P. Henry. Thou judgeft falfe already: I mean, thou fhalt have the hanging of the thieves, and fo become a rare hangman.

Fal. Well, Hal, well; and in fome fort it jumps with my humour, as well as waiting in the Court, I can tell you.

P. Henry. For obtaining of fuits?

Fal. Yea, for obtaining of fuits; whereof the hangman hath no lean wardrobe. 'Sblood, I am as melancholy as a gib-cat, or a lugg'd bear.

P. Henry. Or an old Lion, or a lover's lute.

Fal. Yea, or the drone of a Lincolnshire bagpipe. P. Henry. What fay'st thou to a Hare, or the melancholy of Moor-ditch?

Fal. Thou haft the most unfavoury fimilies; and art, indeed, the most (a) incomparative, rascalliest, fweet young Prince - But, Hal, I pr'ythee, trouble me no more with vanity; I would to God, thou and I knew where a commodity of good names were to be bought an old lord of the Council rated me the other day in the street about you, Sir; but I mark'd him not, and yet he talk'd very wifely, and in the ftreet too.

P. Henry. Thou didst well; for wisdom cries out in the streets, and no man regards it.

Fal. O, thou hast damnable (b) attraction, and art, indeed, able to corrupt a faint. Thou haft done much harm unto me, Hal, God forgive thee for it! Before I knew thee, Hal, I knew nothing; and now am I, if a man fhould fpeak truly, little better than one of the wicked. I must give over this life, and I will give it over; by the lord, an I do not, I am a villain. I'll be damn'd for never a King's fon in chriftendom.

[(a) incomparative. Oxford Editor.-Vulg. comparative.] [(b) attraction. Oxford Editor.

Vulg. iteration]

P. Henry.

U P. Henry. Where shall we take a purse. to morrow, Jack?

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

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

Fal. Why, Hal, 'tis my vocation, Hal. 'Tis no fin for a Man to labour in his vocation. Poins! Now fhall we know, if Gads-bill have fet a match. O, if men were to be faved by merit, what hole in hell were hot enough for him!

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 Sir John Sack and Sugar? Jack! how agree the devil and thou about thy foul, that thou foldeft him on Good-Friday laft, for a cup of Madera, and a cold capon's leg?

P. Henry. Sir John stands to his word; the devil fhall have his bargain, for he was never yet a breaker of proverbs; He will give the devil his due.

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

P. Henry. 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 Gads-bill; there are pilgrims going to Canterbury with rich offerings, and traders riding to London with fat purses. I have vifors for you all; you have horses for your felves: Gads-hill lies to night in Rochester, I have bespoke fupper to morrow night in Eaft-cheap; we may do it, as fecure as fleep:

if

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, redward; 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 is neither honesty, manhood, nor good fellowship in thee, nor thou cam'ft not of the blood royal, if thou dar'ft not cry, ftand, for ten fhillings. P. Henry, Well then, once in my days I'll be a madсар.

Fal. Why, that's well faid.

P. Henry. Well, 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.

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'ft thou have the spirit of perfuafión, and he the ears of profiting, that what thou speak'st may move, and what he hears may be believ'd; that the true Prince may (for recreation-fake,) prove a falfe thief; for the poor abuses of the time want countenance. Farewel, you fhall find me in Eaft-cheap.

P. Henry. Farewel, thou latter fpring! Farewel, allhallown fummer!

[Exit Fal. Poins. Now, my good fweet hony lord, ride with us to morrow. I have a jeft to execute, that I cannot manage alone. Falstaff, Bardolph, Peto, and Gadsbill, fhall rob thofe men that we have already waylaid; your felf and I will not be there; and when they have the booty, if you and I do not rob them, cut this head from off my shoulders.

P. Henry

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 pleasure to fail; and then will they adventure upon the exploit themselves, which they shall have no fooner atchiev'd, but we'll set upon them.

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

Poins. Tut, our horfes they fhall not fee, I'll tye them in the wood; our vizors we will change after we leave them; and, firrah, I have cafes of buckram for the nonce, to immask our noted outward garments.

LIS.

P. Henry. But, I doubt, they will be too hard for

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 Eaft-cheap, there I'll fup. Farewel.

Poins. Farewel, 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 Sun,

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 wondred at,
By breaking through the foul and ugly mists
Of vapours, that did feem to ftrangle him.

If

If all the year were playing holidays,
To fport would be as tedious as to work;
But when they feldom come, they wifht-for come,
And nothing pleaseth but rare Accidents.
So, when this loose behaviour I throw off,
And pay the debt I never promifed;
By how much better than my word I am,
By fo much' fhall I falfifie men's fears;
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 fet it off.
I'll fo offend, to make offence a skill;
Redeeming time, when men think leaft I will. [Exit.

SCE NE IV.

Changes to an Apartment in the Palace.

Enter King Henry, Northumberland, Worcester, Hot-fpur, Sir Walter Blunt, and others.

K. Henry. MY blood hath been too cold and tem

perate,

Unapt to ftir at these indignities;

And you have found me; for accordingly
You tread upon my patience: but be fure,
2 I will from henceforth rather be my felf,
Mighty and to be fear'd, than my Condition;

Which

hall 1 falfifie men's HOPES ;] Juft the contrary. We fhould read FEARS.

2. I will from henceforth rather be my felf,

Mighty and to be fear'd, than my Condition ;] i. e. I will from henceforth rather put on the character that becomes me, and exert the refentment of an injured King, than ftill continue in the inactivity and mildness of my natural difpofition. And this fentiment he has well exprefled, fave that by his ufual licence, he puts the word condition for difpofition: which ufe of terms depaïfing

our

1