How cold it ftrooke my heart! if I do faine,
O let me in my prefent wildneffe die,

And neuer liue to fhew th'incredulous world,
The noble change that I haue purposed.
Comming to looke on you, thinking you dead,
And dead almoft, my liege, to thinke you were,
I fpake vnto this crowne as hauing fence,

And thus vpbraided it: the care on thee depending,
Hath fed vpon the body of my father,

Therefore thou beft of gold, art worse then gold,
Other leffe fine, in karrat more precious,

Preferuing life in medcine potable:

But thou, moft fine, moft honourd, moft renown'd,
Haft eate thy bearer vp: thus my most royall liege,
Accufing it, I put it on my head,

To trie with it as with an enemy,

That had before my face murdered my father,
The quarrell of a true inheritour,

But if it did infect my bloud with ioy,

Or fwell my thoughts to any straine of pride,
If any rebel or vaine fpirit of mine,

Did with the leaft affection of a welcome,
Giue entertainement to the might of it,
Let God for euer keep it from my head,
And make me as the poorest vaffaile is,
That doth with aw and terror kneele to it.

King. God put in thy mind to take it hence,
That thou mightft win the more thy fathers loue,
Pleading fo wifely in excufe of it: "

Come hither Harry, fit thou by my bed,

And heare (I thinke) the very latest counfaile

That euer I fhal breathe. God knowes (my fonne)
By what by-paths, and indirect crookt waies,
I met this crowne, and I my felfe know well,

How

How troublesome it fate vpon my head:
To thee it fhall defcend with better quiet,
Better opinion, better confirmation,

For al the foyle of the atchieuement goes,
With me into the earth, it seemd in me,
But as an honor fnatcht with boiftrous hand,
And I had many liuing to vpbraide
My gaine of it, by their affistances,

Which daily grew to quarrell and to bloudshed,
Wounding fuppofed peace: all these bold feares
Thou feeft with perill I baue answerd:
For all my raigne hath beene but as a fcene,
Acting that argument: and now my death
Changes the mood, for what in me was purchaft,
Fals vpon thee in a more fairer fort.

So thou the garland wearft fucceffiuely,

Yet though thou standst more sure then I could do,
Thou art not firme enough, fince griefes are greene,
And all thy friends which thou muft make thy friends,
Haue but their stings and teeth newly tane out :
By whofe fell working I was first aduaunst,
And by whofe power I well might lodge a feare
To be againe difplacde: which to auoyde,
I cut them off, and had a purpose, now
To leade out manie to the Holy Land,

Left reft, and lying ftil, might make them looke,
Too neare vnto my ftate: therefore, my Harry,
Be it thy course to busie giddie mindes

With forraine quarrells, that action hence borne out,
May waste the memory of the former dayes.
More would I, but my lungs are wasted so,
That strength of speech is vtterly denied me:
How I came by the crowne, O God forgiue,
And grant it may with thee in true peace liue.

Prince.

Prince. You won it, wore it, kept it, gaue it me,
Then plaine and right muft my poffeffion be,
Which I with more then with a common paine,
Gainst all the world will rightfully maintaine.

Enter Lancaster.

King. Looke, looke, here comes my Iohn of Lancaster, Lanc. Health, peace, and happineffe to my royall father. King. Thou bringst me happinesse and peace fonne Iohn, But health (alacke) with youthfull wings is flowne From this bare witherd trunke: vpon thy fight, My worldly bufines makes a period :

Where is my lord of Warwicke?

Prince. My lord of Warwicke.

King. Doth any name perticular belong
Vnto the lodging where I firft did fwound?
War. Tis cald Ierufalem, my noble lord.
King. Laud be to God, euen there my life muft end,
It hath bin prophecide to me many yeares,

I should not die, but in Ierufalem,

Which vainely I fuppofde the Holy Land:
But beare me to that chamber, there Ile lie,
In that Ierufalem fhall Harry die.

Enter Shallow, Falstaffe, and Bardolfe.

Shal. By cock and pie fir, you fhal not away to night, what Dauy I fay?

Falft. You must excuse me master Robert Shallow.

Shal. I will not excuse you, you shall not be excufde, excufes fhall not be admitted, there is no excufe fhall ferue, you fhall not be excufde: why Dauy.

Dauy. Here fir.

Shal

Shal. Dauy, Dauy, Dauy, Dauy, let me fee Dauy, let me fee Dauy, let me fee, yea mary William cooke, bid him come hither, fir Iohn, you fhal not be excused.

Dauy. Mary fir thus, thofe precepts can not be ferued, and againe fir, fhal we fow the hade land with wheate?

Shal. With red wheat Dauy, but for William cooke are there no yong pigeons?

Dauy. Yes fir, here is now the smiths note for fhooing and plow-yrons.

Shal. Let it be caft and payed: fir Iohn, you fhal not be excufed.

Dauy. Now fir, a new lincke to the bucket must needes be had and fir, do you meane to ftop any of Williams wages, about the facke he loft at Hunkly faire?

Shal. A fhall anfwer it: fome pigeons Dauy, a couple of fhort legg'd hens, a ioynt of mutton, and any pretty little tinie kick-fhawes, tell William cooke.

Dauy. Doth the man of warre stay all night fir?

Shal. Yea Dauy, I will vfe him well, a friend i'th court is better then a penie in purse: vse his men wel Dauy, for they are arrant knaues, and will backbite.

Dauy. No worfe then they are back-bitten fir, for they haue maruailes foule linnen.

Shal. Well conceited Dauy, about thy businesse Dauy. Dauy. I beseech you fir to countenance William Vifor of Woncote against Clement Perkes a'th hill.

Sha. There is many complaints Dauy against that Visor, that Vifor is an arrant knaue on my knowledge.

yet

Dany. I graunt your worfhip that he is a knaue fir: but God forbid fir, but a knaue should haue fome countenance at his friends request, an honest man fir is able to fpeake for himfelfe, when a knaue is not: I haue ferude your worship truly fir this eight yeares, and I cannot once, or twice in a quarter beare out a knaue against an honest man, I haue litle

credit with your worship: the knaue is mine honest friend fir, therfore I beseech you let him be countenaunft.

Shal. Go to I fay, he shal haue no wrong, look about Dauy where are you fir Iohn? come, come, come, off with your boots, giue me your hand master Bardolfe.

Bard. I am glad to fee your worship.

Shal. I thanke thee with my heart kind master Bardolfe, and welcome my tall fellow, come fir Iohn.

Falft. Ile follow you good maister Robert Shallow: Bardolfe, looke to our horfes: if I were fawed into quantities, I fhould make foure dozen of fuch berded hermites ftaues as maifter Shallow it is a wonderful thing to fee the semblable coherence of his mens fpirits, and his, they, by obferuing him, do beare themfelues like foolish iuftices: hee, by conuerfing with them, is turned into a iuftice-like feruingman, their fpirits are fo married in coniunction, with the participation of fo. ciety, that they flocke together in confent, like fo many wildgeefe. If I had a fuite to mafter Shallow, I would humour his men with the imputation, of beeing neere their maister: if to his men, I would curry with maister Shallow, that no man could better commaund his feruants. It is certaine, that eyther wife bearing, or ignorant cariage is caught, as men take difeafes one of another: therefore let men take heede of their company. I will deuife matter enough out of this Shallow, to keepe prince Harry in continuall laughter, the wearing out of fixe fashions, which is foure termes, or two actions, and a fhal laugh without interuallums. O it is much that a lie, with a flight oathe, and a ieft, with a fad browe, will doe with a fellow that neuer had the ach in his shoulders: O you shall see him laugh til his face be like a wet cloake ill laide vp.

Shal. Sir John.

Falt. I come maister Shallow, I come mafter Shallow.

Enter