For, bear ourselves as even as we can, To make us strangers to his looks of love. Hot. He does, he does; we'll be reveng'd on him. Wor. Cousin, farewell: :- - No further go in this, To bear our fortunes in our own strong arms, North. Farewell, good brother: we shall thrive, Hot. Uncle, adieu :—O, let the hours be short, Till fields, and blows, and groans applaud our sport! [Exeunt. ACT THE SECOND. SCENE I. Rochester. An Inn Yard. Enter a Carrier, with a Lantern in his hand. 1 Car. Heigh ho! An't be not four by the day, I'll be hanged: Charles' wain is over the new chimney, and yet our horse not packed. What, ostler ! Ost. [Within.] Anon, anon. 4 1 Car. I pr'ythee, Tom, beat Cut's saddle, put a few flocks in the point; the poor jade is wrung in the withers out of all cess.' Enter another Carrier. 2 Car. Pease and beans are as dank here as a dog, and that is the next way to give poor jades the bots this house is turned upside down, since Robin ostler died. 1 Car. Poor fellow! never joyed since the price of oats rose; it was the death of him. 2 Car. I think this be the most villainous house in all London road for fleas : I am stung like a tench." 1 Car. Like a tench? by the mass, there is ne'er a king in Christendom could be better bit than I have been since the first cock. 2 Car. What, ostler! come away and be hanged, come away. I have a gammon of bacon, and two razes of ginger, to be delivered as far as Charing cross. 1 Car. The turkies in my pannier are quite starved.- What, ostler! - A plague on thee! hast thou never an eye in thy head? canst not hear? An 'twere not as good a deed as drink, to break the pate of thee, I am a very villain. - Come, and be hanged:-Hast no faith in thee? Enter GADSHILL. Gads. Good morrow, carriers. What's o'clock? 1 Car. I think it be two o'clock. Gads. I pr'ythee, lend me thy lantern, to see my gelding in the stable. 1 Car. Nay, soft, I pray ye; I know a trick worth two of that. 4 Name of his horse. 5 Measure. 6 Spotted like a tench. Gads. I pr'ythee lend me thine. 2 Car. Ay, when? canst tell?- Lend me thy lantern, quoth a?—marry, I'll see thee hanged first. Gads. Sirrah carrier, what time do you mean to come to London? 2 Car. Time enough to go to bed with a candle, I warrant thee.- Come, neighbour Mugs, we'll call up the gentlemen; they will along with company, for they have great charge. [Exeunt Carriers. Gads. What, ho! chamberlain ! Cham. [Within.] At hand, quoth pick-purse. Gads. That's even as fair as - at hand, quoth the chamberlain: for thou variest no more from picking of purses, than giving direction doth from labouring; thou lay'st the plot how. 8 Enter Chamberlain. Cham. Good morrow, master Gadshill. It holds current, that I told you yesternight: There's a franklin in the wild of Kent, hath brought three hundred marks with him in gold: I heard him tell it to one of his company, last night at supper; a kind of auditor; one that hath abundance of charge too, heaven knows what. They are up already, and call for eggs and butter: They will away presently. Gads. Sirrah, if they meet not with saint Nicholas' clerks, I'll give thee this neck. Cham. No, I'll none of it: I pr'ythee keep that for the hangman; for, I know, thou worship'st saint Nicholas as truly as a man of falsehood may. Gads. What talkest thou to me of the hangman? if I hang, I'll make a fat pair of gallows: for, if I hang, old sir John hangs with me; and, thou 7 A proverb, from the pick-purse being always ready. 8 Freeholder. Cant term for highwaymen. knowest, he's no starveling. Tut: there are other Trojans that thou dreamest not of, the which, for sport sake, are content to do the profession some grace; that would, if matters should be looked into, for their own credit sake, make all whole. I am joined with no foot land-rakers', no long-staff, sixpenny strikers; none of these mad, mustachio, purple-hued malt-worms: but with nobility, and tranquillity; burgo-masters, and great oneyers '; such as can hold in; such as will strike sooner than speak, and speak sooner than drink, and drink sooner than pray: And yet I lie; for they pray continually to their saint, the common-wealth; or, rather, not pray to her, but prey on her; for they ride up and down on her, and make her their boots.3 Cham. What, the commonwealth their boots ? will she hold out water in wet weather? Gads. She will, she will; justice hath liquored her. We steal as in a castle, cock-sure; we have the receipt of fernseed, we walk invisible. Cham. Nay, by my faith! I think you are more beholden to the night than to fern-seed, for your walking invisible. Gads. Give me thy hand: thou shalt have a share in our purchase, as I am a true man. Cham. Nay, rather let me have it as you are a false thief. Gads. Go to; Homo is a common name to all men. Bid the ostler bring my gelding out of the stable. Farewell, you muddy knave. [Exeunt. 1 Footpads. 3 Booty. 2 Publick accountants. SCENE II. The Road by Gadshill. Enter Prince HENRY and POINS; BARDOLPH and PETO, at some distance. Poins. Come, shelter, shelter; I have removed Falstaff's horse, and he frets like a gummed velvet. P. Hen. Stand close. Enter FALSTAFF. Fal. Poins! Poins! and be hanged! Poins! P. Hen. Peace, ye fat-kidney'd rascal; what a brawling dost thou keep! I'll Fal. Where's Poins, Hal? 5 P. Hen. He is walked up to the top of the hill; go seek him. [Pretends to seek POINS. Fal. I am accursed to rob in that thief's company: the rascal hath removed my horse, and tied him I know not where. If I travel but four foot by the squire further afoot, I shall break my wind. Well, I doubt not but to die a fair death for all this, if I 'scape hanging for killing that rogue. I have forsworn his company hourly any time these two-andtwenty years, and yet I am bewitched with the rogue's company. If the rascal have not given me medicines to make me love him, I'll be hanged; it could not be else; I have drunk medicines.—Poins! Hal!!—a plague upon you both!-Bardolph! Peto!-I'll starve ere I'll rob a foot further. twere not as good a deed as drink, to turn true man, and leave these rogues, I am the veriest varlet An |