Shal. I cannot perceive how; unless you give me your doublet, and stuff me out with ftraw. I beseech you, good fir John, let me have five hundred of my thousand. 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, fir John. Fal. Fear no colours; go with me to dinner. Come, lieutenant Piftol;-come, Bardolph :-I fhall be fent for foon at night.

Re-enter the Chief Justice, Prince John, &c.

Cb. Just. Go, carry fir John Falftaff to the fleet; Take all his company along with him.

Fal. My lord, my lord,

Cb. Juft. I cannot now speak: I will hear you foon. Take them away.

Pift. Si fortuna me tormenta, pero me contenta. [Exeunt.

Manent Lancaster, and Chief Justice.

Lan. I like this fair proceeding of the king's:

He hath intent, his wonted followers

Shall all be very well provided for ;

But all are banifh'd, 'till their conversations
Appear more wife and modeft to the world.

Ch. Juft. And fo they are.

Lan. The king hath call'd his parliament, my lord.
Ch. Just. 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, in my thinking, pleas'd the king.
Come, will you hence?

[Exeunt.

SPOKEN BY A DANCER.

well) I was to pray your

FIRST, my fear; then, my court fy: laft, my speech, My fear is, your difpleafure; my curt'fy, 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 fay, is of mine own making; and what, indeed, I fhould fay, will, I doubt, prove mine own marring. But to the purpose, and fo to the venture. Be it known to you (as it is very lately here in the end of a difpleafing play, patience for it, and to promife you a better. indeed, to pay you with this; which if, it come unluckily home, I break, and you, lofe. Here, I promised you, I would be, my body to your mercies: bate me fome, and I will pay you fome, and, as moft debtors do, promise you infinitely.

1 did mean,

like an ill venture, my gentle creditors, and here I commit

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 so will I. All the gentlewomen bere have forgiven me; if the gentlemen will not, then the gentlemen do not agree with the gentlewomen, which was never Jeen before in fuch an affembly.

One word more, I beseech you. If you be not too much cloy'd with fat meat, our humble author will continue the Story, with Sir John in it, and make you merry with " fair Katharine of France: where, for any thing I know, Falfaff

as a woman's.

court'fy]-reverence, compliment, bow; a man's falute as well Fair Katharine of France:]-her broken English. Leall

VOL. III.

Y y

n

fball die of a fweat, unless already be be kill'd with your bard 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, in deed, to pray for the queen.

for Oldcastle died a martyr, and this is not the man.]-This cha racter of Falstaff has no reference to the martyr of the name of Old. caftle, a mistake about which probably might have prevailed to our author's difadvantage, from that name having been given, in the old play of Henry V. to a despicable, and truly displeafing buffoon.

to pray for the queen.]—this was customary at the conclufion of the antient interludes; hence perhaps "Vivant rex et regina” at the bot. tom of our modern play bills.

END OF THE THIRD VOLUME.

Upon the receipt of this Third Volume, Jun Encouragers of the Work as have already advanced the First Subfcription-money, are requested to pay the Second; and fuch as have hitherto advanced neither, to pay both to the Editor, or into the hands of Meffrs. Little, Bankers in Coventry; Troughton, Paternofter Row, London; Prince and Cooke, and C. S. Rann, Oxford; or Pearfon and Rollafon, Birmingham.

ERRATUM TO VOL. II.

P. 456, Note, read don't stand, &c.