Poins. But, my lads, my lads, to-morrow morning, by four o'clock, early at Gadshill. There are pilgrims going to Canterbury with rich offerings, and traders riding to London with fat purses: I have visors for you all, you have horses for yourselves. Gadshill lies to-night in Rochester; I have bespoke supper to-morrow night in Eastcheap: we may do it as secure as sleep. If you will go, I will stuff your purses full of crowns; if you will not, tarry at home, and be hanged. Fal. Hear ye, Yedward: if I tarry at home, and go not, I'll hang you for going. Poins. You will, chops? Fal. Hal, will thou make one? P. Hen. Who, I rob? I a thief? not I, by my faith. Fal. There's neither honesty, manhood, nor good fellowship in thee, nor thou cam'st not of the blood royal, if thou darest not stand for ten shillings. P. Hen. Well then, once in my days I'll be a madcap. Fal. Why, that's well said. P. Hen. Well, come what will, I'll tarry at home. Fal. By the Lord, I'll be a traitor then, when thou art king. P. Hen. I care not. Poins. Sir John, I pr'ythee, leave the prince and me alone: I will lay him down such reasons for this adventure, that he shall go. Fal. Well, God give thee the spirit of persuasion, and him the ears of profiting, that what thou speakest may move, and what he hears may be believed, that the true prince may (for recreation sake) prove a false thief; for the poor abuses of the time want countenance. Farewell: you shall find me in Eastcheap. P. Hen. Farewell, thou latter spring! Farewell, All-hallown summer! [Exit FALSTaff. Poins. Now, my good sweet honey lord, ride with us tomorrow: I have a jest to execute, that I cannot manage alone. Falstaff, Bardolph, Peto; and Gadshill, shall rob those men that we have already way-laid: yourself and I will not be there; and when they have the booty, if you and I do not rob them, cut this head off from my shoulders. P. Hen. How shall we part with them in setting forth? Poins. Why, we will set forth before or after them, and appoint them a place of meeting, wherein it is at our pleasure to, fail; and then will they adventure upon the exploit themselves, which they shall have no sooner achieved, but we'll set upon them. P. Hen. Yea, but 't is like, that they will know us, by our horses, by our habits, and by every other appointment, to be ourselves. Poins. Tut! our horses they shall not see; I'll tie them in the wood: our visors we will change, after we leave them; and, sirrah, I have cases of buckram for the nonce, to immask our noted outward garments. P. Hen. Yea, but I doubt they will be too hard for us. Poins. Well, for two of them, I know them to be as truebred cowards as ever turned back; and for the third, if he fight longer than he sees reason, I'll forswear arms. The virtue of this jest will be, the incomprehensible lies that this same fat rogue will tell us, when we meet at supper: how thirty at least he fought with; what wards, what blows, what extremities he endured; and in the reproof of this lies the jest. P. Hen. Well, I'll go with thee: provide us all things necessary, and meet me to-morrow night in Eastcheap, there I'll sup. Farewell. Poins. Farewell, my lord. P. Hen. I know you all, and will a while uphold The unyok'd humour of your idleness: Yet herein will I imitate the sun, Who doth permit the base contagious clouds But when they seldom come, they wish'd-for come, [Exit POINS. And nothing pleaseth but rare accidents. By how much better than my word I am, SCENE III. [Exit. The Same. Another Apartment in the Palace. K. Hen. My blood hath been too cold and temperate, And you have found me; for, accordingly, You tread upon my patience: but, be sure, I will from henceforth rather be myself, Mighty, and to be fear'd, than my condition, Which the proud soul ne'er pays but to the proud. Wor. Our house, my sovereign liege, little deserves And that same greatness, too, which our own hands North. My lord, K. Hen. Worcester, get thee gone; for I do see O, Sir! your presence is too bold and peremptory, The moody frontier of a servant brow. You have good leave to leave us: when we need Your use and counsel, we shall send for you. You were about to speak. - [Exit WORCester. North. Either envy, therefore, or misprision Is guilty of this fault, and not my son. Hot. My liege, I did deny no prisoners; And 'twixt his finger and his thumb he held He gave his nose, and took't away again; Who, therewith angry, when it next came there, He call'd them untaught knaves, unmannerly, With many holiday and lady terms He question'd me; among the rest, demanded My prisoners, in your majesty's behalf. I then, all smarting, with my wounds being cold, To be so pester'd with a popinjay, Out of my grief and my impatience, Answer'd neglectingly, I know not what, He should, or he should not; for he made me mad, [TO NORTH. Of guns, and drums, and wounds, God save the mark! Betwixt my love and your high majesty. Blunt. The circumstance consider'd, good my lord, Whate'er Lord Harry Percy then had said, To such a person, and in such a place, K. Hen. Why, yet he doth deny his prisoners, That we, at our own charge, shall ransom straight Against that great magician, damn'd Glendower, Shall we buy treason, and indent with fears, |