1534Shal. Come-on, come-on, come-on: giue mee your

1535Hand, Sir; giue mee your Hand, Sir: an early stirrer, by

1536the Rood. And how doth my good Cousin Silence?

1537Sil. Good-morrow, good Cousin Shallow.

1538Shal. And how doth my Cousin, your Bed-fellow?

1539and your fairest Daughter, and mine, my God-Daughter

1540Ellen?

1541Sil. Alas, a blacke Ouzell (Cousin Shallow.)

1542Shal. By yea and nay, Sir, I dare say my Cousin William

1543is become a good Scholler? hee is at Oxford still, is hee

1544not?

1545Sil. Indeede Sir, to my cost.

1546Shal. Hee must then to the Innes of Court shortly: I

1547was once of Clements Inne; where (I thinke) they will

1548talke of mad Shallow yet.

1549Sil. You were call'd lustie Shallow then (Cousin.)

1550Shal. I was call'd any thing: and I would haue done

1551any thing indeede too, and roundly too. There was I, and

1552little Iohn Doit of Staffordshire, and blacke George Bare,

1553and Francis Pick-bone, and Will Squele a Cot-sal-man, you

1554had not foure such Swindge-bucklers in all the Innes of

1555Court againe: And I may say to you, wee knew where

1556the Bona-Roba's were, and had the best of them all at

1557commandement. Then was Iacke Falstaffe (now Sir Iohn)

1558a Boy, and Page to Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Nor-

1559folke.

1560Sil. This Sir Iohn (Cousin) that comes hither anon a-

1561bout Souldiers?

1562Shal. The same Sir Iohn, the very same: I saw him

1563breake Scoggan's Head at the Court-Gate, when hee was

1564a Crack, not thus high: and the very same day did I fight

1565with one Sampson Stock-fish, a Fruiterer, behinde Greyes-Inne.

1566Oh the mad dayes that I haue spent! and to see

1567how many of mine olde Acquaintance are dead?

1568Sil. Wee shall all follow (Cousin.)

1569Shal. Certaine: 'tis certaine: very sure, very sure:

1570Death is certaine to all, all shall dye. How a good Yoke

1571of Bullocks at Stamford Fayre?

1572Sil. Truly Cousin, I was not there.

1573Shal. Death is certaine. Is old Double of your Towne

1574liuing yet?

1575Sil. Dead, Sir.

1576Shal. Dead? See, see: hee drew a good Bow: and

1577dead? hee shot a fine shoote. Iohn of Gaunt loued

1578him well, and betted much Money on his head. Dead?

1579hee would haue clapt in the Clowt at Twelue-score, and

1580carryed you a fore-hand Shaft at foureteene, and foure-

1581teene and a halfe, that it would haue done a mans heart

1582good to see. How a score of Ewes now?

1583Sil. Thereafter as they be: a score of good Ewes

1584may be worth tenne pounds.

1585Shal. And is olde Double dead?

1587Sil. Heere come two of Sir Iohn Falstaffes Men (as I

1588thinke.)

1589Shal. Good-morrow, honest Gentlemen.

1590Bard. I beseech you, which is Iustice Shallow?

1591Shal. I am Robert Shallow (Sir) a poore Esquire of this

1592Countie, and one of the Kings Iustices of the Peace:

1593What is your good pleasure with me?

1594Bard. My Captaine (Sir) commends him to you:

1595my Captaine, Sir Iohn Falstaffe: a tall Gentleman, and a

1596most gallant Leader.

1597Shal. Hee greetes me well: (Sir) I knew him a

1598good Back-Sword-man. How doth the good Knight?

1599may I aske, how my Lady his Wife doth?

1600Bard. Sir, pardon: a Souldier is better accommoda-

1601ted, then with a Wife.

1602Shal. It is well said, Sir; and it is well said, indeede,

1603too: Better accommodated? it is good, yea indeede is

1604it: good phrases are surely, and euery where very com-

1605mendable. Accommodated, it comes of Accommodo:

1606very good, a good Phrase.

1607Bard. Pardon, Sir, I haue heard the word. Phrase

1608call you it? by this Day, I know not the Phrase: but

1609I will maintaine the Word with my Sword, to bee a

1610Souldier-like Word, and a Word of exceeding good

1611Command. Accommodated: that is, when a man is

1612(as they say) accommodated: or, when a man is, being

1613whereby he thought to be accommodated, which is an

1614excellent thing.

1616Shal. It is very iust: Looke, heere comes good Sir

1617Iohn. Giue me your hand, giue me your Worships good

1618hand: Trust me, you looke well: and beare your yeares

1619very well. Welcome, good Sir Iohn.

1620Fal. I am glad to see you well, good M. Robert Shal-

1621low: Master Sure-card as I thinke?

1622Shal. No sir Iohn, it is my Cosin Silence: in Commissi-

1623on with mee.

1624Fal. Good M. Silence, it well befits you should be of

1625the peace.

1626Sil. Your good Worship is welcome.

1627Fal. Fye, this is hot weather (Gentlemen) haue you

1628prouided me heere halfe a dozen of sufficient men?

1629Shal. Marry haue we sir: Will you sit?

1630Fal. Let me see them, I beseech you.

1631Shal. Where's the Roll? Where's the Roll? Where's

1632the Roll? Let me see, let me see, let me see: so, so, so, so:

1633yea marry Sir. Raphe Mouldie: let them appeare as I call:

1634let them do so, let them do so: Let mee see, Where is

1635Mouldie?

1636Moul. Heere, if it please you.

1637Shal. What thinke you (Sir Iohn) a good limb'd fel-

1638low: yong, strong, and of good friends.

1639Fal. Is thy name Mouldie?

1640Moul. Yea, if it please you.

1641Fal. 'Tis the more time thou wert vs'd.

1642Shal. Ha, ha, ha, most excellent. Things that are moul-

1643die, lacke vse: very singular good. Well saide Sir Iohn,

1644very well said.

1645Fal. Pricke him.

1646Moul. I was prickt well enough before, if you could

1647haue let me alone: my old Dame will be vndone now, for

1648one to doe her Husbandry, and her Drudgery; you need

1649not to haue prickt me, there are other men fitter to goe

1650out, then I.

1651Fal. Go too: peace Mouldie, you shall goe. Mouldie,

1652it is time you were spent.

1653Moul. Spent?

1654Shallow. Peace, fellow, peace; stand aside: Know you

1655where you are? For the other sir Iohn: Let me see: Simon

1656Shadow.

1657Fal. I marry, let me haue him to sit vnder: he's like to

1658be a cold souldier.

1659Shal. Where's Shadow?

1660Shad. Heere sir.

1661Fal. Shadow, whose sonne art thou?

1662Shad. My Mothers sonne, Sir.

1663Falst. Thy Mothers sonne: like enough, and thy Fa-

1664thers shadow: so the sonne of the Female, is the shadow

1665of the Male: it is often so indeede, but not of the Fathers

1666substance.

1667Shal. Do you like him, sir Iohn?

1668Falst. Shadow will serue for Summer: pricke him: For

1669wee haue a number of shadowes to fill vppe the Muster-

1670Booke.

1671Shal. Thomas Wart?

1672Falst. Where's he?

1673Wart. Heere sir.

1674Falst. Is thy name Wart?

1675Wart. Yea sir.

1676Fal. Thou art a very ragged Wart.

1677Shal. Shall I pricke him downe,

1678Sir Iohn?

1679Falst. It were superfluous: for his apparrel is built vp-

1680on his backe, and the whole frame stands vpon pins: prick

1681him no more.

1682Shal. Ha, ha, ha, you can do it sir: you can doe it: I

1683commend you well.

1684Francis Feeble.

1685Feeble. Heere sir.

1686Shal. What Trade art thou Feeble?

1687Feeble. A Womans Taylor sir.

1688Shal. Shall I pricke him, sir?

1689Fal. You may:

1690But if he had beene a mans Taylor, he would haue prick'd

1691you. Wilt thou make as many holes in an enemies Bat-

1692taile, as thou hast done in a Womans petticote?

1693Feeble. I will doe my good will sir, you can haue no

1694more.

1695Falst. Well said, good Womans Tailour: Well sayde

1696Couragious Feeble: thou wilt bee as valiant as the wrath-

1697full Doue, or most magnanimous Mouse. Pricke the wo-

1698mans Taylour well Master Shallow, deepe Maister Shal-

1699low.

1700Feeble. I would Wart might haue gone sir.

1701Fal. I would thou wert a mans Tailor, that y^u might'st

1702mend him, and make him fit to goe. I cannot put him to

1703a priuate souldier, that is the Leader of so many thou-

1704sands. Let that suffice, most Forcible Feeble.

1705Feeble. It shall suffice.

1706Falst. I am bound to thee, reuerend Feeble. Who is

1707the next?

1708Shal. Peter Bulcalfe of the Greene.

1709Falst. Yea marry, let vs see Bulcalfe.

1710Bul. Heere sir.

1711Fal. Trust me, a likely Fellow. Come, pricke me Bul-

1712calfe till he roare againe.

1713Bul. Oh, good my Lord Captaine.

1714Fal. What? do'st thou roare before th'art prickt.

1715Bul. Oh sir, I am a diseased man.

1716Fal. What disease hast thou?

1717Bul. A whorson cold sir, a cough sir, which I caught

1718with Ringing in the Kings affayres, vpon his Coronation

1719day, sir.

1720Fal. Come, thou shalt go to the Warres in a Gowne:

1721we will haue away thy Cold, and I will take such order,

1722that thy friends shall ring for thee. Is heere all?

1723Shal. There is two more called then your number:

1724you must haue but foure heere sir, and so I pray you go in

1725with me to dinner.

1726Fal. Come, I will goe drinke with you, but I cannot

1727tarry dinner. I am glad to see you in good troth, Master

1728Shallow.

1729Shal. O sir Iohn, doe you remember since wee lay all

1730night in the Winde-mill, in S. Georges Field.

1731Falstaffe. No more of that good Master Shallow: No

1732more of that.

1733Shal. Ha? it was a merry night. And is Iane Night-

1734worke aliue?

1735Fal. She liues, M. Shallow.

1736Shal. She neuer could away with me.

1737Fal. Neuer, neuer: she would alwayes say shee could

1738not abide M. Shallow.

1739Shal. I could anger her to the heart: shee was then a

1740Bona-Roba. Doth she hold her owne well.

1741Fal. Old, old, M. Shallow.

1742Shal. Nay, she must be old, she cannot choose but be

gg old:

1743old: certaine shee's old: and had Robin Night-worke, by

1744old Night-worke, before I came to Clements Inne.

1745Sil. That's fiftie fiue yeeres agoe.

1746Shal. Hah, Cousin Silence, that thou hadst seene that,

1747that this Knight and I haue seene: hah, Sir Iohn, said I

1748well?

1749Falst. Wee haue heard the Chymes at mid-night, Ma-

1750ster Shallow.

1751Shal. That wee haue, that wee haue; in faith, Sir Iohn,

1752wee haue: our watch-word was, Hem-Boyes. Come,

1753let's to Dinner; come, let's to Dinner: Oh the dayes that

1754wee haue seene. Come, come.

1755Bul. Good Master Corporate Bardolph, stand my

1756friend, and heere is foure Harry tenne shillings in French

1757Crownes for you: in very truth, sir, I had as lief be hang'd

1758sir, as goe: and yet, for mine owne part, sir, I do not care;

1759but rather, because I am vnwilling, and for mine owne

1760part, haue a desire to stay with my friends: else, sir, I did

1761not care, for mine owne part, so much.

1762Bard. Go-too: stand aside.

1763Mould. And good Master Corporall Captaine, for my

1764old Dames sake, stand my friend: shee hath no body to

1765doe any thing about her, when I am gone: and she is old,

1766and cannot helpe her selfe: you shall haue fortie, sir.

1767Bard. Go-too: stand aside.

1768Feeble. I care not, a man can die but once: wee owe a

1769death. 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

1771Prince: and let it goe which way it will, he that dies this

1772yeere, is quit for the next.

1773Bard. Well said, thou art a good fellow.

1774Feeble. Nay, I will beare no base minde.

1775Falst. Come sir, which men shall I haue?

1776Shal. Foure of which you please.

1777Bard. Sir, a word with you: I haue three pound, to

1778free Mouldie and Bull-calfe.

1779Falst. Go-too: well.

1780Shal. Come, sir Iohn, which foure will you haue?

1781Falst. Doe you chuse for me.

1782Shal. Marry then, Mouldie, Bull-calfe, Feeble, and

1783Shadow.

1784Falst. Mouldie, and Bull-calfe: for you Mouldie, stay

1785at home, till you are past seruice: and for your part, Bull-

1786calfe, grow till you come vnto it: I will none of you.

1787Shal. Sir Iohn, Sir Iohn, doe not your selfe wrong, they

1788are your likelyest men, and I would haue you seru'd with

1789the best.

1790Falst. Will you tell me (Master Shallow) how to chuse

1791a man? Care I for the Limbe, the Thewes, the stature,

1792bulke, and bigge assemblance of a man? giue mee the

1793spirit (Master Shallow.) Where's Wart? you see what

1794a ragged appearance it is: hee shall charge you, and

1795discharge you, with the motion of a Pewterers Ham-

1796mer: come off, and on, swifter then hee that gibbets on

1797the Brewers Bucket. And this same halfe-fac'd fellow,

1798Shadow, giue me this man: hee presents no marke to the

1799Enemie, the foe-man may with as great ayme leuell at

1800the edge of a Pen-knife: and for a Retrait, how swiftly

1801will this Feeble, the Womans Taylor, runne off. O, giue

1802me the spare men, and spare me the great ones. Put me a

1803Calyuer into Warts hand, Bardolph.

1804Bard. Hold Wart, Trauerse: thus, thus, thus.

1805Falst. Come, manage me your Calyuer: so: very well,

1806go-too, very good, exceeding good. O, giue me alwayes

1807a little, leane, old, chopt, bald Shot. Well said Wart, thou

1808art a good Scab: hold, there is a Tester for thee.

1809Shal. Hee is not his Crafts-master, hee doth not doe

1810it right. I remember at Mile-end-Greene, when I lay

1811at Clements Inne, I was then Sir Dagonet in Arthurs

1812Show: there was a little quiuer fellow, and hee would

1813manage you his Peece thus: and hee would about,

1814and about, and come you in, and come you in: Rah,

1815tah, tah, would hee say, Bownce would hee say, and

1816away againe would hee goe, and againe would he come:

1817I shall neuer see such a fellow.

1818Falst. These fellowes will doe well, Master Shallow.

1819Farewell Master Silence, I will not vse many wordes with

1820you: fare you well, Gentlemen both: I thanke you:

1821I must a dozen mile to night. Bardolph, giue the Souldiers

1822Coates.

1823Shal. Sir Iohn, Heauen blesse you, and prosper your

1824Affaires, and send vs Peace. As you returne, visit

1825my house. Let our old acquaintance be renewed: per-

1826aduenture I will with you to the Court.

1827Falst. I would you would, Master Shallow.

1828Shal. Go-too: I haue spoke at a word. Fare you

1829well. Exit.

1830Falst. Fare you well, gentle Gentlemen. On Bar-

1831dolph, leade the men away. As I returne, I will fetch off

1832these Iustices: I doe see the bottome of Iustice Shal-

1833low. How subiect wee old men are to this vice of Ly-

1834ing? This same staru'd Iustice hath done nothing but

1835prate to me of the wildenesse of his Youth, and the

1836Feates hee hath done about Turnball-street, and euery

1837third word a Lye, duer pay'd to the hearer, then the

1838Turkes Tribute. I doe remember him at Clements Inne,

1839like a man made after Supper, of a Cheese-paring. When

1840hee was naked, hee was, for all the world, like a forked

1841Radish, with a Head fantastically caru'd vpon it with a

1842Knife. Hee was so forlorne, that his Dimensions (to

1843any thicke sight) were inuincible. Hee was the very

1844Genius of Famine: hee came euer in the rere-ward of

1845the Fashion: And now is this Vices Dagger become a

1846Squire, and talkes as familiarly of Iohn of Gaunt, as if

1847hee had beene sworne Brother to him: and Ile be sworne

1848hee neuer saw him but once in the Tilt-yard, and then he

1849burst his Head, for crowding among the Marshals men.

1850I saw it, and told Iohn of Gaunt, hee beat his owne

1851Name, for you might haue truss'd him and all his Ap-

1852parrell into an Eele-skinne: the Case of a Treble Hoe-

1853boy was a Mansion for him: a Court: and now hath

1854hee Land, and Beeues. Well, I will be acquainted with

1855him, if I returne: and it shall goe hard, but I will make

1856him a Philosophers two Stones to me. If the young

1857Dace be a Bayt for the old Pike, I see no reason, in the

1858Law of Nature, but I may snap at him. Let time shape,

1859and there an end. Exeunt.