Fal. Where thou wilt, lad, I'll make one; an I do not, call me villain, and baffle me.

P. Hen. I fee a good amendment of life in thee; from praying, to purse-taking.

Enter POINS, at a distance.

Fal. Why, Hal, 'tis my vocation, Hal; 'tis no fin for a man to labour in his vocation. Poins!-Now fhall we know if Gadshill have set a match. O, if men were to be fav'd 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.

P. Hen. Good morrow, Ned.

Poins. Good morrow, sweet Hal.-What says 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 last, for a cup of Madeira, and a cold capon's leg?

P. Hen. Sir John ftands 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.

P. Hen. Elfe he had been damn'd for cozening the devil. Poins. But, my lads, my lads, to-morrow morning, by four o'clock, early at Gadshill: 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 horfes for yourselves; Gadshill lies to-night in Rochefter; I have bespoke fupper to-morrow night in Eastcheap; 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.

Fal. Hear me, 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. Hen. Who, I rob? I a thief? not I, by my faith. Fal. There's neither honesty, manhood, nor good fellowship in thee, nor thou camest not of the blood royal, if thou dareft not stand for ten fhillings.

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

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

P. Hen. I care not.

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

Fal. Well, may'st thou have the fpirit of perfuafion, and he the ears of profiting, that what thou speakest 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 Eaftcheap.

P. Hen. Farewell, thou latter fpring! Farewell Allhallown fummer. [Exit FALSTAFF.

Peins. Now, my good fweet honey lord, ride with us to-morrow; I have a jest to execute, that I cannot manage alone. Falstaff, Bardolph, Peto, and Gadshil!, shall rob those 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 shoulders. P. Hen. But how fhall we part with them in setting forth?

Poins. Why, we will fet forth before or after them, and

appoint

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 fhall have no fooner achieved, but we'll fet upon them.

P. Hen. 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 visors we will change, after we leave them; and, firrah, I have cafes of buckram for the nonce, to immask our noted outward garments.

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

Poins. Farewell, my lord.

[Exit POINS. P. Hen. I know you all, and will a while uphold The unyok'd humour of your idlenefs:

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 mists
Of vapours, that did seem to strangle him.
If all the year were playing holidays,

To fport 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 fo much fhall I falfify men's hopes;
And, like bright metal on a fullen ground,
My reformation, glittering o'er my fault,
Shall fhow 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,

[Exit.

SCENE III.

The fame. Another Room in the Palace.

Enter King HENRY, NORTHUMBERLAND, WORCESTER, HOTSPUR, Sir WALTER BLUNT, and Others.

K. Hen. 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, 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 scourge of greatness to be used on it ;
And that fame greatnefs too which our own hands
Have holp to make so portly.

North.

North. My lord,——

K. Hen. Worcester, get thee gone, for 1 fee danger
And disobedience in thine eye: Q, fir,

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 counfel, we thall fend for you.-.

You were about to speak.

North.

[Exit WORCESTER. [TO NORTHUMBERLAND.

Yea, my good lord.

Those prifoners in your highness' name demanded,
Which Harry Percy here at Holmedon took,
Were, as he says, not with fuch strength denied
As is deliver'd to your majefty:

Either envy, therefore, or mifprifion
Is guilty of this fault, and not my fon.
Hot. My liege, I did deny no prifoners.
But, I remember, when the fight was done,
When I was dry with rage, and extreme toil,
Breathlefs and faint, leaning upon my fword,
Came there a certain lord, neat, and trimly drefs'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 bis thumb he held

A pouncet-box, which ever and anon

He gave his nofe, and took't away again ;

Who, therewith angry, when it next came there,
Took it in snuff:-and still he finil'd, and talk'd;
And, as the foldiers bore dead bodies by,

He call'd them-untaught knaves, unmannerly,
To bring a flovenly unhandsome corse

Betwixt the wind and his nobility.