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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    Not Peer Reviewed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)

    615Enter Hostesse of the Tauerne, and an Officer or two.
    C Hostesse.
    The second part of
    Hostesse Master Phang, haue you entred the action?
    Phang It is entred.
    Host. Wheres your yeoman? ist a lusty yeoman? wil a stand
    too't?
    620Phang Sirra, wheres Snare?
    Host. O Lord I, good master Snare.
    Snare Here, here.
    Phang Snare, we must arest sir Iohn Falstaffe.
    Host. Yea good master Snare, I haue entred him and all.
    625Snare It may chaunce cost some of vs our liues, for he will
    stabbe.
    Host. Alas the day, take heed of him, he stabd me in mine
    owne house, most beastly in good faith, a cares not what mis-
    chiefe he does, if his weapon be out, he will foyne like any di-
    uell, he will spare neither man, woman, nor child.
    Phang If I can close with him, I care not for his thrust.
    Host. No nor I neither, Ile be at your elbow.
    Phang And I but fist him once, and a come but within my
    view.
    635Host. I am vndone by his going, I warrant you, hees an in-
    finitiue thing vppon my score, good maister Phang holde him
    sure, good master Snare let him not scape, a comes continually
    to Pie corner (sauing your manhoods) to buy a saddle, and he
    is indited to dinner to the Lubbers head in Lumbert streete to
    640master Smooths the silk man, I pray you since my exion is en-
    tred, and my case so openly knowne to the worlde, let him be
    brought in to his answer, a hundred marke is a long one, for a
    poore lone woman to beare, and I haue borne, and borne, and
    borne, and haue bin fubd off, and fubd off, and fubd off, from
    645this day to that day, that it is a shame to be thought on, there is
    no honesty in such dealing, vnlesse a woman should be made
    an asse, and a beast, to beare euery knaues wrong: yonder he
    comes, and that arrant malmsie-nose knaue Bardolfe with him,
    650do your offices do your offices master Phãg, & master Snare,
    do me, do me, do me your offices.
    651.1Enter sir Iohn, and Bardolfe, and the boy.
    Falst.
    Henry the fourth.
    Falst. How now, whose mare's dead? whats the matter?
    Phang I arrest you at the sute of mistris Quickly.
    Falst. Away varlets, draw Bardolfe, cut me off the villaines
    655head, throw the queane in the channell.
    Host. Throw me in the channell? Ile throw thee in the chan-
    nel, wilt thou, wilt thou, thou bastardly rogue, murder murder,
    a thou honisuckle villaine, wilt thou kill Gods officers and the
    Kings? a thou honiseed rogue, thou art a honiseed, a man quel-
    660ler, and a woman queller.
    Falst. Keepe them off Bardolfe.
    661.1Offic. A reskew, a reskew.
    Host. Good people bring a reskew or two, thou wot, wot
    thou, thou wot, wot ta, do do thou rogue, do thou hempseed.
    Boy Away you scullian, you rampallian, you fustilarian, ile
    665tickle your catastrophe.
    Enter Lord chiefe iustice and his men.
    Lord What is the matter? keepe the peace here, ho.
    Hostesse Good my lord be good to me, I beseech you stand
    to me.
    Lord How now sir Iohn, what are you brawling here?
    670Doth this become your place, your time, and businesse?
    You should haue bin well on your way to Yorke:
    Stand from him fellow, wherefore hang'st thou vpon him.
    Host. O my most worshipful Lord, and't please your grace
    I am a poore widdow of Eastcheape, and he is arrested at my
    675sute.
    Lord For what summe?
    Host. It is more then for some my Lord, it is for al I haue, he
    hath eaten me out of house and home, he hath put all my sub-
    stance into that fat belly of his, but I wil haue some of it out a-
    gaine, or I wil ride thee a nights like the mare.
    Falst. I think I am as like to ride the mare if I haue any van-
    tage of ground to get vp.
    Lord How comes this sir Iohn? what man of good temper
    would endure this tempest of exclamation; are you not asha-
    685med to inforce a poore widdow, to so rough a course to come
    C2 by
    The second part of
    by her owne.
    Falst. What is the grosse summe that I owe thee?
    Host. Mary if thou wert an honest man, thy selfe and the
    mony too: thou didst sweare to me vpon a parcell guilt goblet,
    690sitting in my dolphin chamber, at the round table by a sea cole
    fire, vpon wednesday in Wheeson weeke, when the prince
    broke thy head, for liking his father to a singing man of Win-
    sor, thou didst sweare to me thẽ, as I was washing thy wound,
    to marry me, and make me my lady thy wife, canst thou deny
    695it, did not goodwife Keech the butchers wife come in then and
    cal me gossip Quickly, comming in to borow a messe of vine-
    gar, telling vs she had a good dish of prawnes, whereby thou
    didst desire to eate some, whereby I told thee they were ill
    for a greene wound, and didst thou not, when she was gone
    700down stayers, desire me, to be no more so familiarity, with such
    poore people, saying that ere long they should cal me madam,
    and didst thou not kisse me, and bid me fetch thee thirtie shil-
    lings, I put thee now to thy booke oath, denie it if thon canst.
    705Falst. My lord this is a poore made soule, and she saies vp
    and downe the towne, that her eldest sonne is like you, she
    hath bin in good case, and the trueth is pouerty hath distracted
    her, but for these foolish officers, I beseech you I may haue re-
    dresse against them.
    710Lo. Sir Iohn, sir Iohn, I am wel acquainted with your maner
    of wrenching the true cause, the false way: it is not a confident
    brow, nor the throng of words that come with such more then
    impudent sawcines from you, can thrust me from a leuel con-
    sideration: you haue as it appeares to me practisde vpon the
    715easie yeelding spirite of this woman, and made her serue your
    715.1vses both in purse and in person.
    Host. Yea in truth my Lord.
    Lo. Pray thee peace, pay her the debt you owe her, and vn-
    pay the villany you haue done with her, the one you may doe
    with sterling mony, and the other with currant repentance.
    720Falst. My Lord I will not vndergoe this snepe without re-
    ply, you cal honorable boldnes impudent sawcinesse, if a man
    wil
    Henry the fourth.
    wil make curtsie and say nothing, he is vertuous, no my Lord
    my humble duty remembred, I will not bee your suter, I say
    to you I do desire deliuerance from these officers, being vpon
    725hasty imployment in the Kings affayres.
    Lord You speake as hauing power to do wrong, but an-
    swer in th'effect of your reputation, and satisfie the poore wo-
    man.
    Falst. Come hither hostesse.
    730Lord Now master Gower, what newes. enter a messenger.
    Gower The King my Lord, and Harry prince of Wales,
    Are neare at hand, the rest the paper tells.
    Falst. As I am a gentleman!
    733.1Host. Faith you said so before.
    735Falst. As I am a gentleman, come, no more words of it.
    Host. By this heaunly ground I tread on, I must be faine to
    pawne both my plate, & the tapestry of my dining chambers-
    Falst. Glasses glasses is the onely drinking, and for thy wals
    740a pretty sleight drollery, or the storie of the prodigal, or the
    Iarman hunting in waterworke, is worth a thousand of these
    bed-hangers, and these flie bitten tapestrie, let it be x. l if thou
    canst: come, and twere not for thy humors, theres not a better
    745wench in England, goe wash thy face and draw the action,
    come thou must not be in this humor with me, dost not know
    me, come, come, I know thou wast set on to this.
    Host. Pray thee sir Iohn let it be but twentie nobles, ifaith
    I am loath to pawne my plate so God saue me law.
    750Falst. Let it alone, ile make other shift, youle be a foole stil.
    Host. Well, you shall haue it, though I pawne my gowne,
    I hope youle come to supper, youle pay me al together.
    755Falst. Wil I liue? goe with her, with her, hooke on, hooke
    on. exit hostesse and sergeant.
    Host. Will you haue Doll Tere-sheet meete you at supper.
    Falst. No more words, lets haue her.
    760Lord I haue heard better newes.
    Falst. Whats the newes my lord?
    Lord Where lay the King to night?
    C3 Mess.
    The second part of
    Mess. At Billingsgate my Lord.
    Falst. I hope my Lord al's wel, what is the newes my lord?
    Lord Come all his forces backe?
    Mess. No, fifteen hundred foot, fiue hundred horse
    Are marcht vp to my lord of Lancaster,
    Against Northumberland, and the Archbishop.
    770Falst. Comes the King back from Wales, my noble lord?
    Lord You shall haue letters of me presently,
    Come, go along with me, good master Gower.
    Falst. My lord.
    Lord Whats the matter?
    775Falstaffe Maister Gower, shall I intreate you with mee to
    dinner?
    Gower I must waite vpon my good lord here, I thank you
    good sir Iohn.
    Lord Sir Iohn, you loyter heere too long,
    780Being you are to take souldiers vp
    In Counties as you go.
    Falstaffe Will you suppe with mee maister Gower?
    Lord. What foolish maister taught you these manners, sir
    Iohn?
    Falstaffe Maister Gower, if they become me not, hee was a
    785foole that taught them mee: this is the right fencing grace, my
    Lord, tap for tap, and so part faire.
    Lord Now the Lord lighten thee, thou art a great foole.