Great Britain -- History -- Henry IV, 1399-1413 -- Drama; Henry IV, King of England, 1367-1413 -- Drama; Historical drama
DAVY. Here, sir.
SHALLOW. Davy, Davy, Davy, Davy; let me see, Davy; let me see,
Davy; let me see--yea, marry, William cook, bid him come
hither.
Sir John, you shall not be excus'd.
DAVY. Marry, sir, thus: those precepts cannot be served; and,
again, sir--shall we sow the headland with wheat?
SHALLOW. With red wheat, Davy. But for William cook--are there
no
young pigeons?
DAVY. Yes, sir. Here is now the smith's note for shoeing and
plough-irons.
SHALLOW. Let it be cast, and paid. Sir John, you shall not be
excused.
DAVY. Now, sir, a new link to the bucket must needs be had;
and,
sir, do you mean to stop any of William's wages about the
sack he
lost the other day at Hinckley fair?
SHALLOW. 'A shall answer it. Some pigeons, Davy, a couple of
short-legg'd hens, a joint of mutton, and any pretty little
tiny
kickshaws, tell William cook.
DAVY. Doth the man of war stay all night, sir?
SHALLOW. Yea, Davy; I will use him well. A friend i' th' court
is
better than a penny in purse. Use his men well, Davy; for
they
are arrant knaves and will backbite.
DAVY. No worse than they are backbitten, sir; for they have
marvellous foul linen.
SHALLOW. Well conceited, Davy--about thy business, Davy.
DAVY. I beseech you, sir, to countenance William Visor of
Woncot
against Clement Perkes o' th' hill.
SHALLOW. There, is many complaints, Davy, against that Visor.
That
Visor is an arrant knave, on my knowledge.
DAVY. I grant your worship that he is a knave, sir; but yet God
forbid, sir, but a knave should have some countenance at his
friend's request. An honest man, sir, is able to speak for
himself, when a knave is not. I have serv'd your worship
truly,
sir, this eight years; an I cannot once or twice in a quarter
bear out a knave against an honest man, I have but a very
little
credit with your worship. The knave is mine honest friend,
sir;
therefore, I beseech you, let him be countenanc'd.
SHALLOW. Go to; I say he shall have no wrong. Look about,
DAVY. [Exit DAVY] Where are you, Sir John? Come, come, come,
off
with your boots. Give me your hand, Master Bardolph.
BARDOLPH. I am glad to see your worship.
SHALLOW. I thank thee with all my heart, kind Master Bardolph.
[To the PAGE] And welcome, my tall fellow. Come, Sir John.
FALSTAFF. I'll follow you, good Master Robert Shallow.
[Exit SHALLOW] Bardolph, look to our horses. [Exeunt
BARDOLPH
and PAGE] If I were sawed into quantities, I should make
four
dozen of such bearded hermits' staves as Master Shallow. It
is a
wonderful thing to see the semblable coherence of his men's
spirits and his. They, by observing of him, do bear
themselves
like foolish justices: he, by conversing with them, is turned
into a justice-like serving-man. Their spirits are so married
in
conjunction with the participation of society that they flock
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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