Fal. Shall I O rare! By the Lord, I'll be a brave judge.

Prince. Thou judgest false already: I mean, thou

shalt have the hanging of the thieves and so
become a rare hangman.

Fal. Well, Hal, well; and in some sort it jumps

with my humour as well as waiting in the
court, I can tell you.

Prince. For obtaining of suits?

Fal. Yea, for obtaining of suits, whereof the hang

man hath no lean wardrobe.

'Sblood, I am as

melancholy as a gib cat or a lugged bear.

Prince. Or an old lion, or a lover's lute.

Fal. Yea, or the drone of a Lincolnshire bagpipe.

Prince. What sayest thou to a hare, or the melancholy of Moor-ditch?

80

Fal. Thou hast the most unsavoury similes, and art indeed the most comparative, rascalliest, sweet 90 young prince. But, Hal, I prithee, trouble me no more with vanity. I would to God thou and I knew where a commodity of good names were to be bought. An old lord of the council rated me the other day in the street about you, sir, but I marked him not; and yet he talked

Act I. Sc. ii.

very wisely, but I regarded him not; and yet he talked wisely, and in the street too. Prince. Thou didst well; for wisdom cries out in

the streets, and no man regards it.

100

Fal. O, thou hast damnable iteration, and art indeed able to corrupt a saint. Thou hast done much harm upon me, Hal; God forgive thee for it! Before I knew thee, Hal, I knew nothing; and now am I, if a man should speak truly, little better than one of the wicked. I must give over this life, and I will give it over: by the Lord, an I do not, I am a villain: I'll be damned for never a king's son in Christendom. Prince. Where shall we take a purse to-morrow, 110 Jack?

Fal. 'Zounds, where thou wilt, lad; I'll make one;

an I do not, call me villain and baffle me.

Prince. I see a good amendment of life in thee; from praying to purse-taking.

Fal. Why, Hal, 'tis my vocation, Hal; 'tis no sin for a man to labour in his vocation.

Enter Poins.

Poins! Now shall we know if Gadshill have
O, if men were to be saved by

set a match.

merit, what hole in hell were hot enough for 120 him? This is the most omnipotent villain that

ever cried Stand' to a true man.

Prince. Good morrow, Ned.
Poins. Good morrow, sweet Hal.

What says

Monsieur Remorse? what says Sir John Sack
and Sugar? Jack! how agrees the devil and
thee about thy soul, that thou soldest him on
Good Friday last for a cup of Madeira and a
cold capon's leg?

Prince. Sir John stands to his word, the devil shall 130 have his bargain; for he was never yet a

breaker of proverbs: he will give the devil
his due.

Poins. Then art thou damned for keeping thy word
with the devil.

Prince. Else he had been damned for cozening the

devil.

Poins. But, my lads, my lads, to-morrow morning, by four o'clock, early at Gadshill! there are pilgrims going to Canterbury with rich offerings, 140 and traders riding to London with fat purses: I have vizards for you all; you have horses for yourselves: Gadshill lies to-night in Rochester: I have bespoke supper to-morrow night in East

cheap: we may do it as secure as sleep. If
you will go, I will stuff your purses full of
crowns; if you will not, tarry at home and be

Fal. Hal, wilt thou make one?

Prince. Who, I rob? I a thief? not I, by my

faith.

Fal. There's neither honesty, manhood, nor good

fellowship in thee, nor thou camest not of the
blood royal, if thou darest not stand for ten
shillings.

Prince. Well then, once in my days I'll be a mad

сар.

Fal. Why, that's well said.

Prince. Well, come what will, I'll tarry at

home.

Fal. By the Lord, I'll be a traitor then, when thou art king.

Prince. I care not.

Poins. Sir John, I prithee, leave the prince and me

alone: I will lay him down such reasons for
this adventure that he shall go.

160

Fal. Well, God give thee the spirit of persuasion 170

and him the ears of profiting, that what thou
speakest may move and what he hears may be
believed, that the true prince may, for recreation
sake, prove a false thief; for the poor abuses of
the time want countenance. Farewell: you
shall find me in Eastcheap.

Prince. Farewell, thou latter spring!

hallown summer!

farewell, All[Exit Falstaff. Poins. Now, my good sweet honey lord, ride with us to-morrow: I have a jest to execute that I 180 cannot manage alone. Falstaff, Bardolph, Peto and Gadshill shall rob those men that we have already waylaid; yourself and I will not be there; and when they have the booty, if you and I do not rob them, cut this head off from my shoulders.

Prince. How shall we part with them in setting forth?

Poins. Why, we will set forth before or after them,

and appoint them a place of meeting, wherein 190
it is at our pleasure to fail, and then will they
adventure upon the exploit themselves; which
they shall have no sooner achieved, but we'll
set upon them.