Poins.
P. Henry.
Ned, pr'ythee come out of that fat room, and
lend me thy hand to laugh a little.
Poins.
Where hast been, Hal?
P. Henry.
With three or four loggerheads, amongst three or
fourscore hogsheads. I have sounded the very base string of humility.
Sirrah, I am sworn brother to a leash of drawers, and
can call them by their Christen names, as Tom, Dick, and Francis.
They take it already upon their a noteconscience that though I
be but Prince of Wales, yet I am the King of courtesie; telling
me flatly, I am no proud Jack, lke Jack Falstaff, but a Corinthian,
a lad of mettle, a good boy: and when I am King of
England, I shall command all the good lads in East-cheap. They
-- 220 --
call drinking deep, dying scarlet; and when you b notebreathe in
your watring, they cry hem! and bid you play it off. To conclude,
I am so good a proficient in one quarter of an hour, that
I can drink with any tinker in his own language during my life.
I tell thee Ned, thou hast lost much honour, that thou wert not
with me in this action; but sweet Ned, (to sweeten which name
of Ned, I give thee this pennyworth of sugar, clapt even now
into my hand by an under skinker, one that never spake other
English in his life, then Eight Shillings and Six Pence, and You are
welcome Sir: with this shrill addition, Anon Sir, anon Sir; Score a
pint of bastard in the half moon, or so.) But Ned, to drive away time
'till Falstaff come, I pr'ythee do thou stand in some bye-room,
while I question my puny drawer, to what end he gave me the
sugar? and do never leave calling Francis, that his tale to me
may be nothing but, anon. Step aside, and I'll shew thee a precedent.
Poins.
Francis.
P. Henry.
Thou art perfect.
Poins.
Francis.
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].
