Then let us meet them like neceffities. K. Hen. But pow'rs from France, Wafted tow'rds Milford Haven, fwell the tide Owen Glendower's hopes. Lanc. Still may France threaten To pour her legions on our watchful coafts; Your fhips, the floating bulwarks of the isle, Shall hurl deftruction on their daring barks, Or fend them baffled to their shrinking fhores, Confefling England Mistress of the main. Should ev'n the adverse elements confpire Old age shall leave his crutch, and glove his hand K. Hen. On you, my fons, and Coufin Weft moreland, Your country's fafety, and your King's, depends. May glory crown your valor, as the fun Doth the grey vault of Heav'n, and by your light May all the chivalry of England move To deeds of bold emprise, and fair renown! (Exeunt. SCENE II. Justice SHALLOW's Hall in Glocestershire. Enter SHALLOW and SILENCE. Shal. Come on, come on, come on; give me your hand, give me your hand, Sir. An early ftirrer, by the rood. And how does my good coufin Silence? Sil. Good morrow, good coufin Shallow. Shal. And how doth my Coufin, your bedfellow; and your fairest daughter, and mine, my God-daughter Ellen? Sil. Alas, a black oufel, coufin Shallow. Shal. By yea and nay, Sir, I dare fay my coufin William is become a good fcholar: He is at Oxford ftill, is he not? Sil. Indeed, Sir, to my cost. Shal. He must then to the inns of court fhortly. I was once of Clement's inn; where, I think, they will talk of mad Shallow yet. Sil. Sil. You were called lufty Shallow then, cousin. Shal. I was called any thing, and I would have done any thing, indeed, and roundly too. There was I, and little John Doit of Staffordshire, and black George Bare, and Francis Pickbone, and Will Squele, a Cotswold man; you had not four fuch fwinge-bucklers in all the inns of court again. There was Jack Falstaff, now Sir John, a boy, and page to Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk. Sil. This Sir John, coufin, that comes hither anon about foldiers? Shal. The fame Sir John, the very fame. I faw him break Schogan's head, when he was a crack, not thus high: and the very fame day I did fight with one Sampfon Stockfish, a fruiterer, behind Gray's Inn. O the mad days that I have spent !and to fee how many of my old acquaintance are dead! Sil. We fhall all follow, Coufin. Shal. Certain, 'tis certain; very fure, very fure: death is certain to all: all shall die.-How went a good yoke of bullocks at Stamford fair? of Sil. Truly, Coufin, I was not there. Shal. Death is certain. Ah, ah!-Is old Double your town living yet? Sil. Dead, Sir. G.2 Shal. Shal. Dead!-See, fee!-he drew a good bow -and dead!—he was a fine shot. John of Gaunt loved him well, and betted much money on his head.-Dead! He would have hit the mark at twelve score yards, and carried you a forehand fhaft fourteen and fourteen and a half, that it would have done a man's heart good to fee.-Dead! ah ! How fell a fcore of ewes now? Sil. Thereafter as they be: a fcore of good ewes may be worth ten pounds. Shal. And is old Double dead? (Enter BARDOLPH and PAGE.) ; Sil. Here come two of Sir J. Falstaff's men, as I think. Bar. Good morrow, honeft gentlemen: I befeech you, which is Justice Shallow? Shal. I am Robert Shallow, Sir; a poor Esquire of this county, and one of the King's Juftices of the Peace. What is your good pleasure with me? Bar. My Captain, Sir, commends him to you. My Captain, Sir John Falstaff, a ftout gentleman, and a moft gallant leader. Shal. He greets me well, Sir. I knew him a good back-fword man. How doth the good Knight? May I ask how my lady his wife doth? Bar Bar. Sir, pardon. A foldier is better accommodated than with a wife. Shal.. It is well faid, Sir, and it is very well faid indeed too-Better accommodated! It is good, yea indeed is it. Good phrafes are furely, and ever were, very commendable.-Accommodated! It comes from the Latin accommodo: very good; a good phrafe! Bar. Pardon me, Sir; I have heard the word. Phrafe, call you it? By this day, I know not the phrafe; but I will maintain the word with my fword, to be a foldier-like word, and a word of exceeding good command. Accommodated; that is,—when a man is, as they fay,-accommodated: —or, when a man is,-being-whereby—he may be thought to be-accommodated :—which is an excellent thing. Shal. It is very juft. (Enter FALSTAFF) Look, here comes good Sir John. Give me your Worfhip's good hand: by my troth, you look well, and bear your years very well: Welcome, good Sir John! Fal. I am glad to fee you well, good Master Robert Shallow. Shal. Sir John, this is my coufin Silence, in commiffion with me. Fal. |