William Shakespeare - William Shakespeare - Complete Works

PRINCE.

Where shall we take a purse to-morrow, Jack?

FALSTAFF.

Zounds, where thou wilt, lad; I’ll make one: an I do not, call me villain, and baffle me.

PRINCE.

I see a good amendment of life in thee,—from praying to purse-taking.

FALSTAFF.

Why, Hal, ’tis my vocation, Hal; ’tis no sin for a man to labour in his vocation.

[Enter Poins.]

POINS.

Now shall we know if Gadshill have set a match. O, if men were to be saved by merit, what hole in Hell were hot enough for him? This is the most omnipotent villain that ever cried Stand! to a true man.

PRINCE.

Good morrow, Ned.

POINS.

Good morrow, sweet Hal.—What says Monsieur Remorse? what says Sir John Sack-and-sugar? Jack, how agrees the Devil and thee about thy soul, that thou soldest him on Good-Friday last for a cup of Madeira and a cold capon’s leg?

PRINCE.

Sir John stands to his word,—the Devil shall have his bargain;

for he was never yet a breaker of proverbs,—he will give the

Devil his due.

POINS.

Then art thou damn’d for keeping thy word with the Devil.

PRINCE.

Else he had been damn’d for cozening the Devil.

POINS.

But, my lads, my lads, to-morrow morning, by four o’clock, early at Gads-hill! there are pilgrims gong to Canterbury with rich offerings, and traders riding to London with fat purses: I have visards 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 hang’d.

FALSTAFF.

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

POINS.

You will, chops?

FALSTAFF.

Hal, wilt thou make one?

PRINCE.

Who, I rob? I a thief? not I, by my faith.

FALSTAFF.

There’s neither honesty, manhood, nor good fellowship in thee, nor thou camest not of the blood royal, if thou darest not stand for ten shillings.

PRINCE.

Well, then, once in my days I’ll be a madcap.

FALSTAFF.

Why, that’s well said.

PRINCE.

Well, come what will, I’ll tarry at home.

FALSTAFF.

By the Lord, I’ll be a traitor, then, when thou art king.

PRINCE.

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.

FALSTAFF.

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.

PRINCE.

Farewell, thou latter Spring! farewell, All-hallown Summer!

[Exit Falstaff.]

POINS.

Now, my good sweet honey-lord, ride with us to-morrow: I have a jest to execute that I cannot manage alone. Falstaff, Bardolph, Peto, and Gadshill, shall rob those men that we have already waylaid: 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.

PRINCE.

But 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.

PRINCE.

Ay, but ’tis 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 visards we will change, after we leave them; and, sirrah, I have cases of buckram for the nonce, to immask our noted outward garments.

PRINCE.

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 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.

PRINCE.

Well, I’ll go with thee: provide us all things necessary and meet me to-night in Eastcheap; there I’ll sup. Farewell.

POINS.

Farewell, my lord.

[Exit.]

PRINCE.

I know you all, and will awhile uphold

The unyok’d humour of your idleness:

Yet herein will I imitate the Sun,

Who doth permit the base contagious clouds

To smother-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 mists

Of vapours that did seem to strangle him.

If all the year were playing holidays,

To sport would be as tedious as to work;

But, when they seldom come, they wish’d-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 falsify men’s hopes;

And, like bright metal on a sullen ground,

My reformation, glittering o’er my fault,

Shall show more goodly and attract more eyes

Than that which hath no foil to set it off.

I’ll so offend, to make offence a skill;

Redeeming time, when men think least I will.

[Exit.]

SCENE III. The Same. A Room in the Palace.

[Enter King Henry, Northumberland, Worcester, Hotspur, Sir Walter

Blunt, and others.]

KING.

My blood hath been too cold and temperate,

Unapt to stir 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,

Mighty and to be fear’d, than my condition,

Which hath been smooth as oil, soft as young down,

And therefore lost that title of respect

Which the proud soul ne’er pays but to the proud.

WORCESTER.

Our House, my sovereign liege, little deserves

The scourge of greatness to be used on it;

And that same greatness too which our own hands

Have holp to make so portly.

NORTHUMBERLAND.

My good lord,—

KING.

Worcester, get thee gone; for I do see

Danger and disobedience in thine eye:

O, sir, your presence is too bold and peremptory,

And majesty might never yet endure

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.

[Exit Worcester.]

[To Northumberland.]

You were about to speak.

NORTHUMBERLAND.

Yea, my good lord.

Those prisoners in your Highness’ name demanded,

Which Harry Percy here at Holmedon took,

Were, as he says, not with such strength denied

As is deliver’d to your Majesty:

Either envy, therefore, or misprision

Is guilty of this fault, and not my son.

HOTSPUR.

My liege, I did deny no prisoners.

But, I remember, when the fight was done,

When I was dry with rage and extreme toil,

Breathless and faint, leaning upon my sword,

Came there a certain lord, neat, trimly dress’d,

Fresh as a bridegroom; and his chin new reap’d

Show’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