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Henry IV, Part 1 (Folio 1 1623)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Rosemary Gaby
Not Peer Reviewed
The First Part of King Henry the Fourth.
49
Then would I haue his Harry, and he mine:
But let him from my thoughts. What thinke you Coze
95Of this young Percies pride? The Prisoners
Which he in this aduenture hath surpriz'd,
To his owne vse he keepes, and sends me word
I shall haue none but Mordake Earle of Fife.
West. This is his Vnckles teaching. This is Worcester
100Maleuolent to you in all Aspects:
Which makes him prune himselfe, and bristle vp
The crest of Youth against your Dignity.
King. But I haue sent for him to answer this:
And for this cause a-while we must neglect
105Our holy purpose to Ierusalem.
Cosin, on Wednesday next, our Councell we will hold
At Windsor, and so informe the Lords:
But come your selfe with speed to vs againe,
For more is to be said, and to be done,
110Then out of anger can be vttered.
West. I will my Liege.
Exeunt


Scæna Secunda.


Enter Henry Prince of Wales, Sir Iohn Fal-
staffe, and Pointz.

115Fal. Now Hal, what time of day is it Lad?
Prince. Thou art so fat-witted with drinking of olde
Sacke, and vnbuttoning thee after Supper, and sleeping
vpon Benches in the afternoone, that thou hast forgotten
to demand that truely, which thou wouldest truly know.
120What a diuell hast thou to do with the time of the day?
vnlesse houres were cups of Sacke, and minutes Capons,
and clockes the tongues of Bawdes, and dialls the signes
of Leaping-houses, and the blessed Sunne himselfe a faire
hot Wench in Flame-coloured Taffata; I see no reason,
125why thou shouldest bee so superfluous, to demaund the
time of the day.
Fal. Indeed you come neere me now Hal, for we that
take Purses, go by the Moone and seuen Starres, and not
by Phoebus hee, that wand'ring Knight so faire. And I
130prythee sweet Wagge, when thou art King, as God saue
thy Grace, Maiesty I should say, for Grace thou wilte
haue none.
Prin. What, none?
Fal. No, not so much as will serue to be Prologue to
135an Egge and Butter.
Prin. Well, how then? Come roundly, roundly.
Fal. Marry then, sweet Wagge, when thou art King,
let not vs that are Squires of the Nights bodie, bee call'd
Theeues of the Dayes beautie. Let vs be Dianaes Forre-
140sters, Gentlemen of the Shade, Minions of the Moone;
and let men say, we be men of good Gouernment, being
gouerned as the Sea is, by our noble and chast mistris the
Moone, vnder whose countenance we steale.
Prin. Thou say'st well, and it holds well too: for the
145fortune of vs that are the Moones men, doeth ebbe and
flow like the Sea, beeing gouerned as the Sea is, by the
Moone: as for proofe. Now a Purse of Gold most reso-
lutely snatch'd on Monday night, and most dissolutely
spent on Tuesday Morning; got with swearing, Lay by:
150and spent with crying, Bring in: now, in as low an ebbe
as the foot of the Ladder, and by and by in as high a flow
as the ridge of the Gallowes.
Fal. Thou say'st true Lad: and is not my Hostesse of
the Tauerne a most sweet Wench?
155Prin. As is the hony, my old Lad of the Castle: and is
not a Buffe Ierkin a most sweet robe of durance?
Fal. How now? how now mad Wagge? What in thy
quips and thy quiddities? What a plague haue I to doe
with a Buffe-Ierkin?
160Prin. Why, what a poxe haue I to doe with my Ho-
stesse of the Tauerne?
Fal. Well, thou hast call'd her to a reck'ning many a
time and oft.
Prin. Did I euer call for thee to pay thy part?
165Fal. No, Ile giue thee thy due, thou hast paid al there.
Prin. Yea and elsewhere, so farre as my Coine would
stretch, and where it would not, I haue vs'd my credit.
Fal. Yea, and so vs'd it, that were it heere apparant,
that thou art Heire apparant. But I prythee sweet Wag,
170shall there be Gallowes standing in England when thou
art King? and resolution thus fobb'd as it is, with the ru-
stie curbe of old Father Anticke the Law? Doe not thou
when thou art a King, hang a Theefe.
Prin. No, thou shalt.
175Fal. Shall I? O rare! Ile be a braue Iudge.
Prin. Thou iudgest false already. I meane, thou shalt
haue the hanging of the Theeues, and so become a rare
Hangman.
Fal. Well Hal, well: and in some sort it iumpes with
180my humour, as well as waiting in the Court, I can tell
you.
Prin. For obtaining of suites?
Fal. Yea, for obtaining of suites, whereof the Hang-
man hath no leane Wardrobe. I am as Melancholly as a
185Gyb-Cat, or a lugg'd Beare.
Prin. Or an old Lyon, or a Louers Lute.
Fal. Yea, or the Drone of a Lincolnshire Bagpipe.
Prin. What say'st thou to a Hare, or the Melancholly
of Moore Ditch?
190Fal. Thou hast the most vnsauoury smiles, and art in-
deed the most comparatiue rascallest sweet yong Prince.
But Hal, I prythee trouble me no more with vanity, I wold
thou and I knew, where a Commodity of good names
were to be bought: an olde Lord of the Councell rated
195me the other day in the street about you sir; but I mark'd
him not, and yet hee talk'd very wisely, but I regarded
him not, and yet he talkt wisely, and in the street too.
Prin. Thou didst well: for no man regards it.
Fal. O, thou hast damnable iteration, and art indeede
200able to corrupt a Saint. Thou hast done much harme vn-
to me Hall, God forgiue thee for it. Before I knew thee
Hal, I knew nothing: and now I am (if a man shold speake
truly) little better then one of the wicked. I must giue o-
uer this life, and I will giue it ouer: and I do not, I am a
205Villaine. Ile be damn'd for neuer a Kings sonne in Chri-
stendome.
Prin. Where shall we take a purse to morrow, Iacke?
Fal. Where thou wilt Lad, Ile make one: and I doe
not, call me Villaine, and baffle me.
210Prin. I see a good amendment of life in thee: From
Praying, to Purse-taking.
Fal. Why, Hal, 'tis my Vocation Hal: 'Tis no sin for a
man to labour in his Vocation.
Pointz. Now shall wee know if Gads hill haue set a
215Watch. O, if men were to be saued by merit, what hole
in Hell were hot enough for him? This is the most omni-
potent Villaine, that euer cryed, Stand, to a true man.
Prin. Good morrow Ned.
Pointz.