Davy. I hope to fee London, ere I die.
Bard. If I might fee you there, Davy,

Shal. You'll crack a quart together? ha, will you not, mafter Bardolph ?

Bard. Yes, Sir, in a pottle pot.

Shal. By God's liggens, I thank thee; the knave will stick by thee, I can affure thee that.

out, he is true-bred.

Bard. And I'll stick by him, Sir.

He will not

[One knocks at the door. Shal. Why, there spoke a King: lack nothing, be merry. Look, who's at door there, ho: who knocks? Fal. Why, now you have done me right.

Sil. [Singing.] Do me right, and dub me Knight, Samingo. Is't not fo?

Fal. 'Tis fo.

Sil. Is't fo? why, then say, an old man can do fomewhat.

Davy. If it please your Worship, there's one Pistol come from the Court with news.

Fal. From the Court? let him come in.

Pift. Sir John, 'fave you, Sir.

V.

Fal. What wind blew you hither, Pistol?

Pift. Not the ill wind which blows no man good, fweet Knight: thou art now one of the greatest men in the Realm.

diftinction dans les Lettres ou dans les Arts. Par example, nous difons le cavalier Marin, qui étoit un excellent poëte, le Cavalier Bernin qui étoit un excellent architecte. Melanges d'Hist. et Litt, par de Vig. Marville. vol. 3.

6 Samingo.] He means to fay, San Domingo.

Oxford Editor.

Sil.

Sil. Indeed, I think he be, but goodman Puff of Barfon.

Pift. Puff?

. Puff in thy teeth, moft recreant coward bafe? Sir John, I am thy Pistol and thy friend And helter skelter have I rode to thee ; And tidings do I bring, and lucky joys, And golden times, and happy news of price. Fal. I pr'ythee now, deliver them like a man of this world.

Pift. A foutra for the world and worldlings bafe! Speak of Africa and golden joys.

Fal. O bafe Affyrian Knight, what is thy news? 1. Let King Cophetua know the truth thereof. Sil. And Robin-hood, Scarlet, and John.

Pift. Shall dunghill curs confront the Helicons? And shall good news be baffled ?

Then Pistol lay thy head in fury's lap.

Shal. Honeft gentleman, I know not your breeding.
Pist. Why then, lament therefore.

Shal. Give me pardon, Sir. 66 If, Sir, you come "with news from the Court, I take it, there is but "two ways either to utter them, or to conceal them." I am, Sir under the King, in fome authority..

Pift. Under which King? Bezonian, speak or die.
Shal. Under King Harry.

Pift. Harry the Fourth? or Fifth?

Shal. Harry the Fourth.

Pift. A foutra for thine office!

Sir John, thy tender Lamb-kin now is King.
Harry the Fifth's the man. I fpeak the truth.
When Pistol lies, do this, and fig me like

The bragging Spaniard.

7 Let King Cophetua &c.] Lines taken from an old bombaft play of King Cophetua: of whom, as we learn from Shakespear, there were ballads too.

8 Bezonian,] A vile or needy person.

Mr. Theobald.

Fal.

Fal. What, is the old King dead?

Pift. As nail in door: the things I fpeak are juft. Fal. Away, Bardolph, faddle my horfe. Matter Robert Shallow, chufe what office thou wilt in the Land, 'tis thine. Piftol, I will double charge thee with Dignities.

Bard. O joyful day! I would not take a Knighthood for my fortune.

Pift. What? I do bring good news.

Fal. Carry mafter Silence to bed: mafter Shallow, my lord Shallow, be what thou wilt, I am fortune's Steward. Get on thy boots, we'll ride all night. Oh, fweet Piftol! away, Bardolph: come, Pistol, utter more to me; and withal devife fomething to do thy felf good. Boot, boot, mafter Shallow. I know, the young King is fick for me. Let us take any man's horfes: the Laws of England are at my commandment. Happy are they which have been my friends; and wo to my Lord Chief Juftice!

Pift. Let vultures vile feize on his lungs alfo! ? Where is the life that late I led, fay they? Why, here it is, welcome this pleasant day. [Exeunt.

S CE N Ε VI.

Changes to a Street in LONDON.

Enter Hoftefs Quickly, Doll Tear-fheet, and Beadles.

Hoft.

10, thou arrant knave, I would I might die, that I might have thee hang'd; thou haft drawn my fhoulder out of joint.

Bead. The conftables have deliver'd her over to me; and she shall have whipping cheer enough, I warrant her. There hath been a man or two kill'd about her.

9 Where is the life that late I led,- Words of an old ballad.

X 2

Del.

Dol. Nut-hook, nut-hook, you lie: come on, I'll tell thee what, thou damn'd tripe-vifag'd rafcal, ifthe child, I go with, do miscarry, thou had'ft better thou hadft ftruck thy mother, thou paper-fac'd villain.

Hoft. O the Lord, that Sir John were come, he would make this a bloody day to fome body. But I pray God, the fruit of her womb miscarry.

Bead. If it do, you shall have a dozen of cushions again, you have but eleven now. Come, I charge you both go with me; for the man is dead, that you and Piftol beat among you.

Dol. I'll tell thee what, thou thin man in a Cenfer! I will have you as foundly fwing'd for this, (you bluebottle rogue! you filthy famifh'd correctioner! if you be not fwindg'd, I'll forfwear half-kirtles.

Bead. Come, come, you fhe-Knight-arrant, come. Hoft. O, that Right fhould thus o'ercome Might! Well, of fufferance comes ease.

Dol. Come, you rogue, come; bring me to a Juftice.
Hoft. Yes, come, you starv'd blood-hound.
Dol. Goodman death, goodman bones! —
Hoft. Thou Atomy, thou!

Dol. Come, you thin thing: come, you rascal!
Bead. Very well.

[Exeunt.

1 thou thin man in a Cenfer !] Thefe old Cenfers of thin metal· had generally at the bottom the figure of fome faint raised up with the hammer, in a barbarous kind of imboffed or chafed work. The hunger-ftarved Beadle is compared, in fubftance, to one of thefe thin raifed figures, by the fame kind of humour that Piftol, in the Merry Wives, calls Slender, a laten bilboe.

SCENE

SCENE VII.

A publick Place near Westminster-Abbey.

Enter two Grooms, ftrewing rushes.

1 Groom. MORE rushes, more rushes.

2 Groom. The trumpets have founded twice.

1. Groom. It will be two of the clock ere they come from the Coronation: dispatch, dispatch.

[Exeunt Grooms. Enter Falstaff, Shallow, Piftol, Bardolph, and the Boy.

Fal. Stand here by me, mafter Robert Shallow, I will make the King do you grace: I will leer upon him as he comes by, and do but mark the countenance that he will give me.

Pift. Bless thy lungs, good Knight.

Fal. Come here, Pistol, ftand behind me. O, if I had had time to have made new liveries, I would have bestow'd the thousand pound I borrow'd of you. But it is no matter, this poor Show doth better; this doth infer the zeal I had to fee him.

Shal. It doth fo.

Fal. It fhews my earnestness of affection.
Pift. It doth fo.

Fal. My devotion.

Pift. It doth, it doth, it doth.

Fal. As it were, to ride day and night, and not to deliberate, not to remember, not to have patience to fhift me..

Shal. It is most certain.

Fal. But to stand stained with travel, and sweating with defire to see him, thinking of nothing elfe, putting all affairs else in oblivion, as if there were nothing elfe to be done but to fee him.