rent, that thou art heir apparent-But, I pr'ythee, fweet wag, fhall there be gallows ftanding in England when thou art King? and refolution thus fobb'd as it is, with the rufty curb of old father antic, the law? Do not thou, when thou art a King, hang a thief. P. Henry. No; thou fhalt.

Fal. Shall I, O rare, by the Lord, I'll be a brave judge.

and fo

P. Henry. Thou judgeft falfe already: I mean, thou fhalt have the hanging of the thieves, become a rare hangman.

Fal. Well, Hal, well; and in fome fort it jumps with my humour, as well as waiting in the court, I can tell you.

P. Henry. For obtaining of fuits?

H

Fal. Yea, for obtaining of fuits, whereof the hangman hath no lean wardrobe. "'Sblood, I am as melancholy as a gib-cat, or a lugg'd bear. c

1

P. Henry. Or an old lion, or a lover's lute. Fal. Yea, or the drone of a Lincolnshire bagpipe. P. Henry. What says thou to a hare, or the melancholy of Moor-ditch?

Fal. Thou haft the most unfavoury fimilies; and art, indeed, the most incomparative, rafcallieft, fweet young Prince- But, Hal, I pr'ythee, trouble mé no more with vanity; I would to God thou and I knew where a commodity of good names were to be bought. An old Lord of the council rated me the other day in the street about you, Sir; but I mark'd him not, and yet he talk'd very wifely, and in the street too.

P. Henry. Thou didst well; for wifdom cries out in the streets, and no man regards it.

Fal. O, thou haft damnable attraction, and art, indeed, able to corrupt a faint. Thou haft done much harm unto me, Hal, God forgive thee for it! Before I knew thee, Hal, I knew nothing; and now am I, if a man fhould speak truly, little better than one of the wicked. I must give over this life, and I will give it over; by the Lord, an' I do not, I am a villain. be damn'd for never a King's fon in Christendom. P: Henry. Where fhall we take a purfe to-morrow, Jack?

I'll

Fal.

Fal. Where thou wilt, lad, I'll make one; an' I do not, call me villain, and baffle med

P. Henry. I feed a good amendment of life in thee, from praying to purse-taking.

Fal. Why, Hal, tis my vocation, Hal. 'Tis no fin for a man to labour in his vocation.- -Poins! Now fhall we know, if Gads-hill have fet a match. O, if men were to be fav'd by merit, what hole in hell were hot enough for him!

SCENE

1

III.

Enter Poins.

This is the moft omnipotent villain that ever cry'd, Stand, to a true man.

P. Henry. Good morrow, Ned.

L

Poins. Good morrow, fweet Hal. What fays Monfieur Remorfe? what fays Sir John Sack and Sugar? Jack how agree the devil and thou about thy foul, that thou foldeft him on Good Friday laft, for a cup of Madera, and a cold capon's leg?

P. Henry. Sir John ftands to his word; the devil fhall have his bargain; for he was never yet a breaker of proverbs; He will give the Devil his due.

Poins. Then thou art damn'd. for keeping thy word with the devil.

P. Henry. Elfe he had been damn'd for cozening the devil.

Poins. But, my lads, my lads, to-morrow morning by four o'clock, early at Gads-hill: there are pilgrims. going to Canterbury with rich offerings, and traders riding to London with fat purfes. I have vizards for you all; you have horfes for yourselves: Gads-hill lies to night in Rochefter; I have befpoke fupper to morrow dnight in Eaft-cheap; we may do it as fecure as fleep: if you will go, I will stuff your purses full of crowns; if you will not, tarry at home and be hang'd.

Fal. Hear ye, Yedward; if I tarry at home, and go not, I'll hang you for going,

Poins. You will, chops?

Fal. Hal, wilt thou make one?

P. Henry. Who, I rob? I a thief? not I, by my faith.
Fal. There is neither honefty, manhood, nor good.

fellowship

fellowship in thee, nor thou cam'ft not of the bloodroyal, if thou dar'ft not cry, Stand, for ten fhillings. P. Henry. Well then, once in my days I'll be a mad-cap.

Fal. Why, that's well faid.

P. Henry. Well come what will, I'll tarry at home. Fal. By the Lord, I'll be a traitor then when thou art King.

P. Henry. I care not.

Poins. Sir John, I pr'ythee, leave the Prince and me alone; I will lay him down fuch reasons for this adventure, that he shall go.

Fal. Well, may'ft thou have the spirit of perfuafion, and he the ears of profiting, that what thou speak'ft may move, and what he hears may be believ'd; that the true Prince may (for recreation fake) prove a false thief; for the poor abuses of the time want countenance. Farewel, you shall find me in East-cheap.

P. Henry. Farewell, thou latter fpring! Farewell, all-hallown fummer! [Exit Fal

Poins. Now, my good fweet honey Lord, ride with us to-morrow. I have a jeft to execute, that I cannot manage alone. Falstaff, Bardolph, Peto, and Gadshill, fhall rob these men that we have already waylaid; yourself and I will not be there; and when they have the booty, if you and I do not rob them, cut this head from off my fhoulders.

P. Henry, But how shall we part with them in setting forth?

Poins. Why, we will fet forth before or after them; and appoint them a place of meeting, wherein it is at our pleafure to fail; and then will they adventure upon the exploit themfelves, which they fhall have no fooner atchiev'd, but we'll fet upon them.

P. Henry Ay; but 'tis like they will know us by our horfes, by our habits, and by every other appointment, to be ourselves.

Poins. Tut, our horfes they fhall not fee; I'll tie them in the wood; our vizards we will change after we leave them; and, firrah, I have cafes of buckram for the nonce, to immask our noted outward garments.

P. Henry. But I doubt they will be too hard for us.

Poins. Well, for two of them, I know them to be as true-bred cowards as ever turn'd back; and for the third, if he fights longer than he fees reafon, I'll forfwear arms. The virtue of this jeft will be, the incomprehenfible lies that this fame fat rogue will tell us when we meet at fupper; how thirty at least he fought with, what wards, what blows, what extremities he endured; and, in the reproof of this, lies the jeft.

P. Henry. Well, I'll go with thee; provide us all things neceffary, and meet me to-morrow-night in Eaft-cheap, there I'll fup. Farewell.

Poins. Farewell, my Lord.

[Exit Poins. P. Henry. I know you all, and will a while uphold The unyok'd humour of your idlenefs; Yet herein will I imitate the fun,

Who doth permit the base contagious clouds
To fmother up his beauty from the world;
That when he please again to be himself,
Being wanted, he may be more wonder'd at,
By breaking through the foul and ugly mists
Of vapours, that did feem to ftrangle him.
If all the year were playing-holidays,
To fport would be as tedious as to work:
But when they feldom come, they wifh'd-for come,
And nothing pleaseth but rare accidents.
So, when this loose behaviour I throw off,
And pay the debt I never promised;
But how much better than my word I am,
By fo much thall I falfify mens' fears;
And, like bright metal on a fullen ground,
My reformation, glittering o'er my fault,
Shall fhew more goodly, and attract more eyes,
Than that which hath no foil to fet it off.
I'll fo offend, to make offence a fkill;
Redeeming time, when men think leaft I will.

[Exit.

SCENE IV. Changes to an apartment in the palace. Enter King Henry, Northumberland, Worcester, Hot-fpur, Sir Walter Blunt, and others.

K. Henry. My blood hath been too cold and temperate, Unapt to ftir at these indignities;

And

And you have found me; for accordingly
You tread upon my patience: but be fure,
I will from henceforth rather be myself,

Mighty and to be fear'd, than my condition *
Which hath been fmooth as oil, foft as young down,
And therefore loft that title of respect,

Which the proud foul ne'er pays, but to the proud.
Wor. Our houfe, my fov'reign Liege, little deferves
The fcourge of greatnefs to be used on it;

And that fame greatness too, which our own hands Have help'd to make fo portly.

North. My good Lord,

K. Henry. Worcester, get thee gone; for I do fee Danger and disobedience in thine eye.

O Sir, your prefence is too bold and peremptory;
And Majefty might never yet endure

The moody frontlet of a fervant-brow.

You have good leave to leave us. When we need
Your ufe and counfel, we fhall fend for you.

You were about to speak.

North. Yes, my good Lord.

[Exit Worcester.

[To Northumberland.

Thofe prifoners, in your Highnefs' name demanded.

Which Harry Percy here at Holmedon took,
Were, as he fays, not with fuch strength deny'd
As was deliver'd to your Majefty.

Or envy therefore, or mifprifion,

Is guilty of this fault, and not my fon.

Hot. My Liege, I did deny no prifoners; But I remember, when the fight was done, When I was dry with rage, and extreme toil. Breathlefs, and faint, leaning upon my fword; • Came there a certain Lord, neat, trimly dress'd; • Fresh as a bridegroom, and his chin, new-reap'd, Shew'd like a stubble-land at harvest-home.

He was perfumed like a milliner;

' And 'twixt his finger and his thumb he held A pouncet-box, which ever and anon

He gave his nofe;' [and took't away again; Who, therewith angry, when it next came there,

Condition, for Difpofition.

Took

I