is pretty and honest and gentle and one that is your friend I can tell you that by the way I praise heauen for it Fen. Shall I doe any good thinkst thou shall I not loose my suit Qui. Troth Sir all is in his hands aboue but notwithstanding Master Fenton I le be sworne on a booke shee loues you haue not your Worship a wart aboue your eye Fen. Yes marry haue I what of that Qui. Wel thereby hangs a tale good faith it is such another Nan but I detest an honest maid as euer broke bread wee had an howres talke of that wart I shall neuer laugh but in that maids company but indeed shee is giuen too much to Allicholy and musing but for you well goe too Fen. Well I shall see her to day hold there 's money for thee Let mee haue thy voice in my behalfe if thou seest her before me commend me Qui. Will I I faith that wee will And I will tell your Worship more of the Wart the next time we haue confidence and of other wooers Fen. Well fare-well I am in great haste now Qui. Fare-well to your Worship truely an honest Gentleman but Anne loues hiim not for I know Ans minde as well as another do's out vpon 't what haue I forgot Exit Actus Secundus Scoena Prima Enter Mistris Page Mistris Ford Master Page Master Ford Pistoll Nim Quickly Host Shallow Mist Page What haue scap'd Loue-letters in the holly-day-time of my beauty and am I now a subiect for them let me see Aske me no reason why I loue you for though Loue vse Reason for his precisian hee admits him not for his Counsailour you are not yong no more am I goe to then there 's simpathie you are merry so am I ha ha then there 's more simpathie you loue sacke and so do I would you desire better simpathie Let it suffice thee Mistris Page at the least if the Loue of Souldier can suffice that I loue thee I will not say pitty mee 't is not a Souldier-like phrase but I say loue me By me thine owne true Knight by day or night Or any kinde of light with all his might For thee to fight Iohn Falstaffe What a Herod of Iurie is this O wicked wicked world One that is well-nye worne to peeces with age To show himselfe a yong Gallant What an vnwaied Behauiour hath this Flemish drunkard pickt with The Deuills name out of my conuersation that he dares In this manner assay me why hee hath not beene thrice In my Company what should I say to him I was then Frugall of my mirth heauen forgiue mee why I le Exhibit a Bill in the Parliament for the putting downe of men how shall I be reueng'd on him for reueng'd I will be as sure as his guts are made of puddings Mis Ford. Mistris Page trust me I was going to your house Mis Page And trust me I was comming to you you looke very ill Mis Ford. Nay I le nere beleeee that I haue to shew to the contrary Mis Page 'Faith but you doe in my minde Mis Ford. Well I doe then yet I say I could shew you to the contrary O Mistris Page giue mee some counsaile Mis Page What 's the matter woman Mi. Ford. O woman if it were not for one trifling respect I could come to such honour Mi. Page Hang the trifle woman take the honour what is it dispence with trifles what is it Mi. Ford. If I would but goe to hell for an eternall moment or so I could be knighted Mi. Page What thou liest Sir Alice Ford these Knights will hacke and so thou shouldst not alter the article of thy Gentry Mi. Ford. Wee burne day-light heere read read perceiue how I might bee knighted I shall thinke the worse of fat men as long as I haue an eye to make difference of mens liking and yet hee would not sweare praise womens modesty and gaue such orderly and wel-behaued reproofe to al vncomelinesse that I would haue sworne his disposition would haue gone to the truth of his words but they doe no more adhere and keep place together then the hundred Psalms to the tune of Green-sleeues What tempest I troa threw this Whale with so many Tuns of oyle in his belly a'shoare at Windsor How shall I bee reuenged on him I thinke the best way were to entertaine him with hope till the wicked fire of lust haue melted him in his owne greace Did you euer heare the like Mis Page Letter for letter but that the name of Page and Ford differs to thy great comfort in this mystery of ill opinions heere 's the twyn-brother of thy Letter but let thine inherit first for I protest mine neuer shall I warrant he hath a thousand of these Letters writ with blancke-space for different names sure more and these are of the second edition hee will print them out of doubt for he cares not what hee puts into the presse when he would put vs two I had rather be a Giantesse and lye vnder Mount Pelion Well I will find you twentie lasciuious Turtles ere one chaste man Mis Ford. Why this is the very same the very hand the very words what doth he thinke of vs Mis Page Nay I know not it makes me almost readie to wrangle with mine owne honesty I le entertaine my selfe like one that I am not acquainted withall for sure vnlesse hee know some straine in mee that I know not my selfe hee would neuer haue boorded me in this furie Mi. Ford. Boording call you it I le bee sure to keepe him aboue decke Mi. Page So will I if hee come vnder my hatches I le neuer to Sea againe Let 's bee reueng'd on him let 's appoint him a meeting giue him a show of comfort in his Suit and lead him on with a fine baited delay till hee hath pawn'd his horses to mine Host of the Garter Mi. Ford. Nay I wil consent to act any villany against him that may not sully the charinesse of our honesty oh that my husband saw this Letter it would giue eternall food to his iealousie Mis Page Why look where he comes and my good man too hee 's as farre from iealousie as I am from giuing him cause and that I hope is an vnmeasurable distance Mis Ford. You are the happier woman Mis Page Let 's consult together against this greasie Knight Come hither Ford. Well I hope it be not so Pist Hope is a curtall-dog in some affaires Sir Iohn affects thy wife Ford. Why sir my wife is not young Pist He wooes both high and low both rich poor both yong and old one with another Ford he loues the Gally-mawfry Ford perpend Ford. Loue my wife Pist With liuer burning hot preuent Or goe thou like Sir Acteon he with Ring-wood at thy heeles O odious is the name Ford. What name Sir Pist The horne I say Farewell Take heed haue open eye for theeues doe foot by night Take heed
parts be pold I pray you follow me into the pit and when I giue the watch-'ords do as I pid you Come come trib trib Exeunt Scena Quinta Enter Falstaffe Mistris Page Mistris Ford Euans Anne Page Fairies Page Ford Quickly Slender Fenton Caius Pistoll Fal. The Windsor-bell hath stroke twelue the Minute drawes-on Now the hot-bloodied-Gods assist me Remember louâ— thou was 't a Bull for thy Europa Loue set on thy hornes O powerfull Loue that in some respects makes a Beast a Man in som other a Man a beast You were also Iupiter a Swan for the loue of Leda O omnipotent Loue how nere the God drew to the complexion of a Goose a fault done first in the forme of a beast O Ioue a beastly fault and then another fault in the semblance of a Fowle thinke on 't Ioue a fowle-fault When Gods haue hot backes what shall poore men do For me I am heere a Windsor Stagge and the fattest I thinke i' th Forrest Send me a coole rut-time Ioue or who can blame me to pisse my Tallow Who comes heere my Doe M. Ford. Sir Iohn Art thou there my Deere My male-Deere Fal. My Doe with the blacke Scut Let the skie raine Potatoes let it thunder to the tune of Greene-sleeues haile-kissing Comfits and snow Eringoes Let there come a tempest of prouocation I will shelter mee heere M. Ford. Mistris Page is come with me sweet hart Fal. Diuide me like a brib'd-Bucke each a Haunch I will keepe my sides to my selfe my shoulders for the fellow of this walke and my hornes I bequeath your husbands Am I a Woodman ha Speake I like Herne the Hunter Why now is Cupid a child of conscience he makes restitution As I am a true spirit welcome M. Page Alas what noise M. Ford. Heauen forgiue our sinnes Fal. What should this be M. Ford. M. Page Away away Fal. I thinke the diuell wil not haue me damn'd Least the oyle that 's in me should set hell on fire He would neuer else crosse me thus Enter Fairies Qui. Fairies blacke gray greene and white You Moone-shine reuellers and shades of night You Orphan heires of fixed destiny Attend your office and your quality Crier Hob-goblyn make the Fairy Oyes Pist Elues list your names Silence you aiery toyes Cricket to Windsor-chimnies shalt thou leape Where fires thou find'st vnrak'd and hearths vnswept There pinch the Maids as blew as Bill-berry Our radiant Queene hates Sluts and Sluttery Fal. They are Fairies he that speaks to them shall die I le winke and couch No man their workes must eie Eu. Wher 's Bede Go you and where you find a maid That ere she sleepe has thrice her prayers said Raise vp the Organs of her fantasie Sleepe she as sound as carelesse infancie But those as sleepe and thinke not on their sins Pinch them armes legs backes shoulders sides shins Qu. About about Search Windsor Castle Elues within and out Strew good â—kâ— Ouphes on euery sacred roome That it may stand till the perpetuall doome In state as wholsome as in state 't is sit Worthy the Owner and the Owner it The seuerall Chaiâ— of Order tooke you sâ—owre With iuyce of Balme and euery precious flowre Each faire Instalment Coate and seu'rall Crest With loyall Blazon euermore be blest And Nightly-meadow-Fairies looke you sing Like to the Garters-Compasse in a ring Th' expressure that it beares Greene let it be Mote fertile-fresh then all the Field to see And Hony Soit Qui Mal-y-Pence write In Emrold-tuffes Flowres purple blew and white Like Saphire-pearle and rich embroiderie Buckled below faire Knight-hoods bending knee Fairies vse Flowres for their characterie Away disperse But till 't is one a clocke Our Dance of Custome round about the Oke Of Herne the Hunter let vs not forget Euan. Pray you lock hand in hand your selues in order set And twenty glow-wormes shall our Lanthornes bee To guide our Measure round about the Tree But stay I smell a man of middle earth Fal. Heauens defend me from that Welsh Fairy Least he transforme me to a peece of Cheese Pist Vilde worme thou wast ore-look'd euen in thy birth Qu. With Triall-fire touch me his finger end If he be chaste the flame will backe descend And turne him to no paine but if he start It is the flesh of a corrupted hart Pist A triall come Eua. Come will this wood take fire Fal. Oh oh oh Qui. Corrupt corrupt and tainted in desire About him Fairies sing a scornfull rime And as you trip still pinch him to your time The Song Fie on sinnefull phantasie Fie on Lust and Luxurie Lust is but a bloudy fire kindled with vnchaste desire Fed in heart whose flames aspire As thoughts do blow them higher and higher Pinch him Fairies mutually Pinch him for his villanie Pinch him and burne him and turne him about Till Candles Star-light Moone-shine be out Page Nay do not flye I thinke we haue watcht you now VVill none but Herne the Hunter serue your turne M. Page I pray you come hold vp the iest no higher Now good Sir Iohn how like you Windsor wiues See you these husband Do not these faire yoakes Become the Forrest better then the Towne Ford. Now Sir whose a Cuckold now M r Broome Falstaffes a Knaue a Cuckoldly knaue Heere are his hornes Master Broome And Master Broome he hath enioyed nothing of Fords but his Buck-basket his cudgell and twenty pounds of money which must be paid to M r Broome his horses are arrested for it M r Broome M. Ford. Sir Iohn we haue had ill lucke wee could neuer meete I will neuer take you for my Loue againe but I will alwayes count you my Deere Fal. I do begin to perceiue that I am made an Asse Ford. I and an Oxe too both the proofes are extant Fal. And these are not Fairies I was three or foure times in the thought they were not Fairies and yet the guiltinesse of my minde the sodaine surprize of my powers droue the grossenesse of the foppery into a receiu'd beleefe in despight of the teeth of all rime and reason that they were Fairies See now how wit may be made a Iacke-a-Lent when 't is vpon ill imployment Euant Sir Iohn Falstaffe serue Got and leaue your desires and Fairies will not pinse you Ford. VVell said Fairy Hugh Euans And leaue you your iealouzies too I pray you Ford. I will neuer mistrust my wife againe till thou art able to woo her in good English Fal. Haue I laid my braine in the Sun and dri'de it that it wants matter to preuent so grosse ore-reaching as this Am I ridden with a Welch Goate too Shal I haue a Coxcombe of Frize T is time I were choak'd with a peece of toasted Cheese Eu. Seese is not good to giue putter your belly is al putter Fal. Seese and Putter Haue I liu'd to stand at the taunt of one that makes Fritters of English This is enough to be
thee by Chaucer or Spenser or bid Beaumont lye A little further to make thee a roome Thou art a Moniment without a tombe And art aliue still while thy Booke doth liue And we haue wits to read and praise to giue That I not mixe thee so my braine excuses I meane with great but disproportion'd Muses For if I thought my iudgement were of yeeres I should commit thee surely with thy peeres And tell how farre thou didstst our Lily out-shine Or sporting Kid or Marlowes mighty line And though thou hadst small Latine and lesse Greeke From thence to honour thee I would not seeke For names but call forth thund'ring Aeschilus Euripides and Sophocles to vs Paccuuius Accius him of Cordoua dead To life againe to heare thy Buskin tread And shake a Stage Or when thy Sockes were on Leaue thee alone for the comparison Of all that insolent Greece or haughtie Rome sent forth or since did from their ashes come Triumph my Britaine thou hast one to showe To whom all Scenes of Europe homage owe. He was not of an age but for all time And all the Muses still were in their prime When like Apollo he came forth to warme Our eares or like a Mercury to charme Nature her selfe was proud of his designes And ioy'd to weare the dressing of his lines Which were so richly spun and wouen so fit As since she will vouchsafe no other Wit The merry Greeke tart Aristophanes Neat Terence witty Plautus now not please But antiquated and deserted lye As they were not of Natures family Yet must I not giue Nature all Thy Art My gentle Shakespeare must enioy a part For though the Poets matter Nature be His Art doth giue the fashion And that he Who casts to write a liuing line must sweat such as thine are and strike the second heat Vpon the Muses anuile turne the same And himselfe with it that he thinkes to frame Or for the lawrell he may gaine a scorne For a good Poet 's made as well as borne And such wert thou Looke how the fathers face Liues in his issue euen so the race Of Shakespeares minde and manners brightly shines In his well torned and true-filed lines In each of which he seemes to shake a Lance As brandish 't at the eyes of Ignorance Sweet Swan of Auon what a sight it were To see thee in our waters yet appeare And make those flights vpon the bankes of Thames That so did take Eliza and our Iames But stay I see thee in the Hemisphere Aduanc'd and made a Constellation there Shine forth thou Starre of Poets and with rage Or influence chide or cheere the drooping Stage Which since thy flight froÌ„ hence hath mourn'd like night And despaires day but for thy Volumes light BEN IONSON Vpon the Lines and Life of the Famous Scenicke Poet Master VVILLIAM SHAKESPEARE THose hands which you so clapt go now and wring You Britaines braue for done are Shakespeares dayes His dayes are done that made the dainty Playes Which made the Globe of heau'n and earth to ring Dry'de is that veine dry'd is the Thespian Spring Turn'd all to teares and Phoebus clouds his rayes That corp's that coffin now besticke those bayes Which crown'd him Poet first then Poets King If Tragedies might any Prologue haue All those he made would scarse make one to this Where Fame now that he gone is to the graue Deaths publique tyring-house the Nuncius is For though his line of life went soone about The life yet of his lines shall neuer out HVGH HOLLAND TO THE MEMORIE of the deceased Authour Maister W. SHAKESPEARE SHake-speare at length thy pious fellowes giue The world thy Workes thy Workes by which out-liue Thy Tombe thy name must when that stone is rent And Time dissolues thy Stratford Moniment Here we aliue shall view thee still This Booke When Brasse and Marble fade shall make thee looke Fresh to all Ages when Posteritie Shall loath what 's new thinke all is prodegie That is not Shake-speares eu'ry Line each Verse Here shall reuiue redeeme thee from thy Herse Nor Fire nor cankring Age as Naso said Of his thy wit-fraught Booke shall once inuade Nor shall I e're beleeue or thinke thee dead Though mist vntill our bankrout Stage be spâ—l Jmpossible with some new straine t' out-do Passions of Iuliet and her Romeo Or till J heare a Scene more nobly take Then when thy half-Sword parlying Romans spake Till these till any of thy Volumes rest Shall with more fire more feeling be exprest Be sure our Shake-speare thou canst neuer dye But crown'd with Lawrell liue eternally L. Digges To the memorie of M. W. Shake-speare VVEE wondred Shake-speare that thou went'st so soone From the Worlds-Stage to the Graues-Tyring-roome Wee thought thee dead but this thy printed worth Tels thy Spectators that thou went'st but forth To enter with applause An Actors Art Can dye and liue to acte a second part That 's but an Exit of Mortalitie This a Re-entrance to a Plaudite I.M. The Workes of William Shakespeare containing all his Comedies Histories and Tragedies Truely set forth according to their first ORJGJNALL The Names of the Principall Actors in all these Playes WIlliam Shakespeare Richard Burbadge John Hemmings Augustine Phillips William Kempt Thomas Poope George Bryan Henry Condell William Slye Richard Cowly e. John Lowine Samuell Crosse Alexander Cooke Samuel Gilburne Robert Armin. William Ostler Nathan Field John Vnderwood Nicholas Tooley William Ecclestone Joseph Taylor Robert Benfield Robert Goughe Richard Robinson Iohn Shancke Iohn Rice A CATALOGVE of the seuerall Comedies Histories and Tragedies contained in this Volume COMEDIES THe Tempest Folio 1. The two Gentlemen of Verona 20 The Merry Wiues of Windsor 38 Measure for Measure 61 The Comedy of Errours 85 Much adoo about Nothing 101 Loues Labour lost 122 Midsommer Nights Dreame 145 The Merchant of Venice 163 As you Like it 185 The Taming of the Shrew 208 All is well that Ends well 230 Twelfe-Night or what you will 255 The Winters Tale. 304 HISTORIES The Life and Death of King John Fol. 1. The Life death of Richard the second 23 The First part of King Henry the fourth 46 The Second part of K. Henry the fourth 74 The Life of King Henry the Fift 69 The First part of King Henry the Sixt. 96 The Second part of King Hen. the Sixt. 120 The Third part of King Henry the Sixt. 147 The Life Death of Richard the Third 173 The Life of King Henry the Eight 205 TRAGEDIES The Tragedy of Coriolanus Fol. 1. Titus Andronicus 31 Romeo and Juliet 53 Timon of Athens 80 The Life and death of Julius Caesar 109 The Tragedy of Macbeth 131 The Tragedy of Hamlet 152 King Lear. 283 Othello the Moore of Venice 310 Anthony and Cleopater 346 Cymbeline King of Britaine 369 THE TEMPEST Actus primus Scena prima A tempestuous noise of Thunder and Lightning heard Enter a Ship-master and a Boteswaine Master BOte-swaine Botes Heere Master
Bene. I haue almost matter enough in me for such an Embassage and so I commit you Clau. To the tuition of God From my house if I had it Pedro. The sixt of Iuly Your louing friend Benedick Bene. Nay mocke not mocke not the body of your discourse is sometime guarded with fragments and the guardes are but slightly basted on neither ere you flout old ends any further examine your conscience and so I leaue you Exit Clau. My Liege your Highnesse now may doe mee good Pedro. My loue is thine to teach teach it but how And thou shalt see how apt it is to learne Any hard Lesson that may do thee good Clau. Hath Leonato any sonne my Lord Pedro. No childe but Hero she 's his onely heire Dost thou affect her Claudio Clau. O my Lord When you went onward on this ended action I look'd vpon her with a souldiers eie That lik'd but had a rougher taske in hand Than to driue liking to the name of loue But now I am return'd and that warre-thoughts Haue left their places vacant in their roomes Come thronging soft and delicate desires All prompting mee how faire yong Hero is Saying I lik'd her ere I went to warres Pedro. Thou wilt be like a louer presently And tire the hearer with a booke of words If thou dost loue faire Hero cherish it And I will breake with her wast not to this end That thou beganst to twist so fine a story Clau. How sweetly doe you minister to loue That know loues griefe by his complexion But lest my liking might too sodaine seeme I would haue salu'd it with a longer treatise Ped. What need y e bridge much broder then the flood The fairest graunt is the necessitie Looke what will serue is fit 't is once thou louest And I will fit thee with the remedie I know we shall haue reuelling to night I will assume thy part in some disguise And tell faire Hero I am Claudio And in her bosome I le vnclaspe my heart And take her hearing prisoner with the force And strong incounter of my amorous tale Then after to her father will I breake And the conclusion is shee shall be thine In practise let vs put it presently Exeunt Enter Leonato and an old man brother to Leonato Leo. How now brother where is my cosen your son hath he prouided this musicke Old He is very busie about it but brother I can tell you newes that you yet dreamt not of Lo. Are they good Old As the euents stamps them but they haue â— good couer they shew well outward the Prince and Count Claudio walking in a thick pleached alley in my orchard were thus ouer-heard by a man of mine the Prince discouered to Claudio that hee loued my niece your daughter and meant to acknowledge it this night in a dance and if hee found her accordant hee meant to take the present time by the top and instantly breake with you of it Leo. Hath the fellow any wit that told you this Old A good sharpe fellow I will send for him and question him your selfe Leo. No no wee will hold it as a dreame till it appeare it selfe but I will acquaint my daughter withall that she may be the better prepared for an answer if peraduenture this bee true goe you and tell her of it coosins you know what you haue to doe O I crie you mercie friend goe you with mee and I will vse your skill good cosin haue a care this busie time Exeunt Enter Sir Iohn the Bastard and Conrade his companion Con. What the good yeere my Lord why are you thus out of measure sad Ioh. There is no measure in the occasion that breeds therefore the sadnesse is without limit Con. You should heare reason Iohn And when I haue heard it what blessing bringeth it Con. If not a present remedy yet a patient sufferance Ioh. I wonder that thou being as thou saist thou art borne vnder Saturne goest about to apply a morall medicine to a mortifying mischiefe I cannot hide what I am I must bee sad when I haue cause and smile at no mans iests eat when I haue stomacke and wait for no mans leisure sleepe when I am drowsie and tend on no mans businesse laugh when I am merry and claw no man in his humor Con. Yea but you must not make the ful show of this till you may doe it without controllment you haue of late stood out against your brother and hee hath tane you newly into his grace where it is impossible you should take root but by the faire weather that you make your selfe it is needful that you frame the season for your owne haruest Iohn I had rather be a canker in a hedge then a rose in his grace and it better fits my bloud to be disdain'd of all then to fashion a carriage to rob loue from any in this though I cannot be said to be a flattering honest man it must not be denied but I am a plaine dealing villaine I am trusted with a mussell and enfranchisde with a clog therefore I haue decreed not to sing in my cage if I had my mouth I would bite if I had my liberty I would do my liking in the meane time let me be that I am and seeke not to alter me Con. Can you make no vse of your discontent Iohn I will make all vse of it for I vse it onely Who comes here what newes Borachio Enter Borachio Bor. I came yonder from a great supper the Prince your brother is royally entertained by Leonato and I can giue you intelligence of an intended marriage Iohn Will it serue for any Modell to build mischiefe on What is hee for a foole that betrothes himselfe to vnquietnesse Bor. Mary it is your brothers right hand Iohn Who the most exquisite Claudio Bor. Euen he Iohn A proper squier and who and who which way lookes he Bor. Mary on Hero the daughter and Heire of Leonato Iohn A very forward March-chicke how came you to this Bor. Being entertain'd for a perfumer as I was smoaking a musty roome comes me the Prince and Claudio hand in hand in sad conference I whipt behind the Arras and there heard it agreed vpon that the Prince should wooe Hero for himselfe and hauing obtain'd her giue her to Count Claudio Iohn Come come let vs thither this may proue food to my displeasure that young start-vp hath all the glorie of my ouerthrow if I can crosse him any way I blesse my selfe euery way you are both sure and will assist mee Conr. To the death my Lord. Iohn Let vs to the great supper their cheere is the greater that I am subdued would the Cooke were of my minde shall we goe proue what 's to be done Bor. Wee 'll wait vpon your Lordship Exeunt Actus Secundus Enter Leonato his brother his wife Hero his daughter and Beatrice his neece and a kinsman Leonato Was not Count Iohn here at supper Brother I saw him
I am hee Iohn Signior you are verie neere my Brother in his loue he is enamor'd on Hero I pray you disswade him from her she is no equall for his birth you may do the part of an honest man in it Claudio How know you he loues her Iohn I heard him sweare his affection Bor. So did I too and he swore he would marrie her to night Iohn Come let vs to the banquet Ex. manet Clau. Clau. Thus answere I in name of Benedicke But heare these ill newes with the eares of Claudio 'T is certaine so the Prince woes for himselfe Friendship is constant in all other things Saue in the Office and affaires of loue Therefore all hearts in loue vse their owne tongues Let euerie eye negotiate for it selfe And trust no Agent for beautie is a witch Against whose charmes faith melteth into blood This is an accident of hourely proofe Which I mistrusted not Farewell therefore Hero Enter Benedicke Ben. Count Claudio Clau. Yea the same Ben. Come will you go with me Clau. Whither Ben. Euen to the next Willow about your own businesse Count. What fashion will you weare the Garland off About your necke like an Vsurers chaine Or vnder your arme like a Lieutenants scarfe You must weare it one way for the Prince hath got your Hero Clau I wish him ioy of her Ben. Why that 's spoken like an honest Drouier so they sel Bullockes but did you thinke the Prince wold haue serued you thus Clau. I pray you leaue me Ben. Ho now you strike like the blindman 't was the boy that stole your meate and you 'l beat the post Clau. If it will not be I le leaue you Exit Ben. Alas poore hurt fowle now will he creepe into sedges But that my Ladie Beatrice should know me not know me the Princes foole Hah It may be I goe vnder that title because I am merrie yea but so I am apt to do my selfe wrong I am not so reputed it is the base though bitter disposition of Beatrice that putt's the world into her person and so giues me out well I le be reuenged as I may Enter the Prince Pedro. Now Signior where 's the Count did you see him Bene. Troth my Lord I haue played the part of Lady Fame I found him heere as melancholy as a Lodge in a Warren I told him and I thinke told him true that your grace had got the will of this young Lady and I offered him my company to a willow tree either to make him a garland as being forsaken or to binde him a rod as being worthy to be whipt Pedro. To be whipt what 's his fault Bene. The slat transgression of a Schoole-boy who being ouer-ioyed with finding a birds nest shewes it his companion and he steales it Pedro. Wilt thou make a trust a transgression the transgression is in the stealer Ben. Yet it had not beene amisse the rod had beene made and the garland too for the garland he might haue worne himselfe and the rod hee might haue bestowed on you who as I take it haue stolne his birds nest Pedro. I will but teach them to sing and restore them to the owner Bene. If their singing answer your saying by my faith you say honestly Pedro. The Lady Beatrice hath a quarrell to you the Gentleman that daunst with her told her shee is much wrong'd by you Bene. O she misusde me past the indurance of a block an oake but with one greene leafe on it would haue answered her my very visor began to assume life and scold with her shee told mee not thinking I had beene my selfe that I was the Princes Iester and that I was duller then a great thaw huâ—ling iest vpon iest with such impossible conueiance vpon me that I stood like a man at a marke with a whole army shooting at me shee speakes poynyards and euery word stabbes if her breath were as terrible as terminations there were no liuing neere her she would infect to the north starre I would not marry her though she were indowed with all that Adam had left him before he transgrest she would haue made Hercules haue turnd spit yea and haue cleft his club to make the fire too come talke not of her you shall finde her the infernall Ate in good apparell I would to God some scholler would coniure her for certainely while she is heere a man may liue as quiet in hell as in a sanctuary and people sinne vpon purpose because they would goe thither so indeed all disquiet horror and perturbation followes her Enter Claudio and Beatrice Leonato Hero Pedro. Looke heere she comes Bene. Will your Grace command mee any seruice to the worlds end I will goe on the slightest arrand now to the Antypodes that you can deuise to send me on I will fetch you a tooth-picker now from the furthest inch of Asia bring you the length of Prester Iohns foot fetch you a hayre off the great Chams beard doe you any embassage to the Pigmies rather then hould three words conference with this Harpy you haue no employment for me Pedro. None but to desire your good company Bene. O God sir heere 's a dish I loue not I cannot indure this Lady tongue Exit Pedr. Come Lady come you haue lost the heart of Signior Benedicke Beatr. Indeed my Lord hee lent it me a while and I gaue him vse for it a double heart for a single one marry once before he wonne it of mee with false dice therefore your Grace may well say I haue lost it Pedro. You haue put him downe Lady you haue put him downe Beat. So I would not he should do me my Lord lest I should prooue the mother of fooles I haue brought Count Claudio whom you sent me to seeke Pedro. Why how now Count wherfore are you sad Claud. Not sad my Lord. Pedro. How then sicke Claud. Neither my Lord. Beat. The Count is neither sad nor sicke nor merry nor well but ciuill Count ciuill as an Orange and something of a iealous complexion Pedro. Ifaith Lady I thinke your blazon to be true though I le be sworne if hee be so his conceit is false heere Claudio I haue wooed in thy name and faire Hero is won I haue broke with her father and his good will obtained name the day of marriage and God giue thee ioy Leona Count take of me my daughter and with her my fortunes his grace hath made the match all grace say Amen to it Beatr. Speake Count t is your Qu. Claud. Silence is the perfectest Herault of ioy I were but little happy if I could say how much Lady as you are mine I am yours I giue away my selfe for you and doat vpon the exchange Beat. Speake cosin or if you cannot stop his mouth with a kisse and let not him speake neither Pedro. Infaith Lady you haue a merry heart Beatr. Yea my Lord I thanke it poore foole it keepes on the windy side of
Care my coosin tells him in his eare that he is in my heart Clau. And so she doth coosin Beat. Good Lord for alliance thus goes euery one to the world but I and I am sun-burn'd I may sit in a corner and cry heigh ho for a husband Pedro. Lady Beatrice I will get you one Beat. I would rather haue one of your fathers getting hath your Grace ne're a brother like you your father got excellent husbands if a maid could come by them Prince Will you haue me Lady Beat. No my Lord vnlesse I might haue another for working-daies your Grace is too costly to weare euerie day but I beseech your Grace pardon mee I was borne to speake all mirth and no matter Prince Your silence most offends me and to be merry best becomes you for out of question you were born in a merry howre Beatr. No sure my Lord my Mother cried but then there was a starre daunst and vnder that was I borne cosins God giue you ioy Leonato Neece will you looke to those rhings I told you of Beat. I cry you mercy Vncle by your Graces pardon Exit Beatrice Prince By my troth a pleasant spirited Lady Leon. There 's little of the melancholy element in her my Lord she is neuer sad but when she sleepes and not euer sad then for I haue heard my daughter say she hath often dreamt of vnhappinesse and wakt her selfe with laughing Pedro. Shee cannot indure to heare tell of a husband Leonato O by no meanes she mocks all her wooers out of suite Prince She were an excellent wife for Benedick Leonato O Lord my Lord if they were but a weeke married they would talke themselues madde Prince Counte Claudio when meane you to goe to Church Clau. To morrow my Lord Time goes on crutches till Loue haue all his rites Leonata Not till monday my deare sonne which is hence a iust seuen night and a time too briefe too to haue all things answer minde Prince Come you shake the head at so long a breathing but I warrant thee Claudio the time shall not goe dully by vs I will in the interim vndertake one of Hercules labors which is to bring Signior Benedicke and the Lady Beatrice into a mountaine of affection th' one with th' other I would faine haue it a match and I doubt not but to fashion it if you three will but minister such assistance as I shall giue you direction Leonata My Lord I am for you though it cost mee ten nights watchings Claud. And I my Lord. Prin. And you to gentle Hero Hero I will doe any modest office my Lord to helpe my cosin to a good husband Prin. And Benedick is not the vnhopefullest husband that I know thus farre can I praise him hee is of a noble straine of approued valour and confirm'd honesty I will teach you how to humour your cosin that shee shall fall in loue with Benedicke and I with your two helpes will so practise on Benedicke that in despight of his quicke wit and his queasie stomacke hee shall fall in loue with Beatrice if wee can doe this Cupid is no longer an Archer his glory shall be ours for wee are the onely loue-gods goe in with me and I will tell you my drift Exit Enter Iohn and Borachio Ioh. It is so the Count Claudio shal marry the daughter of Leonato Bora. Yea my Lord but I can crosse it Iohn Any barre any crosse any impediment will be medicinable to me I am sicke in displeasure to him and whatsoeuer comes athwart his affection ranges euenly with mine how canst thou crosse this marriage Bor. Not honestly my Lord but so couertly that no dishonesty shall appeare in me Iohn Shew me breefely how Bor. I thinke I told your Lordship a yeere since how much I am in the fauour of Margaret the waiting gentlewoman to Hero Iohn I remember Bor. I can at any vnseasonable instant of the night appoint her to look out at her Ladies chamber window Iohn What life is in that to be the death of this marriage Bor. The poyson of that lies in you to temper goe you to the Prince your brother spare not to tell him that hee hath wronged his Honor in marrying the renowned Claudio whose estimation do you mightily hold vp to a contaminated stale such a one as Hero Iohn What proofe shall I make of that Bor. Proofe enough to misuse the Prince to vexe Claudio to vndoe Hero and kill Leonato looke you for any other issue Iohn Onely to despight them I will endeauour any thing Bor. Goe then finde me a meete howre to draw on Pedro and the Count Claudio alone tell them that you know that Hero loues me intend a kinde of zeale both to the Prince and Claudio as in a loue of your brothers honor who hath made this match and his friends reputation who is thus like to be cosen'd with the semblance of a maid that you haue discouer'd thus they will scarcely beleeue this without triall offer them instances which shall beare no lesse likelihood than to see mee at her chamber window heare me call Margaret Hero heare Margaret terme me Claudio and bring them to see this the very night before the intended wedding for in the meane time I will so fashion the matter that Hero shall be absent and there shall appeare such seeming truths of Heroes disloyaltie that iealousie shall be cal'd assurance and all the preparation ouerthrowne Iohn Grow this to what aduerse issue it can I will put it in practise be cunning in the working this and thy fee is a thousand ducates Bor. Be thou constant in the accusation and my cunning shall not shame me Iohn I will presentlie goe learne their day of marriage Exit Enter Benedicke alone Bene. Boy Boy Signior Bene. In my chamber window lies a booke bring it hither to me in the orchard Boy I am heere already sir Exit Bene. I know that but I would haue thee hence and heere againe I doe much wonder that one man seeing how much another man is a foole when he dedicates his behauiours to loue will after hee hath laught at such shallow follies in others become the argument of his owne scorne by falling in loue such a man is Claudio I haue known when there was no musicke with him but the drum and the fife and now had hee rather heare the taber and the pipe I haue knowne when he would haue walkt ten mile afoot to see a good armor and now will he lie ten nights awake caruing the fashion of a new dublet he was wont to speake plaine to the purpose like an honest man a souldier and now is he turn'd orthography his words are a very fantasticall banquet iust so many strange dishes may I be so conuerted see with these eyes I cannot tell I thinke not I will not bee sworne but loue may transforme me to an oyster but I le take my oath on it till he haue made
appeares In the true course of all the question Old Well I am glad that all things sort so well Bene. And so am I being else by faith enforc'd To call young Claudio to a reckoning for it Leo. Well daughter and you gentlewomen all Withdraw into a chamber by your selues And when I send for you come hither mask'd The Prince and Claudio promis'd by this howre To visit me you know your office Brother You must be father to your brothers daughter And giue her to young Claudio Exeunt Ladies Old Which I will doe with confirm'd countenance Bene. Frier I must intreat your paines I thinke Frier To doe what Signior Bene. To binde me or vndoe me one of them Signior Leonato truth it is good Signior Your neece regards me with an eye of fauour Leo. That eye my daughter lent her 't is most true Bene. And I doe with an eye of loue require her Leo. The sight whereof I thinke you had from me From Claudio and the Prince but what 's your will Bened. Your answer sir is Enigmaticall But for my will my will is your good will May stand with ours this day to be conioyn'd In the state of honourable marriage In which good Frier I shall desire your helpe Leon. My heart is with your liking Frier And my helpe Enter Prince and Claudio with attendants Prin. Good morrow to this faire assembly Leo. Good morrow Prince good morrow Claudio We heere attend you are you yet determin'd To day to marry with my brothers daughter Claud. I le hold my minde were she an Ethiope Leo. Call her forth brother here 's the Frier ready Prin. Good morrow Benedike why what 's the matter That you haue such a Februarie face So full of frost of storme and clowdinesse Claud. I thinke he thinkes vpon the sauage bull Tush feare not man wee 'll tip thy hornes with gold And all Europa shall reioyce at thee As once Europa did at lusty Ioue When he would play the noble beast in loue Ben. Bull Ioue sir had an amiable low And some such strange bull leapt your fathers Cow A got a Calfe in that same noble seat Much like to you for you haue iust his bâ—eat Enter brother Hero Beatrice Margaret Vrsula Cla. For this I owe you here comes other recknings Which is the Lady I must seize vpon Leo. This same is she and I â—oe giue you her Cla. Why thou she 's mine sweet let me see your face Leon. No that you shal not till you take her hand Before this Frier and sweare to marry her Clau. Giue me your hand before this holy Frier I am your husband if you like of me Hero And when I liu'd I was your other wife And when you lou'd you were my other husband Clau. Another Hero Hero Nothing certaineâ— One Hero died but I doe liue And surely as I liue I am a maid Prin. The former Hero Hero that is dead Leon. Shee died my Lord but whiles her slander liu'd Frier All this amazement can I qualifie When after that the holy rites are ended I le tell you largely of faire Heroes death Meane time let wonder seeme familiar And to the chappell let vs presently Ben. Soft and faire Frier which is Beatrice Beat. I answer to that name what is your will Bene. Doe not you loue me Beat. Why no no more then reason Bene. Why then your Vncle and the Prince Claudio haue beene deceiued they swore you did Beat. Doe not you loue mee Bene. Troth no no more then reason Beat. Why then my Cosin Margaret and Vrsula Are much deceiu'd for they did sweare you did Bene. They swore you were almost sicke for me Beat. They swore you were wel-nye dead for me Bene. T is no matter then you doe not loue me Beat. No truly but in friendly recompence Leon. Come Cosin I am sure you loue the gentlemaÌ„ Clau. And I le be sworne vpon 't that he loues her For here 's a paper written in his hand A halting sonnet of his owne pure braine Fashioned to Beatrice Hero And heere 's another Writ in my cosins hand stolne from her pocket Containing her affection vnto Benedicke Bene. A miracle here 's our owne hands against our hearts come I will haue thee but by this light I take thee for pittie Beat. I would not denie you but by this good day I yeeld vpon great perswasion partly to saue your life for I was told you were in a consumption Leon. Peace I will stop your mouth Prin. How dost thou Benedicke the married man Bene. I le tell thee what Prince a Colledge of witte-crackers cannot flout mee out of my humour dost thou think I care for a Satyre or an Epigram no if a man will be beaten with braines a shall weare nothing handsome about him in briefe since I do purpose to marry I will thinke nothing to any purpose that the world can say against it and therefore neuer flout at me for I haue said against it for man is a giddy thing and this is my conclusion for thy part Claudio I did thinke to haue beaten thee but in that thou art like to be my kinsman liue vnbruis'd and loue my cousin Cla. I had well hop'd y u wouldst haue denied Beatrice y t I might haue cudgel'd thee out of thy single life to make thee a double dealer which out of questioÌ„ thou wilt be if my Cousin do not looke exceeding narrowly to thee Bene. Come come we are friends let 's haue a dance ere we are married that we may lighten our own hearts and our wiues heeles Leon. Wee 'll haue dancing afterward Bene. First of my vvord therfore play musick Prince thou art sad get thee a vvife get thee a vvife there is no staff more reuerend then one tipt with horn Enter Mes Messen My Lord your brother Iohn is tane in flight And brought with armed men backe to Messina Bene. Thinke not on him till to morrow I le deuise thee braue punishments for him strike vp Pipers Dance FINIS Loues Labour 's lost Actus primus Enter Ferdinand King of Nauarre Berowne Longauill and Dumane Ferdinand LEt Fame that all hunt after in their liues Liue registred vpon our brazen Tombes And then grace vs in the disgrace of death when spight of cormorant deuouring Time Th' endeuour of this present breath may buy That honour which shall bate his sythes keene edge And make vs heyres of all eternitie Therefore braue Conquerours for so you are That warre against your owne affections And the huge Armie of the worlds desires Our late edict shall strongly stand in force Nauar shall be the wonder of the world Our Court shall be a little Achademe Still and contemplatiue in liuing Art You three Berowne Dumaine and Longauill Haue sworne for three yeeres terme to liue with me My fellow Schollers and to keepe those statutes That are recorded in this scedule heere Your oathes are past and now subscribe your names That his
house thither they send one another I le question her God saue you pilgrim whether are bound Hel. To S. Iaques la grand Where do the Palmers lodge I do beseech you Wid. At the S. Francis heere beside the Port. Hel. Is this the way A march afarre Wid. I marrie i st Harke you they come this way If you will tarrie holy Pilgrime But till the troopes come by I will conduct you where you shall be lodg'd The rather for I thinke I know your hostesse As ample as my selfe Hel. Is it your selfe Wid. If you shall please so Pilgrime Hel. I thanke you and will stay vpon your leisure Wid. you came I thinke from France Hel. I did so Wid. Heere you shall see a Countriman of yours That has done worthy seruice Hel. His name I pray you Dia. The Count Rossillion know you such a one Hel. But by the eare that heares most nobly of him His face I know not Dia. What somere he is He 's brauely taken heere He stole from France As 't is reported for the King had married him Against his liking Thinke you it is so Hel. I surely meere the truth I know his Lady Dia. There is a Gentleman that serues the Count Reports but coursely of her Hel. What 's his name Dia. Monsieur Parrolles Hel. Oh I beleeue with him In argument of praise or to the worth Of the great Count himselfe she is too meane To haue her name repeated all her deseruing Is a reserued honestie and that I haue not heard examin'd Dian. Alas poore Ladie 'T is a hard bondage to become the wife Of a detesting Lord. Wid. I write good creature wheresoere she is Her hart waighes sadly this yong maid might do her A shrewd turne if she pleas'd Hel. How do you meane May be the amorous Count solicites her In the vnlawfull purpose Wid. He does indeede And brokes with all that can in such a suite Corrupt the tender honour of a Maide But she is arm'd for him and keepes her guard In honestest defence Drumme and Colours Enter Count Rossillion Parrolles and the whole Armie Mar. The goddes forbid else Wid. So now they come That is Anthonio the Dukes eldest sonne That Escalus Hel. Which is the Frenchman Dia. Hee That with the plume 't is a most gallant fellow I would he lou'd his wife if he were honester He were much goodlier Is' t not a handsom Gentleman Hel. I like him well Di. 'T is pitty he is not honest yond 's that same knaue That leades him to these places were I his Ladie I would poison that vile Rascall Hel. Which is he Dia. That Iacke an-apes with scarfes Why is hee melancholly Hel. Perchance heâ—s hurt i' th battaile Par. Loose our drum Well Mar. He 's shrewdly vext at something Looke he has spyed vs. Wid. Marrie hang you Mar. And your curtesie for a ring-carrier Exit Wid. The troope is past Come pilgrim I wil bring you Where you shall host Of inioyn'd penitents There 's foure or fiue to great S. Iaques bound Alreadie at my house Hel. I humbly thanke you Please it this Matron and this gentle Maide To eate with vs to night the charge and thanking Shall be for me and to requite you further I will bestow some precepts of this Virgin Worthy the note Both. Wee 'l take your offer kindly Exeunt Enter Count Rossillion and the Frenchmen as at first Cap. E. Nay good my Lord put him too 't let him haue his way Cap. G. If your Lordshippe finde him not a Hilding hold me no more in your respect Cap. E. On my life my Lord a bubble Ber. Do you thinke I am so farre Deceiued in him Cap. E. Beleeue it my Lord in mine owne direct knowledge without any malice but to speake of him as my kinsman hee 's a most notable Coward an infinite and endlesse Lyar an hourely promise-breaker the owner of no one good qualitie worthy your Lordships entertainment Cap. G. It were fit you knew him least reposing too farre in his vertue which he hath not he might at some great and trustie businesse in a maine daunger fayle you Ber. I would I knew in what particular action to try him Cap. G. None better then to let him fetch off his drumme which you heare him so confidently vndertake to do C.E. I with a troop of Florentines wil sodainly surprize him such I will haue whom I am sure he knowes not from the enemie wee will binde and hoodwinke him so that he shall suppose no other but that he is carried into the Leager of the aduersaries when we bring him to our owne tents be but your Lordship present at his examination if he do not for the promise of his life and in the highest compulsion of base feare offer to betray you and deliuer all the intelligence in his power against you and that with the diuine forfeite of his soule vpon oath neuer trust my iudgement in anie thing Cap. G. O for the loue of laughter let him fetch his drumme he sayes he has a stratagem for 't when your Lordship sees the bottome of this successe in 't and to what mettle this counterfeyt lump of ours will be melted if you giue him not Iohn drummes entertainement your inclining cannot be remoued Heere he comes Enter Parrolles Cap. E. O for the loue of laughter hinder not the honor of his designe let him fetch off his drumme in any hand Ber. How now Monsieur This drumme sticks sorely in your disposition Cap. G. A pox on 't let it go 't is but a drumme Par. But a drumme Ist but a drumme A drum so lost There was excellent command to charge in with our horse vpon our owne wings and to rend our owne souldiers Cap. G. That was not to be blam'd in the command of the seruice it was a disaster of warre that Caesar him selfe could not haue preuented if he had beene there to command Ber. Well wee cannot greatly condemne our successe some dishonor wee had in the losse of that drum but it is not to be recouered Par. It might haue beene recouered Ber. It might but it is not now Par. It is to be recouered but that the merit of seruice is sildome attributed to the true and exact performer I would haue that drumme or another or hic iacet Ber. Why if you haue a stomacke too 't Monsieur if you thinke your mysterie in stratagem can bring this instrument of honour againe into his natiue quarter be magnanimious in the enterprize and go on I wil grace the attempt for a worthy exploit if you speede well in it the Duke shall both speake of it and extend to you what further becomes his greatnesse euen to the vtmost syllable of your worthinesse Par. By the hand of a souldier I will vndertake it Ber. But you must not now slumber in it Par. I le about it this euening and I will presently pen downe my dilemma's encourage my selfe in my certaintie put my selfe
thou at sir Robert He is Sir Roberts sonne and so art thou Bast Iames Gournie wilt thou giue vs leaue a while Gour. Good leaue good Philip. Bast Philip sparrow Iames There 's toyes abroad anon I le tell thee more Exit Iames. Madam I was not old Sir Roberts sonne Sir Robert might haue eat his part in me Vpon good Friday and nere broke his fast Sir Robert could doe well marrie to confesse Could get me sir Robert could not doe it We know his handy-worke therefore good mother To whom am I beholding for these limmes Sir Robert neuer holpe to make this legge Lady Hast thou conspired with thy brother too That for thine owne gaine shouldst defend mine honor What meanes this scorne thou most vntoward knaue Bast. Knight knight good mother Basilisco-like What I am dub'd I haue it on my shoulder But mother I am not Sir Roberts sonne I haue disclaim'd Sir Robert and my land Legitimation name and all is gone Then good my mother let me know my father Some proper man I hope who was it mother Lady Hast thou denied thy selfe a Faulconbridge Bast As faithfully as I denie the deuill Lady King Richard Cordelion was thy father By long and vehement suit I was seduc'd To make roome for him in my husbands bed Heauen lay not my transgression to my charge That art the issue of my deere offence Which was so strongly vrg'd past my defence Bast Now by this light were I â—o get againe Madam I would not wish a better father Some sinnes doe beare their priuiledge on earth And so doth yours your fault was not your follie Needs must you lay your heart at his dispose Subiected tribute to commanding loue Against whose furie and vnmatched force The awlesse Lion could not wage the fight Nor keepe his Princely heart from Richards hand He that perforce robs Lions of their hearts May easily winne a womans aye my mother With all my heart I thanke thee for my father Who liues and dares but say thou didst not well When I was got I le send his soule to hell Come Lady I will shew thee to my kinne And they shall say when Richard me begot If thou hadst sayd him nay it had beene sinne Who sayes it was he lyes I say t was not Exeunt Scaena Secunda Enter before Angiers Philip King of France Lewis Daulphin Austria Constance Arthur Lewis Before Angiers well met braue Austria Arthur that great fore-runner of thy bloud Richard that rob'd the Lion of his heart And fought the holy Warres in Palestine By this braue Duke came early to his graue And for amends to his posteritie At our importance hether is he come To spread his colours boy in thy behalfe And to rebuke the vsurpation Of thy vnnaturall Vncle English Iohn Embrace him loue him giue him welcome hether Arth. God shall forgiue you Cordelions death The rather that you giue his off-spring life Shadowing their right vnder your wings of warre I giue you welcome with a powerlesse hand But with a heart full of vnstained loue Welcome before the gates of Angiers Duke Lewis A noble boy who would not doe thee right Aust Vpon thy cheeke lay I this zelous kisse As seale to this indenture of my loue That to my home I will no more returne Till Angiers and the right thou hast in France Together with that pale that white-fac'd shore Whose foot spurnes backe the Oceans roaring tides And coopes from other lands her Ilanders Euen till that England hedg'd in with the maine That Water-walled Bulwarke still secure And confident from forreine purposes Euen till that vtmost corner of the West Salute thee for her King till then faire boy Will I not thinke of home but follow Armes Const O take his mothers thanks a widdows thanks Till your strong hand shall helpe to giue him strength To make a more requitall to your loue Aust The peace of heauen is theirs y t lift their swords In such a iust and charitable warre King Well then to worke our Cannon shall be bent Against the browes of this resisting towne Call for our cheefest men of discipline To cull the plots of best aduantages Wee 'll lay before this towne our Royal bones Wade to the market-place in French-mens bloud But we will make it subiect to this boy Con. Stay for an answer to your Embassie Lest vnaduis'd you staine your swords with bloud My Lord Chattilion may from England bring That right in peace which heere we vrge in warre And then we shall repent each drop of bloud That hot rash haste so indirectly shedde Enter Chattilion King A wonder Lady lo vpon thy wish Our Messenger Chattilion is arriu'd What England saies say breefely gentle Lord We coldly pause for thee Chatilion speake Chat. Then turne your forces from this paltry siege And stirre them vp against a mightier taske England impatient of your iust demands Hath put himselfe in Armes the aduerse windes Whose leisure I haue staid haue giuen him time To land his Legions all as soone as I His marches are expedient to this towne His forces strong his Souldiers confident With him along is come the Mother Queene An Ace stirring him to bloud and strife With her her Neece the Lady Blanch of Spaine With them a Bastard of the Kings deceast And all th' vnsetled humors of the Land Rash inconsiderate fiery voluntaries With Ladies faces and fierce Dragons spleenes Haue sold their fortunes at their natiue homes Bearing their birth-rights proudly on their backs To make a hazard of new fortunes heere In briefe a brauer choyse of dauntlesse spirits Then now the English bottomes haue waft o're Did neuer flote vpon the swelling tide To doe offence and scathe in Christendome The interruption of their churlish drums Cuts off more circumstance they are at hand Drum beats To parlie or to fight therefore prepare Kin. How much vnlook'd for is this expedition Aust By how much vnexpected by so much We must awake indeuor for defence For courage mounteth with occasion Let them be welcome then we are prepar'd Enter K. of England Bastard Queene Blanch Pembroke and others K. Iohn Peace be to France If France in peace permit Our iust and lineall entrance to our owne If not bleede France and peace ascend to heauen Whiles we Gods wrathfull agent doe correct Their proud contempt that beats his peace to heauen Fran. Peace be to England if that warre returne From France to England there to liue in peace England we loue and for that Englands sake With burden of our armor heere we sweat This toyle of ours should be a worke of thine But thou from louing England art so farre That thou hast vnder-wrought his lawfull King Cut off the sequence of posterity Out-faced Infant State and done a rape Vpon the maiden vertue of the Crowne Looke heere vpon thy brother Geffreyes face These eyes these browes were moulded out of his This little abstract doth containe that large Which died in Gâ—ffrey and
the hand of time Shall draw this breefe into as huge a volume That Geffrey was thy elder brother borne And this his sonne England was Geffreys right And this is Geffreyes in the name of God How comes it then that thou art call'd a King When liuing blood doth in these temples beat Which owe the crowne that thou ore-masterest K. Iohn From whom hast thou this great commission To draw my answer from thy Articles Fra. FroÌ„ that supernal Iudge that stirs good thoughts France In any beast of strong authoritie To looke into the blots and staines of right That Iudge hath made me guardian to this boy Vnder whose warrant I impeach thy wrong And by whose helpe I meane to chastise it K. Iohn Alack thou dost vsurpe authoritie Fran. Excuse it is to beat vsurping downe Queen Who is it thou dost call vsurper France Const Let me make answer thy vsurping sonne Queen Out insolent thy bastard shall be King That thou maist be a Queen and checke the world Con. My bed was euer to thy sonne as true As thine was to thy husband and this boy Liker in feature to his father Geffrey Then thou and Iohn in manners being as like As raine to water or deuill to his damme My boy a bastard by my soule I thinke His father neuer was so true begot It cannot be and if thou wert his mother Queen There 's a good mother boy that blots thy father Const There 's a good grandame boy That would blot thee Aust Peace Bast Heare the Cryer Aust What the deuill art thou Bast One that wil play the deuill sir with you And a may catch your hide and you alone You are the Hare of whom the Prouerb goes Whose valour plucks dead Lyons by the beard I le smoake your skin-coat and I catch you right Sirra looke too 't yfaith I will yfaith Blan. O well did he become that Lyons robe That did disrobe the Lion of that robe Bast It lies as sightly on the backe of him As great Alcides shooes vpon an Asse But Asse I le take that burthen from your backe Or lay on that shall make your shoulders cracke Aust What cracker is this same that deafes our eares With this abundance of superfluous breath King Lewis determine what we shall doe strait Lew. Women fooles breake off your conference King Iohn this is the very summe of all England and Ireland Angiers Toraine Maine In right of Arthur doe I claime of thee Wilt thou resigne them and lay downe thy Armes Iohn My life as soone I doe defie thee France Arthur of Britaine yeeld thee to my hand And out of my deere loue I le giue thee more Then ere the coward hand of France can win Submit thee boy Queen Come to thy grandame child Coâ—s Doe childe goe to yt grandame childe Giue grandame kingdome and it grandame will Giue yt a plum a cherry and a figge There 's a good grandame Arthur Good my mother peace I would that I were low laid in my graue I am not worth this coyle that 's made for me Qu. Mo. His mother shames him so poore boy hee weepes Con. Now shame vpon you where she does or no His granâ—ames wrongs and not his mothers shames Drawes those heauen-mouing pearles froÌ„ his poor eies Which heauen shall take in nature of a fee I with these Christall beads heauen shall be brib'd To doe him Iustice and reuenge on you Qu. Thou monstrous slanderer of heauen and earth Con. Thou monstrous of Iniurer of heauen and earth Call not me slanderer thou and thine vsurpe The Dominations Royalties and rights Of this oppressed boy this is thy eldest sonnes sonne Infortunate in nothing but in thee Thy sinnes are visited in this poore childe The Canon of the Law is laide on him Being but the second generation Remoued from thy sinne-conceiuing wombe Iohn Bedlâ— haue done Con. I haue but this to say That he is not onely plagued for her sin But God hath made her sinne and her the plague On this remoued issue plagued for her And with her plague her sinne his iniury Her iniurie the Beadle to her sinne All punish'd 〈◊〉 the person of this childe And all for her a plague vpon her Que. Thou vnaduised scold I can produce A Will that barres the title of thy sonne Con. I who doubts that a Will a wicked will A womans will a cankred Grandams will Fra. Peace Lady pause or be more temperate It ill beseemes this presence to cry ayme To these ill-tuned repetitions Some Trumpet summon hither to the walles These men of Angiers let vs heare them speake Whose title they admit Arthurs or Iohns Trumpet sounds Enter a Citizen vpon the walles Cit. Who is it that hath warn'd vs to the walles Fra. 'T is France for England Iohn England for it selfe You men of Angiers and my louing subiects Fra. You louing men of Angiers Arthurs subiects Our Trumpet call'd you to this gentle parle Iohn For our aduantage therefore heare vs first These flagges of France that are aduanced heere Before the eye and prospect of your Towne Haue hither march'd to your endamagement The Canons haue their bowels full of wrath And ready mounted are they to spit forth Their Iron indignation ' gainst your walles All preparation for a bloody siedge And merciles proceeding by these French Comfort yours Citties eies your winking gates And but for our approch those sleeping stones That as a waste doth girdle you about By the compulsion of their Ordinance By this time from their fixed beds of lime Had bin dishabited and wide hauocke made For bloody power to rush vppon your peace But on the sight of vs your lawfull King Who painefully with much expedient march Haue brought a counter-cheeke before your gates To saue vnscratch'd your Citties threatned cheekes Behold the French amaz'd vouchsafe a parle And now insteed of bulletts wrapt in fire To make a shaking feuer in your walles They shoote but calme words folded vp in smoake To make a faithlesse errour in your eares Which trust accordingly kinde Cittizens And let vs in Your King whose labour'd spirits Fore-wearied in this action of swift speede Craues harbourage within your Citie walles France When I haue saide make answer to vs both Loe in this right hand whose protection Is most diuinely vow'd vpon the right Of him it holds stands yong Plâ—tagenâ—s Sonne to the elder brother of this man And King ore him and all that he enioyes For this downe-troden equity we tread In warlike march these greenes before your Towne Being no further enemy to you Then the constraint of hospitable zeale In the releefe of this oppressed childe Religiously prouokes Be pleased then To pay that dutie which you truly owe To him that owes it namely this yong Prince And then our Armes like to a muzled Beare Saue in aspect hath all offence seal'd vp Our Cannons malice vainly shall be spent Against th' involuerable clouds of heauen And with a blessed and
as we are by this peeuish Towne Turne thou the mouth of thy Artillerie As we will ours against these sawcie walles And when that we haue dash'd them to the ground Why then defie each other and pell-mell Make worke vpon our selues for heauen or hell Fra. Let it be so say where will you assault Iohn We from the West will send destruction Into this Cities bosome Aust I from the North. Fran. Our Thunder from the South Shall raine their drift of bullets on this Towne Bast O prudent discipline From North to South Austria and France shoot in each others mouth I le stirre them to it Come away away Hub. Heare vs great kings vouchsafe awhile to stay And I shall shew you peace and faire-fac'd league Win you this Citie without stroke or wound Rescue those breathing liues to dye in beds That heere come sacrifices for the field Perseuer not but heare me mighty kings Iohn Speake on with favour we are bent to heare Hub. That daughter there of Spaine the Lady Blanch Is neere to England looke vpon the yeeres Of Lewes the Dolphin and that louely maid If lustie loue should go in quest of beautie Where should he finde it fairer theâ— in Blanch If zealous loue should go in search of vertue Where should he finde iâ— purer then in Blanch If loue ambitious sought a match of birth Whose veines bound richer blood then Lady Blanch Such as she is in beautie vertue birth Is the yong Dolphin euery way compleat If not compleat of say he is not shee And she againe wants nothing to name want If want it be not that she is not hee He is the halfe-part oâ— a blessed man Left to be finished by such as shee And she a faire diuided excellence Whose fulnesse of perfection lyes in him O two such siluer currents when they ioyne Do glorifie the bankes that bound them in And two such shores to two such streames made one Two such controlling bounds shall you be kings To these two Princes if you marrie them This Vnion shall do more then batterie can To our fast closed gates for at this match With swifter spleene then powder can enforce The mouth of passage shall we sling wide ope And giue you entrance but without this match The sea enraged is not halfe so deafe Lyons more confident Mountaines and rockes More free from motion no not death himselfe In mortall furie halfe so peremptorie As we to keepe this Citie Bast Heere 's a stay That shakes the rotten carkasse of old death Out of his ragges Here 's a large mouth indeede That spits forth death and mountaines rockes and seas Talkes as familiarly of roaring Lyons As maids of thirteene do of puppi-dogges What Cannoneere begot this Iustie blood He speakes plaine Cannon fire and smoake and bounce He giues the bastinado with his tongue Our eares are cudgel'd not a word of his But buffets better then a fist of France Zounds I was neuer so bethumpt with words Since I first cal'd my brothers father Dad. Old Qu. Son list to this coniunction make this match Giue with our Neece a dowrie large enough For by this knot thou shalt so surely tye Thy now vnsur'd assurance to the Crowne That you greene boy shall haue no Sunne to ripe The bloome that promiseth a mightie fruite I see a yeelding in the lookes of France Marke how they whisper vrge them while their soules Are capeable of this ambition Least zeale now melted by the windie breath Of soft petitions pittie and remorse Coole and congeale againe to what it was Hub. Why answer not the double Maiesties This friendly treatie of our threatned Towne Fra. Speake England first that hath bin forward first To speake vnto this Cittie what say you Iohn If that the Dolphin there thy Princely sonne Can in this booke of beautie râ—ad I loue Her Dowrie shall weigh equall with a Queene For Angiers and faire Toraine Maine Poyctiers And all that we vpon this side the Sea Except this Cittie now by vs besiedg'd Finde liable to our Crowne and Dignitie Shall gild her bridall bed and make her rich In titles honors and promotions As she in beautie education blood Holdes hand with any Princesse of the world Fra. What sai'st thou boy looke in the Ladies face Dol. I do my Lord and in her eie I find A wonder or a wondrous miracle The shadow of my selfe form'd in her eye Which being but the shadow of your sonne Becomes a sonne and makes your sonne a shadow I do protest I neuer lou'd my selfe Till now infixed I beheld my selfe Drawne in the flattering table of her eie Whispers with Blanch. Bast Drawne in the flattering table of her eie Hang'd in the frowning wrinkle of her brow And quarter'd in her heart hee doth espie Himselfe loues traytor this is pittie now That hang'd and drawne and quarter'd there should be In such a loue so vile a Lout as he Blan. My vnckles will in this respect is mine If he see ought in you that makes him like That any thing he see 's which moues his liking I can with ease translate it to my will Or if you will to speake more properly I will enforce it easlie to my loue Further I will not flatter you my Lord That all I see in you is worthie loue Then this that nothing do I see in you Though churlish thoughts themselues should bee your Iudge That I can finde should merit any hate Iohn What saie these yong-ones What say you my Neece Blan. That she is bound in honor still to do What you in wisedome still vouchsafe to say Iohn Speake then Prince Dolphin can you loue this Ladie Dol. Nay aske me if I can refraine from loue For I doe loue her most vnfainedly Iohn Then do I giue Volquessen Toraine Maine Poyctiers and Aniow these fiue Prouinces With her to thee and this addition more Full thirty thousand Markes of English coyne Phillip of France if thou be pleas'd withall Command thy sonne and daughtet to ioyne hands Fra. It likes vs well young Princes close your hands Aust And your lippes too for I am well assur'd That I did so when I was first assur'd Fra. Now Cittizens of Angires ope your gates Let in that amitie which you haue made For at Saint Maries Chappell presently The rights of marriage shall be solemniz'd Is not the Ladie Constance in this troope I know she is not for this match made vp Her presence would haue interrupted much Where is she and her sonne tell me who knowes Dol. She is sad and passionate at your highnes Tent. Fra. And by my faith this league that we haue made Will giue her sadnesse very little cure Brother of England how may we content This widdow Lady In her right we came Which we God knowes haue turnâ—d another way To our owne vantage Iohn We will heale vp all For wee 'l create yong Arthur Duke of Britaine And Earle of Richmond and this rich faire Towne We make him
the tongue A cased Lion by the mortall paw A fasting Tyger safer by the tooth Then keepe in peace that hand which thou dost hold Fra. I may dis-ioyne my hand but not my faith Pand. So mak'st thou faith an enemy to faith And like a ciuill warre setst oath to oath Thy tongue against thy tongue O let thy vow First made to heauen first be to heauen perform'd That is to be the Champion of our Church What since thou sworst is sworne against thy selfe And may not be performed by thy selfe For that which thou hast sworne to doe amisse Is not amisse when it is truely done And being not done where doing tends to ill The truth is then most done not doing it The better Act of purposes mistooke Is to mistake again though indirect Yet indirection thereby growes direct And falshood falshood cures as fire cooles fire Within the scorched veines of one new burn'd It is religion that doth make vowes kept But thou hast sworne against religion By what thou swear'st against the thing thou swear'st And mak'st an oath the suretie for thy truth Against an oath the truth thou art vnsure To sweare sweares onely not to be forsworne Else what a mockerie should it be to sweare But thou dost sweare onely to be forsworne And most forsworne to keepe what thou dost sweare Therefore thy later vowes against thy first Is in thy selfe rebellion to thy selfe And better conquest neuer canst thou make Then arme thy constant and thy nobler parts Against these giddy loose suggestions Vpon which better part our prayrs come in If thou vouchsafe them But if not then know The perill of our curses light on thee So heauy as thou shalt not shake them off But in despaire dye vnder their blacke weight Aust Rebellion flat rebellion Bast Wil 't not be Will not a Calues-skin stop that mouth of thine Daul Father to Armes Blanch. Vpon thy wedding day Against the blood that thou hast married What shall our feast be kept with slaughtered men Shall braying trumpets and loud churlish drums Clamors of hell be measures to our pomp O husband heare me aye alacke how new Is husband in my mouth euen for that name Which till this time my tongue did nere pronounce Vpon my knee I beg goe not to Armes Against mine Vncle. Const O vpon my knee made hard with kneeling I doe pray to thee thou vertuous Daulphin Alter not the doome fore-thought by heauen Blan. Now shall I see thy loue what motiue may Be stronger with thee then the name of wife Con. That which vpholdeth him that thee vpholds His Honor Oh thine Honor Lewis thine Honor. Dolph I muse your Maiesty doth seeme so cold When such profound respects doe pull you on Pand. I will denounce a curse vpon his head Fra. Thou shalt not need England I will fall froÌ„ thee Const O faire returne of banish'd Maiestie Elea. O foule reuolt of French inconstancy Eng. France y u shalt rue this houre within this houre Bast Old Time the clocke setter y t bald sexton Time Is it as he will well then France shall rue Bla. The Sun 's orecast with bloud faire day adieu Which is the side that I must goe withall I am with both each Army hâ— a hand And in their rage I hauing hold of both They whurle aâ—under and dismember mee Husband I cannot pray that thou maist winne Vncle I needs must pray that thou maist lose Father I may not wish the fortune thine Grandam I will not wish thy wishes thriue Who-euer wins on that side shall I lose Assured losse before the match be plaid Dolph Lady with me with me thy fortune lies Bla. There where my fortune liues there my life dies Iohn Cosen goe draw our puisance together France I am burn'd vp with inflaming wrath A rage whose heat hath this condition That nothing can allay nothing but blood The blood and deerest valued bloud of France Fra. Thy rage shall burne thee vp thou shalt turne To ashes ere our blood shall quench that fire Looke to thy selfe thou art in ieopardie Iohn No more then he that threats To Arms le' ts hie Exeunt Scoena Secunda Allarums Excursions Enter Bastard with Austria's head Bast Now by my life this day grows wondrous hot Some ayery Deuill houers in the skie And pour's downe mischiefe Austrias head lye there Enter Iohn Arthur Hubert While Philip breathes Iohn Hubert keepe this boy Philip make vp My Mother is assayled in our Tent And tane I feare Bast My Lord I rescued her Her Highnesse is in safety feare you not But on my Liege for very little paines Will bring this labor to an happy end Exit Alarums excursions Retreat Enter Iohn Eleanor Arthur Bastard Hubert Lords Iohn So shall it be your Grace shall stay behinde So strongly guarded Cosen looke not sad Thy Grandame loues thee and thy Vnkle will As deere be to thee as thy father was Arth. O this will make my mother die with griefe Iohn Cosen away for England haste before And ere our comming see thou shake the bags Of hoording Abbots imprisoned angells Set at libertie the fat ribs of peace Must by the hungry now be fed vpon Vse our Commission in his vtmost force Bast Bell Booke Candle shall not driue me back When gold and siluer becks me to come on I leaue your highnesse Grandame I will pray If euer I remember to be holy For your faire safety so I kisse your hand Ele. Farewell gentle Cosen Iohn Coz farewell Ele. Come hether little kinsman harke a worde Iohn Come hether Hubert O my gentle Hubert We owe thee much within this wall of flesh There is a soule counts thee her Creditor And with aduantage meanes to pay thy loue And my good friend thy voluntary oath Liues in this bosome deerely cherished Giue me thy hand I had a thing to say But I will fit it with some better tune By heauen Hubert I am almost asham'd To say what good respect I haue of thee Hub. I am much bounden to your Maiesty Iohn Good friend thou hast no cause to say so yet But thou shalt haue and creepe time nere so slow Yet it shall come for me to doe thee good I had a thing to say but let it goe The Sunne is in the heauen and the proud day Attended with the pleasures of the world Is all too wanton and too full of gawdes To giue me audience If the mid-night bell Did with his yron tongue and brazen mouth Sound on into the drowzie race of night If this same were a Church-yard where we stand And thou possessed with a thousand wrongs Or if that surly spirit melancholy Had bak'd thy bloud and made it heauy thicke Which else runnes tickling vp and downe the veines Making that idiot laughter keepe mens eyes And straine their cheekes to idle merriment A passion hatefull to my purposes Or if that thou couldst see me without eyes Heare me without thine eares and make reply
borne this will breake out To all our sorrowes and ere long I doubt Exeunt Io. They burn in indignation I repent Enter Mes There is no sure foundation set on blood No certaine life atchieu'd by others death A fearefull eye thou hast Where is that blood That I haue seene inhabite in those cheekes So foule a skie cleeres not without a storme Poure downe thy weather how goes all in France Mes From France to England neuer such a powre For any forraigne preparation Was leuied in the body of a land The Copie of your speede is learn'd by them For when you should be told they do prepare The tydings comes that they are all arriu'd Ioh. Oh where hath our Intelligence bin drunke Where hath it slept Where is my Mothers care That such an Army could be drawne in France And she not heare of it Mes My Liege her eare Is stopt with dust the first of Aprill di'de Your noble mother and as I heare my Lord The Lady Constance in a frenzie di'de Three dayes before but this from Rumors tongue I idely heard if true or false I know not Iohn With-hold thy speed dreadfull Occasion O make a league with me 'till I haue pleas'd My discontented Peeres What Mother dead How wildely then walkes my Estate in France Vnder whose conduct came those powres of France That thou for truth giu'st out are landed heere Mes Vnder the Dolphin Enter Bastard and Peter of Pomfret Ioh. Thou hast made me giddy With these ill tydings Now What sayes the world To your proceedings Do not seeke to stuffe My head with more ill newes for it is full Bast But if you be a-feard to heare the worst Then let the worst vn-heard fall on your head Iohn Beare with me Cosen for I was amaz'd Vnder the tide but now I breath againe Aloft the flood and can giue audience To any tongue speake it of what it will Bast How I haue sped among the Clergy men The summes I haue collected shall expresse But as I trauail'd hither through the land I finde the people strangely fantasied Possest with rumors full of idle dreames Not knowing what they feare but full of feare And here 's a Prophet that I brought with me From forth the streets of Pomfret whom I found With many hundreds treading on his heeles To whom he sung in rude harsh sounding rimes That ere the next Ascension day at noone Your Highnes should deliuer vp your Crowne Iohn Thou idle Dreamer wherefore didst thou so Pet. Fore-knowing that the truth will fall out so Iohn Hubert away with him imprison him And on that day at noone whereon he sayes I shall yeeld vp my Crowne let him be hang'd Deliuer him to safety and returne For I must vse thee O my gentle Cosen Hear'st thou the newes abroad who are arriu'd Bast The French my Lord mens mouths are ful of it Besides I met Lord Bigot and Lord Salisburie With eyes as red as new enkindled fire And others more going to seeke the graue Of Arthur whom they say is kill'd to night on your suggestion Iohn Gentle kinsman go And thrust thy selfe into their Companies I haue a way to winne their loues againe Bring them before me Bast I will seeke them out Iohn Nay but make haste the better foote before O let me haue no subiect enemies When aduerse Forreyners affright my Townes With dreadfull pompe of stout inuasion Be Mercurie set feathers to thy heeles And flye like thought from them to me againe Bast The spirit of the time shall teach me speed Exit Iohn Spoke like a sprightfull Noble Gentleman Go after him for he perhaps shall neede Some Messenger betwixt me and the Peeres And be thou hee Mes With all my heart my Liege Iohn My mother dead Enter Hubert Hub. My Lord they say fiue Moones were seene to night Foure fixed and the fift did whirle about The other foure in wondrous motion Ioh. Fiue Moones Hub. Old men and Beldames in the streets Do prophesie vpon it dangerously Yong Arthurs death is common in their mouths And when they talke of him they shake their heads And whisper one another in the eare And he that speakes doth gripe the hearers wrist Whilst he that heares makes fearefull action With wrinkled browes with nods with rolling eyes I saw a Smith stand with his hammer thus The whilst his Iron did on the Anuile coole With open mouth swallowing a Taylors newes Who with his Sheeres and Measure in his hand Standing on slippers which his nimble haste Had falsely thrust vpon contrary feete Told of a many thousand warlike French That were embattailed and rank'd in Kent Another leane vnwash'd Artificer Cuts off his tale and talkes of Arthurs death Io. Why seek'st thou to possesse me with these feares Why vrgest thou so oft yong Arthurs death Thy hand hath murdred him I had a mighty cause To wish him dead but thou hadst none to kill him H No had my Lord why did you not prouoke me Iohn It is the curse of Kings to be attended By slaues that take their humors for a warrant To breake within the bloody house of life And on the winking of Authoritie To vnderstand a Law to know the meaning Of dangerous Maiesty when perchance it frownes More vpon humor then aduis'd respect Hub. Heere is your hand and Seale for what I did Ioh. Oh when the last accompt twixt heauen earth Is to be made then shall this hand and Seale Witnesse against vs to damnation How oft the sight of meanes to do ill deeds Make deeds ill done Had'st not thou beene by A fellow by the hand of Nature mark'd Quoted and sign'd to do a deede of shame This murther had not come into my minde But taking note of thy abhorr'd Aspect Finding thee fit for bloody villanie Apt liable to be employ'd in danger I faintly broke with thee of Arthurs death And thou to be endeered to a King Made it no conscience to destroy a Prince Hub. My Lord. Ioh. Had'st thou but shooke thy head or made a pause When I spake darkely what I purposed Or turn'd an eye of doubt vpon my face As bid me tell my tale in expresse words Deepe shame had struck me dumbe made me break off And those thy feares might haue wrought feares in me But thou didst vnderstand me by my signes And didst in signes againe parley with sinne Yea without stop didst let thy heart consent And consequently thy rude hand to acte The deed which both our tongues held vilde to name Out of my sight and neuer see me more My Nobles leaue me and my State is braued Euen at my gates with rankes of forraigne powres Nay in the body of this fleshly Land This kingdome this Confine of blood and breathe Hostilitie and ciuill tumult reignes Betweene my conscience and my Cosins death Hub. Arme you against your other enemies I le make a peace betweene your soule and you Yong Arthur is aliue This hand of mine Is
Will serue to strangle thee A rush will be a beame To hang thee on Or wouldst thou drowne thy selfe Put but a little water in a spoone And it shall be as all the Ocean Enough to stifle such a villaine vp I do suspect thee very greeuously Hub. If I in act consent or sinne of thought Be guiltie of the stealing that sweete breath Which was embounded in this beauteous clay Let hell want paines enough to torture me I left him well Bast Go beare him in thine armes am amaz'd me thinkes and loose my way Among the thornes and dangers of this world How easie dost thou take all England vp From forth this morcell of dead Royaltie The life the right and truth of all this Realme Is fled to heauen and England now is left To tug and scamble and to part by th' teeth The vn-owed interest of proud swelling State Now for the bare-pickt bone of Maiesty Doth dogged warre bristle his angry crest And snarleth in the gentle eyes of peace Now Powers from home and discontents at home Meet in one line and vast confusion waites As doth a Rauen on a sicke-falne beast The iminent decay of wrested pompe Now happy he whose cloake and center can Hold out this tempest Beare away that childe And follow me with speed I le to the King A thousand businesses are briefe in hand And heauen it selfe doth frowne vpon the Land Exit Actus Quartus Scaena prima Enter King Iohn and Pandolph attendants K. Iohn Thus haue I yeelded vp into your hand The Circle of my glory Pan. Take againe From this my hand as holding of the Pope Your Soueraigne greatnesse and authoritie Iohn Now keep your holy word go meet the French And from his holinesse vse all your power To stop their marches 'fore we are enflam'd Our discontented Counties doe reuolt Our people quarrell with obedience Swearing Allegiance and the loue of soule To stranger-bloud to forâ—en Royalty This inundation of mistempred humor Rests by you onely to be qualified Then pause not for the present time 's so sicke That present medcine must be ministred Or ouerthrow incureable ensues Pand. It was my breath that blew this Tempest vp Vpon your stubborne vsage of the Pope But since you are a gentle conuertite My tongue shall hush againe this storme of warre And make faire weather in your blustring land On this Ascention day remember well Vpon your oath of seruice to the Pope Goe I to make the French lay downe their Armes Exit Iohn Is this Ascension day did not the Prophet Say that before Ascension day at noone My Crowne I should giue off euen so I haue I did suppose it should be on constraint But heau'n be thank'd it is but voluntary Enter Bastard Bast All Kent hath yeelded nothing there holds out But Douer Castle London hath receiu'd Like a kinde Host the Dolphin and his powers Your Nobles will not heare you but are gone To offer seruice to your enemy And wilde amazement hurries vp and downe The little number of your doubtfull friends Iohn Would not my Lords returne to me againe After they heard yong Arthur was aliue Bast. They found him dead and cast into the streets An empty Casket where the Iewell of life By some damn'd hand was rob'd and tane away Iohn That villaine Hubert told me he did liue Bast So on my soule he did for ought he knew But wherefore doe you droope why looke you sad Be great in act as you haue beene in thought Let not the world see feare and sad distrust Gouerne the motion of a kinglye eye Be stirring as the time be fire with fire Threaten the threatner and out-face the brow Of bragging horror So shall inferior eyes That borrow their behauiours from the great Grow great by your example and put on The dauntlesse spirit of resolution Away and glister like the god of warre When he intendeth to become the field Shew boldnesse and aspiring confidence What shall they seeke the Lion in his denne And fright him there and make him tremble there Oh let it not be said forrage and runne To meet displeasure farther from the dores And grapple with him ere he come so nye Iohn The Legat of the Pope hath beene with mee And I haue made a happy peace with him And he hath promis'd to dismisse the Powers Led by the Dolphin Bast Oh inglorious league Shall we vpon the footing of our land Send fayre-play-orders and make comprimise Insinuation parley and base truce To Armes Inuasiue Shall a beardlesse boy A cockred-silken wanton braue our fields And flesh his spirit in a warre-like soyle Mocking the ayre with colours idlely spred And finde no checke Let vs my Liege to Armes Perchance the Cardinall cannot make your peace Or if he doe let it at least be said They saw we had a purpose of defence Iohn Haue thou the ordering of this present time Bast Away then with good courage yet I know Our Partie may well meet a prowder foe Exeunt Scoena Secunda Enter in Armes Dolphin Salisbury Meloone Pembroke Bigot Souldiers Dol. My Lord Melloone let this be coppied out And keepe it safe for our remembrance Returne the president to these Lords againe That hauing our faire order written downe Both they and we perusing ore these notes May know wherefore we tooke the Sacrament And keepe our faithes firme and inuiolable Sal. Vpon our sides it neuer shall be broken And Noble Dolphin albeit we sweare A voluntary zeale and an vn-urg'd Faith To your proceedings yet beleeue me Prince I am not glad that such a sore of Time Should seeke a plaster by contemn'd reuolt And heale the inueterate Canker of one wound By making many Oh it grieues my soule That I must draw this mettle from my side To be a widdow-maker oh and there Where honourable rescue and defence Cries out vpon the name of Salisbury But such is the infection of the time That for the health and Physicke of our right We cannot deale but with the very hand Of sterne Iniustice and confused wrong And is' t not pitty oh my grieued friends That we the sonnes and children of this Isle Was borne to see so sad an houre as this Wherein we step after a stranger march Vpon her gentle bosom and fill vp Her Enemies rankes I must withdraw and weepe Vpon the spot of this inforced cause To grace the Gentry of a Land remote And follow vnacquainted colours heere What heere O Nation that thou couldst remoue That Neptunes Armes who clippeth thee about Would beare thee from the knowledge of thy selfe And cripple thee vnto a Pagan shore Where these two Christian Armies might combine The bloud of malice in a vaine of league And not to spend it so vn-neighbourly Dolph A noble temper dost thou shew in this And great affections wrastling in thy bosome Doth make an earth-quake of Nobility Oh what a noble combat hast fought Between compulsion and a braue respect Let me wipe off this
Against the winde the which he prickes and wounds With many legions of strange fantasies Which in their throng and presse to that last hold Counfound themselues 'T is strange y t death shold sing I am the Symer to this pale faint Swan Who chaunts a dolefull hymne to his owne death And from the organ-pipe of frailety sings His soule and body to their lasting rest Sal. Be of good comfort Prince for you are borne To set a forme vpon that indigest Which he hath left so shapelesse and so rude Iohn brought in Iohn I marrie now my soule hath elbow roome It would not out at windowes nor at doores There is so hot a summer in my bosome That all my bowels crumble vp to dust I am a scribled forme drawne with a pen Vpon a Parchment and against this fire Do I shrinke vp Hen. How fares your Maiesty Ioh. Poyson'd ill fare dead forsooke cast off And none of you will bid the winter come To thrust his ycie fingers in my maw Nor let my kingdomes Riuers take their course Through my burn'd bosome nor intreat the North To make his bleake windes kisse my parched lips And comfort me with cold I do not aske you much I begge cold comfort and you are so straight And so ingratefull you deny me that Hen. Oh that there were some vertue in my teares That might releeue you Iohn The salt in them is hot Within me is a hell and there the poyson Is as a fiend confin'd to tyrannize On vnrepreeuable condemned blood Enter Bastard Bast Oh I am scalded with my violent motion And spleene of speede to see your Maiesty Iohn Oh Cozen thou art come to set mine eye The tackle of my heart is crack'd and burnt And all the shrowds wherewith my life should saile Are turned to one thred one little haire My heart hath one poore string to stay it by Which holds but till thy newes be vttered And then all this thou seest is but a clod And module of confounded royalty Bast The Dolphin is preparing hither-ward Where heauen he knowes how we shall answer him For in a night the best part of my powre As I vpon aduantage did remoue Were in the Washes all vnwarily Deuoured by the vnexpected flood Sal. You breath these dead newes in as dead an eare My Liege my Lord but now a King now thus Hen. Euen so must I run on and euen so stop What surety of the world what hope what stay When this was now a King and now is clay Bast Art thou gone so I do but stay behinde To do the office for thee of reuenge And then my soule shall waite on thee to heauen As it on earth hath bene thy seruant still Now now you Starres that moue in your right spheres Where be your powres Shew now your mended faiths And instantly returne with me againe To push destruction and perpetuall shame Out of the weake doore of our fainting Land Straight let vs seeke or straight we shall be sought The Dolphine rages at our verie heeles Sal. It seemes you know not then so much as we The Cardinall Pandulph is within at rest Who halfe an houre since came from the Dolphin And brings from him such offers of our peace As we with honor and respect may take With purpose presently to leaue this warre Bast He will the rather do it when he sees Our selues well sinew'd to our defence Sal. Nay 't is in a manner done already For many carriages hee hath dispatch'd To the sea side and put his cause and quarrell To the disposing of the Cardinall With whom your selfe my selfe and other Lords If you thinke meete this afternoone will poast To consummate this businesse happily Bast Let it be so and you my noble Prince With other Princes that may best be spar'd Shall waite vpon your Fathers Funerall Hen. At Worster must his bodie be interr'd For so he will'd it Bast Thither shall it then And happily may your sweet selfe put on The lineall state and glorie of the Land To whom with all submission on my knee I do bequeath my faithfull seruices And true subiection euerlastingly Sal. And the like tender of our loue wee make To rest without a spot for euermore Hen. I haue a kinde soule that would giue thankes And knowes not how to do it but with teares Bast Oh let vs pay the time but needfull woe Since it hath beene before hand with our greefes This England neuer did nor neuer shall Lye at the proud foote of a Conqueror But when it first did helpe to wound it selfe Now these her Princes are come home againe Come the three corners of the world in Armes And we shall shocke them Naught shall make vs rue If England to it selfe do rest but true Exeunt The life and death of King Richard the Second Actus Primus Scaena Prima Enter King Richard Iohn of Gaunt with other Nobles and Attendants King Richard OLd Iohn of Gaunt time-honoured Lancaster Hast thou according to thy oath and band Brought hither Henry Herford thy bold son Heere to make good y e boistrous late appeale Which then our leysure would not let vs heare Against the Duke of Norfolke Thomas Mowbray Gaunt I haue my Liege King Tell me moreouer hast thou sounded him If he appeale the Duke on ancient malice Or worthily as a good subiect should On some knowne ground of treacherie in him Gaunt As neere as I could sift him on that argument On some apparant danger seene in him Aym'd at your Highnesse no inueterate malice Kin. Then call them to our presence face to face And frowning brow to brow our selues will heare Th' accuser and the accused freely speake High stomackâ—d are they both and full of ire In rage deafe as the sea hastie as fire Enter Bullingbrooke and Mowbray Bul. Many yeares of happy dayes befall My gracious Soueraigne my most louing Liege Mow. Each day still better others happinesse Vntill the heauens enuying earths good hap Adde an immortall title to your Crowne King We thanke you both yet one but flatters vs As well appeareth by the cause you come Namely to appeale each other of high treason Coosin of Hereford what dost thou obiect Against the Duke of Norfolke Thomas Mowbray Bul. First heauen be the record to my speech In the deuotion of a subiects loue Tendering the precious safetie of my Prince And free from other misbegotten hate Come I appealant to this Princely presence Now Thomas Mowbray do I turne to thee And marke my greeting well for what I speake My body shall make good vpon this earth Or my diuine soule answer it in heauen Thou art a Traitor and a Miscreant Too good to be so and too bad to liue Since the more faire and christall is the skie The vglier seeme the cloudes that in it flye Once more the more to aggrauate the note With a foule Traitors name stuffe I thy throte And wish so please my Soueraigne ere I moue What
it At Couentree vpon S. Lamberts day There shall your swords and Lances arbitrate The swelling difference of your setled hate Since we cannot attone you you shall see Iustice designe the Victors Chiualrie Lord Marshall command our Officers at Armes Be readie to direct these home Alarmes Exeunt Scaena Secunda Enter Gaunt and Dutchesse of Gloâ—cester Gaunt Alas the part I had in Glousters blood Doth more solicite me then your exclaimes To stirre against the Butchers of his life But since correction lyeth in those hands Which made the fault that we cannot correct Put we our quarrell to the will of heauen Who when they see the houres ripe on earth Will raigne hot vengeance on offenders heads Dut. Findes brotherhood in thee no sharper spurre Hath loue in thy old blood no liuing fire Edwards seuen sonnes whereof thy selfe art one Were as seuen violles of his Sacred blood Or seuen faire branches springing from one roote Some of those seuen are dride by natures course Some of those branches by the destinies cut But Thomas my deere Lord my life my Glouster One Violl full of Edwards Sacred blood One flourishing branch of his most Royall roote Is crack'd and all the precious liquor spilt Is hackt downe and his summer leafes all vaded By Enuies hand and Murders bloody Axe Ah Gaunt His blood was thine that bed that wombe That mettle that selfe-mould that fashion'd thee Made him a man and though thou liu'st and breath'st Yet art thou slaine in him thou dost consent In some large measure to thy Fathers death In that thou seest thy wretched brother dye Who was the modell of thy Fathers life Call it not patience Gaunt it is dispaire In suffering thus thy brother to be slaughter'd Thou shew'st the naked pathway to thy life Teaching sterne murther how to butcher thee That which in meane men we intitle patience Is pale cold cowardice in noble brests What shall I say to safegard thine owne life The best way is to venge my Glousters death Gaunt Heauens is the quarrell for heauens substitute His Deputy annointed in his sight Hath caus'd his death the which if wrongfully Let heauen reuenge for I may neuer lift An angry arme against his Minister Dut. Where then alas may I complaint my selfe Gau. To heauen the widdowes Champion to defence Dut. Why then I will farewell old Gaunt Thou go'st to Couentrie there to behold Our Cosine Herford and fell Mowbray fight O sit my husbands wrongs on Herfords speare That it may enter butcher Mowbrayes brest Or if misfortune misse the first carreere Be Mowbrayes sinnes so heauy in his bosome That they may breake his foaming Coursers backe And throw the Rider headlong in the Lists A Gaytiffe recreant to my Cosine Herford Farewell old Gaunt thy sometimes brothers wife With her companion Greefe must end her life Gau. Sister farewell I must to Couentree As much good stay with thee as go with mee Dut. Yet one word more Greefe boundeth where it falls Not with the emptie hollownes but weight I take my leaue before I haue begun For sorrow ends not when it seemeth done Commend me to my brother Edmund Yorke Loe this is all nay yet depart not so Though this be all do not so quickly go I shall remember more Bid him Oh what With all good speed at Plashie visit mee Alacke and what shall good old Yorke there see But empty lodgings and vnfurnish'd walles Vn-peopel'd Offices vntroden stones And what heare there for welcome but my grones Therefore commend me let him not come there To seeke out sorrow that dwels euery where Desolate desolate will I hence and dye The last leaue of thee takes my weeping eye Exeunt Scena Tertia Enter Marshall and Aumerle Mar. My L. Aumerle is Harry Herford arm'd Aum. Yea at all points and longs to enter in Mar. The Duke of Norfolke sprightfully and bold Stayes but the summons of the Appealants Trumpet Au. Why then the Champions are prepar'd and stay For nothing but his Maiesties approach Flourish Enter King Gaunt Bushy Bagot Greene others Then Mowbray in Armor and Harrold Rich. Marshall demand of yonder Champion The cause of his arriuall heere in Armes Aske him his name and orderly proceed To sweare him in the iustice of his cause Mar. In Gods name and the Kings say who y u art And why thou com'st thus knightly clad in Armes Against what man thou com'st and what 's thy quarrell Speake truly on thy knighthood and thine oath As so defend thee heauen and thy valour Mow. My name is Tho. Mowbray Duke of Norfolk Who hither comes engaged by my oath Which heauen defend a knight should violate Both to defend my loyalty and truth To God my King and his succeeding issue Against the Duke of Herford that appeales me And by the grace of God and this mine arme To proue him in defending of my selfe A Traitor to my God my King and me And as I truly fight defend me heauen Tucket Enter Hereford and Harold Rich. Marshall Aske yonder Knight in Armes Both who he is and why he commeth hither Thus placed in habiliments of warre And formerly according to our Law Depose him in the iustice of his cause Mar. What is thy name and wherfore comst y u hither Before King Richard in his Royall Lists Against whom com'st thou and what 's thy quarrell Speake like a true Knight so defend thee heauen Bul. Harry of Herford Lancaster and Derbie Am I who ready heere do stand in Armes To proue by heauens grace and my bodies valour In Lists on Thomas Mowbray Duke of Norfolke That he 's a Traitor foule and dangerous To God of heauen King Richard and to me And as I truly fight defend me heauen Mar. On paine of death no person be so bold Or daring hardie as to touch the Listes Except the Marshall and such Officers Appointed to direct these faire designes Bul. Lord Marshall let me kisse my Soueraigns hand And bow my knee before his Maiestie For Mowbray and my selfe are like two men That vow a long and weary pilgrimage Then let vs take a ceremonious leaue And loâ—ing farwell of our seuerall friends Mar. The Appealant in all duty greets your Highnes And craues to kisse your hand and take his leaue Rich. We will descend and fold him in our armes Cosin of Herford as thy cause is iust So be thy fortune in this Royall fight Farewell my blood which if to day thou shead Lament we may but not reuenge thee dead Bull. Oh let no noble eye prophane a teare For me if I be gor'd with Mowbrayes speare As confident as is the Falcons flight Against a bird do I with Mowbray fight My louing Lord I take my leaue of you Of you my Noble Cosin Lord Aumerle Not sicke although I haue to do with death But lustie yong and cheerely drawing breath Loe as at English Feasts so I regreete The daintiest last to make the end most sweet Oh thou the earthy
tender of my life In this faire rescue thou hast brought to mee Prin. O heauen they did me too much iniury That euer said I hearkned to your death If it were so I might haue let alone The insulting hand of Dowglas ouer you Which would haue bene as speedy in your end As all the poysonous Potions in the world And sau'd the Treacherous labour of your Sonne K. Make vp to Clifton I le to Sir Nicholas Gausey Exit Enter Hotspur Hot. If I mistake not thou art Harry Monmouth Prin. Thou speak'st as if I would deny my name Hot. My name is Harrie Percie Prin. Why then I see a very valiant rebel of that name I am the Prince of Wales and thinke not Percy To share with me in glory any more Two Starres keepe not their motion in one Sphere Nor can one England brooke a double reigne Of Harry Percy and the Prince of Wales Hot. Nor shall it Harry for the houre is come To end the one of vs and would to heauen Thy name in Armes were now as great as mine Prin. I le make it greater ere I part from thee And all the budding Honors on thy Crest I le crop to make a Garland for my head Hot. I can no longer brooke thy Vanities Fight Enter Falstaffe Fal. Well said Hal to it Hal. Nay you shall finde no Boyes play heere I can tell you Enter Dowglas he fights with Falstaffe who fals down as if he were dead The Prince killeth Percie Hot. Oh Harry thou hast rob'd me of my youth I better brooke the losse of brittle life Then those proud Titles thou hast wonne of me They wound my thoghts worse then the sword my flesh But thought 's the slaue of Life and Life Times foole And Time that takes suruey of all the world Must haue a stop O I could Prophesie But that the Earth and the cold hand of death Lyes on my Tongue No Percy thou art dust And food for Prin. For Wormeâ— braue Percy Farewell great heart Ill-weau'd Ambition how much art thou shrunke When that this bodie did containe a spirit A Kingdome for it was too small a bound But now two paces of the vilest Earth Is roome enough This Earth that beares the dead Beares not aliue so stout a Gentleman If thou wer 't sensible of curtesie I should not make so great a shew of Zeale But let my fauours hide thy mangled face And euen in thy behalfe I le thanke my selfe For doing these fayre Rites of Tendernesse Adieu and take thy praise with thee to heauen Thy ignomy sleepe with thee in the graue But not remembred in thy Epitaph What Old Acquaintance Could not all this flesh Keepe in a little life Poore Iacke farewell I could haue better spar'd a better man O I should haue a heauy misse of thee If I were much in loue with Vanity Death hath not strucke so fat a Deere to day Though many dearer in this bloody Fray Imbowell'd will I see thee by and by Till then in blood by Noble Percie lye Exit Falstaffe riseth vp Falst Imbowell'd If thou imbowell mee to day I le giue you leaue to powder me and eat me too to morow 'T was time to counterfet or that hotte Termagant Scot had paid the scot and lot too Counterfeit I am no counterfeit to dye is to be a counterfeit for hee is but the counterfeit of a man who hath not the life of a man But to counterfeit dying when a man thereby liueth is to be no counterfeit but the true and perfect image of life indeede The better part of Valour is Discretion in the which better part I haue saued my life I am affraide of this Gun-powder Percy though he be dead How if hee should counterfeit too and rise I am afraid hee would proue the better counterfeit therefore I le make him sure yea and I le sweare I kill'd him Why may not hee rise as well as I Nothing confutes me but eyes and no-bodie sees me Therefore sirra with a new wound in your thigh come you along me Takes Hotspurre on his backe Enter Prince and Iohn of Lancaster Prin. Come Brother Iohn full brauely hast thou flesht thy Maiden sword Iohn But soft who haue we heere Did you not tell me this Fat man was dead Prin. I did I saw him dead Breathlesse and bleeding on the ground Art thou aliue Or is it fantasie that playes vpon our eye-sight I prethee speake we will not trust our eyes Without our eares Thou art not what thou seem'st Fal. No that 's certaine I am not a double man but if I be not Iacke Falstaffe then am I a Iacke There is Percy if your Father will do me any Honor so if not let him kill the next Percie himselfe I looke to be either Earle or Duke I can assure you Prin. Why Percy I kill'd my selfe and saw thee dead Fal. Did'st thou Lord Lord how the world is giuen to Lying I graunt you I was downe and out of Breath and so was he but we rose both at an instant and fought a long houre by Shrewsburie clocke If I may bee beleeued so if not let them that should reward Valour beare the sinne vpon their owne heads I le take 't on my death I gaue him this wound in the Thigh if the man vvere aliue and would deny it I would make him eate a peece of my sword Iohn This is the strangest Tale that e're I heard Prin. This is the strangest Fellow Brother Iohn Come bring your luggage Nobly on your backe For my part if a lye may do thee grace I le gil'd it with the happiest tearmes I haue A Retreat is sounded The Trumpets sound Retreat the day is ours Come Brother let 's to the highest of the field To see what Friends are liuing who are dead Exeunt Fal. I le follow as they say for Reward Hee that rewards me heauen reward him If I do grow great again I le grow lesse For I le purge and leaue Sacke and liue cleanly as a Nobleman should do Exit Scaena Quarta The Trumpets sound Enter the King Prince of Wales Lord Iohn of Lancaster Earle of Westmerland with Worcester Vernon Prisoners King Thus euer did Rebellion finde Rebuke Ill-spirited Worcester did we not send Grace Pardon and tearmes of Loue to all of you And would'st thou turne our offers contrary Misuse the tenor of thy Kinsmans trust Three Knights vpon our party slaine to day A Noble Earle and many a creature else Had beene aliue this houre If like a Christian thou had'st truly borne Betwixt out Armies true Intelligence Wor. What I haue done my safety vrg'd me to And I embrace this fortune patiently Since not to be auoyded it fals on mee King Beare Worcester to death and Vernon too Other Offenders we will pause vpon Exit Worcester and Vernon How goes the Field Prin. The Noble Scot Lord Dowglas when hee saw The fortune of the day quite turn'd from him The Noble Percy
to her beleeue not the Word of the Noble therefore let mee haue right and let desert mount Iohn Thine's too heauie to mount Falst Let it thine then Iohn Thine's too thick to shine Falst Let it doe something my good Lord that may doe me good and call it what you will Iohn Is thy Name Colleuile Col. It is my Lord. Iohn A famous Rebell art thou Colleuile Falst And a famous true Subiect tooke him Col. I am my Lord but as my Betters are That led me hither had they beene rul'd by me You should haue wonne them dearer then you haue Falst I know not how they sold themselues but thou like a kinde fellow gau'st thy selfe away and I thanke thee for thee Enter Westmerland Iohn Haue you left pursuit West Retreat is made and Execution stay'd Iohn Send Colleuile with his Confederates To Yorke to present Execution Blunt leade him hence and see you guard him sure Exit with Colleuile And now dispatch we toward the Court my Lords I heare the King my Father is sore sicke Our Newes shall goe before vs to his Maiestie Which Cousin you shall beare to comfort him And wee with sober speede will follow you Falst My Lord I beseech you giue me leaue to goe through Gloucestershire and when you come to Court stand my good Lord 'pray in your good report Iohn Fare you well Falstaffe I in my condition Shall better speake of you then you deserue Exit Falst I would you had but the wit 't were better then your Dukedome Good faith this same young sober-blooded Boy doth noâ— loue me nor a man cannot make him laugh but that 's no maruaile hee drinkes no Wine There 's neuer any of these demure Boyes come to any proofe for thinne Drinke doth so ouer-coole their blood and making many Fish-Meales that they fall into a kinde of Male Greene-sicknesse and then when they marry they get Wenches They are generally Fooles and Cowards which some of vs should be too but for inflamation A good Sherris-Sack hath a two-fold operation in it it ascends me into the Braine dryes me there all the foolish and dull and cruddie Vapours which enuiron it makes it apprehensiue quicke forgetiue full of nimble fierie and delectable shapes which deliuer'd o're to the Voyce the Tongue which is the Birth becomes excellent Wit The second propertie of your excellent Sherris is the warming of the Blood which before cold and setled left the Liuer white and pale which is the Badge of Pusillanimitie and Cowardize but the Sherris warmes it and makes it course from the inwards to the parts extremes it illuminateth the Face which as a Beacon giues warning to all the rest of this little Kingdome Man to Arme and then the Vitall Commoners and in-land pettie Spirits muster me all to their Captaine the Heart who great and pufft vp with his Retinue doth any Deed of Courage and this Valour comes of Sherris So that skill in the Weapon is nothing without Sack for that sets it a-worke and Learning a meere Hoord of Gold kept by a Deuill till Sack commences it and sets it in act and vse Hereof comes it that Prince Harry is valiant for the cold blood hee did naturally inherite of his Father hee hath like leane stirrill and bare Land manured husbanded and tyll'd with excellent endeauour of drinking good and good store of fertile Sherris that hee is become very hot and valiant If I had a thousand Sonnes the first Principle I would teach them should be to forsweare thinne Potations and to addict themselues to Sack Enter Bardolph How now Bardolph Bard. The Armie is discharged all and gone Falst Let them goe I le through Gloucestershire and there will I visit Master Robert Shallow Esquire I haue him alreadie tempering betweene my finger and my thombe and shortly will I seale with him Come away Exeunt Scena Secunda Enter King Warwicke Clarence Gloucester King Now Lords if Heauen doth giue successefull end To this Debate that bleedeth at our doores Wee will out Youth lead on to higher Fields And draw no Swords but what are sanctify'd Our Nauie is addressed our Power collected Our Substitutes in absence well inuested And euery thing lyes leuell to our wish Onely wee want a little personall Strength And pawse vs till these Rebels now a-foot Come vnderneath the yoake of Gouernment War Both which we doubt not but your Maiestie Shall soone enioy King Humphrey my Sonne of Gloucester where is the Prince your Brother Glo. I thinke hee 's gone to hunt my Lord at Windsor King And how accompanied Glo. I doe not know my Lord. King Is not his Brother Thomas of Clarence with him Glo. No my good Lord hee is in presence heere Clar. What would my Lord and Father King Nothing but well to thee Thomas of Clarence How chance thou art not with the Prince thy Brother Hee loues thee and thou do'st neglect him Thomas Thou hast a better place in his Affection Then all thy Brothers cherish it my Boy And Noble Offices thou may'st effect Of Mediation after I am dead Betweene his Greatnesse and thy other Brethren Therefore omit him not blunt not his Loue Nor loose the good aduantage of his Grace By seeming cold or carelesse of his will For hee is gracious if hee be obseru'd Hee hath a Teare for Pitie and a Hand Open as Day for melting Charitie Yet notwithstanding being incens'd hee 's Flint As humorous as Winter and as sudden As Flawes congealed in the Spring of day His temper therefore must be well obseru'd Chide him for faults and doe it reuerently When you perceiue his blood enclin'd to mirth But being moodie giue him Line and scope Till that his passions like a Whale on ground Confound themselues with working Learne this Thomas And thou shalt proue a shelter to thy friends A Hoope of Gold to binde thy Brothers in That the vnited Vessell of their Blood Mingled with Venome of Suggestion As force perforce the Age will powre it in Shall neuer leake though it doe worke as strong As Aconitum or rash Gun-powder Clar. I shall obserue him with all care and loue King Why art thou not at Windsor with him Thomas Clar. Hee is not there to day hee dines in London King And how accompanyed Canst thou tell that Clar. With Pointz and other his continuall followers King Most subiect is the fattest Soyle to Weedes And hee the Noble Image of my Youth Is ouer-spread with them therefore my griefe Stretches it selfe beyond the howre of death The blood weepes from my heart when I doe shape In formes imaginarie th' vnguided Dayes And rotten Times that you shall looke vpon When I am sleeping with my Ancestors For when his head-strong Riot hath no Curbe When Rage and hot-Blood are his Counsailors When Meanes and lauish Manners meete together Oh with what Wings shall his Affections flye Towards fronting Perill and oppos'd Decay War My gracious Lord you looke beyond him quite The Prince but
not Beatrice How tartly that Gentleman lookes I neuer can see him but I am heart-burn'd an howre after Hero He is of a very melancholy disposition Beatrice Hee were an excellent man that were made iust in the mid-way betweene him and Benedicke the one is too like an image and saies nothing and the other too like my Ladies eldest sonne euermore tatling Leon. Then halfe signior Benedicks tongue in Count Iohns mouth and halfe Count Iohns melancholy in Signior Benedicks face Beat. With a good legge and a good foot vnckle and money enough in his purse such a man would winne any woman in the world if he could get her good will Leon. By my troth Neece thou wilt neuer get thee a husband if thou be so shrewd of thy tongue Brother Infaith shee 's too curst Beat. Too curst is more then curst I shall lessen Gods sending that way for it is said God sends a curst Cow short hornes but to a Cow too curst he sends none Leon. So by being too curst God will send you no hornes Beat. Iust if he send me no husband for the which blessing I am at him vpon my knees euery morning and euening Lord I could not endure a husband with a beard on his face I had rather lie in the woollen Leonato You may light vpon a husband that hath no beard Batrice What should I doe with him dresse him in my apparell and make him my waiting gentlewoman he that hath a beard is more then a youth and he that hath no beard is lesse then a man and hee that is more then a youth is not for mee and he that is lesse then a man I am not for him therefore I will euen take sixepence in earnest of the Berrord and leade his Apes into hell Leon. Well then goe you into hell Beat. No but to the gate and there will the Deuill meete mee like an old Cuckold with hornes on his head and say get you to heauen Beatrice get you to heauen heere 's no place for you maids so deliuer I vp my Apes and away to S. Peter for the heauens hee shewes mee where the Batchellers sit and there liue wee as merry as the day is long Brother Well neece I trust you will be rul'd by your father Beatrice Yes faith it is my cosens dutie to make curtsie and say as it please you but yet for all that cosin let him be a handsome fellow or else make an other cursie and say father as it please me Leonato Well neece I hope to see you one day sitted with a husband Beatrice Not till God make men of some other mettall then earth would it not grieue a woman to be ouer-mastred with a peece of valiant dust to make account of her life to a clod of waiward marle no vnckle I le none Adams sonnes are my brethren and truly I hold it a sinne to match in my kinred Leon. Daughter remember what I told you if the Prince doe solicit you in that kinde you know your answere Beatrice The fault will be in the musicke cosin if you be not woed in good time if the Prince bee too important tell him there is measure in euery thing so dance out the answere for heare me Hero wooing wedding repenting is as a Scotch ijgge a measure and a cinque-pace the first suite is hot and hasty like a Scotch ijgge and full as fantasticall the wedding manerly modest as a measure full of state aunchentry and then comes repentance and with his bad legs falls into the cinque-pace faster and faster till he sinkes into his graue Leonata Cosin you apprehend passing shrewdly Beatrice I haue a good eye vnckle I can see a Church by daylight Leon. The reuellers are entring brother make good roome Enter Prince Pedro Claudio and Benedicke and Balthasar or dumbe Iohn Maskers with a drum Pedro. Lady will you walke about with your friend Hero So you walke softly and looke sweetly and say nothing I am yours for the walke and especially when I walke away Pedro. With me in your company Hero I may say so when I please Pedro. And when please you to say so Hero When I like your fauour for God defend the Lute should be like the case Pedro. My visor is Philemons roofe within the house is Loue. Hero Why then your visor should be thatcht Pedro. Speake low if you speake Loue. Bene. Well I would you did like me Mar. So would not I for your owne sake for I haue manie ill qualities Bene. Which is one Mar. I say my prayers alowd Ben. I loue you the better the hearers may cry Amen Mar. God match me with a good dauncer Balt. Amen Mar. And God keepe him out of my sight when the daunce is done answer Clarke Balt. No more words the Clarke is answered Vrsula I know you well enough you are Signior Anthonio Anth. At a word I am not Vrsula I know you by the wagling of your head Anth. To tell you true I counterfet him Vrsu You could neuer doe him so ill well vnlesse you were the very man here 's his dry hand vp down you are he you are he Anth. At a word I am not Vrsula Come come doe you thinke I doe not know you by your excellent wit can vertue hide it selfe goe to mumme you are he graces will appeare and there 's an end Beat. Will you not tell me who told you so Bene. No you shall pardon me Beat. Nor will you not tell me who you are Bened. Not now Beat. That I was disdainfull and that I had my good wit out of the hundred merry tales well this was Signior Benedicke that said so Bene. What 's he Beat. I am sure you know him well enough Bene. Not I beleeue me Beat. Did he neuer make you laugh Bene. I pray you what is he Beat. Why he is the Princes ieaster a very dull foole onely his gift is in deuising impossible slanders none but Libertines delight in him and the commendation is not in his witte but in his villanie for hee both pleaseth men and angers them and then they laugh at him and beat him I am sure he is in the Fleet I would he had boorded me Bene. When I know the Gentleman I le tell him what you say Beat. Do do hee 'l but breake a comparison or two on me which peraduenture not markt or not laugh'd at strikes him into melancholly and then there 's a Partridge wing saued for the foole will eate no supper that night We must follow the Leaders Ben. In euery good thing Bea. Nay if they leade to any ill I will leaue them at the next turning Exeunt Musicke for the dance Iohn Sure my brother is amorous on Hero and hath withdrawne her father to breake with him about it the Ladies follow her and but one visor remaines Borachio And that is Claudio I know him by his bearing Iohn Are not you signior Benedicke Clau. You know me well