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vice, that grey iniquity, that father ruffian, that vanity in years? Wherein is he good, but to tafte fack and drink it? wherein neat and cleanly, but to carve a capon and eat it? wherein 9 cunning, but in craft? wherein crafty but in villainy? wherein villainous, but in all things? wherein worthy, but in nothing?

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Fal. I would your grace would take me with you. Whom means your grace?

P. Henry. That villainous abominable mif-leader of youth, Falstaff, that old white-bearded Satan. Fal. My lord, the man I know.

P. Henry. I know thou doft.

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Fal. But to fay, I know more harm in him than in myself, were to fay more than I know. That he is old (the more the pity) his white hairs do witness it but that he is (faving your reverence) a whoremafter, that I utterly deny. If fack and fugar be a fault, God help the wicked! If to be old and merry be a fin, then many an old hoft that I know is damn'd. If to be fat be to be hated, then Pharaoh's lean kine are to be lov'd. No, my good lord;

9 — cunning,-] Cunning was not yet debased to a bad meaning it fignified knowing, or skilful. JOHNSON.

take me with you.] That is, go no fafter than I can follow you. Let me know your meaning. JOHNSON.

2 If Jack and Jugar be a fault, &c.] Sack and jugar was a favourite liquor in Shakespeare's time. In a letter defcribing queen Elizabeth's entertainment at Killingworth-caftle, 1575, by R. L. [Langham] bl. 1. 12mo, the writer fays (p. 86.) "fipt I no more fak and fuger than I do Malmzey, I fhould "not blush so much a dayz az I doo." And in another place, defcribing a minstrell, who, being fomewhat irafcible, had been offended by the company, he adds, " at laft, by fum entreaty, and many fair woords, with fak and fuger, we sweeten "him again." p. 52. PERCY.

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This liquor is likewife mentioned in The Wild Goofe Chafe of B. and Fletcher :

You fhall find us in the tavern,
"Lamenting in fack and fugar for your loffes."

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STEEVENS.

banish

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banish Peto, banish Bardolph, banish Poins; but for fweet Jack Falstaff, kind Jack Falstaff, true Jack Falftaff, valiant Jack Falftaff, and therefore more va liant, being as he is, old Jack Falstaff, banish not him thy Harry's company; banish plump Jack, and banish all the world.

P. Henry. I do, I will.

[Knocking; and Hoftefs and Bardolph go out.

Re-enter Bardolph running.

Bar. O, my lord, my lord, the sheriff with a moft monftrous watch is at the door.

Fal. Out, you rogue!-Play out the play: I have much to fay in behalf of that Falstaff.

Re-enter the Hoftefs.

Hoft. O, my lord, my lord!

Fal. Heigh, heigh! the devil rides upon a fiddleftick: what's the matter?

Hoft. The fheriff and all the watch are at the door: they are come to fearch the houfe. Shall I let them in?

Fal. Doft thou hear, Hal? never call a true piece of gold a counterfeit; thou art effentially mad, without feeming fo.

P. Henry. And thou a natural coward, without inftinct.

Fal. I deny your major. If you will deny the sheriff, fo; if not, let him enter. If I become not a cart as well as another man, a plague on my bringing up! I hope I fhall as foon be ftrangled with a halter as another.

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P. Henry. Go, 3 hide thee behind the arras; the reft

walk

hide thee behind the arras; -] The bulk of Falstaff made him not the fittest to be concealed behind the hangings, but every poet facrifices fomething to the fcenery; if Falstaff

had

walk up above. Now, my mafters, for a true face, and a good confcience.

Fal. Both which I have had; but their date is out, and therefore I'll hide me.

[Exeunt Falstaff, Bardolph, Gads-bill, and Peto; manent Prince and Poins.

P. Henry. Call in the fheriff

Enter Sheriff and Carrier.

Now, mafter sheriff, what is your will with me?
Sher. First, pardon me, my lord.-A hue and cry
Hath follow'd certain men unto this house.

P. Henry. What men?

Sher. One of them is well known, my gracious lord, A grofs fat man.

Car. As fat as butter.

P. Henry. The man, I do affure you, is not here, For I myself at this time have employ'd him. And, fheriff, I engage my word to thee, That I will, by to-morrow dinner time, Send him to anfwer thee, or any man, For any thing he fhall be charg'd withal: And fo let me intreat you leave the house. Sher. I will, my lord. There are two gentlemen Have in this robbery loft three hundred marks.

P. Henry. It may be fo: if he have robb'd thefe men, He shall be answerable; and fo, farewell.

had not been hidden he could not have been found afleep, nor had his pockets fearched. JOHNSON.

In old houses there were always large fpaces left between the arras and the walls, fufficient to contain even one of Falftaff's bulk. Such are thofe which Fantome mentions in The Drummer. STEEVENS.

+ The man, I do affure you, is not here,] Every reader must regret that Shakespeare would not give himself the trouble to furnish prince Henry with fome more pardonable excufe for the abfence of Falstaff, than by obliging him to have recourse to an abfolute falfhood, and that too uttered under the fan&tion of so strong an affurance. STEEVENS.

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Sher. Good night, my noble lord.

P. Henry. I think it be good morrow, is it not? Sher. Indeed, my lord, I think it be two o'clock. [Exit. P. Henry. This oily rascal is known as well as Paul's; 5 Go, call him forth.

Poins. Falstaff!fcorting like a horfe.

-fast asleep behind the arras, and

P. Henry. Hark, how hard he fetches breath. Search his pockets.

[He fearches his pockets, and finds certain papers. What haft thou found?

Poins. Nothing but papers, my lord.

P. Henry. Let's fee, what be they? read them.
Poins. Item, a capon, 2s. 2d.

Item, Sawce, 4d.

Item, Sack, two gallons, 5s. 8d.

Item, Anchovies and fack after fupper, 2s. 6d.
Item, Bread, a halfpenny.

P. Henry. O monftrous! but one halfpenny-worth of bread to this intolerable deal of fack? What there is elfe, keep clofe; we'll read it at more advantage: there let him fleep till day. I'll to the court in the

Go, call him forth.] The fcenery here is fomewhat perplexed. When the fheriff came, the whole gang retired, and Falstaff was hidden. As foon as the fheriff is fent away, the prince orders Fallaff to be called: by whom? by Peto. But why had not Peto gone up ftairs with the reft? and if he had, why did not the reft come down with him? The converfation that follows between the prince and Peto, feems to be apart from the others.

I cannot but fufpect that for Peto we fhould read Poins: what had Peto done, that his place fhould be honourable, or that he fhould be trufted with the plot against Falstaff? Poins has the prince's confidence, and is a man of courage.

This alteration clears the whole difficulty: they all retired but Poins, who, with the prince, having only. robbed the robbers, had no need to conceal himself from the travellers. We may therefore boldly change the scenical direction thus, Exeunt Falfaff, Bardolph, Gads-hill, and Peto; manent the Prince and Poins. JOHNSON.

morning:

morning: we must all to the wars, and thy place fhall be honourable. I'll procure this fat rogue a charge of foot; and I know his death will be a march of twelvefcore. The money fhall be paid back again, with advantage. Be with me betimes in the morning; and fo good morrow, Poins.

Poins. Good morrow, good my lord.

[Exeunt.

ACT III. SCENE I.

The archdeacon of Bangor's houfe in Wales.

Enter Hotspur, Worcester, lord Mortimer, and Owen

T

Glendower.

MORTIMER.

HESE promifes are fair, the parties fure, And our 7 induction full of profperous hope. Hot. Lord Mortimer, and coufin Glendower;Will you fit down?

And, uncle Worcester:a plague upon it!

I have forgot the map.

Glend. No, here it is.

Sit, coufin Percy; fit, good coufin Hotspur:
For, by that name, as oft as Lancaster

Doth fpeak of you, his cheek looks pale; and, with
A rifing figh, he wifheth you in heaven.

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I know his death will be a march of twelvefcore.-] i. e. It will kill him to march fo far as twelvefcore yards.

JOHNSON.

Ben Jonfon ufes the fame expreffion in his Sejanus: "That look'd for falutations twelvescore off."

STEEVENS.

7 induction] That is, entrance; beginning.

1

JOHNSON.
Hot.

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