My
fear is, your displeasure; my curt'sy note, my duty; and my
speech, to beg your pardons. If you look for a good
speech now, you undo me: for what I have to say, is of
mine own making; and what (indeed) I should say, will
(I doubt) prove mine own marring:—But to the purpose,
and so to the venture.
Be it known to you, (as it is very well) I was lately
here in the end of a displeasing play, to pray your patience
for it, and to promise you a better: I did mean note,
indeed, to pay you with this; which if, like an ill venture,
it come unluckily home, I break, and you my
gentle creditors lose. Here I promis'd you I would be,
and here I commit my body to your mercies: bate me
some, and I will pay you some; and, as most debtors
do, promise you infinitely. note
If my tongue cannot entreat you to acquit me, will
you command me to use my legs? and yet that were
but light payment,—to dance out of your debt: But a
good conscience will make any possible satisfaction, and
so will I. note All the gentlewomen here have forgiven note me;
if the gentlemen will note not, then the gentlemen do not
-- 112 --
agree with the gentlewomen, which was never seen before
in note such an assembly.
One word more, I beseech you. If you be not too
much cloy'd with fat meat, our humble author will continue
the story, with sir John in it, and make you merry
with fair Catherine of France: where (for any thing I
know) Falstaff shall die of a sweat, unless already he be note
kill'd with your hard opinions; for Oldcastle dy'd a
martyr note,14Q0720—but this note is not the man.
My tongue is weary; when my legs are too, I will
bid you good night: note and so kneel down before you;—
but, indeed, to pray for the queen.
