Henry IV, Part 1 (Folio 1 1623)
Not Peer Reviewed
¶
Scena Quarta.
965
Enter Prince and Poines.
¶Prin. Ned, prethee come out of that fat roome, & lend
¶me thy hand to laugh a little.
¶Drawers, and can call them by their names, as Tom, Dicke,
¶and Francis. They take it already vpon their confidence,
¶that though I be but Prince of Wales, yet I am the King
975of Curtesie: telling me flatly I am no proud Iack like Fal-
¶staffe, but a Corinthian, a lad of mettle, a good boy, and
¶when I am King of England, I shall command al the good
¶Laddes in East-cheape. They call drinking deepe, dy-
¶ing Scarlet; and when you breath in your watering, then
980they cry hem, and bid you play it off. To conclude, I am
¶so good a proficient in one quarter of an houre, that I can
¶drinke with any Tinker in his owne Language during my
985ten which name of Ned, I giue thee this peniworth of Su-
¶gar, clapt euen now into my hand by an vnder Skinker,
990Halfe Moone, or so. But Ned, to driue away time till Fal-
¶while I question my puny Drawer, to what end hee gaue
¶me the Sugar, and do neuer leaue calling Francis, that his
¶Poines. Francis.
¶Prin. Thou art perfect.
¶Poin. Francis.
¶
Enter Drawer.
¶net, Ralfe.
¶Prince. Come hither Francis.
¶Fran. My Lord.
¶Poin. Francis.
1010to play the coward with thy Indenture, & shew it a faire
¶paire of heeles, and run from it?
¶England, I could finde in my heart.
¶Poin. Francis.
¶Prin. How old art thou, Francis?
¶Poin. Francis.
1020Prin. Nay but harke you Francis, for the Sugar thou
¶gauest me, 'twas a penyworth, was't not?
¶me when thou wilt, and thou shalt haue it.
1025Poin. Francis.
¶Fran. Anon, anon.
¶Prin. Anon Francis? No Francis, but to morrow Fran-
¶cis: or Francis, on thursday: or indeed Francis when thou
¶wilt. But Francis.
1030Fran. My Lord.
¶button, Not-pated, Agat ring, Puke stocking, Caddice
¶garter, Smooth tongue, Spanish pouch.
¶drinke: for looke you Francis, your white Canuas doub-
¶Poin. Francis.
¶
Heere they both call him, the Drawer stands amazed,
¶not knowing which way to go.
¶
Enter Vintner.
1045ling? Looke to the Guests within: My Lord, olde Sir
¶Iohn with halfe a dozen more, are at the doore: shall I let
¶them in?
¶Prin. Let them alone awhile, and then open the doore.
¶Poines.
1050
Enter Poines.
¶the doore, shall we be merry?
¶Poin. As merrie as Crickets my Lad. But harke yee,
1055What cunning match haue you made this iest of the
¶the pupill age of this present twelue a clock at midnight.
1060What's a clocke Francis?
¶then a Parret, and yet the sonne of a Woman. His indu-
1065cell of a reckoning. I am not yet of Percies mind, the Hot-
¶to his wife; Fie vpon this quiet life, I want worke. O my
¶some fourteene, an houre after: a trifle, a trifle. I prethee
¶call in Falstaffe, Ile play Percy, and that damn'd Brawne
¶kard. Call in Ribs, call in Tallow.
1075
Enter Falstaffe.
¶too, marry and Amen. Giue me a cup of Sacke Boy. Ere
1080them too. A plague of all cowards. Giue me a Cup of
¶Sacke, Rogue. Is there no Vertue extant?
¶pittifull hearted Titan that melted at the sweete Tale of
¶the Sunne? If thou didst, then behold that compound.
1085Fal. You Rogue, heere's Lime in this Sacke too: there
¶is nothing but Roguery to be found in Villanous man; yet
¶a Coward is worse then a Cup of Sack with lime. A vil-
¶lanous Coward, go thy wayes old Iacke, die when thou
¶wilt, if manhood, good manhood be not forgot vpon the
1090face of the earth, then am I a shotten Herring: there liues
¶not three good men vnhang'd in England, & one of them
¶is fat, and growes old, God helpe the while, a bad world I
¶Fal. A Kings Sonne? If I do not beate thee out of thy
¶Kingdome with a dagger of Lath, and driue all thy Sub-
¶iects afore thee like a flocke of Wilde-geese, Ile neuer
¶weare haire on my face more. You Prince of Wales?
¶Poines there?
¶Prin. Ye fatch paunch, and yee call mee Coward, Ile
¶stab thee.
¶the Coward: but I would giue a thousand pound I could
¶that backing of your friends? a plague vpon such bac-
1110king: giue me them that will face me. Giue me a Cup
¶of Sack, I am a Rogue if I drunke to day.
¶Prince. What's the matter?
¶Falst. What's the matter? here be foure of vs, haue
¶ta'ne a thousand pound this Morning.
¶Prince. Where is it, Iack? where is it?
1120Falst. Where is it? taken from vs, it is: a hundred
¶vpon poore foure of vs.
¶Prince. What, a hundred, man?
¶Falst. I am a Rogue, if I were not at halfe Sword with
¶a dozen of them two houres together. I haue scaped by
1125miracle. I am eight times thrust through the Doublet,
¶foure through the Hose, my Buckler cut through and
¶I neuer dealt better since I was a man: all would not doe.
1135Gad. And bound them.
¶Peto. No, no, they were not bound.
¶Falst. You Rogue, they were bound, euery man of
¶them, or I am a Iew else, an Ebrew Iew.
1140set vpon vs.
¶other.
¶Prince. What, fought yee with them all?
¶Falst. All? I know not what yee call all: but if I
1145fought not with fiftie of them, I am a bunch of Radish:
¶if there were not two or three and fiftie vpon poore olde
¶Iack, then am I no two-legg'd Creature.
¶them.
¶two of them: Two I am sure I haue payed, two Rogues
¶in Buckrom Sutes. I tell thee what, Hal, if I tell thee a
¶word: here I lay, and thus I bore my point; foure Rogues
1155in Buckrom let driue at me.
¶Falst. Foure Hal, I told thee foure.
1160at me; I made no more adoe, but tooke all their seuen
¶points in my Targuet, thus.
¶Prince. Seuen? why there were but foure, euen now.
¶Falst. In Buckrom.
¶Poin. I, foure, in Buckrom Sutes.
¶Prin. I, and marke thee too, Iack.
1170nine in Buckrom, that I told thee of.
¶Prin. So, two more alreadie.
¶Falst. Their Points being broken.
¶Falst. Began to giue me ground: but I followed me
¶the eleuen I pay'd.
¶out of two?
¶Falst. But as the Deuill would haue it, three mis-be-
1180gotten Knaues, in Kendall Greene, came at my Back, and
¶not see thy Hand.
1185brayn'd Guts, thou Knotty-pated Foole, thou Horson ob-
¶Falst. What, art thou mad? art thou mad? is not the
¶truth, the truth?
¶to this?
1195Strappado, or all the Racks in the World, I would not
¶on? If Reasons were as plentie as Black-berries, I would
¶this huge Hill of Flesh.
¶to vtter. What is like thee? You Tailors yard, you sheath
¶Prin. Well, breath a-while, and then to't againe: and
¶me speake but thus.
¶Poin. Marke Iacke.
¶them, and were Masters of their Wealth: mark now how
¶on you foure, and with a word, outfac'd you from your
1215And Falstaffe, you caried your Guts away as nimbly, with
¶as quicke dexteritie, and roared for mercy, and still ranne
¶and roar'd, as euer I heard Bull-Calfe. What a Slaue art
¶it was in fight. What trick? what deuice? what starting
1220hole canst thou now find out, to hide thee from this open
¶and apparant shame?
¶thou now?
¶Fal. I knew ye as well as he that made ye. Why heare
1225ye my Masters, was it for me to kill the Heire apparant?
¶Should I turne vpon the true Prince? Why, thou knowest
¶I am as valiant as Hercules: but beware Instinct, the Lion
¶will not touch the true Prince: Instinct is a great matter.
1230my selfe, and thee, during my life: I, for a valiant Lion,
¶and thou for a true Prince. But Lads, I am glad you haue
¶pray to morrow. Gallants, Lads, Boyes, Harts of Gold,
¶all the good Titles of Fellowship come to you. What,
¶away.
¶
Enter Hostesse
1240Host. My Lord, the Prince?
¶thou to me?
¶Hostesse. Marry, my Lord, there is a Noble man of the
1245comes from your Father.
¶Prin. Giue him as much as will make him a Royall
¶man, and send him backe againe to my Mother.
¶Falst. What manner of man is hee?
¶Hostesse. An old man.
1250Falst. What doth Grauitie out of his Bed at Midnight?
¶Shall I giue him his answere?
¶Prin. Prethee doe Iacke.
1255Peto, so did you Bardol: you are Lyons too, you ranne
¶away vpon instinct: you will not touch the true Prince;
¶no, fie.
1260Sword so hackt?
¶would sweare truth out of England, but hee would make
¶you beleeue it was done in fight, and perswaded vs to doe
¶the like.
¶to make them bleed, and then to beslubber our garments
¶with it, and sweare it was the blood of true men. I did
¶his monstrous deuices.
¶teene yeeres agoe, and wert taken with the manner, and
¶behold these Exhalations?
¶Prin. I doe
¶Bard. What thinke you they portend?
1280Bard. Choler, my Lord, if rightly taken.
¶Prin. No, if rightly taken, Halter.
¶
Enter Falstaffe.
¶Heere comes leane Iacke, heere comes bare-bone. How
¶Falst. My owne Knee? When I was about thy yeeres
¶( Hal) I was not an Eagles Talent in the Waste, I could
¶haue crept into any Aldermans Thumbe-Ring: a plague
¶of sighing and griefe, it blowes a man vp like a Bladder.
1290There's villanous Newes abroad; heere was Sir Iohn
¶Braby from your Father; you must goe to the Court in
¶the Morning. The same mad fellow of the North, Percy;
¶and hee of Wales, that gaue Amamon the Bastinado,
¶and made Lucifer Cuckold, and swore the Deuill his true
¶plague call you him?
¶Poin. O, Glendower.
¶Mortimer, and old Northumberland, and the sprightly
1300Scot of Scots, Dowglas, that runnes a Horse-backe vp a
¶Hill perpendicular.
¶kills a Sparrow flying.
¶Falst. You haue hit it.
1305Prin. So did he neuer the Sparrow.
¶hee will not runne.
¶so for running?
¶not budge a foot.
¶and one Mordake, and a thousand blew-Cappes more.
¶turn'd white with the Newes; you may buy Land now
¶as cheape as stinking Mackrell.
¶Prin. Then 'tis like, if there come a hot Sunne, and this
¶ciuill buffetting hold, wee shall buy Maiden-heads as
1320they buy Hob-nayles, by the Hundreds.
¶shall haue good trading that way. But tell me Hal, art
¶not thou horrible afear'd? thou being Heire apparant,
¶could the World picke thee out three such Enemyes a-
1325gaine, as that Fiend Dowglas, that Spirit Percy, and that
¶Deuill Glendower? Art not thou horrible afraid? Doth
¶not thy blood thrill at it?
¶Falst. Well, thou wilt be horrible chidde to morrow,
1330when thou commest to thy Father: if thou doe loue me,
¶vpon the particulars of my Life.
1335State, this Dagger my Scepter, and this Cushion my
¶Crowne.
¶Prin. Thy State is taken for a Ioyn'd-Stoole, thy Gol-
¶den Scepter for a Leaden Dagger, and thy precious rich
¶Crowne, for a pittifull bald Crowne.
1340Falst. Well, and the fire of Grace be not quite out of
¶thee, now shalt thou be moued. Giue me a Cup of Sacke
¶to make mine eyes looke redde, that it may be thought I
¶in King Cambyses vaine.
1345Prin. Well, heere is my Legge.
¶are vaine.
1350Hostesse. O the Father, how hee holdes his counte-
¶nance?
¶For teares doe stop the floud-gates of her eyes.
1355Players, as euer I see.
¶Falst. Peace good Pint-pot, peace good Tickle-braine.
¶time; but also, how thou art accompanied: For though
¶the Camomile, the more it is troden, the faster it growes;
¶Thou art my Sonne: I haue partly thy Mothers Word,
¶partly my Opinion; but chiefely, a villanous tricke of
¶thine Eye, and a foolish hanging of thy nether Lippe, that
¶doth warrant me. If then thou be Sonne to mee, heere
1365lyeth the point: why, being Sonne to me, art thou so
¶Micher, and eate Black-berryes? a question not to bee
¶askt. Shall the Sonne of England proue a Theefe, and
1370Harry, which thou hast often heard of, and it is knowne to
¶many in our Land, by the Name of Pitch: this Pitch (as
¶ancient Writers doe report) doth defile; so doth the com-
¶there is a vertuous man, whom I haue often noted in thy
¶companie, but I know not his Name.
¶Prin. What manner of man, and it like your Ma-
¶iestie?
1380Falst. A goodly portly man yfaith, and a corpulent,
¶Carriage, and as I thinke, his age some fiftie, or (byrlady)
¶inclining to threescore; and now I remember mee, his
1385hee deceiues mee; for Harry, I see Vertue in his Lookes.
¶If then the Tree may be knowne by the Fruit, as the Fruit
¶by the Tree, then peremptorily I speake it, there is Vertue
¶tell mee now, thou naughtie Varlet, tell mee, where hast
1390thou beene this moneth?
¶for mee, and Ile play my Father.
¶maiestically, both in word and matter, hang me vp by the
1395heeles for a Rabbet-sucker, or a Poulters Hare.
¶Prin. Now Harry, whence come you?
1400Prin. The complaints I heare of thee, are grieuous.
¶ye for a young Prince.
¶ne're looke on me: thou art violently carryed away from
¶fat old Man; a Tunne of Man is thy Companion: Why
1410bagge of Guts, that rosted Manning Tree Oxe with the
¶Pudding in his Belly, that reuerend Vice, that grey Ini-
¶quitie, that Father Ruffian, that Vanitie in yeeres? where-
¶in is he good, but to taste Sacke, and drinke it? wherein
¶neat and cleanly, but to carue a Capon, and eat it? where-
1415in Cunning, but in Craft? wherein Craftie, but in Villa-
¶nie? wherein Villanous, but in all things? wherein wor-
¶thy, but in nothing?
¶Falst. I would your Grace would take me with you:
¶whom meanes your Grace?
1420Prince. That villanous abhominable mis-leader of
¶Youth, Falstaffe, that old white-bearded Sathan.
¶Falst. My Lord, the man I know.
¶but that hee is (sauing your reuerence) a Whore-ma-
¶ster, that I vtterly deny. If Sacke and Sugar bee a fault,
¶Heauen helpe the Wicked: if to be olde and merry, be a
¶if to be fat, be to be hated, then Pharaohs leane Kine are
1435staffe, and therefore more valiant, being as hee is olde Iack
¶not him thy Harryes companie; banish plumpe Iacke, and
¶banish all the World.
¶Prince. I doe, I will.
1440
Enter Bardolph running.
¶Falst. Out you Rogue, play out the Play: I haue much
1445
Enter the Hostesse.
¶Hostesse. O, my Lord, my Lord.
¶Falst. Heigh, heigh, the Deuill rides vpon a Fiddle-
¶sticke: what's the matter?
¶Hostesse. The Sherife and all the Watch are at the
¶them in?
1455Prince. And thou a naturall Coward, without in-
¶stinct.
¶Falst. I deny your Maior: if you will deny the
¶Sherife, so: if not, let him enter. If I become not a Cart
¶as well as another man, a plague on my bringing vp: I
¶ther.
¶walke vp aboue. Now my Masters, for a true Face and
¶good Conscience.
1465Falst. Both which I haue had: but their date is out,
¶and therefore Ile hide me.
Exit. _
¶Prince. Call in the Sherife.
¶
Enter Sherife and the Carrier.
1470mee?
¶followed certaine men vnto this house.
¶Prince. What men?
¶She. One of them is well knowne, my gracious Lord,
¶Car. As fat as Butter.
¶Prince. The man, I doe assure you, is not heere,
¶For I my selfe at this time haue imploy'd him:
¶And Sherife, I will engage my word to thee,
1480That I will by to morrow Dinner time,
¶Send him to answere thee, or any man,
¶For any thing he shall be charg'd withall:
¶She. I will, my Lord: there are two Gentlemen
1485Haue in this Robberie lost three hundred Markes.
¶She. Good Night, my Noble Lord.
¶Prince. I thinke it is good Morrow, is it not?
1490She. Indeede, my Lord, I thinke it be two a Clocke.
¶
Exit. _
¶Prince. This oyly Rascall is knowne as well as Poules:
¶goe call him forth.
¶Pockets.
¶
He searcheth his Pockets, and findeth
¶certaine Papers.
¶Peto. Nothing but Papers, my Lord.
¶Item, Sawce
iiii.d.
1505Item, Sacke, two Gallons.
v.s.viii.d.
¶Item, Anchoues and Sacke after Supper.
ii.s.vi.d.
¶Item, Bread.
ob.
¶Bread to this intollerable deale of Sacke? What there is
¶let him sleepe till day. Ile to the Court in the Morning:
¶rable. Ile procure this fat Rogue a Charge of Foot,
¶and I know his death will be a Match of Twelue-score.
1515The Money shall be pay'd backe againe with aduantage.
¶Be with me betimes in the Morning: and so good mor-
¶row Peto.
¶Peto. Good morrow, good my Lord.
Exeunt. _
