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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    Not Peer Reviewed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)

    82The second Part of King Henry the Fourth.
    He was the Marke, and Glasse, Coppy, and Booke,
    990That fashion'd others. And him, O wondrous! him,
    O Miracle of Men! Him did you leaue
    (Second to none) vn-seconded by you,
    To looke vpon the hideous God of Warre,
    In dis-aduantage, to abide a field,
    995Where nothing but the sound of Hotspurs Name
    Did seeme defensible: so you left him.
    Neuer, O neuer doe his Ghost the wrong,
    To hold your Honor more precise and nice
    With others, then with him. Let them alone:
    1000The Marshall and the Arch-bishop are strong.
    Had my sweet Harry had but halfe their Numbers,
    To day might I (hanging on Hotspurs Necke)
    Haue talk'd of Monmouth's Graue.
    North. Beshrew your heart,
    1005(Faire Daughter) you doe draw my Spirits from me,
    With new lamenting ancient Ouer-sights.
    But I must goe, and meet with Danger there,
    Or it will seeke me in another place,
    And finde me worse prouided.
    1010Wife. O flye to Scotland,
    Till that the Nobles, and the armed Commons,
    Haue of their Puissance made a little taste.
    Lady. If they get ground, and vantage of the King,
    Then ioyne you with them, like a Ribbe of Steele,
    1015To make Strength stronger. But, for all our loues,
    First let them trye themselues. So did your Sonne,
    He was so suffer'd; so came I a Widow:
    And neuer shall haue length of Life enough,
    To raine vpon Remembrance with mine Eyes,
    1020That it may grow, and sprowt, as high as Heauen,
    For Recordation to my Noble Husband.
    North. Come, come, go in with me: 'tis with my Minde
    As with the Tyde, swell'd vp vnto his height,
    That makes a still-stand, running neyther way.
    1025Faine would I goe to meet the Arch-bishop,
    But many thousand Reasons hold me backe.
    I will resolue for Scotland: there am I,
    Till Time and Vantage craue my company. Exeunt.



    Scaena Quarta.



    1030Enter two Drawers.

    1. Drawer. What hast thou brought there? Apple-Iohns?
    Thou know'st Sir Iohn cannot endure an Apple-
    Iohn.
    2. Draw. Thou say'st true: the Prince once set a Dish
    1035of Apple-Iohns before him, and told him there were fiue
    more Sir Iohns: and, putting off his Hat, said, I will now
    take my leaue of these sixe drie, round, old-wither'd
    Knights. It anger'd him to the heart: but hee hath for-
    got that.
    10401. Draw. Why then couer, and set them downe: and
    see if thou canst finde out Sneakes Noyse; Mistris Teare-
    sheet would faine haue some Musique.
    2. Draw. Sirrha, heere will be the Prince, and Master
    Points, anon: and they will put on two of our Ierkins,
    1045and Aprons, and Sir Iohn must not know of it: Bardolph
    hath brought word.
    1. Draw. Then here will be old Vtis: it will be an ex-
    cellent stratagem.

    2. Draw. Ile see if I can finde out Sneake. Exit.

    1050Enter Hostesse, and Dol.

    Host. Sweet-heart, me thinkes now you are in an ex-
    cellent good temperalitie: your Pulsidge beates as ex-
    traordinarily, as heart would desire; and your Colour
    (I warrant you) is as red as any Rose: But you haue
    1055drunke too much Canaries, and that's a maruellous sear-
    ching Wine; and it perfumes the blood, ere wee can say
    what's this. How doe you now?
    Dol. Better then I was: Hem.
    Host. Why that was well said: A good heart's worth
    1060Gold. Looke, here comes Sir Iohn.

    Enter Falstaffe.

    Falst.
    When Arthur first in Court
    -- (emptie the Iordan)
    and was a worthy King
    : How now Mistris Dol?
    Host. Sick of a Calme: yea, good-sooth.
    1065Falst. So is all her Sect: if they be once in a Calme,
    they are sick.
    Dol. You muddie Rascall, is that all the comfort you
    giue me?
    Falst. You make fat Rascalls, Mistris Dol.
    1070Dol. I make them? Gluttonie and Diseases make
    them, I make them not.
    Falst. If the Cooke make the Gluttonie, you helpe to
    make the Diseases (Dol) we catch of you (Dol) we catch
    of you: Grant that, my poore Vertue, grant that.
    1075Dol. I marry, our Chaynes, and our Iewels.
    Falst. Your Brooches, Pearles, and Owches: For to
    serue brauely, is to come halting off: you know, to come
    off the Breach, with his Pike bent brauely, and to Surge-
    rie brauely; to venture vpon the charg'd-Chambers
    1080brauely.
    Host. Why this is the olde fashion: you two neuer
    meete, but you fall to some discord: you are both (in
    good troth) as Rheumatike as two drie Tostes, you can-
    not one beare with anothers Confirmities. What the
    1085good-yere? One must beare, and that must bee you:
    you are the weaker Vessell; as they say, the emptier
    Vessell.
    Dol. Can a weake emptie Vessell beare such a huge
    full Hogs-head? There's a whole Marchants Venture
    1090of Burdeux-Stuffe in him: you haue not seene a Hulke
    better stufft in the Hold. Come, Ile be friends with thee
    Iacke: Thou art going to the Warres, and whether I
    shall euer see thee againe, or no, there is no body
    cares.
    1095Enter Drawer.

    Drawer. Sir, Ancient Pistoll is below, and would
    speake with you.
    Dol. Hang him, swaggering Rascall, let him not
    come hither: it is the foule-mouth'dst Rogue in Eng-
    1100land.
    Host. If hee swagger, let him not come here: I must
    liue amongst my Neighbors, Ile no Swaggerers: I am
    in good name, and fame, with the very best: shut the
    doore, there comes no Swaggerers heere: I haue not
    1105liu'd all this while, to haue swaggering now: shut the
    doore, I pray you.
    Falst. Do'st thou heare, Hostesse?
    Host. 'Pray you pacifie your selfe (Sir Iohn) there comes
    no Swaggerers heere.
    s Falst.Do'st