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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)

    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