Hast. With him, we may. Bard. Of aids uncertain, should not be admitted. Bard. It was, my lord; who lined himself with hope, Eating the air on promise of supply, Flattering himself with project of a power And so, with great imagination, Proper to madmen, led his powers to death, Hast. But, by your leave, it never yet did hurt, To lay down likelihoods, and forms of hope. We see the appearing buds; which, to prove fruit, That frosts will bite them. When we mean to build, And when we see the figure of the house, 1 That is, which turned out to be much smaller than, &c. 2 The first twenty lines of this speech were first inserted in the folio, 1623. This passage has perplexed the editors. The old copies read :— "Yes, if this present quality of war, Indeed the instant action: a cause on foot Lives so in hope: As in," &c. It has been proposed to read :— "Yes, if this present quality of war;— Induced the instant action: a cause on foot Lives so in hope, as in," &c. The reading adopted by Steevens and Malone, from Johnson's suggestion, is that which is given above. Which if we find outweighs ability, What do we then, but draw anew the model To build at all? Much more, in this great work, The plot of situation, and the model; Using the names of men instead of men; Like one that draws the model of a house Beyond his power to build it; who, half through, And waste for churlish winter's tyranny. Hast. Grant, that our hopes (yet likely of fair birth) Should be still-born, and that we now possessed I think we are a body strong enough, Even as we are, to equal with the king. Bard. What is the king but five-and-twenty thousand? Hast. To us, no more; nay, not so much, lord Bardolph. For his divisions, as the times do brawl, Are in three heads: one power against the French,2 In three divided; and his coffers sound With hollow poverty and emptiness. Arch. That he should draw his several strengths together, 1 Agree. 2 During this rebellion of Northumberland and the archbishop, a French army of twelve thousand men landed at Milford Haven, in aid of Owen Glendower. See Holinshed, p. 531. And come against us in full puissance, Need not be dreaded. If he should do so, Hast. He leaves his back unarmed, the French and Welsh Baying him at the heels: never fear that. Bard. Who, is it like, should lead his forces hither? Hast. The duke of Lancaster,' and Westmoreland; Against the Welsh, himself, and Harry Monmouth: But who is substituted 'gainst the French, I have no certain notice. Arch. Let us on; And publish the occasion of our arms. 2 The commonwealth is sick of their own choice, A habitation giddy and unsure Hath he, that buildeth on the vulgar heart. Thou, that threw'st dust upon his goodly head, 1 This is an anachronism. Prince John of Lancaster was not created a duke till the second year of the reign of his brother, king Henry V. At this time prince Henry was actually duke of Lancaster. Shakspeare was misled by Stowe, who, speaking of the first parliament of king Henry IV., says, "Then the king rose, and made his eldest sonne prince of Wales, &c.: his second sonne was there made duke of Lancaster." Annales, 1631. He seems to have consulted Stowe (p. 323) between the times of finishing the last play and beginning of the present. 2 This speech first appeared in the folio. 3 Dressed. And take thou this! O thoughts of men accurst! ACT II. SCENE I. London. A Street. Enter Hostess; FANG, and his boy, with her; and SNARE, following. Host. Master Fang, have you entered the action ? Fang. It is entered. Host. Where is your yeoman? Is it a lusty yeoman? will a' stand to't? Fang. Sirrah, where's Snare? Host. O Lord, ay; good master Snare. Snare. Here, here. Fang. Snare, we must arrest sir John Falstaff. Host. Yea, good master Snare; I have entered him and all. Snare. It may chance cost some of us our lives, for he will stab. Host. Alas the day! take heed of him; he stabbed me in mine own house, and that most beastly; in good faith, a' cares not what mischief he doth, if his weapon be out: he will foin like any devil; he will spare neither man, woman, nor child. Fang. If I can close with him, I care not for his thrust. Host. No, nor I neither; I'll be at your elbow. Fang. An I but fist him once; an a' come but within my vice; 2— 1 A bailiff's follower was formerly called a serjeant's yeoman. 2 The quarto reads view. Vice is used for grasp or clutch. The fist is vulgarly called the vice in the west of England. VOL. IV. 4 Host. I am undone by his going; I warrant you, he's an infinitive thing upon my score.-Good master Fang, hold him sure;-good master Snare, let him not 'scape. He comes continually to Pie-corner (saving your manhoods) to buy a saddle; and he's indited to dinner to the lubbar's head in Lumbert-street, to master Smooth's the silkman. I pray ye, since my exion is entered, and my case so openly known to the world, let him be brought in to his answer. A hundred mark is a long loan1 for a poor lone woman to bear; and I have borne, and borne, and borne; and have been fubbed off, and fubbed off, and fubbed off, from this day to that day, that it is a shame to be thought on. There is no honesty in such dealing; unless a woman should be made an ass, and a beast, to bear every knave's wrong. Enter SIR JOHN FALSTAFF, Page, and BARDOLPH. Yonder he comes; and that arrant malmsey-nose knave, Bardolph, with him. Do Do your offices, do your offices, master Fang, and master Snare; do me, do me, do me your offices. Fal. How now? whose mare's dead? what's the matter? Fang. Sir John, I arrest you at the suit of mistress Quickly. Fal. Away, varlets!-Draw, Bardolph; cut me off the villain's head; throw the quean in the channel. Host. Throw me in the channel? I'll throw thee in the channel. Wilt thou? wilt thou? thou bastardly rogue!-Murder, murder!-O thou honey-suckle villain! wilt thou kill God's officers, and the king's? O thou honey-seed2 rogue! thou art a honey-seed; a man-queller, and a woman-queller. 1 The old copies read "long one;" which Theobald supposed was a corruption of lone or loan. Mr. Douce thinks the alteration unnecessary; and that the hostess means to say that a hundred mark is a long score, or reckoning, for her to bear. 2 It is scarce necessary to remark that honey-suckle and honey-seed are dame Quickly's corruptions of homicidal and homicide. 3 To quell was anciently used for to kill. |