of the day's booty. Let us be Diana's forefters, gentlemen of the fhade, minions of the Moon; and let men say, we be men of good government, being governed as the fea is, by our noble and chafte miftrefs the Moon, under whofe countenance we-steal.

P. Henry. Thou fay'ft well, and it holds well too; for the fortune of us that are the Moon's men, doth ebb and flow like the fea, being govern'd as the fea is, by the Moon. As for proof, now; a purfe of gold most refolutely fnatch'd on Monday night, and moft diffolutely fpent on Tuesday morning; got with fwearing, lug out; and fpent with crying, bring in now in as low an ebb as the foot of the ladder; and by and by in as high a flow as the ridge of the gallows

Fal. By the Lord, thou fay'ft true, lad: and is not mine hoftefs of the tavern à moft fweet wench?

P. Henry. As the honey of Hybla, my old lad of the castle*; and is not a buff-jerkin a moft sweet robe of durance?

Fal. How now, how now, mad wag? what, in thy quips and thy quiddities? what a plague have I to do with a buff-jerkin?

P. Henry. Why, what a pox have I to do with my he ftefs of the tavern?

Fal. Well, thou haft call'd her to a reckoning many a time and oft.

P. Henry. Did I ever call thee to pay thy part?

Fal. No, I'll give thee thy due, thou haft paid all there. P. Henry. Yea and elfewhere, fo far as my coin would ftretch, and where it would not I have us'd my credit.

Fal. Yea, and fo us'd it, that were it not here apparent, that thou art heir apparent-But I pr'ythee, fweet wag, fhall there be gallows ftanding in England when thou art King? and refolution thus fobb'd as it is, with the rufty curb of old father antick, the law? Do not thou, when thou art a King, hang a thief.

P. Henry. No; thou shalt.

Fal, Shall I? O rare! I'll be a brave judge.

This is a proof that the name of Sir John Oldcastle stood firft under this character of Falstaff.

Henry.

P. Henry. Thou judgeft falfe already; I mean thou fhalt have the hanging of the thieves, and fo become a rare hangman.

Fal. Well, Hal, well; and in fome fort it jumps with my humour, as well as waiting in the Court, I can tell you. P. Henry. For obtaining of fuits?

Fal. Yea, for obtaining of fuits, whereof the hangman hath no lean wardrobe. 'Sblood I am as melancholy as a gib-cat, or a lugg'd bear.

P. Henry. Or an old Lion, or a lover's lute.
Fal. Yea, or the drone of a Lincolnshire bagpipe.
P. Henry. What say'ft thou to a Hare, or the melan-
choly of Moor-ditch?

Fal. Thou haft the most unfavoury fimiles, and art indeed the most incomparative, rafcallieft, fweet young Prince -But, Hal, I pr'ythee trouble me no more with vanity; I would to God thou and I knew where a commodity of good names were to be bought: an old Lord of the council rated me the other day in the street about you, Sir; but Ì mark'd him not, and yet he talk'd very wifely, and in the street too.

P. Henry. Thou didft well; for wisdom cries out in the ftreet, and no man regards it.

Fal. O, thou haft damnable attraction, and art indeed able to corrupt a faint. Thou haft done much harm unto me, Hal, God forgive thee for it! Before I knew thee, Hal, I knew nothing; and now I am, if a man should fpeak truly, little better than one of the wicked. I must give over this life, and I will give it over, by the Lord; an I do not, I am a villain. I'll be damn'd for never a King's fon in christendom.

P. Henry. Where fhall we take a purse to-morrow, Jack? Fal. Where thou wilt, lad, I'll make one; an I do not, call me villain, and baffle me.

P. Henry. I fee a good amendment of life in thee, from praying to purfe-taking,

Fal. Why, Hal, 'tis my vocation, Hal. 'Tis no fin. for a man to labour in his vocation.-Poins!

SCENE III. Enter Poins.

Now shall we know if Gads-bill have fet a match. O, if

men

e

men were to be faved by merit, what hole in hell were hot
enough for him? this is the moft omnipotent villain, that
ever cry'd, ftand, to a true man.-
P. Henry. Good morrow, Ned.
Poins. Good morrow, fweet Hal. What fays Monfieur
remorfe! what fays Sir John fack and fugar? Jack! how
agree the devil and thou about thy foul, that thou foldest
him on Good Friday laft, for a cup of Madera, and a cold
capon's leg?

P. Henry, Sir John ftands to his word, the devil fhall have his bargain, for he was never yet a breaker of proverbs; He will give the devil bis due.

Point. Then art thou damn'd for keeping thy word with the devil.

P. Henry, Elfe he had been damn'd for cozening the devil. Poins. But, my lads, my lads, to-morrow morning, by four a clock early at Gads-bill; there are pilgrims going to Canterbury with rich offerings, and traders riding to London with fat purfes. I have vizards for you all; you have horfes for your felves: Gads-bill lyes to-night in Rochester, I have befpoke fupper to-morrow in Eaft-cheap; we may do it as fecure as fleep: if you will go, I will ftuff your purfes full of crowns if you will not, tarry at home and be hang'd.

Fal. Hear ye, Yedward, if I tarry at home, and go not, I'll hang you for going.

Poins. You will, chops?

Fal. Hal, wilt thou make one?

P. Henry. Who, I rob? I a thief? not I, by my faith. Fal. There's neither honesty, manhood, nor good fellowship in thee; thou cam'ft not of the blood-royal, if thou dar'ft not cry, ftand, for ten fhillings.

P. Henry. Well then, once in my days I'll be a mad-cap.
Fal. Why, that's well faid.

P. Henry. Well, come what will, I'll tarry at home.
Fal. By the Lord, I'll be a traitor then, when thou art
King.

P. Henry. I care not.

Poins. Sir John, I pr'ythee, leave the Prince and me

alone;

alone; I will lay him down fuch reafons for this adventure, that he fhall go.

Fal. Well, may'ft thou have the fpirit of perfuafion, and he the ears of profiting! that what thou speak'ft may move, and what he hears may be believ'd; that the true Prince may, for recreation fake, prove a falfe thief; for the poor abuses of the time want countenance. Farewel, you fhall find me in Eaft-cheap.

P. Henry. Farewel, thou latter fpring! Farewel, allhallown fummer! [Exit Fal. Poins. Now, my good fweet hony Lord, ride with us tomorrow. I have a jeft to execute, that I cannot manage alone. Falstaff, Bardolph, Peto, and Gads-bill, fhall rob thofe men that we have already way-laid; your felf and I will not be there; and when they have the booty, if you and I do not rob them, cut this head from my fhoulders.

P. Henry. But how fhall we part with them in setting forth?

Poins. Why, we will fet forth before or after them, and appoint them a place of meeting, wherein it is at our pleafure to fail; and then will they adventure upon the exploit themselves, which they fhall have no fooner atchiev'd, but we'll fet upon them.

P. Henry. Ay, but 'tis like that they will know us by our horfes, by our habits, and by every other appointment, to be our felves.

Poins. Tut, our horfes they fhall not fee, I'll tye them in the wood; our vizards we will change after we leave them; and, firrah, I have cafes of buckram for the nonce, to immask our noted outward garments.

P. Henry. But I doubt they will be too hard for us.

Poins. Well, for two of them, I know them to be as true-bred cowards as ever turn'd back; and for the third, if he fight longer than he sees reafon, I'll forfwear arms. The virtue of this jeft will be, the incomprehenfible lies that this fame fat rogue will tell us when we meet at fupper; how thirty at least he fought with, what wards, what blows, what extremities he endured; and in the reproof of this, yes the jeft.

P. Henry. Well, I'll go with thee; provide us all things

Re

neceffary, and meet me to-morrow night in Eaft-cheap, there I'll fup. Farewel!

Poins. Farewel, my Lord!

[Exit Poins.

P. Henry. I know you all, and will a while uphold The unyok'd humour of your idleness; Yet herein will I imitate the fun, Who doth permit the base contagious clouds To fmother up his beauty from the world; That when he please again to be himself, Being wanted, he may be more wondred at, By breaking through the foul and ugly mifts Of vapours, that did feem to ftrangle him. If all the year were playing holidays, To fport would be as tedious as to work; But when they feldom come, they wifht-for come, And nothing pleaseth but rare accidents. So when this loose behaviour I throw off, And pay the debt I never promised; By how much better than my word I am, By so much shall I falfifie men's hopes; And, like bright metal on a fullen ground, My reformation glittering o'er my fault Shall fhew more goodly, and attract more eyes, Than that which hath no foil to fet it off. I'll fo offend, to make offence a skill, Redeeming time, when men think least I will. SCENE IV. An Apartment in the Palace. Enter King Henry, Northumberland, Worcester, Hot-fpur, Sir Walter Blunt, and others.

[Exit.

K. Henry. My blood hath been too cold and temperate, Unapt to ftir at these indignities; And you have found me; for accordingly You tread upon my patience: but be fure, I will from henceforth rather be my self, Mighty and to be fear'd in my condition, Which hath been fmooth as oyl, foft as young down, And therefore loft that title of respect, Which the proud foul ne'er pays but to the proud.

Wor. Our houfe, my fovereign Liege, little deferves The fcourge of greatnefs to be used on it,

VOL, V.

B

And