The knave is mine honest friend, sir; therefore, I beseech your worship, let him be countenanced.

Shal. Go to; I say, he shall have no wrong. Look about, Davy. [Exit Davy.] Where are you, sir John? Come, off with your boots.-Give me your hand, master Bardolph.

Bard. I am glad to see your worship.

Shal. I thank thee with all my heart, kind master Bardolph:-and welcome, my tall fellow. [To the Page.] Come, sir John. [Exit Shallow.

Fal. I'll follow you, good master Robert Shallow. Bardolph, look to our horses. [Exeunt Bardolph and Page.] If I were saw'd into quantities, I should make four dozen such bearded hermit's-staves as master Shallow. It is a wonderful thing, to see the semblable coherence of his men's spirits and his: They, by observing him, do bear themselves like foolish justices; he, by conversing with them, is turn'd into a justice-like serving-man: their spirits are so married in conjunction with the participation of society, that they flock together in consent, like so many wild geese. If I had a suit to master Shallow, I would humour his men, with the imputation of being near their master: if to his men, I would curry with master Shallow, that no man could better command his servants. It is certain, that either wise bearing, or ignorant carriage, is caught, as men take diseases, one of another: therefore, let men take heed of their company. I will devise matter enough out of this Shallow, to keep prince Harry in continual

laughter, the wearing-out of six fashions, (which is four terms, or two actions,) and he shall laugh without intervallums, O, it is much, that a lie, with a slight oath, and a jest with a sad brow, will do with a fellow that never had the ache in his shoulders! O, you shall see him laugh, till his face be like a wet cloak ill laid up.

Shal. [Within.] Sir John!

Fal. I come, master Shallow; I come, master Shallow. [Exit Falstaff.

SCENE II.

Westminster. A Room in the Palace.

Enter WARWICK, and the Lord Chief Justice.

War. How now, my lord chief justice? whither

away?

Ch. Just. How doth the king?

War. Exceeding well; his cares are now all ended. Ch. Just. I hope, not dead.

War.

He's walk'd the way of nature;

And, to our purposes, he lives no more.

Ch. Just. I would his majesty had call'd me with him:

The service that I truly did his life,

Hath left me open to all injuries.

War. Indeed, I think, the young king loves you

not.

Ch. Just. I know, he doth not; and do arm myself,

To welcome the condition of the time;
Which cannot look more hideously upon me
Than I have drawn it in my fantasy.

Enter Prince JOHN, Prince HUMPHREY, CLARENCE, WESTMORELAND, and others.

War. Here come the heavy issue of dead Harry: O, that the living Harry had the temper

Of him, the worst of these three gentlemen!
How many nobles then should hold their places,
That must strike sail to spirits of vile sort!
Ch. Just. Alas! I fear, all will be overturn'd.
P. John. Good morrow, cousin Warwick.

P. Humph. Cla. Good morrow, cousin.

P. John. We meet like men that had forgot to

speak.

War. We do remember; but our argument

Is all too heavy to admit much talk.

P. John. Well, peace be with him that hath made us heavy!

Ch. Just. Peace be with us, lest we be heavier! P. Humph. O, good my lord, you have lost a friend, indeed:

And I dare swear, you borrow not that face

Of seeming sorrow; it is sure, your own.

P. John. Though no man be assur'd what grace to find,

You stand in coldest expectation:

I am the sorrier; 'would, 'twere otherwise.

Cla. Well, you must now speak sir John Falstaff fair,

Which swims against your stream of quality.

Ch. Just. Sweet princes, what I did, I did in ho

nour,

Led by the impartial conduct of my soul;
And never shall you see, that I will beg
A ragged and forestall'd remission 95.—
If truth and upright innocency fail me,
I'll to the king my master that is dead,
And tell him who hath sent me after him.
War. Here comes the prince.

Enter King HENRY V.

Ch. Just. Good morrow; and heaven save your majesty!

King. This new and gorgeous garment, majesty, Sits not so easy on me as you think.—

Brothers, you mix your sadness with some fear;
This is the English, not the Turkish court 96;
Not Amurath an Amurath succeeds,

But Harry Harry: Yet be sad, good brothers,
For, to speak truth, it very well becomes you;
Sorrow so royally in you appears,

That I will deeply put the fashion on,

And wear it in my heart. Why then, be sad:
But entertain no more of it, good brothers,

Than a joint burden laid upon us all.
For me, by heaven, I bid you be assur'd,

I'll be your father and your brother too;
Let me but bear your love, I'll bear your cares.
Yet
weep, that Harry's dead; and so will I :

But Harry lives, that shall convert those tears,
By number, into hours of happiness.

P. John, &c. We hope no other from your ma

jesty.

King. You all look strangely on me:-and you [To the Ch. Just.

most;

You are, I think, assur'd I love you not.

Ch. Just. I am assur'd, if I be measur'd rightly, Your majesty hath no just cause to hate me.

King. No!

How might a prince of my great hopes forget
So great indignities you laid upon me?
What? rate, rebuke, and roughly send to prison
The immediate heir of England! Was this easy?
May this be wash'd in Lethe, and forgotten?

Ch. Just. I then did use the person of your father;
The image of his power lay then in me:
And, in the administration of his law,
Whiles I was busy for the commonwealth,
Your highness pleased to forget my place,
The majesty and power of law and justice,
The image of the king whom I presented,
And struck me in my very seat of judgment;
Whereon, as an offender to your father,
I gave bold way to my authority,

And did commit you. If the deed were ill,
Be you contented, wearing now the garland,
To have a son set your decrees at nought;
To pluck down justice from your awful bench;
To trip the course of law, and blunt the sword