Confirm'd conspiracy with fearful France; SCENE I.-The same. Eastcheap. Enter NYM and BARDOLPH. Bard. Well met, corporal Nym. Nym. Good morrow, lieutenant Bardolph. Bard. What, are ancient Pistol and you friends yet? [Exit. Nym. 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 the humour of it. 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. *I.e. by compressing events. + Resolution. Clown. 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 bawdyhouse straight. [NYM draws his sword.] O well-a-day, Lady, if he be not drawn now! O Lord! here's corporal Nym's-now shall we have wilful adultery and murder committed. Good lieutenant Bardolph,-good corporal, offer nothing here. Nym. Pish! Pist. Pish for thee, Iceland dog! thou prickeared cur of Iceland! Quick. Good corporal Nym, show the valour of a man, and put up thy sword. Nym. Will you shog off? I would have you solus. Pist. Solus, egregious dog? O viper vile! The solus in thy most marvellous face; [Sheathing his sword. And in thy hateful lungs, yea, in thy maw, perdy ;* 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 a humour to knock you indifferently well: If you grow foul with me, Pistol, I will scour you with my rapier, as I may, in fair terms: if you would walk off, I would prick your guts a little, in good terms, as I may; 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. 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. [Draws. Nym. I will cut thy throat, one time or other, in fair terms; that is the humour of it. Pist. Coup le gorge, that's the word?-I thee defy 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, 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, * Par Dieu + Breathe your last. †The name of a demon. put thy nose between his sheets, and do the office of a warmingpan: '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 kill'd his heart.-Good husband, come home presently. [Exeunt Mrs. QUICKLY and Boy. Bard. Come, shall I make you two friends? We must to 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! Nym. You'll pay me the eight shillings I won of you at betting ? Nym. That now I will have; that's the humour of it. 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, and thou wilt be friends, be friends: an thou wilt not, why then be enemies with me too. Pr'ythee, put up. Nym. I shall have my eight shillings, I won of you at betting. Pist. A noble* shalt thou have, and present pay; And liquor likewise will I give to thee, And friendship shall combine, and brotherhood: 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 came of women, come in quickly to Sir John: Ah, poor heart! he is so shaked 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. SCENE II.-Southampton. A council-chamber. [Exeunt. Enter EXETER, BEDFORD, and WESTMORELAND. Bed. 'Fore God, his grace is bold, to trust these traitors. Exe. They shall be apprehended by-and-by. A coin, in value six shillings and eight pence. West. How smooth and even they do bear themselves! As if allegiance in their bosoms sat, Crowned with faith and constant loyalty. Bed. The king hath note of all that they intend, By interception which they dream not of. Exe. Nay, but the man that was his bedfellow, Whom he hath cloy'd and graced with princely favours, That he should, for a foreign purse, so sell His sovereign's life to death and treachery! Trumpet sounds. Enter KING HENRY, SCROOP, CAMBRIDGE, K. Hen. Now, sits the wind fair, and we will aboard. For which we have in head* assembled them? Scroop. No doubt, my liege, if each man do his best. That grows not in a fair consent with ours; Nor leave not one behind, that doth not wish Success and conquest to attend on us. Cam. Never was monarch better fear'd and loved, Than is your majesty; there's not, I think, a subject, That sits in heart-grief and uneasiness Under the sweet shade of your government. Grey. Even those that were your father's enemies, Have steep'd their galls in honey; and do serve you With hearts createt of duty and of zeal. K. Hen. We therefore have great cause of thankfulness; And shall forget the office of our hand, Sooner than quittance of desert and merit, According to the weight and worthiness. Scroop. So service shall with steeled sinews toil; And labour shall refresh itself with hope, To do your grace incessant services. K. Hen. We judge no less.-Uncle of Exeter, Scroop. That's mercy, but too much security: Cam. So may your highness, and yet punish too. * Force. + Compounded. Coming to his senses. K. Hen. Alas, your too much love and care of me Shall not be wink'd at, how shall we stretch our eye, Though Cambridge, Scroop, and Grey,—in their dear care, Would have him punish'd. And now to our French causes; Cam. I one, my lord; Your highness bade me ask for it to-day. Grey. And me, my royal sovereign. K. Hen. Then, Richard, earl of Cambridge, there is yours ;— So much complexion ?-look ye, how they change! Out of appearance? Cam. I do confess my fault; And do submit me to your highness' mercy. K. Hen. The mercy, that was quick‡ in us but late, These English monsters! My lord of Cambridge here,- Than Cambridge is,-hath likewise sworn-But Oh! Thou that didst bear the key of all my counsels, Could out of thee extract one spark of evil, *Disorder from wine. † Lately appointed. + Living. |