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Pleading so wisely in excuse of it!
Come hither, Harry, [He rises, the King
embraces him], sit thou by my bed;
And hear, I think, the very latest counsel
That ever I shall breathe. [The Prince sits by

the King.] God knows, my son,
By what by-paths and indirect crook'd ways
I met1 this crown; and I myself know well
How troublesome it sat upon my head.
To thee it shall descend with better quiet,
Better opinion,2 better confirmation;
For all the soil of the achievement goes
With me into the earth. It seem'd in me
But as an honour snatch'd with boisterous
hand,

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To be again displac'd: which to avoid,
I cut them off, and had a purpose now
To lead out many to the Holy Land,
Lest rest and lying still might make them look
Too near unto my state.] Therefore, my Harry,
Be it thy course to busy giddy' minds
With foreign quarrels, that action, hence borne
out,

May waste the memory of the former days.
More would I, but my lungs are wasted so
That strength of speech is utterly deni`d me.—
How I came by the crown, O God forgive;
And grant it may with thee in true peace live!
Prince. My gracious liege,

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You won it, wore it, kept it, gave it me: Then plain and right must my possession be; Which I with more than with a common pain 'Gainst all the world will rightfully maintain.

Enter PRINCE JOHN OF LANCASTER.

King. Look, look, here comes my John of Lancaster.

Lan. Health, peace, and happiness to my royal father!

King. Thou bring'st me happiness and peace, son John;

But health, alack, with youthful wings is flown

From this bare wither'd trunk: upon thy sight

My wordly business makes a period.
Where is my Lord of Warwick?
Prince.

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My Lord of Warwick!

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Shal. Let it be cast2 and paid.-Sir John, you shall not be excus'd.

Davy. Now, sir, a new link to the bucket must needs be had;-and, sir, do you mean to stop any of William's wages, about the sack he lost the other day at Hinckley fair?

Shal. A' shall answer it.-Some pigeons, Davy, a couple of short-legg'd hens, a joint of mutton, and any pretty little tiny kickshaws, tell William cook.

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Davy. No worse than they are backbitten, sir; for they have marvellous foul linen. Shal. Well conceited, Davy. About thy business, Davy.

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Davy. I beseech you, sir, to countenance William Visor of Woncot against Clement Perkes of the hill.

Shal. There is many complaints, Davy,

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Shal. Use his men well, Davy; for they are arrant knaves, and will backbite.-(Act v. 1. 35, 36.)

against that Visor; that Visor is an arrant knave, on my knowledge.

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Davy. I grant your worship that he is a knave, sir; but yet, God forbid, sir, but a knave should have some countenance at his friend's request. An honest man, sir, is able to speak for himself, when a knave is not. I have serv'd your worship truly, sir, this eight years; and if I cannot once or twice in a quarter bear out a knave against an honest man, I have but a very little credit with your worship. The knave is mine honest friend, sir;

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Fal. I'll follow you, good Master Robert Shallow. [Exit Shallow.] Bardolph, look to our horses.--[Exeunt Bardolph and Page.] If I were saw'd into quantities,' I should make four dozen of such bearded hermits' staves as Master Shallow. It is a wonderful thing to see the semblable2 coherence of his men's spirits and his: they, by observing of him, do bear themselves like foolish justices; he, by conversing with them, is turned into a justice-like serving-man. Their spirits are so married in conjunction with the participation of society that they flock together in consent, like so many wild-geese. If I had a suit to Master Shallow, I would humour his men with the imputation of being near their master; if to his men, I would curry with Master Shallow that no man could better command his servants. It is certain that either wise bearing or ignorant carriage is caught, as men take diseases, one of another; therefore let men take heed of their company. I will devise matter enough out of this Shallow to keep Prince Harry in continual laughter the wearing out of six fashions, which is four terms, or two actions, and a' shall laugh without intervallums. O, it is much that a lie with a slight oath and a jest with a sad brow will do with a fellow that never had the ache in his shoulders! O, you shall see him laugh till his face be like a wet cloak ill laid up! 95 Shal. [Within] Sir John!

Fal. I come, Master Shallow; I come, Master Shallow. [Exit.

1 Quantities, small pieces.

2 Semblable, similar.

3 Consent, agreement.

4 Intervallums, intervals.

5 Sad, serious.

SCENE II. Westminster. The Palace. Enter WARWICK and the LORD CHIEF JUSTICE, meeting.

War. How now, my lord chief justice!
whither away?

Ch. Just. How doth the king?
War. Exceeding well; his cares are now
all ended.

Ch. Just. I hope, not dead.
War.

He's walk'd the way of nature,
And to our purposes he lives no more.
Ch. Just. I would his majesty had call'd
me with him;

The service that I truly did his life
Hath left me open to all injuries.

War. Indeed I think the young king loves
you not.

Ch. Just. I know he doth not, and do arm myself

To welcome the condition of the time, Which cannot look more hideously upon me Than I have drawn it in my fantasy.

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War. Here come the heavy issue of dead
Harry.

O that the living Harry had the temper
Of him, the worst of these three gentlemen!
How many nobles then should hold their

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The immediate heir of England! Was this easy?1

May this be wash'd in Lethe, and forgotten? Ch. Just. I then did use the person of your father;

The image of his power lay then in me:
And, in the administration of his law,
Whiles I was busy for the commonwealth,
Your highness pleased to forget my place,
The majesty and power of law and justice,
The image of the king whom I presented,2
And struck me in my very seat of judgment;
Whereon, as an offender to your father,
I gave bold way to my authority
And did commit you. If the deed were ill,
Be you contented, wearing now the garland,3
To have a son set your decrees at nought,
To pluck down justice from your awful bench,
To trip the course of law, and blunt the sword
That guards the peace and safety of your

person;

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Therefore still bear the balance and the sword: And I do wish your honours may increase, Till you do live to see a son of mine Offend you and obey you, as I did. [So shall I live to speak my father's words: "Happy am I, that have a man so bold, That dares do justice on my proper* son; And not less happy, having such a son, That would deliver up his greatness so Into the hands of justice." You did commit me:

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For which, I do commit into your hand
Th' unstained sword that you have us'd to bear;
With this remembrance, 10-that you use the

same

With the like bold, just, and impartial spirit ́ As you have done 'gainst me.] There is my hand.

You shall be as a father to my youth;
My voice shall sound as you do prompt mine

ear,

And I will stoop and humble my intents
To your well-practis'd wise directions.11— 121
[And, princes all, believe me, I beseech you;
My father is gone wild into his grave,
For in his tomb lie my affections,
And with his spirit sadly12 I survive,
To mock the expectation of the world,
To frustrate prophecies, and to raze out
Rotten opinion, who hath writ me down
After my seeming. The tide of blood in me
Hath proudly flow'd in vanity till now;
Now doth it turn and ebb back to the sea,
Where it shall mingle with the state of floods,

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8 State, regal character. 10 Remembrance, admonition.

11 Directions, a quadrisyllable here, like affections in 124. 12 Sadly, soberly.

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