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  • Title: Henry IV, Part 1 (Quarto 0, 1598)
  • 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 (Quarto 0, 1598)

    525By heauen me thinkes it were an easie leape,
    To plucke bright honor from the palefac't moone,
    Or diue into the bottome of the deepe,
    Where fadome line could neuer touch the ground,
    And plucke vp drowned honor by the locks,
    530So he that doth redeeme her thence might weare
    Without corriuall all her dignities,
    But out vpon this halfe fac't fellowship.
    Wor. He apprehends a world of figures here,
    But not the forme of what he should attend,
    535Good coosen giue me audience for a while.
    Hot. I cry you mercy.
    Wor. Those same noble Scots that are your prisoners.
    540Hot. Ile keepe them all;
    By God he shal not haue a Scot of them,
    No, if a Scot would saue his soule he shal not,
    Ile keepe them by this hand.
    Wor. You, start away,
    545And lend no eare vnto my purposes:
    Those prisoners you shal keepe.
    Hot. Nay I wil, thats flat:
    He said he would not ransome Mortimer,
    Forbad my tongue to speake of Mortimer,
    550But I wil find him when he lies asleepe,
    And in his eare ile hollow Mortimer:
    Nay, ile haue a starling shalbe taught to speake
    Nothing but Mortimer, and giue it him
    To keepe his anger stil in motion.
    555Wor. Heare you cosen a word.
    Hot. All studies here I sollemnly defie,
    Saue how to gall and pinch this Bullingbrooke,
    And that same sword and buckler prince of Wales,
    But that I thinke his father loues him not,
    560And would be glad he met with some mischance:
    I would haue him poisoned with a pot of ale.
    Wor. Farewel kinsman, ile talke to you
    when you are better temperd to attend.
    The Hystorie
    North. Why what a waspe-stung and impatient foole
    565Art thou, to breake into this womans moode,
    Tying thine eare to no tongue but thine owne.
    Hot. Why looke you? I am whip and scourgd with rods,
    Netled, and stung with pismires, when I heare
    Of this vile polititian Bullingbrooke,
    570In Richards time, what do you cal the place?
    A plague vpon it, it is in Glocestershire;
    Twas where the mad-cap duke his vnckle kept
    His vncle Yorke, where I first bowed my knee
    Vnto this king of smiles, this Bullingbrooke:
    575Zbloud, when you and he came backe from Rauenspurgh.
    North. At Barkly castle.
    Hot. You say true.
    Why what a candy deale of curtesie,
    This fawning greyhound then did proffer me,
    580Looke when his infant fortune came to age,
    And gentle Harry Percy, and kind coosen:
    O the diuel take such coosoners, god forgiue me,
    Good vncle tel your tale, I haue done.
    Wor. Nay, if you haue not, to it againe,
    585We wil stay your leisure.
    Hot. I haue done Ifaith.
    Wor. Then once more to your Scottish prisoners,
    Deliuer them vp without their ransome straight,
    And make the Douglas sonne your onely meane
    590For Powers in Scotland, which for diuers reasons
    Which I shall send you written, be assur'd
    Wil easely be granted you my Lord.
    Your sonne in Scotland being thus emploied,
    Shal secretly into the bosome creepe
    595Of that same noble Prelat wel belou'd,
    The Archbishop.
    Hot. Of Yorke, is it not?
    Wor. True, who beares hard
    His brothers death at Bristow the lord Scroop,
    600I speake not this in estimation,
    As
    of Henry the fourth.
    As what I thinke might be, but what I know
    Is ruminated, plotted, and set downe,
    And onely stayes but to behold the face
    Of that occasion that shal bring it on.
    605Hot. I smell it. Vpon my life it will do well:
    Nort. Before the game is afoote thou still letst slip.
    Hot. Why, it cannot chuse but be a noble plot,
    And then the power of Scotland, and of Yorke,
    610To ioyne with Mortimer, ha.
    Wor. And so they shall.
    Hot, In faith it is exceedingly well, aimd.
    Wor. And tis no little reason bids vs speed,
    To saue our heades by raising of a head,
    615[F]or beare our selues as euen as we can,
    [T]he 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 alreadie how he doth begin
    620To make vs strangers to his lookes of loue.
    Hot. He does, he does, weele be reuengd on him.
    Wor. Coosen farewell. No further go in this,
    Then I by letters shall direct your course
    When time is ripe, which will be suddenly,
    625Ile steale to Glendower, and Lo: Mortimer,
    Where you and Douglas, and our powers at once,
    As I will fashion it shall happily meete,
    To beare out fortunes in our owne strong armes,
    Which now we hold at much vncertaintie.
    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. Exeunt.
    Enter a Carrier with a lanterne in his hand.
    6351 Car. Heigh ho. An it be not foure by the day ile be hangd,
    Charles-waine is ouer the new Chimney, and yet our horse not
    packt. What Ostler.
    Ost. Anon, anon.
    Cii. 1 Car.
    The Hystorie
    1 Car. I preethe Tom beat Cuts saddle, put a few flockes in
    640the point, poore iade is wroong in the withers, out of all cesse.
    Enter another Carier.
    2 Car. Pease and beanes are as danke here as a dog, and that
    is the next way to giue poore iades the bottes: this house is tur-
    645ned vpside downe since Robin Ostler died.
    1 Car. Poore fellow neuer ioyed since the prise of Oates rose,
    it was the death of him.
    2 Car. I thinke this bee the most villainous house in all Lon-
    650don road for fleas, I am stung like a Tench.
    1 Car. Like a Tench, by the Masse there is nere a King chri-
    sten could be better bit then I haue bin since the first cocke.
    2 Car. Why, they will allowe vs nere a Iordan, and then
    655we leake in your Chimney, and your chamber-lie breedes 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 Gin-
    660ger, to be deliuered as far as Charing Crosse.
    1 Car. Gods bodie, the Turkies in my Panier are quite star-
    ued: what Ostler? a plague on thee, hast thou neuer an eie in thy
    heade? canst not heare, and twere not as good deed as drinke to
    break the pate on thee, I am a verie villain, come and be hangd,
    665hast no faith in thee?
    Enter Gadshill:
    Gadshill. Good morrow Cariers, whats a clocke?
    Car: I thinke it be two a clocke.
    Gad: I preethe lend me thy lanterne, to see my gelding in the
    670stable.
    1 Car: Nay by God soft, I knowe a trike worth two of that
    I fayth.
    Gad: I pray thee lend me thine.
    2 Car. I when canst tell? lend mee thy lanterne (quoth he)
    675marry ile see thee hangd first.
    Gad. Sirrha Carrier, what time do you meane to come to
    London?
    2 Car. Time enough to go to bed with a candle, I warrant
    thee, come neighbour Mugs, weele call vp the Gentlemen,
    they
    of Henrie the fourth.
    680[t]hey will along with companie, for they haue great charge.
    Enter Chamberlaine, Exeunt.
    Gad. What ho: Chamberlaine.
    Cham. At hand quoth pickepurse.
    685Gad. Thats euen as faire as at hand quoth the Chamberlaine:
    for thou variest no more from picking of purses, then giuing di-
    rection doth from labouring: thou layest the plot how.
    Cham: Good morrow maister Gadshil, it holdes currant that
    690I tolde you yesternight, ther's a Frankelin in the wild of Kent
    hath brought three hundred Markes with him in golde, I heard
    him tell it to one of his company last night at supper, a kinde of
    Auditor, one that hath abundance of charge too, God knowes
    what, they are vp alreadie, and call for Egges and Butter, they
    695will away presently.
    Gad: Sirrha, if they meete not with Saint Nicholas clearkes,
    [ile] giue thee this necke.
    Cham. No, ile none of it, I pray thee keepe that for the hang-
    700[ma]n, for I know thou worshippest Saine Nicholas, as trulie as
    [a] man of falshood may.
    Ga. What talkest thou to me of the hãgman? if I hang, ile make
    a fat paire of Gallowes: for if I hang, olde sir Iohn hangs with
    me, and thou knowest he is no starueling: tut, there are other
    705Troyans that thou dreamst not of, the which for sport sake
    are content to do the profession, some grace, that would (if mat-
    ters should be lookt into) for their owne credit sake make all
    whole.I am ioyned with no footland rakers, no long-staffe six-
    710pennie strikers, none of these mad mustachio purplehewd malt-
    worms, but with nobilitie, & tranquilitie, Burgomasters & great
    Oneyres, such as can hold in such as wil strike sooner then speak,
    and speake sooner then drinke, and drinke sooner then pray, and
    yet (zoundes) I lie, for they pray continually to their Saint the
    715Common-wealth, or rather not pray to her, but pray on her, for
    they ride vp and downe on her, and make her their bootes.
    Cham. What, the Common-wealth their bootes? will shee
    hold out water in foule way?
    720Gad. She will, she will, Iustice hath liquord her: wee steale as
    in a Castell cocksure: we haue the receyte of Ferneseede, wee
    Ciii. walke
    The Hystorie
    walke inuisible.
    Cham: Nay by my faith, I thinke you are more beholding to
    the night then to Ferneseed, for your walking inuisible.
    Gad. Giue me thy hand, thou shalt haue a share in our pur-
    chase, as I am a true man.
    Cham. Nay rather let me haue it, as you are a false theefe.
    Gad. Go to, homo is a common name to al men: bid the Ost-
    ler bring my gelding out of the stable, farewell you muddye
    knaue.
    735Enter Prince, Poynes, and Peto, &c.
    Po. Come shelter, shelter, I haue remoude Falstalffes horse,
    and he frets like a gumd Veluet.
    Pr. Stand close:
    Enter Falstalffe.
    740Fal. Poynes, Poynes, and be hangd Poynes.
    Pr. Peace yee fat-kidneyd rascall, what a brawling dost
    thou keepe?
    Fal. Wheres Poynes Hall?
    Pr. He is walkt vp to the top of the hill, Ile go seeke him.
    Fal. I am accurst to rob in that theeues companie, the rascall
    hath remooued my horse, and tied him I knowe not where, if I
    trauell but foure foote by the squire further a foote, I shall breake
    my winde. Well, I doubt not but to die a faire death for all
    750this, if I scape hanging for killing that rogue. I haue forsworne
    his companie hourly any time this xxii. yeares, and yet I am be-
    witcht with the rogues companie. If the rascall haue not gi-
    uen me medicines to make mee loue him, ile be hangd. It could
    755not be else, I haue drunke medicines. Poynes, Hall, a plague
    vpon you both. Bardol, Peto, ile starue ere ile robbe a foote
    further, and twere not as good a deed as drinke to turne true-
    man, and to leaue these rogues, I am the veriest varlet that euer
    chewed with a tooth: Eight yeards of vneuen ground is three-
    760score and ten myles a foote with mee, and the stonie hearted
    villiaines knowe it well enough, a plague vpon it when theeues
    cannot be true one to another.
    They whistle,
    Whew, a plague vpon you all, giue mee my horse you rogues,
    765giue me my horse and be hangd:
    Peace
    Pr. Peace yee fatte guts, lie downe, lay thine eare [close to]
    the grounde, and list if thou canst heare the treade of trauay-
    lers.
    Falst. Haue you any leauers to lift me vp againe being down,
    770zbloud ile not beare my owne flesh so farre a foote againe for
    all the coyne in thy fathers Exchequer: What a plague meane
    ye to colt me thus?
    Pr. Thou liest, thou art not colted, thou art vncolted.
    Falst. I preethe good prince, Hall, helpe me to my horse, good
    775kings sonne.
    Pr. Out ye rogue, shall I be your Ostler?
    Falst. Hang thy selfe in thine owne heire apparant garters,
    if I be tane, ile peach for this: and I haue not Ballads made on
    you all, and sung to filthie tunes, let a cuppe of sacke bee my
    780poyson, when a ieast is so forward, and a foote too I hate it.
    Enter Gadshill.
    Gad. Stand. Fal. So I do against my will.
    785Po. O tis our setter, I knowe his voice. Bardoll, what newes.
    Bar. Case ye, case yee on with your vizardes, theres mony
    of the kings comming downe the hill, tis going to the Kinges
    Exchequer.
    790Fal. You lie, ye rogue, [tis] going to the kings tauerne.
    Gad. Theres enough to make vs all.
    Fal. To be hangd.
    Pr. Sirs, you foure shall front them in the narrowe lane: Ned
    Poynes, and I will walke lower, if they scape from your encoun-
    795ter, then they light on vs.
    Peto. How many be there of them?
    Gad. Some eight or ten.
    Fal. Zounds will they not rob vs?
    Pr. What, a coward sir Iohn paunch.
    800Fast. In deed I am not Iohn of Gaunt your grandfather, but
    yet no coward, Hall.
    Pr. Well, we leaue that to the proofe.
    Po. Sirrha Iacke, thy horse standes behinde the hedge, when
    thou needst him, there thou shalt find him: farewel & stand fast.
    Fast. Now can not I strike him if I should be hangd.
    Pr.
    [Pr]. Ned, where are our disguises?
    Po. Here, hard by, stand close.
    Falst. Now my maisters, happieman be his dole, say I, euerie
    810man to his businesse. Enter the trauailers.
    Trauel. Come neighbour, the boy shal lead our horses down
    the hill, weele walke a foote a while and ease our legs.
    815Theeues. Stand. Trauel. Iesus blesse vs.
    Falst. Strike, downe with them, cut the villaines throates, a
    horesone Caterpillers, bacon-fed knaues, they hate vs youth,
    downe with them, fleece them.
    820Tra. O we are vndone, both we and ours for euer.
    Fal. Hang ye gorbellied knaues, are yee vndone, no ye fatte
    chuffes I woulde your store were here: on bacons on, what yee
    knaues yong men must liue, you are grand iurers, are ye, weele
    iure ye faith.
    825Here they rob them and bind them. Exeunt.
    Enter the Prince and Poynes.
    Pr. The theeues haue bounde the true men, nowe coulde
    thou and I rob the theeues, and go merrily to London, it woulde
    be argument for a weeke, laughter for a month, and a good ieast
    830for euer.
    Po. Stand close, I heare them comming.
    Enter the theeues againe.
    Fal. Come my maisters, let vs share and then to horse before
    day, and the prince and Poynes bee not two arrant cowardes
    835theres no equitie stirring, theres no more valour in that Poynes,
    then in a wilde ducke.
    As they are sharing the prince & Poins
    Pr. Your money.
    set vpon them, they all runne away, and
    Po. Villaines. Falstalffe after a blow or two runs away
    840 too, leauing the bootie behind them.
    Prin. Got with much ease. Now merrily to horse: the theeues
    are al scattered, and possest with feare so strongly, that they dare
    not meete each other, each takes his fellowe for an officer, away
    good Ned, Falstalffe sweates to death, and lards the leane earth
    845as he walkes along, wert not for laughing I should pittie him.
    Po. How the fat rogue roard.
    Exeunt.
    Enter
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