P. Henky I fhall drive you then to confefs the wilful abuse, and then I know how to handle you.

Fal. No abufe, Hal, on my honour, no abuse.

P. Henry, Not to difpraise me, and call me pantler, and bread-chipper, and I know not what?

Fal. No abufe, Hal.

Poins. No abuse!

Fal. No abufe, Ned, in the world, honeft Ned, none. I difprais'd him before the wicked, that the wicked might not fall in love with him; in which doing, I have done the part of a careful friend, and a true fubject, and thy father is to give me thanks for it. No abufe, Hal, none, Ned, none; no, boys, none.

·P. Henry. See now, whether pure fear and entire cowardise doth not make thee wrong this virtuous gentle woman to clofe with us? Is he of the wicked? is thine Hostess here of the wicked? or is the boy of the wicked or honeft Bardolph, whofe zeal burns in his nofe, of the wicked?

Point Anwer, thou dead Elm, anfwer.

Fal The fiend hath prickt down Bardolph irrecoverable, and his face is Lucifer's privy-kitchen, where he doth nothing but roaft mault-worms: for the boy, there is a good angel about him, but the devil-out-bids him too da

P. Henry. For the women?

Fal. For one of them, he is in hell already, and burns poor fouls: for the other, I owe her money; and whether the be damn'd for that, I know not.

Hosts Not warrant you.

Fal No, think, thou art not: I think, thou art quit for that. Marry, there is another indictment upon thee, for fuffering flesh to be eaten in thy houfe, contrary to the law, for the which I think thou wilt howl. Som

Hoft. All victuallers do for what is a joint of mutton or two in a whole Lent?

P. Henry. You, gentlewoman, sologji Yan
DokuWhat lays your Grace ?

Fal. His Grace faysThat, which his flesh rebels againft.

MI

Hoft.

Hoft. Who knocks fo loud at door? look to the door

there, Francis,

Enter Peto.

P. Henry. Peto, how now? what news?
Peto. The King your father is at Westminster,
And there are twenty weak and wearied Pofts
Come from the North; and as I came along,
I met and overtook a dozen captains,

Bare-headed, fweating, knocking at the taverns,
And asking every one for Sir John Falstaff

P. Henry. By heaven, Poins, I feel me much to blame,

So idly to profane the precious time;

When tempeft of commotion, like the South
Borne with black vapour, doth begin to melt.
And drop upon our bare unarmed heads.

Give me my fword, and cloak: Falstaff, good night.
Exeunt Prince and Poins.

Fal. Now comes in the fweeteft morfel of the night, and we must hence, and leave it unpickt. More knocking at the door? how now? what's the matter?

Bard. You muft away to Court, Sir, prefently: a dozen captains stay at door for you, son

Fal. Pay the musicians, Sirrah: farewel, Hoftefs; farewel, Dol. You fee, my good wenches, how men of merit are fought after; the undeferver may fleep, when the man of action is call'd on. Farewel, good wenches', if I be not fent away poft, I will fee you again, ere I go,

Dol. I cannot fpeak; if my heart be not ready to burft well, fweet Jack, have a care of thy felf. Fal. Farewel, farewel

711

[Exit. Hoft. Well, fare thee well: I have known thee thefe twenty nine years, come pefcod-time; but an honefter and truer-hearted manwell, fare thee well.

Bard. Mrs. Tear-fheet,

Hoft. What's the matter?om

Bard. Bid Mistress Tear-fheet come to my mafter. Hoft. O run, Dol, run, run, good Dol. [Exeunt.

Iiz

ACT

ACT

III.

SCENE, the Palace in LONDON.

Enter King Henry in his Night-gown, with a "Page.

G

K. HENRY.

O, call the Earls of Surrey and of Warwick; But, ere they come, bid them o'er-read thefe letters,

And well confider of them: make good speed.

[Exit Page.

How many thousands of my pooreft Subjects
Are at this hour afleep! O gentle Sleep,
Nature's foft Nurfe, how have I frighted thee,
That thou no more wilt weigh my eye-lids down,
And steep my fenfes in forgetfulness? incon
Why rather, Sleep, ly'st thou in fmoaky cribs,
Upon uneafie pallets ftretching thee,

And huht with buzzing night-flies to thy flumber;
Than in the perfum'd chambers of the Great,
Under the Canopies of coftly State,

And lull'd with founds of fweeteft melody?
O thou dull God, why ly'ft thou with the vile
In loathfom beds, and leav'ft the kingly couch
A watch-cafe, or a common larum-bell?
Wilt thou, upon the high and giddy mast,
Seal up the fhip-boy's eyes, and rock his brains,
In cradle of the rude imperious Surge;
And in the vifitation of the winds,

Who take the ruffian billows by the top,
Curling their monftrous heads, and hanging them
With deaf'ning clamours in the flip'ry throuds,
That, with the hurley, death it felf awakes?
Can't thou, O partial Sleep, give thy repofe

Το

To the wet fea-boy in an hour fo rude?
And, in the calmeft and the stillest night,
With all appliances and means to boot,

Deny it to a King? then happy low! lye down; (22) Uneafie lyes the head, that wears a Crown.

Enter Warwick and Surrey.

War. Many good morrows to your Majefty,
K. Henry. Is it good morrow, lords?

War. 'Tis one o' clock, and past.

K. Henry. (23) Why, then, good morrow to you. Well, my lords,

Have you read o'er the letters that I fent you?
War. We have, my Liege.

K. Henry. Then you perceive the body of our Kingdom,

How foul it is; what rank difeafes grow,
And with what danger, near the heart of it.
War. It is but as a body, yet diftemper'd,
Which to its former ftrength may be reftor'd,
With good advice and little medicine;

My lord Northumberland will foon be cool'd.

K. Henry, Oh heav'n, that one might read the book of fate,

And fee the revolution of the times

(22)

then happy low ! lye down;

Uneafie lyes the head, &c.] Tho' I have not disturb'd the Text, Mr. Warburton thinks, Shakespeare would not have used fo poor a Re, petition as lye down and uneafie lyes. He therefore conjectures

Then happy, lowly Clown!

Uneafie lyes the Head, that wears a Crown.

This, fays He, is the juft Conclufion from all faid before. If Sleep will fly a King, and confort it felf with Beggars, then happy the lowly Clawn, and unealy the crown'd Head.

(23) Why then good morrow to you all, my Lord's:

Have you read o'er, &c.] I muit account for the Change I have ventur'd at here. In the preceding Page the King fends Letters to Surrey and Warwick, with Charge that they should read them and attend him. Accordingly here Surrey and Warwick come, and no body else, in Obedience to that Summons. The King would hardly have faid Good morrow to You All, to two Peers, and no more. My Emendati on wants no further Support, than This naked Stating of the Cafe,

Ti
3

Make

Make Mountains level, and the Continent,
Weary of folid firmness, melt it felf
Into the Sea; and, other times, to fee
The beachy girdle of the Ocean

Too wide for Neptune's hips: how Chances mock,
And Changes fill the cup of alteration.

With divers liquors! O, if this were feen,
The happieft youth viewing his progress through,
What perils paft, what croffes to entue,

Wou'd fhut the book, and fit him down and die.
'Tis not ten Years gone,

Since Richard and Northumberland, great Friends,
Did feaft together; and in two years after
Were they at wars. It is but eight years fince,
This Percy was the man nearest my foul;
Who, like a brother, toil'd in my affairs,
And laid his love and life under my foot;
Yea, for my fake, ev'n to the eyes of Richard
Gave him defiance. But which of you was by?
(You, coufin Nevil, as I may remember)

[To Warwick.
When Richard, with his eye brim-full of tears,
Then check'd and rated by Northumberland,
Did fpeak these words, now prov'd a prophecy.
Northumberland, thou ladder by the which
My coufin Bolingbroke afcends my Throne:
(Though then, Heav'n knows, I had no fuch intent
But that Neceffity fo bow'd the State,

That I and Greatness were compell'd to kifs :)
The time fhall come, (thus did he follow it,)
The time will come, that foul fin, gathering head,
Shall break into corruption; fo went on,
Foretelling this fame time's condition,
And the divifion of our amity,

War. There is a hiftory in all men's lives,
Figuring the Nature of the times deceas'd;
The which obferv'd, a man may prophefie,
With a hear aim, of the main chance of things
As yet not come to life, which in their feeds
And weak beginnings lie intreasured.

Such