474

FIRST PART OF

[Act II.

razes of ginger, to be delivered as far as Cliaring-cross.

1 Car. ’Odsbody ! the turkies in my pannierare quite starved.—What, ostler!—A plague onthee! hast thou never an eye in thy head ?const not hear ? An ’twere not as good a deedas drink, to break the pate of thee, I am a veryvillain.—Come, and be hanged:—Hast no faithin thee ?

Enter Gadsiiill.

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 seemy gelding in the stable.

1 Car. Nay, soft, I pray ye; I know a trickworth two of that, i’faith.

Gads. I pr’ythee, lend me thine.

2 Car. Ay, when ? canst tell ?—Lend me thylantern, quoth a ?—marry, I’ll see thee hangedfirst.

Gads. Sirrah, carrier, what time do you meanto come to London ?

2 Car. Time enough to go to bed with acandle, I warrant thee.—Come, neighbour Mugs,we’ll call up the gentlemen ; they will along withcompany, for they have great charge.

\Hxeunt Carriers.

Gads. What, ho ! chamberlain !

Cham. \dVithin.~2 At hand, quoth pick-purse.

Gads. That’s even as fair as—at hand, quoththe chamberlain: for thou variest no more frompicking of purses, than giving direction dothfrom labouring ; thou lay’st the plot how.

Enter Chamberlain.

Cham. Good morrow, master Gadshill. Itholds current, that I told you yesternight :There’s a franklin in the wild of Kent, hathbrought three hundred marks with him in gold:I heard him tell it to one of his company, lastnight at supper ; a kind of auditor; one, thathath abundance of charge too, God knows what.They are up already, and call for eggs and but-ter : they will away presently.

Gads. Sirrah, if they meet not with saint Ni-cholas’ clerks, I’ll give thee this neck.

Chain. No, I’ll none of it: I pr’ythee, keepthat for the hangman; for, I know, thou wor-ship’st saint Nicholas as truly as a man of false-hood may.

Gads. What talkest thou to me of the hang-man ? if I hang, I’ll make a fat pair of gallows:for, if I hang, old sir John hangs with me; and,thou knowest, he’s no starveling. Tut! thereare other Trojans that thou dreamest not of,the which, for sport sake, are content to do theprofession some grace; that would, if mattersshould be looked into, for their own credit sake,make all whole. I am joined with no foot land-rakevs, no long-staff, sixpenny strikers; noneof these mad, mustachio purple-hued malt-

worms: but with nobility, and tranquillity;burgomasters, and great oneyers; such as canhold in; such as will strike sooner than speak,and speak sooner than drink, and drink soonerthan pray: And yet I lie; for they pray conti-nually to their saint, the commonwealth; or,rather, not pray to her, but prey on her; forthey ride up and down on her, and make hertheir boots.

Cham. What, the commonwealth their boots ?will she hold out water in foul way ?

Gads. She will, she will; justice hath liquor-ed her. We steal as in a castle, cock-sure ; wehave the receipt of fern-seed, we walk invisible.

Cham. Nay, by my faith; I think you aremore beholden to the night, than to fern-seed,for your walking invisible.

Gads. Give me thy hand: thou shalt have ashare in our purchase, as I am a true man.

Cham. Nay, rather let me have it, as you area false thief.

Gads. Go to ; Homo is a common name to allmen. Kid the ostler bring my gelding out ofthe stable. Farewell, you muddy knave.

^Exeunt.

SCENE II.— The road by Gadshill.

Enter Prince Henry, and Poins ; Bardolphand Peto, at some distance.

Poins. Come, shelter, shelter; I have remo-ved Falstaff ’s horse, and he frets like a gummedvelvet.

P. Hen. Stand close.

Enter Falstait.

Fal. Poins ! Poins, and be hanged! Poins!

P. Hen. Peace, ye fat-kidneyed rascal; Whata brawling dost thou keep ?

Fal. Where’s Poins, Hal ?

P. Hen. He is walked up to the top of thehill; I’ll go seek him. [ Pretends to seek Poins.

Fal. I am accursed to rob in that thief’scompany: the rascal hath removed my horse,and tied him I know not where. If I travel butfour foot by the squire further afoot, I shallbreak my wind. Well, I doubt not but to diea fair death for all this, if I ’scape hanging forkilling that rogue. I have forsworn his companyhourly any time this two-and-twenty years, andyet I am bew-itched with the rogue’s company.If the rascal have not given me medicines tomake me love him, I’ll be hanged; it could notbe else; I have drunk medicines.—Poins !—Hal!—a plague upon you both !—Bardolph !—Peto !—I’ll starve, ere I’ll rob a foot further.An ’twere not as good a deed as drink, to turntrue man, and leave these rogues, I am the ve-riest varlet that ever chewed with a tooth. Eightyards of uneven ground, is threescore and tenmiles afoot with me; and the stony-hearted vil-lains know it well enough: A plague upon’t,