Great Britain -- History -- Henry IV, 1399-1413 -- Drama; Henry IV, King of England, 1367-1413 -- Drama; Historical drama
O villain! thy lips are scarce wip'd since thou
drunk'st
last.
Fal. All is one for that. (He drinketh.) A plague of all
cowards
still say I.
Prince. What's the matter?
Fal. What's the matter? There be four of us here have ta'en a
thousand pound this day morning.
Prince. Where is it, Jack? Where is it?
Fal. Where is it, Taken from us it is. A hundred upon poor four
of
us!
Prince. What, a hundred, man?
Fal. I am a rogue if I were not at half-sword with a dozen of
them
two hours together. I have scap'd by miracle. I am eight
times
thrust through the doublet, four through the hose; my buckler
cut
through and through; my sword hack'd like a handsaw- ecce
signum!
I never dealt better since I was a man. All would not do. A
plague of all cowards! Let them speak, If they speak more or
less
than truth, they are villains and the sons of darkness.
Prince. Speak, sirs. How was it?
Gads. We four set upon some dozen-
Fal. Sixteen at least, my lord.
Gads. And bound them.
Peto. No, no, they were not bound.
Fal. You rogue, they were bound, every man of them, or I am a
Jew
else- an Ebrew Jew.
Gads. As we were sharing, some six or seven fresh men sea upon
us-
Fal. And unbound the rest, and then come in the other.
Prince. What, fought you with them all?
Fal. All? I know not what you call all, but if I fought not
with
fifty of them, I am a bunch of radish! If there were not two
or
three and fifty upon poor old Jack, then am I no two-legg'd
creature.
Prince. Pray God you have not murd'red some of them.
Fal. Nay, that's past praying for. I have pepper'd two of them.
Two
I am sure I have paid, two rogues in buckram suits. I tell
thee
what, Hal- if I tell thee a lie, spit in my face, call me
horse.
Thou knowest my old ward. Here I lay, and thus I bore my
point.
Four rogues in buckram let drive at me.
Prince. What, four? Thou saidst but two even now.
Fal. Four, Hal. I told thee four.
Poins. Ay, ay, he said four.
Fal. These four came all afront and mainly thrust at me. I made
me
no more ado but took all their seven points in my target,
thus.
Prince. Seven? Why, there were but four even now.
Fal. In buckram?
Poins. Ay, four, in buckram suits.
Fal. Seven, by these hilts, or I am a villain else.
Prince. [aside to Poins] Prithee let him alone. We shall have
more
anon.
Fal. Dost thou hear me, Hal?
Prince. Ay, and mark thee too, Jack.
Fal. Do so, for it is worth the list'ning to. These nine in
buckram
that I told thee of-
Prince. So, two more already.
Fal. Their points being broken-
Poins. Down fell their hose.
Fal. Began to give me ground; but I followed me close, came in,
foot and hand, and with a thought seven of the eleven I paid.
Prince. O monstrous! Eleven buckram men grown out of two!
Fal. But, as the devil would have it, three misbegotten knaves
in
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account