Page images
PDF
EPUB

That guards the peace and safety of your person:
Nay, more; to spurn at your most royal image,
And mock your workings in a second body.
Question your royal thoughts, make the case yours;
Be now the father, and propose a son:
Hear your own dignity so much profan'd,
See your most dreadful laws so loosely slighted,
Behold yourself so by a son disdain'd;

And then imagine me taking your part.
And, in your power, soft silencing your son:
After this cold considerance, sentence me;
And, as you are a king, speak in your state,—
What I have done, that misbecame my place;
My person, or my liege's sovereignty.

King. You are right, justice, and you weigh this

well;

Therefore still bear the balance, and the sword:
And I do wish your honours may increase,

Till you do live to see a son of mine
Offend you, and obey you, as I did.
So shall I live to speak my father's words;
Happy am I, that have a man so bold,
That dares do justice on my proper son:
And not less happy, having such a son,
That would deliver up his greatness so
Into the hands of justice.-You did commit me:
For which, I do commit into your hand

The unstain'd sword that you have us'd to bear;
With this remembrance,-That you use the same
With the like bold, just, and impartial spirit,

[blocks in formation]

As

you have done 'gainst me. There is my hand; You shall be as a father to my youth:

My voice shall sound as you do prompt mine ear;
And I will stoop and humble my intents

To your well-practis'd, wise directions.-
And, princes all, believe me, I beseech you;—
My father is gone wild into his grave,
For in his tomb lie my affections;
And with his spirit sadly I survive,
To mock the expectation of the world;
To frustrate prophecies; and to raze out
Rotten opinion, who hath writ me down
After my seeming. The tide of blood in me
Hath proudly flow'd in vanity, till now;
Now doth it turn, and ebb back to the sea;
Where it shall mingle with the state of floods,
And flow henceforth in formal majesty.
Now call we our high court of parliament:
And let us choose such limbs of noble counsel,
That the great body of our state may go
In equal rank with the best-govern'd nation;
That war, or peace, or both at once, may be
As things acquainted and familiar to us;-
In which you, father, shall have foremost hand.—
[To the Lord Chief Justice.

Our coronation done, we will accite,

As I before remember'd, all our state:
And (God consigning to my good intents,)

No prince, nor peer, shall have just cause to say,—
Heaven shorten Harry's happy life one day. [Exeunt.

SCENE III.

Glostershire. The Garden of Shallow's House.

Enter FALSTAFF, SHALLOW, SILENCE, BARDolph, the Page, and Davy.

Shal. Nay, you shall see mine orchard; where, in an arbour, we will eat a last year's pippin of my own grassing, with a dish of caraways 97, and so forth;come, cousin Silence;-and then to bed.

Fal. 'Fore God, you have here a goodly dwelling, and a rich.

Shal. Barren, barren, barren; beggars all, beggars all, sir John:-marry, good air.-Spread, Davy; spread, Davy: well said, Davy.

Fal. This Davy serves you for good uses; he is your serving-man, and your husbandman.

Shal. A good varlet, a good varlet, a very good varlet, sir John.-By the mass, I have drunk too much sack at supper:-a good varlet. Now sit down, now sit down:-come, cousin.

Sil. Ah, sirrah! quoth-a,-we shall

Do nothing but eat, and make good cheer, [Singing.
And praise heaven for the merry year;
When flesh is cheap and females dear,
And lusty lads roam here and there,
So merrily,

And ever among so merrily.

Fal. There's a merry heart!-Good master Silence, I'll give you a health for that anon.

Shal. Give master Bardolph some wine, Davy. Davy. Sweet sir, sit; [Seating Bardolph and the Page at another table.] I'll be with you anon:most sweet sir, sit.- -Master page, good master page, sit: proface 95! What you want in meat we'll have in drink. But you must bear; The heart's all. [Exit.

Shal. Be merry, master Bardolph;—and my little soldier there, be merry.

Sil. Be merry, be merry, my wife's as all; [Singing. For women are shrews, both short and tall:

'Tis

Be

merry in hall, when beards wag all,
And welcome merry shrove-tide.
be merry, &c.

merry,

Fal. I did not think, master Silence had been a man of this mettle.

Sil. Who I? I have been merry twice and once,

ere now.

Re-enter DAVY.

Davy. There is a dish of leather-coats 99 for you. [Setting them before Bardolph.

Shal. Davy,

Davy. Your worship?-I'll be with you straight.

[To Bard.]-A cup of wine, sir?

Sil. A cup of wine, that's brisk and fine, [Singing. And drink unto the leman mine;

And a merry heart lives long-a.

Fal. Well said, master Silence.

Sil. And we shall be merry;-now comes in the sweet of the night.

Fal. Health and long life to you, master Silence!
Sil. Fill the cup, and let it come;

I'll pledge you a mile to the bottom.

Shal. Honest Bardolph, welcome: If thou want'st any thing, and wilt not call, beshrew thy heart.— Welcome, my little tiny thief? [To the Page.] and welcome, indeed, too. I'll drink to master Bardolph, and to all the cavaleroes about London.

Davy. I hope to see London once ere I die. Bard. An I might see you there, Davy,— Shal. By the mass, you'll crack a quart together. Ha! will you not, master Bardolph ?

Bard. Yes, sir, in a pottle pot.

Shal. I thank thee:-The knave will stick by thee, I can assure thee that: he will not out; he is true bred.

Bard. And I'll stick by him, sir.

Shal. Why, there spoke a king. Lack nothing: be merry. [Knocking heard.] Look who's at door there: Ho! who knocks!

[Exit Davy.

Fal. Why, now you have done me right. [To Silence, who drinks a bumper.

Sil. Do me right,

And dub me knight.
Samingo 100

Is't not so?

Fal. 'Tis so.

[Singing.

« PreviousContinue »