Internet Shakespeare Editions

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Rosemary Gaby
Not Peer Reviewed

Henry IV, Part 1 (Quarto 1, 1598)

The Historie.
my buckler cut through and through, my sworde hackt like a
handsaw, ecce signum. I neuer dealt better since I was a man, al
would not do. A plague of all cowards, let them speake, if they
speake more or lesse then truth, they are villains, and the sonnes
of darknesse.
Gad. Speake sirs, how was it?
Ross. We foure set vpon some douzen.
Falst. Sixteene at least my Lord.
1135Ross. And bound them.
Peto. No, no, they were not bound.
Falst. You rogue they were bounde euerie man of them, or
I am a Iew else: an Ebrew Iew.
Ross. As we were sharing, some sixe or seuen fresh men set
1140vpon vs.
Falst. And vnbound the rest, and then come in the other.
Prin. What, fought you with them all?
Falst. Al, I know not what you cal al, but if I fought not with
1145fiftie of them I am a bunch of radish: if there were not two or
three and fiftie vpon poore olde Iacke, then am I no two legd
Creature.
Prin. Pray God you haue not murdred some of them.
1150Falst. Nay, thats past praying for, I haue pepperd two of them.
Two I am sure I haue paied, two rogues in buckrom sutes: I tel
thee what Hall, if I tell thee a lie, spit in my face; call me horse,
thou knowest my olde warde: here I lay, and thus I bore my
poynt, foure rogues in Buckrom let driue at me.
Prin What foure? thou saidst but two euen now.
Falst. Foure Hal, I told thee foure.
Poin. I, I, he said foure.
Fal. These foure came all a front, and mainely thrust at me,
1160I made me no more adoe, but tooke all their seuen points in my
target, thus.
Prin. Seuen, why there were but foure euen now.
Falst. In Buckrom.
Po. I foure in Buckrom suites.
1165Falst. Seuen by these hilts, or I am a villaine else.
Pr. Preethe let him alone, we shall haue more anon.
Falst. Doest thou heare me Hal?
Prin.