Internet Shakespeare Editions

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Rosemary Gaby
Not Peer Reviewed

Henry IV, Part 2 (Quarto 1, 1600)

The second part of
Boy The musique is come sir. enter musicke.
Fal. Let them play, play sirs, sit on my knee Doll, a rascall
1250bragging slaue! the rogue fled from me like quicksiluer.
Dol Yfaith and thou followdst him like a church, thou
horson little tydee Bartholemew borepigge, when wilt thou
leaue fighting a daies and foyning a nights, and begin to patch
1255vp thine old body for heauen.
Enter Prince and Poynes.
Fal Peace good Doll, do not speake like a deathes head, do
not bid me remember mine end.
Dol Sirra, what humour's the prince of?
1260Fal. A good shallow yong fellow, a would haue made a
good pantler, a would a chipt bread wel.
Dol They say Poines has a good wit.
Fal. He a good wit? hang him baboon, his wit's as thicke
1265as Tewksbury mustard, theres no more conceit in him then is
in a mallet.
Dol Why does the prince loue him so then?
Fal. Because their legges are both of a bignesse, and a plaies
at quoites well, and eates cunger and fennel, and drinkes off
1270candles endes for flappe-dragons, and rides the wilde mare
with the boyes, and iumpes vpon ioynd-stooles, and sweares
with a good grace, and weares his bootes very smoothe like
vnto the signe of the Legge, and breedes no bate with tel-
ling of discreet stories, and such other gambole faculties a has
1275that show a weake minde, and an able bodie for the which the
prince admits him: for the prince himself is such another, the
weight of a haire wil turne scales between their haber de poiz.
1280Prince Would not this naue of a wheele haue his eares cut
Poynes Lets beate him before his whore.
Prince Looke where the witherd elder hath not his poule
clawd like a parrot.
1285Poynes Is it not strange that desire should so many yeeres
out liue performance.
Falst. Kisse me Doll.
Prince