Mr. Babdolph.--We four set upon some dozen,---- * Sir John Falstaff.--Sixteen, at least, my lord. Mr. Bardolph.--And bound them. Mr. Peto.--No, no, they were not bound. Sir John Falstaff.--You rogue, they were bound, every man of them; or I am a Jew else, an Ebrew Jew. Mr. Bardolph.--As we were sharing, some six or seven fresh men set upon us,---- * I have ventured to modify a few of the old dramatist’s expressions. My sole motive for doing so has been a natural objection to being pointed out in the streets as the one living writer who never did anything towards the improvement of Shakspeare’s text.--Biographer. Sir John Falstaff.--And unbound the rest, and then come in the other. The Prince of Wales.--What, fought ye with them all? Sir John Falstaff.--All? I know not what ye 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-legged creature. Mr. Poins.--Pray God you have not murdered some of them. Sir John Falstaff.--Nay, that’s past praying for: I have peppered 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,-- The Prince of Wales.--What, four? thou saidst but two, even now? Sir John Falstaff--Four, Hal; I told thee four. Mr. Poins.--Ay, ay, he said four. Sir John Falstaff.--These four came all a-front, and mainly thrust at me. I made me no more ado, but took all their seven points in my target, thus. The Prince of Wales.--Seven? why, there were but four, even now. Sir John Falstaff.--In buckram. Mr. Poins.--Ay, four, in buckram suits. Sir John Falstaff.--Seven by these hilts, or I am a villain else. The Prince of Wales.--Pr’ythee, let him alone; we shall have more anon. Sir John Falstaff.--Dost thou hear me, Hal? The Prince of Wales.--Ay, and mark thee too, Jack. Sir John Falstaff.--Do so, for it is worth the listening to. These nine in buckram, that I told thee of,-- The Prince of Wales.--So, two more already. Sir John Falstaff.--Their points being broken,-- Mr. Poins.--Down fell their hose. Sir John Falstaff.--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. The Prince of Wales--O monstrous! eleven buckram men grown out of two! Sir John Falstaff.--But, as the devil would have it, three misbegotten knaves, in Kendal green, came at my back, and let drive at me;--for it was so dark, Hal, that thou couldst not see thy hand. The Prince of Wales.--These lies are like the father that begets them; gross as a mountain, open, palpable. Why, thou clay-brained guts, thou knotty-pated fool, thou villainous, obscene, greasy tallow-keech,-- Sir John Falstaff.--What! art thou mad? art thou mad? is not the truth, the truth?