Therefore, thou, beft of gold, art worst of gold.
Others, lefs fine in carrat, is more precious,
Preferving life in med'cine potable:

But thou, most fine, most honour'd, most renown'd,
Haft eat thy bearer up.
Accufing it, I put it on my head;
To try with it, as with an enemy,

Thus, my most royal liege,

That had before my face murder'd my father,-
The quarrel of a true inheritor.

But if it did infect my blood with joy,

Or fwell my thoughts to any ftrain of pride;

If

any rebel or vain spirit of mine

Did, with the least affection of a welcome,
Give entertainment to the might of it,
Let heaven for ever keep it from my head!
And make me as the pooreft vaffal is,
That doth with awe and terror kneel to it!
K. Henry. O my fon!

Heaven put it in thy mind, to take it hence,
That thou might'ft win the more thy father's love,
Pleading fo wifely in excufe of it.

Come hither, Harry, fit thou by my bed;

And hear, I think, the very latest counsel

That ever I fhall breathe. Heaven knows, my fon,
By what by-paths, and indirect crook'd ways,
I met this crown; and I myself know well,
How troublesome it fat upon my head:
To thee it fhall defcend with better quiet,
Better opinion, better confirmation;

a

For all the foil of the atchievement goes

With me into the earth. It feem'd in me,

But as an honour fnatch'd with boisterous hand;

medicine potalle:]-fuch folution was thought to poffefs extraorthe foil]-the difgrace, the infamy.

dinary virtues.

And

And I had many living, to upbraid

My gain of it by their affiftances;

с

Which daily grew to quarrel, and to blood-fhed,
Wounding fuppofed peace: all these bold fears,
Thou fee'ft, with peril I have answered :—
For all my reign hath been but as a fcene

"Acting that argument; and now my death

с

Changes the mode: for what in me was purchas'd,
Falls upon thee in a more fairer fort,

f

So thou the garland wear'st ' fucceffively.

Yet, though thou ftand'st more fure than I could do,
Thou art not firm enough, fince griefs are green;

And all my friends, which thou must make thy friends,
Have but their ftings and teeth newly ta'en out;

By whose fell working I was first advanc'd,
And by whose power I well might lodge a fear
To be again difplac'd: which to avoid,

h

I cut them off; and had a purpose now

To lead out many to the Holy Land;

Lest rest, and lying ftill, might make them look
Too near into my ftate.

Therefore, my Harry,
Be it thy course, to bufy giddy minds

With foreign quarrels; that action, hence borne out,
May waste the memory of the former days.
More would I, but my lungs are wafted fo,
That strength of fpeech is utterly deny'd me.
How I came by the crown, O God, forgive!
And grant it may with thee in true peace live!
P. Henry. My gracious liege,

b fuppofed]-imaginary, which we hoped to have enjoyed.
bold fears,]-audacious caufes of fear.

Alting that argument ;]-Whofe theme was inceffant contention. the mode:]-the cafe, ftate of things-acquired.

f

fuccefively.]-by order of fucceffion, by defcent.

8 thy.

them off;]-fome of them.

many]-many more.

You

You won it, wore it, kept it, gave it me;
Then plain, and right, must my possession be:
Which I, with more than with a common pain,
'Gainst all the world will rightfully maintain.

Enter Lord John of Lancaster, Warwick, &c.

K. Henry. Look, look, here comes my John of Lancaster. Lan. Health, peace, and happiness, to my royal father! K. Henry. Thou bring'ft me happiness, and peace, fon

John;

But health, alack, with youthful wings is flown
From this bare, wither'd trunk: upon thy fight,
My worldly business makes a period.-
Where is my lord of Warwick?

P. Henry. My lord of Warwick!

K. Henry. Doth any name particular belong Unto the lodging where I first did swoon? War. 'Tis call'd Jerufalem, my noble lord."

K. Henry, Laud be to God!-even there my life muft end.

It hath been prophefy'd to me many years,

I should not die but in Jerufalem;

Which vainly I fuppos'd, the Holy Land :-
But, bear me to that chamber; there I'll lie;
In that Jerufalem fhall Harry die.

[Exeunt.

ACT

A CIT V Vheet S CENE I.

Shallow's Seat in Gloftershire::

Enter Shallow, Falstaff, Bardolph, and Page.

Shal. By cock and pye, fir, you fhall not away tonight.What, Davy, I say!

Fal. You muft excufe me, mafter Robert Shallow. Shal. I will not excufe you; you fhall not be excus'd; excufes fhall not be admitted; there is no excuse shall ferve, you fhall not be excus'd.--Why, Davy!

Enter, Davy,

Davy. Here, fir.aminí

Shal. Davy, Davy, Davy,-let me fee, Davy; let me fee:-yea, marry, William Cook, bid him come hither, Sir John, you fhall not be excus'd.

Davy. Marry, fir, thus; thofe precepts cannot be ferv'd and, again, fir,-Shall we fow the head-land with wheat?

Shal. With red wheat, Davy. But for William cook, Are there no young pigeons?

Davy. Yes, fir.Here is now the fmith's note, for fhoeing, and plough-irons.

m

Shal. Let it be caft, and paid:-fir John, you shall not be excus'd.!

j By cock and pye,]-This adjuration is made up of a corruption of the Sacred Name, and a word denoting the table of the Roman formulary.' MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR, Vol. I. p. 177. Page.

* William cook] Dick Butcher, for the butcher."

1 precepts the warrants.

HENRY VI. Part II. A&t IV. S. 2. Cade. be cast,]-caft up, examined.

Davy. Now, fir, a new link to the bucket must needs be had:-And, fir, do you mean to stop any of William's wages, about the fack he loft the other day at Henley fair?

Shal. He fhall anfwer it :-Some pigeons, Davy; a couple of fhort-legg'd hens; a joint of mutton; and any pretty little tiny kickshaws, tell William cook.

Davy. Doth the man of war stay all night, fir?

Shal. Yes, Davy. I will ufe him well; A friend i'the court is better than a penny in purse. Use his men well, Davy; for they are arrant knaves, and will backbite.

Davy. No worse than they are back-bitten, fir, for they have marvellous foul linen.

Shal. Well conceited, Davy. About thy business, Davy. Davy. I beseech you, fir, to countenance William Vifor of Wincot against Clement Perkes of the hill.

Shal. There are many complaints, Davy, against that Vifor; that Vifor is an arrant knave, on my knowledge.

Davy. I grant your worship, that he is a knave, fir: but yet, God forbid, fir, but a knave fhould have fome countenance at his friend's requeft. An honeft man, fir, is able to speak for himself, when a knave is not. I have ferv'd your worship truly, fir, these eight years; and if I cannot once or twice in a quarter bear out a knave against an honest man, I have but a very little credit with your worship. The knave is mine honest friend, fir; therefore, I beseech your worship, let him be countenanc'd.

Shal. Go to; I fay, he fhall have no wrong. Look about, Davy. Where are you, fir John? Come, off with your boots. Give me your hand, master Bardolph. Bard. I am glad to see your worship.

Sbal. I thank thee with all my heart, kind mafter Bardolph :-and welcome, my tall fellow. [to the page.] Come, fir John.

Fal. I'll follow you, good master Robert Shallow. Bar

dolph,