SCENE XII.
Enter Sheriff and the Carrier.
P. Henry.
Now, master Sheriff, what is your will with me?
-- 234 --
Sher.
First, pardon me, my lord. A hue and cry
Hath follow'd certain men unto this house.
P. Henry.
What men?
Sher.
One of them is well known, my gracious lord,
A gross fat man.
Car.
As fat as butter.
P. Henry.
The man, I do assure you, is not here,
For I my self at this time have imploy'd him;
And, Sheriff, I engage my word to thee,
That I will, by to-morrow dinner time,
Send him to answer thee, or any man,
For any thing he shall be charg'd withal:
And so let me intreat you leave the house.
Sher.
I will, my lord: there are two gentlemen
Have in this robbery lost three hundred marks.
P. Henry.
It may be so; if he have robb'd these men,
He shall be answerable; and so farewel.
Sher.
Good night, my noble lord.
P. Henry.
I think it is good morrow, is it not?
Sher.
Indeed, my lord, I think it be two a clock.
[Exit.
P. Henry.
This oily rascal is known as well as Pauls; go call
him forth.
Peto.
Falstaff? fast asleep behind the arras, and snorting like
a horse.
P. Henry.
Hark, how hard he fetches his breath: search his
pockets.
[He searches his pockets, and finds certain papers.
P. Henry.
What hast thou found?
Peto.
Nothing but papers, my lord.
P. Henry.
Let's see, what be they? read them.
Peto.
Item, a capon, 2 s. 2 d.
Item, Sawce, 4 d.
Item, Sack, two gallons, 5 s. 8 d.
Item, Anchoves and sack after supper, 2 s. 6 d.
Item, Bread, a halfpenny.
-- 235 --
P. Henry.
O monstrous, but one halfpenny-worth of bread,
to this intolerable deal of sack? What there is else, keep close,
we'll read it at more advantage; there let him sleep till day. I'll
to the court in the morning: we must all to the wars, and thy
place shall be honourable. I'll procure this fat rogue a charge
of foot, and I know his death will be a † notemarch of twelvescore.
The mony shall be paid back again with advantage. Be with
me betimes in the morning; and so good morrow, Peto.
Peto.
Good-morrow, good my lord.
[Exeunt.
George Sewell [1723–5], The works of Shakespear in six [seven] volumes. Collated and Corrected by the former Editions, By Mr. Pope ([Vol. 7] Printed by J. Darby, for A. Bettesworth [and] F. Fayram [etc.], London) [word count] [S11101].