Convey them with safe conduct.-Fare you well.

EXE. This was a merry message.

[Exeunt Ambassadors.

K. HEN. We hope to make the sender blush at it.

[Descends from his throne.

Therefore, my lords, omit no happy hour,
That may give furtherance to our expedition:
For we have now no thought in us but France;
Save those to God, that run before our business.
Therefore, let our proportions for these wars
Be soon collected; and all things thought upon,
That may, with reasonable swiftness, add
More feathers to our wings; for, God before,
We'll chide this dauphin at his father's door.
Therefore, let every man now task his thought,
That this fair action may on foot be brought.

[Exeunt

Х

ACT II.

CHORUS.

Now all the youth of England are on fire,
And silken dalliance in the wardrobe lies;
Now thrive the armourers, and honour's thought
Reigns solely in the breast of every man:
They sell the pasture now, to buy the horse;
Following the mirror of all Christian kings,
With winged heels, as English Mercuries.
For now sits Expectation in the air;

And hides a sword, from hilts unto the point,
With crowns imperial, crowns and coronets,
Promis'd to Harry and his followers.
The French, advis'd by good intelligence
Of this most dreadful preparation,
Shake in their fear; and with pale policy
Seek to divert the English purposes.

O England! model to thy inward greatness,
Like little body with a mighty heart,

What mightst thou do, that honour would thee do,
Were all thy children kind and natural!

But see thy fault! France hath in thee found out

A nest of hollow bosoms, which he fills

With treacherous crowns; and three corrupted men,-
One, Richard earl of Cambridge; and the second,
Henry lord Scroop of Masham; and the third,
Sir Thomas Grey, knight, of Northumberland,-
Have, for the gilt of France, (O guilt, indeed!)
Confirm'd conspiracy with fearful France;

And by their hands this grace of kings must die,
(If hell and treason hold their promises,)
Ere he take ship for France, and in Southampton.
Linger your patience on, and we'll digest
The abuse of distance; force a play.
The sum is paid; the traitors are agreed;
The king is set from London; and the scene
Is now transported, gentles, to Southampton:
There is the playhouse now, there must you sit:
And thence to France shall we convey you safe,
And bring you back, charming the narrow seas
To give you gentle pass; for, if we may,
We'll not offend one stomach with our play.
But, till the king come forth, and not till then,
Unto Southampton do we shift our scene.

SCENE I-Eastcheap.

Enter Nгм and BARDOLPH.

BARD. Well met, corporal Nym.

NYM. Good morrow, lieutenant Bardolph.

BARD. What, are ancient Pistol and you friends yet?

NYм. For my part, I care not: I say little; but when time shall serve, there shall be smiles; but that shall be as it may. I dare not fight; but I will wink, and hold out mine iron. It is a simple one; but what though? It will toast cheese; and it will endure cold as another man's sword will and there's an end.

BARD. I will bestow a breakfast to make you friends; and we 'll be all three sworn brothers to France; let it be so, good corporal Nym.

NYM. 'Faith, I will live so long as I may, that's the certain of it; and when I cannot live any longer, I will do as I may: that is my rest, that is the rendezvous of it.

BARD. It is certain, corporal, that he is married to Nell Quickly: and, certainly, she did you wrong; for you were troth-plight to her.

NYM. I cannot tell; things must be as they may; men may sleep, and they may have their throats about them at that time; and, some say, knives have edges. It must be as it may: though patience be a tired mare, yet she will plod. There must be conclusions. Well, I cannot tell.

Enter PISTOL and Mrs. QUICKLY.

BARD. Here comes ancient Pistol and his wife :-good corporal, be patient here.-How now, mine host Pistol?

PIST. Base tike, call'st thou me host?

Now, by this hand I swear, I scorn the term;

Nor shall my Nell keep lodgers.

QUICK. No, by my troth, not long: for we cannot lodge and board a dozen or fourteen gentlewomen, that live honestly by the prick of their needles, but it will be thought we keep a bawdy-house straight. [NYM draws his sword.] O well-a-day, Lady, if he be not drawn! Now we shall see wilful adultery and murther committed. Good lieutenant

Bardolph

BARD. Good corporal, offer nothing here.
NYM. Pish!

PIST. Pish for thee, Iceland dog! thou prick-cared cur of Iceland.

QUICK. Good corporal Nym, show thy valour, and put up thy sword.

NYм. Will you shog off? I would have you solus.

[Sheathing his sword.

PIST. Solus, egregious dog? O viper vile!

The solus in thy most marvelous face;
The solus in thy teeth, and in thy throat,

And in thy hateful lungs, yea, in thy maw, perdy;

And, which is worse, within thy nasty mouth!

I do retort the solus in thy bowels;

For I can take, and Pistol's cock is up,
And flashing fire will follow.

NYM. I am not Barbason, you cannot conjure me. I have an humour to knock you indifferently well: If you grow foul with me, Pistol, I will scour you with my rapier, as I may say, in fair terms: if you would walk off, I would prick your guts a little, in good terms, as I may say; and that's the humour of it.

PIST. O braggard vile, and damned furious wight!
The grave doth gape, and doting death is near;
Therefore exhale.

[PISTOL and NYм draw. BARD. Hear me, hear me what I say:-he that strikes the first stroke, I'll run him up to the hilts, as I am a soldier.

[Draws.

PIST. An oath of mickle might; and fury shall abate.
Give me thy fist, thy fore-foot to me give;

Thy spirits are most tall.

NYM. I will cut thy throat, one time or other, in fair terms; that is the humour of it.

PIST. Coupe le gorge, that's the word!-I defy thee again. O hound of Crete, think'st thou my spouse to get?

No; to the spital go,

And from the powdering tub of infamy

Fetch forth the lazar kite of Cressid's kind,

Doll Tear-sheet she by name, and her espouse:

I have, and I will hold the quondam Quickly

For the only she: and-Pauca, there's enough. Go to.

Enter the Boy.

Boy. Mine host Pistol, you must come to my master, and you, hostess; he is very sick, and would to bed.-Good Bardolph, put thy face between his sheets, and do the office of a warming-pan; 'faith, he's very ill.

BARD. Away, you rogue.

QUICK. By my troth, he'll yield the crow a pudding one of these days; the king has killed his heart.-Good husband, come home presently.

[Exeunt Mrs. QUICKLY and Boy.

H

BARD. Come, shall I make you two friends? We must tc France together. Why the devil should we keep knives to cut one another's throats?

PIST. Let floods o'erswell, and fiends for food howl on! NYм. You'll pay me the eight shillings I won of you at betting?

PIST. Base is the slave that pays.

NYм. That now I will have; that's the humour of it.
PIST. As manhood shall compound: push home.
BARD. By this sword, he that makes the first thrust I'll
kill him; by this sword, I will.

PIST. Sword is an oath, and oaths must have their course. BARD. Corporal Nym, an thou wilt be friends, be friends: an thou wilt not, why, then be enemies with me too. Prithee, put up.

PIST. A noble shalt thou have, and present pay;
And liquor likewise will I give to thee,

And friendship shall combine, and brotherhood:
I'll live by Nym, and Nym shall live by me;-

Is not this just?-for I shall sutler be

Unto the camp, and profits will accrue.

Give me thy hand.

NYM. I shall have my noble?

PIST. In cash most justly paid.

NYM. Well, then, that 's the humour of it.

Re-enter Mrs. QUICKLY.

QUICK. As ever you come of women, come in quickly to sir John: Ah, poor heart! he is so shaken of a burning quotidian tertian, that it is most lamentable to behold. Sweet men, come to him.

NYM. The king hath run bad humours on the knight, that's the even of it.

PIST. Nym, thou hast spoke the right;

His heart is fracted, and corroborate.

NYM. The king is a good king: but it must be as it may; he passes some humours, and careers.

PIST. Let us condole the knight; for, lambkins, we will live.

[Exeunt.