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Shal. Give master Bardolph some wine, Davy.

Davy. Sweet sir, sit; I'll be with you anon:-most sweet sir, sit.-Master page, good master page, sit: proface! What you want in meat, we'll have in drink. But you must bear the heart's all'. [Exit. Shal. Be merry, master Bardolph;-and my little soldier there, be merry.

Sil. Be merry, be merry, my wife has all; For women are shrews, both short and tall: 'Tis merry in hall, when beards wag all,

And welcome merry shrove-tide.

Be merry, be merry, &c.

[Singing.

Fal. I did not think master Silence had been a man of this mettle.

Sil. Who I? I have been merry twice and once,

ere now.

Re-enter DAVY.

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Davy. There is a dish of leather-coats for you.

Shal. Davy,

[Setting them before BARDOLPH.

Davy. Your worship.-I'll be with you straight.-A cup of wine, sir?

Sil. A cup of wine, that's brisk and fine,
And drink unto the leman mine;

And a merry heart lives long-a.

Fal. Well said, master Silence.

[Singing.

3-proface!] A word or expression of frequent occurrence in English, French, and Italian: probably we derived it from the latter, and buon pro vi faccia occurs in the Orlando Innam. of Boiardo, c. 47, st. 35. The meaning is the same in all languages-" much good may it do you." It is needless to multiply instances of its employment in English; but it may be mentioned that it was so little understood by Reed, in 1780, that when he published his edition of Dodsley's Old Plays, he altered it to "profess," in the reprint of Chapman's " All Fools."

But you must bear the heart's all.] Meaning, you must put up with your ill fare, the intention being all that is important. The folio omits "must." 5-leather-coats-] The apple (says Henley) commonly denominated russetine, in Devonshire is called the buff-coat.

Sil. An we shall be merry, now comes in the sweet of the night.

Fal. Health and long life to you, master Silence.

Sil. Fill the cup, and let it come ;

I'll pledge you a mile to the bottom.

Shal. Honest Bardolph, welcome: if thou wantest any thing, and wilt not call, beshrew thy heart.-Welcome, my little tiny thief; and welcome, indeed, too.— I'll drink to master Bardolph, and to all the cavalieros. about London.

Davy. I hope to see London once ere I die.

Bard. An I might see you there, Davy,—

Shal. By the mass, you'll crack a quart together. Ha! will you not, master Bardolph ?

Bard. Yea, sir, in a pottle pot.

Shal. By God's leggins I thank thee.-The knave will stick by thee, I can assure thee that: he will not out; he is true bred.

Bard. And I'll stick by him, sir.

Shal. Why, there spoke a king. Lack nothing: be merry. [Knocking heard.] Look, who's at door there. Ho! who knocks?

[Exit DAVY. Fal. Why, now you have done me right. [To SILENCE, who drinks a bumper.

Sil. Do me right,

And dub me knight:

Is't not so?

Samingo.

Fal. "Tis so.

[Singing.

Samingo.] i. e. San Domingo, as it has been explained; but nobody has been able to show why Domingo, or San Domingo, was thus introduced in a drinking song. The portion Silence gives, with two preceding lines, is found in Nash's "Summer's Last Will and Testament," 1600, reprinted in the last edition of Dodsley's Old Plays, vol. xi. p. 47. "To do a man right" was to pledge him; and the words “dub me knight" had reference to a supposed knighthood, conferred when parties drank healths on their knees.

VOL. IV.

Gg

Sil. Is't so? Why, then say, an old man can do somewhat.

Re-enter DAVY.

Davy. An't please your worship, there's one Pistol come from the court with news.

Fal. From the court? let him come in.—

How now, Pistol?

Enter PISTOL.

Pist. Sir John, God save you, sir.

Fal. What wind blew you hither, Pistol?

Pist. Not the ill wind which blows no man to good'. Sweet knight, th' art now one of the greatest men In the realm.

Sil. By'r lady, I think he be, but goodman Puff of Barson 8.

Pist. Puff?

Puff in thy teeth, most recreant coward base!-
Sir John, I am thy Pistol, and thy friend,
And helter-skelter have I rode to thee;
And tidings do I bring, and lucky joys,

And golden times, and happy news of price.

Fal. I pr'ythee now, deliver them like a man of this world.

Pist. A foutra for the world, and worldlings base!

I speak of Africa, and golden joys.

Fal. O base Assyrian knight! what is thy news?

Let king Cophetua know the truth thereof.

Sil. And Robin Hood, Scarlet, and John.

[Sings.

Pist. Shall dunghill curs confront the Helicons?

And shall good news be baffled?

Then, Pistol, lay thy head in Furies' lap.

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Shal. Honest gentleman, I know not your breeding.

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that blows NO MAN to good.] The folio, " that blows none to good." goodman Puff of BARSON.] i. e. Barston, a village lying between Coventry and Solyhull.

Pist. Why then, lament therefore.

Shal. Give me pardon, sir:-if, sir, you come with news from the court, I take it, there is but two ways, either to utter them, or to conceal them. I am, sir, under the king, in some authority.

Pist. Under which king, Bezonian?? speak, or die.

Shal. Under king Harry.

Pist.

Shal. Harry the fourth.
Pist.

Harry the fourth? or fifth?

A foutra for thine office!—

Sir John, thy tender lambkin now is king;

Harry the fifth's the man.
When Pistol lies, do this;

The bragging Spaniard'.

I speak the truth : and fig me, like

Fal. What is the old king dead?

Pist. As nail in door: the things I speak are just. Fal. Away, Bardolph! saddle my horse.-Master Robert Shallow, choose what office thou wilt in the land, 'tis thine.-Pistol, I will double-charge thee with dignities.

Bard. O joyful day!-I would not take a knighthood for my fortune.

Pist. What! I do bring good news?

Fal. Carry master Silence to bed.-Master Shallow, my lord Shallow, be what thou wilt, I am fortune's steward. Get on thy boots: we'll ride all night.—O, sweet Pistol-Away, Bardolph. [Exit BARD.]-Come, Pistol, utter more to me; and, withal, devise something, to do thyself good.-Boot, boot, master Shallow:

• Under which king, BEZONIAN?] This term of reproach is derived from the Italian bisogno, and signifies, according to Florio," a fresh needy soldier," as well as need. Bezonian occurs in other writers of the time, and sometimes in its original form of bisogno. Nash, in his "Pierce Pennilesse,” 1592, (not 1595, as Steevens quotes it,) uses Bezonian in precisely the same sense as Shakespeare. FIG me, like

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The bragging Spaniard.] To fig is to insult by putting the thumb between the fore and middle finger. From this custom, perhaps, we yet say in contempt, a fig for you." Allusions to the "fig," and fico, or figo, are perpetual in our old writers. Douce tells us, that the phrase is of Italian origin.

I know, the young king is sick for me. Let us take any man's horses; the laws of England are at my commandment. Happy are they which have been my friends, and woe unto my lord chief justice!

Pist. Let vultures vile seize on his lungs also! "Where is the life that late I led," say they2; Why, here it is welcome these pleasant days!

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

London. A Street.

Enter Beadles, dragging in Hostess QUICKLY, and DOLL TEAR-SHEET.

Host. No, thou arrant knave: I would to God I might die, that I might have thee hanged; thou hast drawn my shoulder out of joint.

1 Bead. The constables have delivered her over to me, and she shall have whipping-cheer enough, I warrant her. There hath been a man or two lately killed about her.

Dol. Nut-hook, nut-hook, you lie. Come on: I'll tell thee what, thou damned tripe-visaged rascal, an the child I now go with do miscarry, thou hadst better thou hadst struck thy mother, thou paper-faced villain.

Host. O the Lord, that sir John were come! he would make this a bloody day to somebody. But I pray God the fruit of her womb miscarry!

2 "Where is the life that late I led," say they :] This line from some old song is also quoted by Petruchio in "The Taming of the Shrew." See Vol. iii. p. 168, note 8.

3 Enter BEADLES, &c.] This stage-direction, in the quarto of 1600, stands thus: 66 Enter Sincklo, and three or four Officers." And the name of Sincklo the actor is prefixed to those speeches, which in the folio are given to the Beadle, who is called Officer in the prefixes.

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66

whipping-cheer ENOUGH,] Enough" is from the folio.

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