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  • Title: Henry IV, Part 1 (Folio 1 1623)
  • Editor: Rosemary Gaby

    • ISBN: 978-1-55058-371-7

    Copyright Rosemary Gaby. This text may be freely used for educational, non-profit purposes; for all other uses contact the Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Editor: Rosemary Gaby
    Peer Reviewed

    Henry IV, Part 1 (Folio 1 1623)

    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


    Scaena 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.
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