E5 Shal.

15341371Shallow Come on, come on, come on sir, giue me your

15351372hand sir, giue me your hand sir, an early stirrer, by the Roode:

15361373and how dooth my good cosin Silens?

15371374Silence Good morrow good cosin Shallow.

15381375Shallow And how dooth my coosin your bed-fellowe?

15391376and your fayrest daughter and mine, my god-daughter El-

15401377len?

15411378Silens Alas, a blacke woosel, cosin Shallow.

15421379Shallow By yea, and no sir: I dare saye my coosin Wil-

15431380liam is become a good scholler, he is at Oxford still, is hee

15441381not?

15451382Silens Indeede sir to my cost.

15461383Shallow A must then to the Innes a court shortly: I was

15471384once of Clements Inne, where I thinke they will talke of mad

15481385Shallow yet.

15491386Silens You were cald Lusty Shallow then, cosin.

15501387Shallow By the masse I was cald any thing, and I would

15511388haue done any thing indeed too, and roundly too: there was

15521389I, and little Iohn Doyt of Stafford-shire, and Blacke George

1390Barnes, and Francis Picke-bone, and Will Squele a Cotsole

15531391man, you had not foure such swinge-bucklers in al the Innes

15551392a court againe: and I may say to you, we knew where the bona

15561393robes were, and had the best of them all at commaundement:

15571394then was Iacke Falstaffe (now sir Iohn) a boy, and Page to

15581395Thomas Mowbray duke of Norffolke.

15601396Silens Coosin, this sir Iohn that comes hither anone about

15611397souldiers?

15621398Shall. The same (sir Iohn) the very same, I see him breake

15631399Skoggins head at the Court gate, when a was a Cracke, not

15641400thus high: and the very same day did I fight with one Samson

15651401Stockefish a Fruiterer behinde Greyes Inne: Iesu, Iesu, the

15661402mad dayes that I haue spent! and to see how many of my olde

15671403acquaintance are dead.

15681404Silens We shall all follow, coosin.

15691405Shal. Certaine, tis certaine, very sure, very sure, death (as the

15701406Psalmist saith) is certaine to all, all shall die. How a good yoke

15711407of bullockes at Samforth faire?

15721408Silens By my troth I was not there.

15731409Shal. Death is certaine: Is olde Dooble of your towne li-

15741410uing yet?

15751411Silens Dead sir.

15761412Shal. Iesu, Iesu, dead! a drew a good bow, and dead? a shot

15771413a fine shoote: Iohn a Gaunt loued him well, and betted much

15781414money on his head. Dead! a would haue clapt ith clowt at

15791415twelue score, and caried you a forehand shaft a foureteene and

15801416foureteene and a halfe, that it would haue doone a mans heart

15821417good to see. How a score of Ewes now?

15831418Silens Thereafter as they be, a score of good Ewes may be

15841419worth tenne pounds.

15851420Shal. And is olde Dooble dead?

15871421Silens Heere come twoo of sir Iohn Falstaffes men, as I

15881422thinke.

15891424Good morrow honest gentlemen.

15901425Bard. I beseech you, which is Iustice Shallow?

15911426Shall. I am Robert Shallow sir, a poore Esquire of this

15921427Countie, and one of the Kings Iustices of the Peace: what is

15931428your pleasure with me?

15941429Bard. My Captaine, sir, commends him to you, my Cap-

15951430taine sir Iohn Falstaffe, a tall gentleman, by heauen, and a most

15961431gallant Leader.

15971432Shall. He greets me wel, sir, I knew him a good backsword

15981433man: how doth the good knight? may I aske how my Ladie

15991434his wife doth?

16001435Bar. Sir, pardon, a souldiour is better accommodate than

16011436with a wife.

16021437Shallow It is well sayde in faith sir, and it is well sayde in-

1438deede too, better accommodated, it is good, yea in deede is

16041439it, good phrases, are surely, and euer were, very commenda-

16051440ble, accommodated: it comes of accommodo, very good, a

16061441good phrase.

16071442Bardolfe Pardon me sir, I haue heard the worde, phrase

16081443call you it? by this good day, I knowe not the phrase, but

16091444I will mayntayne the worde with my sworde, to bee a soul-

16101445diour-like word, and a worde of exceeding good command,

16111446by heauen: accommodated, that is, when a man is, as they

16121447say, accommodated, or when a man is, beeing whereby, a

16131448may be thought to be accommodated, which is an excellent

16141449thing.

16161451Iust. It is very iust: looke, here comes good sir Iohn, giue

16171452me your good hand, giue mee your worshippes good hand,

16181453by my troth you like well, and beare your yeeres very well,

16191454welcome good sir Iohn.

16201455Fal. I am glad to see you well, good maister Robert Shal-

16211456low, maister Soccard (as I thinke.)

16221457Shal. No sir Iohn, it is my coosin Silens, in commission with

16231458me.

16241459Falst. Good maister Silens, it well befits you should be of

16251460the Peace.

16261461Silens Your good worship is welcome.

16271462Falst. Fie, this is hot weather (gentlemen) haue you proui-

16281463ded me heere halfe a dozen sufficient men?

16291464Shal. Mary haue we sir, will you sit?

16301465Falst. Let me see them I beseech you.

16311466Shall. Wheres the rowle? wheres the rowle? wheres the

16321467rowle? let me see, let me see, so, so, so, so, so (so, so) yea mary sir,

16331468Rafe Mouldy, let them appeere as I call, let them do so, let thẽ

16341469do so, let me see, where is Mouldy?

16361470Mouldy Here and it please you.

16371471Sha. What think you sir Iohn, a good limbd fellow, yong,

16381472strong, and of good friends.

16391473Fal. Is thy name Mouldie?

16401474Moul. Yea, and't please you.

16411475 Fal. Tis the more time thou wert vsde.

16421476Shal. Ha, ha, ha, most excellent yfaith, things that are moul-

16431477dy lacke vse: very singular good, infaith well said sir Iohn, very

16441478well said. Iohn prickes him.

16461479Moul. I was prickt wel enough before, and you could haue

16471480let me alone, my old dame will be vndone now for one to doe

16481481her husbandrie, and her drudgery, you need not to haue prickt

16491482me, there are other men fitter to go out then I.

16511483Fal. Go to, peace Mouldy, you shall go, Mouldy it is time

16521484you were spent.

16531485Moul. Spent?

16541486Shal. Peace fellow, peace, stand aside, know you where you

16551487are? for th'other sir Iohn: let me see Simon Shadow.

16571488 Fal. Yea mary, let me haue him to sit vnder, hees like to be

16581489a cold soldiour.

16591490Shal. Wheres Shadow?

16601491Shad. Here sir.

16611492Fal. Shadow, whose sonne art thou?

16621493Shad. My mothers sonne sir.

16631494Fal. Thy mothers sonne! like enough, and thy fathers sha-

16641495dow, so the sonne of the female is the shadow of the male: it is

16651496often so indeede, but much of the fathers substance.

16671497Shal. Do you like him sir Iohn?

16681498Fal. Shadow wil serue for summer, pricke him, for we haue

16691499a number of shadowes, fill vp the muster booke.

16711500Shal. Thomas Wart.

16721501Fal. Wheres he?

16731502Wart Here sir.

16741503Fal. Is thy name Wart?

16751504Wart Yea sir.

16761505Fal. Thou art a very ragged wart.

16771506Shal. Shall I pricke him sir Iohn?

16791507Fal. It were superfluous, for apparell is built vpon his back,

F and

16801508and the whole frame stands vpon pins, pricke him no more.

16821509Shal. Ha, ha, ha, you can do it sir, you can do it, I commend

16831510you well: Francis Feeble.

16851511Feeble Here sir.

16861512Shal. What trade art thou Feeble?

16871513Feeble A womans tailer sir.

16881514Shal. Shall I pricke him sir?

16891515Fal. You may, but if he had bin a mans tailer hee'd a prickt

16911516you: wilt thou make as manie holes in an enemies battaile, as

16921517thou hast done in a womans peticoate.

16931518Feeble I will do my good will sir, you can haue no more.

16951519Fal. Well saide good womans tailer, well saide couragious

16961520Feeble, thou wilt be as valiant as the wrathfull doue, or most

16971521magnanimous mouse, pricke the womans tailer: wel M. Shal-

16981522low, deepe M. Shallow.

17001523Feeble I would Wart might haue gone sir.

17011524Fal. I would thou wert a mans tailer, that thou mightst

17021525mend him and make him fit to goe, I cannot put him to a pri-

17031526uate souldier, that is the leader of so many thousands, let that

17041527suffice most forcible Feeble.

17051528Feeble It shall suffice sir.

17061529Fal. I am bound to thee reuerend Feeble, who is next?

17081530Shal. Peter Bul-calfe o'th greene.

17091531Fal. Yea mary, lets see Bul-calfe.

17101532Bul. Here sir.

17111533Eal. Fore God a likely fellow, come pricke Bul-calfe til hee(roare againe.

17131534Bul. O Lord, good my lord captaine.

17141535Falst. What, dost thou roare before thou art prickt?

17151536Bul. O Lord sir, I am a diseased man.

17161537Fal. What disease hast thou?

17171538Bul. A horson cold sir, a cough sir, which I cought with

17181539ringing in the Kings affaires vpon his coronation day sir.

17201540Fal. Come, thou shalt go to the warres in a gowne, we wil

17211541haue away thy cold, and I wil take such order that thy friendes

17221542shal ring for thee. Is here all?

17231543Shal. Here is two more cald then your number, you must

17241544haue but foure here sir, and so I pray you goe in with mee to

17251545dinner.

17261546Fa. Come, I wil go drink with you, but I cãnot tary dinner:

17271547I am glad to see you, by my troth master Shallow.

17291548Shal. O sir Iohn, do you remember since we lay all night

17301549in the windmil in saint Georges field?

17311550Fal. No more of that master Shallow.

17331551Shal. Ha, twas a merry night, and is Iane Night-worke a-

17341552liue?

17351553Falst. She liues master Shallow.

17361554Shal. She neuer could away with me.

17371555Fa. Neuer neuer, she wold alwaies say, she could not abide

17381556master Shallow.

17391557Sha. By the masse I conld anger her too'th heart, she was

17401558then a bona roba, doth she hold her owne wel?

17411559Fal. Old old master Shallow.

17421560Shal. Nay she must be old, she cannot chuse but be old, cer-

17431561tain shees old, & had Robin Night-work by old Night-work,

17441562before I came to Clements inne.

17451563Scilens Thats fiftie fiue yeare ago.

17461564Shal. Ha cousen Scilens that thou hadst seene that that this

17471565Knight and I haue seene, ha sir Iohn, said I wel?

17491566Fal. We haue heard the chimes at midnight M. Shallow.

17511567Sha. That we haue, that we haue, that we haue, in faith sir

17521568Iohn we haue, our watch-worde was Hemboies, come lets to

17531569dinner, come lets to dinner, Iesus the daies that wee haue seene,

17541570come, come. exeunt.

17551571Bul. Good maister corporate Bardolfe, stand my friend,

17561572& heres foure Harry tenshillings in french crowns for you, in

17571573very truth sir, I had as liue be hangd sir as go, and yet for mine

17581574owne part sir I do not care, but rather because I am vnwilling,

17591575and for mine owne part haue a desire to stay with my friends,

17601576else sir I did not care for mine owne part so much.

17621577Bard. Go to, stand aside.

17631578Moul. And good M. corporall captaine, for my old dames

17641579sake stand my friend, she has no body to doe any thing about

F2 her

17651580her when I am gone, and she is old and cannot helpe her selfe,

17661581you shall haue forty sir.

17671582Bar. Go to, stand aside.

17681583Feeble By my troth I care not, a man can die but once, we

17691584owe God a death, ile nere beare a base mind, and't bee my

17701585destny: so, and't be not, so, no man's too good to serue's prince,

17711586and let it go which way it will, he that dies this yeere is quit for

17721587the next.

17731588Bar Well said, th'art a good fellow.

17741589Feeble Faith ile beare no base mind.

17751591Fal. Come sir, which men shall I haue?

17761592Shal. Foure of which you please.

17771593Bar Sir, a word with you, I haue three pound to free Moul-

17781594dy and Bulcalfe.

17791595Fal. Go to, well.

17801596Shal. Come sir Iohn, which foure wil you haue?

17811597Fal. Do you chuse for me.

17821598Shal. Mary then, Mouldy, Bulcalfe, Feeble, and Sadow.

17841599Fal. Mouldy and Bulcalfe, for you Mouldy stay at home, til

17851600you are past seruice: and for your part Bulcalfe, grow til you

17861601come vnto it, I will none of you.

17871602Shal. Sir Iohn, sir Iohn, doe not your selfe wrong, they are

17881603your likeliest men, and I would haue you serude with the

17891604best.

17901605Fal. Wil you tel me (master Shallow) how to chuse a man?

17911606care I for the limbe, the thewes, the stature, bulke and big as-

17921607semblance of a man: giue me the spirit M. Shalow: heres Wart,

17931608you see what a ragged apparance it is, a shall charge you, and

17951609discharge you with the motion of a pewterers hammer, come

17961610off and on swifter then he that gibbets on the brewers bucket:

17971611and this same halfe facde fellow Shadow, giue me this man, he

17981612presents no marke to the enemy, the fo-man may with as great

17991613aime leuel at the edge of a pen-knife, and for a retraite how

18001614swiftly wil this Feeble the womans Tailer runne off? O giue

18021615mee the spare men, and spare me the great ones, putte mee a

18031616caliuer into Warts hand Bardolfe.

18041617Bar. Hold Wart, trauers thas, thas, thas.

18051618Fal. Come mannage me your caliuer: so, very wel, go to, very

18061619good, exceeding good, O giue me alwaies a little leane, olde

18071620chopt Ballde, shot: well said yfaith Wart, th'art a good scab,

18081621hold, theres a tester for thee.

18091622Shal. He is not his crafts-master, he doth not do it right; I

18101623remember at Mile-end-greene, when I lay at Clements Inne,

18111624I was then sir Dagonet in Arthurs show, there was a little

18121625quiuer fellow, and a would mannage you his peece thus, and a

18131626would about and about, and come you in, and come you in,

18151627rah, tah, tah, would a say, bounce would a say, and away again

18161628would a go, and againe would a come: I shall nere see such a

18171629fellow.

18181630Fal. These fellowes wooll doe well M. Shallow, God keep

18191631you M. Scilens, I will not vse many words with you, fare you

18201632wel gentlemen both, I thank you, I must a dosen mile to night:

18211633Bardolfe, giue the souldiers coates.

18231634Shal. Sir Iohn, the Lord blesse you, God prosper your af-

18241635faires, God send vs peace at your returne, visit our house, let

18251636our old acquaintance be renewed, peraduenture I will with ye

18261637to the court.

18271638Fal. Fore God would you would.

18281639Shal. Go to, I haue spoke at a word, God keep you.

18301640Fal. Fare you well gentle gentlemen. exit

1641Shal. On Bardolfe, leade the men away, as I returne I will

18311642fetch off these iustices, I do see the bottome of iustice Shallow,

18331643Lord, Lord, how subiect we old men are to this vice of lying,

18341644this same staru'd iustice hath done nothing but prate to me,

18351645of the wildnesse of his youth, and the feates he hath done a-

18361646bout Turne-bull street, and euery third word a lie, dewer paid

18371647to the hearer then the Turkes tribute, I doe remember him

18381648at Clements Inne, like a man made after supper of a cheese pa-

18391649ring, when a was naked, he was for all the worlde like a forkt

18411650reddish, with a head fantastically carued vpon it with a knife,

18421651a was so forlorne, that his demensions to any thicke sight were

F3 inuin-

18431652inuincible, a was the very genius of famine, yet lecherous as a

1843.11653monkie, & the whores cald him mandrake, a came ouer in the

18441654rereward of the fashion, and sung those tunes to the ouer-

1844.11655schutcht huswiues, that he heard the Car-men whistle, and

1844.21656sware they were his fancies or his good-nights, and nowe is

18451657this vices dagger become a squire, and talkes as familiarly of

18461658Iohn a Gaunt, as if he had bin sworne brother to him, and

18471659ile be sworn a nere saw him but once in the tylt-yard, and then

18491660he burst his head for crowding among the Marshalles men, I

18501661saw it and told Iohn a Gaunt he beate his owne name, for you

18511662might haue thrust him and all his aparell into an eele-skin, the

18521663case of a treble hoboy was a mansion for him a Court, and

18531664now has he land and beefes. Well, ile be acquainted with him

18551665if I returne, and t'shal go hard, but ile make him a philosophers

18561666two stones to me, if the yong Dase be a baite for the old Pike,

18571667I see no reason in the law of nature but I may snap at him, till

18581668Time shape, and there an end.