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Enter Poins.

This is the most omnipotent villain, that ever cry'd, Stand,

to a true man.

P. Henry. Good morrow, Ned.

Poins. Good morrow, fweet Hal.-What fays monfieur Remorfe? What fays fir John Sack-and-Sugar? Jack, how agrees the devil and thee about thy foul, that thou foldest him on Good-friday laft, for a cup of Madeira, 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 verbs, He will give the devil his due.

pro

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

P. Henry. Elfe he had been damn'd for cozening the devil.

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Poins. But, my lads, my lads, to-morrow morning, by four o'clock, early at Gadfhill: There are pilgrims going to Canterbury with rich offerings, and traders riding to London with fat purfes: I have vifors for you all, you have horses for yourselves: Gadhill lies to-night in Rochefter; I have bespoke supper to-morrow night in Eastcheap; we may do it as fecure as sleep: If you will go, I will stuff 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 honefty, manhood, nor good fele true man. 7.]—an honest man.

Gadfbill:]—a place on the Kentish road.

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lowship in thee, nor thou cam'ft not of the blood royal, if thou dar'ft not ftand for ten fhillings.

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

P. Henry. Weil, 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.

Peins. Sir John, I pr'ythee, leave the prince and me alone; I will lay him down fuch reafons for this adventure, that he shall go.

Fal. Well, may'ft thou have the fpirit of perfuafion, and he the ears of profiting, that what thou fpeakeft may move, and what he hears may be believed, that the true prince may (for recreation fake) prove a false thief; for the poor abuses of the time want countenance. Farewell: You fhall find me in East-cheap.

P. Henry. Farewell, thou latter fpring! farewell 'Allhallown fummer! [Exit Falstaff.

Poins. Now, my good fweet honey lord, ride with us to-morrow; I have a jeft to execute, that I cannot manage alone. Falstaff, Bardolph, Peto, and Gadfhill, fhall rob thofe 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 from my fhoulders. P. Henry. But how fhall we part with them in fetting 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 themfelves which they fhall have no fooner atchieved, but we'll fet upon them.

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fand for ten fillings.]—a real, or royal. (pun.)
All-ballown jummer!]-old fellow with youthful follies.

P. Henry.

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

Poins. Tut! our horfes they fhall not fee, I'll tie them in the wood; our vifors 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 fees 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, lies the jeft.

P. Henry. Well, I'll go with thee; provide us all things neceffary, and meet me to-morrow night in East-cheap, there I'll fup. Farewell.

Poins. Farewell, 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 wonder'd 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 sport would be as tedious as to work;

But, when they feldom come, they wish'd-for come,

for the nonce,]-purpose, occafion.
reproof]-difproof, refutation,

i to-night.

And

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 fo much shall I* falfify 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 fer it off.
I'll fo offend, to make offence a skill;
Redeeming time, when men think leaft I will. [Exit.

SCENE III.

An Apartment in the Palace.

Enter King Henry, Northumberland, Worcester, Hotspur, Sir Walter Blunt, and others.

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 sure,

I will from henceforth rather be myself,

m

Mighty, and to be fear'd, " than my condition;
Which hath been fmooth as oil, foft as young down,
And therefore loft that title of respect,

Which the proud foul ne'er pays, but to the proud.
Wor. Our house, my fovereign liege, little deferves
The fcourge of greatness to be used on it;
And that fame greatness too which our own hands
Have holp to make fo portly.

* falfify men's bopes ;]-exceed their expectation.

be myjelf]-appear the king; affume my proper character, that of injured, refentful majesty.

m than my condition;]-than remain under the influence of my natural mild difpofition.

North.

North. My lord,

K. Henry. Worcester, get thee gone, for I do fee
Danger and difobedience in thine eye:

O, fir, your prefence is too bold and peremptory,
And majefty might never yet endure

The moody frontier of a fervant brow.

You have good leave to leave us; when we need
Your uft and counfel, we shall fend for you.-

You were about to speak.

North. Yea, my good lord.

[Exit Worcester. [To Northumberland.

Those prifoners in your highnefs' name demanded,
Which Harry Percy here at Holmedon took,
Were, as he says, not with fuch ftrength deny'd
As is deliver'd to your majesty:

Either envy, therefore, or mifprifion
Is guilty of this fault, and not my fon.
Hot. My liege, I did deny no prisoners.
But, I remember, when the fight, was done,
When I was dry with rage, and extreme toil,
Breathlefs and faint, leaning upon my sword,
Came there a certain lord, neat, and trimly drefs'd,
Fresh as a bridegroom; and his chin, new reap'd,
Shew'd like a stubble land at harvest-home :

He was perfumed like a milliner;

And 'twixt his finger and his thumb he held
A pouncet-box, which ever and anon

He gave his nose, and took't away again;
Who, therewith angry, when it next came there,
*Took it in snuff:-and still he smil'd, and talk'd;

a The moody frontier]-threaten'd oppofition.

• at barveft-home:]-when it appears moft smooth and even. ? A pouncet-box,]—A pierced box, for mufk, or other perfumes. took it in fnuff:]-in anger, or difdain, indignantly.

"You'll marr the light by taking it in fnuff.”

LOVE'S LABOUR LOST, Vol. I. p. 596. Kath.

And,

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