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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. 53
    And then the power of Scotland, and of Yorke
    610To ioyne with Mortimer, Ha.
    Wor. And so they shall.
    Hot. Infaith it is exceedingly well aym'd.
    Wor. And 'tis no little reason bids vs speed,
    To saue our heads, by raising of a Head:
    615For, beare our selues as euen as we can,
    The King will alwayes thinke him in our debt,
    And thinke, we thinke our selues vnsatisfied,
    Till he hath found a time to pay vs home.
    And see already, how he doth beginne
    620To make vs strangers to his lookes of loue.
    Hot. He does, he does; wee'l be reueng'd on him.
    Wor. Cousin, farewell. No further go in this,
    Then I by Letters shall direct your course
    When time is ripe, which will be sodainly:
    625Ile steale to Glendower, and loe, Mortimer,
    Where you, and Dowglas, and our powres at once,
    As I will fashion it, shall happily meete,
    To beare our fortunes in our owne strong armes,
    Which now we hold at much vncertainty.
    630Nor. Farewell good Brother, we shall thriue, I trust.
    Hot. Vncle, adieu: O let the houres be short,
    Till fields, and blowes, and grones, applaud our sport.
    exit


    Actus Secundus. Scena Prima.


    Enter a Carrier with a Lanterne in his hand.
    6351. Car. Heigh-ho, an't be not foure by the day, Ile be
    hang'd. Charles waine is ouer the new Chimney, and yet
    our horse not packt. What Ostler?
    Ost. Anon, anon.
    1. Car. I prethee Tom, beate Cuts Saddle, put a few
    640Flockes in the point: the poore Iade is wrung in the wi-
    thers, out of all cesse.
    Enter another Carrier.
    2. Car. Pease and Beanes are as danke here as a Dog,
    and this is the next way to giue poore Iades the Bottes:
    645This house is turned vpside downe since Robin the Ostler
    dyed.
    1. Car. Poore fellow neuer ioy'd since the price of oats
    rose, it was the death of him.
    2. Car. I thinke this is the most villanous house in al
    650London rode for Fleas: I am stung like a Tench.
    1. Car. Like a Tench? There is ne're a King in Chri-
    stendome, could be better bit, then I haue beene since the
    first Cocke.
    2. Car. Why, you will allow vs ne're a Iourden, and
    655then we leake in your Chimney: and your Chamber-lye
    breeds Fleas like a Loach.
    1. Car. What Ostler, come away, and be hangd: come
    away.
    2. Car. I haue a Gammon of Bacon, and two razes of
    660Ginger, to be deliuered as farre as Charing-crosse.
    1. Car. The Turkies in my Pannier are quite starued.
    What Ostler? A plague on thee, hast thou neuer an eye in
    thy head? Can'st not heare? And t'were not as good a
    deed as drinke, to break the pate of thee, I am a very Vil-
    665laine. Come and be hang'd, hast no faith in thee?
    Enter Gads-hill.
    Gad. Good-morrow Carriers. What's a clocke?
    Car. I thinke it be two a clocke.
    Gad. I prethee lend me thy Lanthorne to see my Gel-
    670ding in the stable.
    1. Car. Nay soft I pray ye, I know a trick worth two
    of that.
    Gad. I prethee lend me thine.
    2. Car. I, when, canst tell? Lend mee thy Lanthorne
    675(quoth-a) marry Ile see thee hang'd first.
    Gad. Sirra Carrier: What time do you mean to come
    to London?
    2. Car. Time enough to goe to bed with a Candle, I
    warrant thee. Come neighbour Mugges, wee'll call vp
    680the Gentlemen, they will along with company, for they
    haue great charge. Exeunt

    Enter Chamberlaine.

    Gad. What ho, Chamberlaine?
    Cham. At hand quoth Pick-purse.
    685Gad. That's euen as faire, as at hand quoth the Cham-
    berlaine: For thou variest no more from picking of Pur-
    ses, then giuing direction, doth from labouring. Thou
    lay'st the plot, how.
    Cham. Good morrow Master Gads-Hill, it holds cur-
    690rant that I told you yesternight. There's a Franklin in the
    wilde of Kent, hath brought three hundred Markes with
    him in Gold: I heard him tell it to one of his company last
    night at Supper; a kinde of Auditor, one that hath abun-
    dance of charge too (God knowes what) they are vp al-
    695ready, and call for Egges and Butter. They will away
    presently.
    Gad. Sirra, if they meete not with S. Nicholas Clarks,
    Ile giue thee this necke.
    Cham. No, Ile none of it: I prythee keep that for the
    700Hangman, for I know thou worshipst S. Nicholas as tru-
    ly as a man of falshood may.
    Gad. What talkest thou to me of the Hangman? If I
    hang, Ile make a fat payre of Gallowes. For, if I hang,
    old Sir Iohn hangs with mee, and thou know'st hee's no
    705Starueling. Tut, there are other Troians that yu dream'st
    not of, the which (for sport sake) are content to doe the
    Profession some grace; that would (if matters should bee
    look'd into) for their owne Credit sake, make all Whole.
    I am ioyned with no Foot-land-Rakers, no Long-staffe
    710six-penny strikers, none of these mad Mustachio-purple-
    hu'd-Maltwormes, but with Nobility, and Tranquilitie;
    Bourgomasters, and great Oneyers, such as can holde in,
    such as will strike sooner then speake; and speake sooner
    then drinke, and drinke sooner then pray: and yet I lye,
    715for they pray continually vnto their Saint the Common-
    wealth; or rather, not to pray to her, but prey on her: for
    they ride vp & downe on her, and make hir their Boots.
    Cham. What, the Commonwealth their Bootes? Will
    she hold out water in foule way?
    720Gad. She will, she will; Iustice hath liquor'd her. We
    steale as in a Castle, cocksure: we haue the receit of Fern-
    seede, we walke inuisible.
    Cham. Nay, I thinke rather, you are more beholding
    to the Night, then to the Fernseed, for your walking in-
    725uisible.
    Gad. Giue me thy hand.
    Thou shalt haue a share in our purpose,
    As I am a true man.
    Cham. Nay, rather let mee haue it, as you are a false
    730Theefe.
    Gad. Goe too: Homo is a common name to all men.
    Bid the Ostler bring the Gelding out of the stable. Fare-
    well, ye muddy Knaue. Exeunt.
    e2 Scena
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