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  • Title: Henry IV, Part 2 (Folio 1 1623)
  • Editor: Rosemary Gaby

    • 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
    Not Peer Reviewed

    Henry IV, Part 2 (Folio 1 1623)

    88The second Part of King Henry the Fourth.
    old: certaine shee's old: and had Robin Night-worke, by
    old Night-worke, before I came to Clements Inne.
    1745Sil. That's fiftie fiue yeeres agoe.
    Shal. Hah, Cousin Silence, that thou hadst seene that,
    that this Knight and I haue seene: hah, Sir Iohn, said I
    well?
    Falst. Wee haue heard the Chymes at mid-night, Ma-
    1750ster Shallow.
    Shal. That wee haue, that wee haue; in faith, Sir Iohn,
    wee haue: our watch-word was, Hem-Boyes. Come,
    let's to Dinner; come, let's to Dinner: Oh the dayes that
    wee haue seene. Come, come.
    1755Bul. Good Master Corporate Bardolph, stand my
    friend, and heere is foure Harry tenne shillings in French
    Crownes for you: in very truth, sir, I had as lief be hang'd
    sir, as goe: and yet, for mine owne part, sir, I do not care;
    but rather, because I am vnwilling, and for mine owne
    1760part, haue a desire to stay with my friends: else, sir, I did
    not care, for mine owne part, so much.
    Bard. Go-too: stand aside.
    Mould. And good Master Corporall Captaine, for my
    old Dames sake, stand my friend: shee hath no body to
    1765doe any thing about her, when I am gone: and she is old,
    and cannot helpe her selfe: you shall haue fortie, sir.
    Bard. Go-too: stand aside.
    Feeble. I care not, a man can die but once: wee owe a
    death. I will neuer beare a base minde: if it be my desti-
    1770nie, so: if it be not, so: no man is too good to serue his
    Prince: and let it goe which way it will, he that dies this
    yeere, is quit for the next.
    Bard. Well said, thou art a good fellow.
    Feeble. Nay, I will beare no base minde.
    1775Falst. Come sir, which men shall I haue?
    Shal. Foure of which you please.
    Bard. Sir, a word with you: I haue three pound, to
    free Mouldie and Bull-calfe.
    Falst. Go-too: well.
    1780Shal. Come, sir Iohn, which foure will you haue?
    Falst. Doe you chuse for me.
    Shal. Marry then, Mouldie, Bull-calfe, Feeble, and
    Shadow.
    Falst. Mouldie, and Bull-calfe: for you Mouldie, stay
    1785at home, till you are past seruice: and for your part, Bull-
    calfe, grow till you come vnto it: I will none of you.
    Shal. Sir Iohn, Sir Iohn, doe not your selfe wrong, they
    are your likelyest men, and I would haue you seru'd with
    the best.
    1790Falst. Will you tell me (Master Shallow) how to chuse
    a man? Care I for the Limbe, the Thewes, the stature,
    bulke, and bigge assemblance of a man? giue mee the
    spirit (Master Shallow.) Where's Wart? you see what
    a ragged appearance it is: hee shall charge you, and
    1795discharge you, with the motion of a Pewterers Ham-
    mer: come off, and on, swifter then hee that gibbets on
    the Brewers Bucket. And this same halfe-fac'd fellow,
    Shadow, giue me this man: hee presents no marke to the
    Enemie, the foe-man may with as great ayme leuell at
    1800the edge of a Pen-knife: and for a Retrait, how swiftly
    will this Feeble, the Womans Taylor, runne off. O, giue
    me the spare men, and spare me the great ones. Put me a
    Calyuer into Warts hand, Bardolph.
    Bard. Hold Wart, Trauerse: thus, thus, thus.
    1805Falst. Come, manage me your Calyuer: so: very well,
    go-too, very good, exceeding good. O, giue me alwayes
    a little, leane, old, chopt, bald Shot. Well said Wart, thou
    art a good Scab: hold, there is a Tester for thee.

    Shal. Hee is not his Crafts-master, hee doth not doe
    1810it right. I remember at Mile-end-Greene, when I lay
    at Clements Inne, I was then Sir Dagonet in Arthurs
    Show: there was a little quiuer fellow, and hee would
    manage you his Peece thus: and hee would about,
    and about, and come you in, and come you in: Rah,
    1815tah, tah, would hee say, Bownce would hee say, and
    away againe would hee goe, and againe would he come:
    I shall neuer see such a fellow.
    Falst. These fellowes will doe well, Master Shallow.
    Farewell Master Silence, I will not vse many wordes with
    1820you: fare you well, Gentlemen both: I thanke you:
    I must a dozen mile to night. Bardolph, giue the Souldiers
    Coates.
    Shal. Sir Iohn, Heauen blesse you, and prosper your
    Affaires, and send vs Peace. As you returne, visit
    1825my house. Let our old acquaintance be renewed: per-
    aduenture I will with you to the Court.
    Falst. I would you would, Master Shallow.
    Shal. Go-too: I haue spoke at a word. Fare you
    well. Exit.
    1830Falst. Fare you well, gentle Gentlemen. On Bar-
    dolph, leade the men away. As I returne, I will fetch off
    these Iustices: I doe see the bottome of Iustice Shal-
    low. How subiect wee old men are to this vice of Ly-
    ing? This same staru'd Iustice hath done nothing but
    1835prate to me of the wildenesse of his Youth, and the
    Feates hee hath done about Turnball-street, and euery
    third word a Lye, duer pay'd to the hearer, then the
    Turkes Tribute. I doe remember him at Clements Inne,
    like a man made after Supper, of a Cheese-paring. When
    1840hee was naked, hee was, for all the world, like a forked
    Radish, with a Head fantastically caru'd vpon it with a
    Knife. Hee was so forlorne, that his Dimensions (to
    any thicke sight) were inuincible. Hee was the very
    Genius of Famine: hee came euer in the rere-ward of
    1845the Fashion: And now is this Vices Dagger become a
    Squire, and talkes as familiarly of Iohn of Gaunt, as if
    hee had beene sworne Brother to him: and Ile be sworne
    hee neuer saw him but once in the Tilt-yard, and then he
    burst his Head, for crowding among the Marshals men.
    1850I saw it, and told Iohn of Gaunt, hee beat his owne
    Name, for you might haue truss'd him and all his Ap-
    parrell into an Eele-skinne: the Case of a Treble Hoe-
    boy was a Mansion for him: a Court: and now hath
    hee Land, and Beeues. Well, I will be acquainted with
    1855him, if I returne: and it shall goe hard, but I will make
    him a Philosophers two Stones to me. If the young
    Dace be a Bayt for the old Pike, I see no reason, in the
    Law of Nature, but I may snap at him. Let time shape,
    and there an end. Exeunt.


    1860Actus Quartus. Scena Prima.


    Enter the Arch-bishop, Mowbray, Hastings,
    Westmerland, Coleuile.

    Bish. What is this Forrest call'd?
    Hast. 'Tis Gualtree Forrest, and't shall please your
    1865Grace.
    Bish. Here stand (my Lords) and send discouerers forth,
    To know the numbers of our Enemies.
    Hast. Wee
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