Fal. My King, my Jove, I speak to thee, my heart! King. I know thee not, old man: fall to thy prayers: How ill white hairs become a fool and jefter!

I have long dream'd of fuch a kind of man,
So furfeit-fwell'd, fo old, and fo profane;
But being awake, I do despise my dream.
Make lefs thy body hence, and more thy grace,
Leave gormandizing. Know, the grave doth gape
For thee, thrice wider than for other men.
Reply not to me with a fool-born jest:
Prefume not that I am the thing I was:
For heav'n doth know, fo fhall the world perceive,
That I have turn'd away my former self,
So will I those that kept me company.
When thou dost hear I am as I have been,
Approach me, and thou shalt be as thou waft,
The tutor and the feeder of my riots;
'Till then I banish thee, on pain of death,
As I have done the rest of my mif-leaders,
Not to come near our perfon by ten miles.
For competence of life, I will allow you,
That lack of means enforce you not to evil;
And as we hear you do reform your felves,
We will according to your ftrength and qualities
Give you advancement. Be't your charge, my Lord,
To fee perform'd the tenour of our word.

Set on.

SCENE IX.

[Ex. King, &c.

Fal. Mafter Shallow, owe you a thousand pound. Shal. Ay marry, Sir John, which I beseech you to let me have home with me.

Fal. That can hardly be, Mr. Shallow. Do not you grieve at this; I fhall be fent for in private to him: look you, he must seem thus. to the world. Fear not your advancement, I will be the man yet that shall make you great.

Shal. I cannot perceive how, unless you give me your doublet and ftuff me out with ftraw. I beseech you, good Sir John, let me have five hundred of my thousand. VOL. V.

Р

Fai

Fal. Sir, I will be as good as my word. This that you heard was but a colour.

Shal. A colour I fear that you will die in, Sir John.

Fal. Fear no colours: go with me to dinner: come, lieutenant Piftol, come, Bardolph. I fhall be fent for foon at night.

Enter Chief Juftice and Prince John.
Ch. Juft. Go carry Sir John Falstaff to the Fleet,
Take all his company along with him.

Fal. My Lord, my Lord.

Cb. Juft. I cannot now fpeak, I will hear you Take them away.

foon.

Pift. Si fortuna me tormenta, il fperare me contenta.

Manent Lancaster and Chief Juftice.

Lan. I like this fair proceeding of the King's.

He hath intent his wonted followers

Shall all be very well provided for;

But they are banish'd, 'till their conversations

Appear more wife and modeft to the world.

Ch. Juft. And fo they are.

[Exeunt.

Lan. The King hath call'd his Parliament, my Lord. Cb. Juft. He hath.

Lan. I will lay odds, that ere this year expire,

We bear our civil fwords and native fire

As far as France. I heard a bird fo fing,

Whofe mufick, to my thinking, pleas'd the King.
Come, will you hence?

[Exeunt,

EP T

EPILO
LOGU

GUE.

Spoken by a DANCER.

IRST, my fear; then, my court'fie; last, my speech. My fear is your difpleafure; my court fie, my duty; and my speech, to beg your pardons. If you look for a good Speech now, you undo me: for what I have to say is of mine own making, and what indeed I should fay will I doubt prove mine own marring. But to the purpofe, and fo to the venture. Be it known to you, (as it is very well) I was lately bere in the end of a difpleafing Play, to pray your patience for it, and to promife you a better. I did mean indeed to pay you with this; which if, like an ill venture,

come

unluckily bome, I break; and you, my gentle creditors, lofe. Here I promifed you I would be, and bere I commit my body to your mercies: bate me fome, and I will pay you fome, and as moft debtors do, promise you infinitely.

If my tongue cannot entreat you to acquit me, will you command me to use my legs? and yet that were but light payment to dance out of your debt: but a good confcience will make any poffible fatisfaction, and fo will I. All the gentlewomen bere bave forgiven me; if the gentlemen will not, then the gentlemen do not agree with the gentlewomen, which was never seen before in fuch an affembly.

One word more I beseech you; if you be not too much cloy'd with fat meat, our bumble author will continue the story with Sir John in it, and make you merry with fair Catharine of France; where, for any thing I know, Falstaff fball die of a fweat, unless already be be kill'd with your hard opinions: for * Oldcastle died a martyr, and this is not the man. My tongue is weary: when my legs are too, I will bid you good night, and fo kneel down before you; but indeed to pray for the Queen.

• This alludes to the first play, in which Sir John Oldeagle was put for Falstaff.

THE

LIFE

O F

King HENRY V.