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  • Title: Henry IV, Part 2 (Quarto 1, 1600)
  • 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    Not Peer Reviewed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 (Quarto 1, 1600)

    The second part of
    Iohn Men of al sorts take a pride to gird at me: the braine
    of this foolish compoũded clay-man is not able to inuent any
    thing that intends to laughter, more then I inuent, or is inuẽted
    on me, I am not only witty in my selfe, but the cause that wit is
    285in other men. I do here walk before thee, like a sow that hath
    ouerwhelmd al her litter but one, if the prince put thee into my
    seruice for any other reason then to sett me off, why then I
    haue no iudgement thou horeson mandrake, thou art fitter to
    290be worne in my cap, then to wait at my heels I was neuer man-
    ned with an agot till now, but I wil in-set you, neither in golde
    nor siluer, but in vile apparell, and send you backe againe to
    your master for a iewell, the iuuenall the prince your master,
    whose chin is not yet fledge, I will sooner haue a beard grow
    295in the palme of my hand, then he shal get one off his cheek, &
    yet he will not sticke to say his face is a face royal, God may fi-
    nish it when he will, tis not a haire amisse yet, he may keepe it
    still at a face royall, for a barber shall neuer earne sixpence out
    300of it, and yet heele be crowing as if he had writte man euer
    since his father was a batcheler, he may keepe his owne grace,
    but hees almost out of mine I can assure him: what said master
    Dommelton about the sattin for my short cloake and my
    sloppes?
    305Boy He saide sir, you should procure him better assurance
    then Bardolfe, he would not take his band and yours, he liked
    not the securitie.
    sir Iohn Let him be damn'd like the glutton, pray God his
    tongue be hotter, a horeson Achitophel! a rascall: yea forsooth
    310knaue, to beare a gentle man in hand, and then stand vpon se-
    curity, the horson smoothy-pates doe now weare nothing but
    hie shooes and bunches of keyes at their girdles, and if a man is
    through with them in honest taking vp, then they must stand
    vppon security, I had as liue they would put ratsbane in my
    315mouth as offer to stop it with security, I lookt a should haue
    sent me two and twenty yards of sattin (as I am a true knight,)
    and he sends me security: well he may sleepe in security, for he
    hath the horne of aboundance, and the lightnesse of his wife
    shines