King. So shaken as we are, so wan with care, Finde we a time for frighted Peace to pant, And breath shortwinded accents of new broils To be commenc"d in Stronds a-farre remote: No more the thirsty entrance of this Soile, Shall daube her lippes with her owne childrens blood: No more shall trenching Warre channell her fields, Nor bruise her Flowrets with the Armed hoofes Of hostile paces. Those opposed eyes, Which like the Meteors of a troubled Heauen, All of one Nature, of one Substance bred, Did lately meete in the intestine shocke, And furious cloze of ciuill Butchery, Shall now in mutuall well-beseeming rankes March all one way, and be no more oppos"d Against Acquaintance, Kindred, and Allies.
The edge of Warre, like an ill-sheathed knife, No more shall cut his Master. Therefore Friends, As farre as to the Sepulcher of Christ, Whose Souldier now vnder whose blessed Crosse We are impressed and ingag"d to fight, Forthwith a power of English shall we leuie, Whose armes were moulded in their Mothers wombe, To chace these Pagans in those holy Fields, Ouer whose Acres walk"d those blessed feete Which fourteene hundred yeares ago were nail"d For our aduantage on the bitter Crosse.
But this our purpose is a tweluemonth old, And bootlesse "tis to tell you we will go: Therefore we meete not now. Then let me heare Of you my gentle Cousin Westmerland, What yesternight our Councell did decree, In forwarding this deere expedience
West. My Liege: This haste was hot in question, And many limits of the Charge set downe But yesternight: when all athwart there came A Post from Wales, loaden with heauy Newes; Whose worst was, That the n.o.ble Mortimer, Leading the men of Herefordshire to fight Against the irregular and wilde Glendower, Was by the rude hands of that Welshman taken, And a thousand of his people butchered: Vpon whose dead corpes there was such misuse, Such beastly, shamelesse transformation, By those Welshwomen done, as may not be (Without much shame) re-told or spoken of
King. It seemes then, that the tidings of this broile, Brake off our businesse for the Holy land
West. This matcht with other like, my gracious Lord, Farre more vneuen and vnwelcome Newes Came from the North, and thus it did report: On Holy-roode day, the gallant Hotspurre there, Young Harry Percy, and braue Archibald, That euer-valiant and approoued Scot, At Holmeden met, where they did spend A sad and b.l.o.o.d.y houre: As by discharge of their Artillerie, And shape of likely-hood the newes was told: For he that brought them, in the very heate And pride of their contention, did take horse, Vncertaine of the issue any way
King. Heere is a deere and true industrious friend, Sir Walter Blunt, new lighted from his Horse, Strain"d with the variation of each soyle, Betwixt that Holmedon, and this Seat of ours: And he hath brought vs smooth and welcome newes.
The Earle of Dowglas is discomfited, Ten thousand bold Scots, two and twenty Knights Balk"d in their owne blood did Sir Walter see On Holmedons Plaines. Of Prisoners, Hotspurre tooke Mordake Earle of Fife, and eldest sonne To beaten Dowglas, and the Earle of Atholl, Of Murry, Angus, and Menteith.
And is not this an honourable spoyle?
A gallant prize? Ha Cosin, is it not? Infaith it is
West. A Conquest for a Prince to boast of
King. Yea, there thou mak"st me sad, & mak"st me sin, In enuy, that my Lord Northumberland Should be the Father of so blest a Sonne: A Sonne, who is the Theame of Honors tongue; Among"st a Groue, the very straightest Plant, Who is sweet Fortunes Minion, and her Pride: Whil"st I by looking on the praise of him, See Ryot and Dishonor staine the brow Of my yong Harry. O that it could be prou"d, That some Night-tripping-Faiery, had exchang"d In Cradle-clothes, our Children where they lay, And call"d mine Percy, his Plantagenet: Then would I haue his Harry, and he mine: But let him from my thoughts. What thinke you Coze Of this young Percies pride? The Prisoners Which he in this aduenture hath surpriz"d, To his owne vse he keepes, and sends me word I shall haue none but Mordake Earle of Fife
West. This is his Vnckles teaching. This is Worcester Maleuolent to you in all Aspects: Which makes him prune himselfe, and bristle vp The crest of Youth against your Dignity
King. But I haue sent for him to answer this: And for this cause a-while we must neglect Our holy purpose to Ierusalem.
Cosin, on Wednesday next, our Councell we will hold At Windsor, and so informe the Lords: But come your selfe with speed to vs againe, For more is to be saide, and to be done, Then out of anger can be vttered
West. I will my Liege.
Exeunt.
Scaena Secunda.
Enter Henry Prince of Wales, Sir Iohn Falstaffe, and Pointz.
Fal. Now Hal, what time of day is it Lad?
Prince. Thou art so fat-witted with drinking of olde Sacke, and vnb.u.t.toning thee after Supper, and sleeping vpon Benches in the afternoone, that thou hast forgotten to demand that truely, which thou wouldest truly know.
What a diuell hast thou to do with the time of the day?
vnlesse houres were cups of Sacke, and minutes Capons, and clockes the tongues of Bawdes, and dialls the signes of Leaping-houses, and the blessed Sunne himselfe a faire hot Wench in Flame-coloured Taffata; I see no reason, why thou shouldest bee so superfluous, to demaund the time of the day
Fal. Indeed you come neere me now Hal, for we that take Purses, go by the Moone and seuen Starres, and not by Phoebus hee, that wand"ring Knight so faire. And I prythee sweet Wagge, when thou art King, as G.o.d saue thy Grace, Maiesty I should say, for Grace thou wilte haue none
Prin. What, none?
Fal. No, not so much as will serue to be Prologue to an Egge and b.u.t.ter
Prin. Well, how then? Come roundly, roundly
Fal. Marry then, sweet Wagge, when thou art King, let not vs that are Squires of the Nights bodie, bee call"d Theeues of the Dayes beautie. Let vs be Dianaes Forresters, Gentlemen of the Shade, Minions of the Moone; and let men say, we be men of good Gouernment, being gouerned as the Sea, by our n.o.ble and chast mistris the Moone, vnder whose countenance we steale
Prin. Thou say"st well, and it holds well too: for the fortune of vs that are the Moones men, doeth ebbe and flow like the Sea, beeing gouerned as the Sea is, by the Moone: as for proofe. Now a Purse of Gold most resolutely s.n.a.t.c.h"d on Monday night, and most dissolutely spent on Tuesday Morning; got with swearing, Lay by: and spent with crying, Bring in: now, in as low an ebbe as the foot of the Ladder, and by and by in as high a flow as the ridge of the Gallowes
Fal. Thou say"st true Lad: and is not my Hostesse of the Tauerne a most sweet Wench?
Prin. As is the hony, my old Lad of the Castle: and is not a Buffe Ierkin a most sweet robe of durance?
Fal. How now? how now mad Wagge? What in thy quips and thy quiddities? What a plague haue I to doe with a Buffe-Ierkin?
Prin. Why, what a poxe haue I to doe with my Hostesse of the Tauerne?
Fal. Well, thou hast call"d her to a reck"ning many a time and oft
Prin. Did I euer call for thee to pay thy part?
Fal. No, Ile giue thee thy due, thou hast paid al there
Prin. Yea and elsewhere, so farre as my Coine would stretch, and where it would not, I haue vs"d my credit
Fal. Yea, and so vs"d it, that were it heere apparant, that thou art Heire apparant. But I prythee sweet Wag, shall there be Gallowes standing in England when thou art King? and resolution thus fobb"d as it is, with the rustie curbe of old Father Anticke the Law? Doe not thou when thou art a King, hang a Theefe
Prin. No, thou shalt
Fal. Shall I? O rare! Ile be a braue Iudge
Prin. Thou iudgest false already. I meane, thou shalt haue the hanging of the Theeues, and so become a rare Hangman
Fal. Well Hal, well: and in some sort it iumpes with my humour, as well as waiting in the Court, I can tell you
Prin. For obtaining of suites?
Fal. Yea, for obtaining of suites, whereof the Hangman hath no leane Wardrobe. I am as Melancholly as a Gyb-Cat, or a lugg"d Beare
Prin. Or an old Lyon, or a Louers Lute
Fal. Yea, or the Drone of a Lincolnshire Bagpipe
Prin. What say"st thou to a Hare, or the Melancholly of Moore Ditch?
Fal. Thou hast the most vnsauoury smiles, and art indeed the most comparatiue rascallest sweet yong Prince.
But Hal, I prythee trouble me no more with vanity, I wold thou and I knew, where a Commodity of good names were to be bought: an olde Lord of the Councell rated me the other day in the street about you sir; but I mark"d him not, and yet hee talk"d very wisely, but I regarded him not, and yet he talkt wisely, and in the street too
Prin. Thou didst well: for no man regards it
Fal. O, thou hast d.a.m.nable iteration, and art indeede able to corrupt a Saint. Thou hast done much harme vnto me Hall, G.o.d forgiue thee for it. Before I knew thee Hal, I knew nothing: and now I am (if a man shold speake truly) little better then one of the wicked. I must giue ouer this life, and I will giue it ouer: and I do not, I am a Villaine. Ile be d.a.m.n"d for neuer a Kings sonne in Christendome
Prin. Where shall we take a purse to morrow, Iacke?
Fal. Where thou wilt Lad, Ile make one: and I doe not, call me Villaine, and baffle me
Prin. I see a good amendment of life in thee: From Praying, to Purse-taking
Fal. Why, Hal, "tis my Vocation Hal: "Tis no sin for a man to labour in his Vocation
Pointz. Now shall wee know if Gads hill haue set a Watch. O, if men were to be saued by merit, what hole in h.e.l.l were hot enough for him? This is the most omnipotent Villaine, that euer cryed, Stand, to a true man
Prin. Good morrow Ned
Poines. Good morrow sweet Hal. What saies Monsieur remorse? What sayes Sir Iohn Sacke and Sugar: Iacke? How agrees the Diuell and thee about thy Soule, that thou soldest him on Good-Friday last, for a Cup of Madera, and a cold Capons legge?
Prin. Sir Iohn stands to his word, the diuel shall haue his bargaine, for he was neuer yet a Breaker of Prouerbs: He will giue the diuell his due
Poin. Then art thou d.a.m.n"d for keeping thy word with the diuell