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Prince。 Ned； prithee come out of that fat…room and lend me thy hand
to laugh a little。 Poins。 Where hast been； Hal？ Prince；。 With three or four
loggerheads amongst three or fourscore hogsheads。 I have sounded the
very bass…string of humility。 Sirrah； I am sworn brother to a leash of
drawers and can call them all by their christen names； as Tom； Dick； and
Francis。 They take it already upon their salvation that； though I be but
Prince of Wales； yet I am the king of courtesy； and tell me flatly I am no
proud Jack like Falstaff； but a Corinthian； a lad of mettle； a good boy （by
the Lord； so they call me！）； and when I am King of England I shall
command all the good lads Eastcheap。 They call drinking deep； dying
scarlet； and when you breathe in your watering； they cry 'hem！' and bid
you play it off。 To conclude； I am so good a proficient in one quarter of an
hour that I can drink with any tinker in his own language during my life。 I
tell thee； Ned； thou hast lost much honour that thou wert not with me in
this action。 But； sweet Ned… to sweeten which name of Ned； I give thee
this pennyworth of sugar； clapp'd even now into my hand by an under…
skinker； one that never spake other English in his life than 'Eight shillings
and sixpence；' and 'You are welcome；' with this shrill addition； 'Anon；
anon； sir！ Score a pint of bastard in the Half…moon；' or so… but； Ned； to
drive away the time till Falstaff come； I prithee do thou stand in some by…
room while I question my puny drawer to what end be gave me the sugar；
and do thou never leave calling 'Francis！' that his tale to me may be
nothing but 'Anon！' Step aside； and I'll show thee a precedent。 Poins。
Francis！ Prince。 Thou art perfect。 Poins。 Francis！ ＇Exit Poins。＇
Enter ＇Francis； a＇ Drawer。
Fran。 Anon； anon； sir。… Look down into the Pomgarnet； Ralph。 Prince。
Come hither； Francis。 Fran。 My lord？ Prince。 How long hast thou to serve；
Francis？ Fran。 Forsooth； five years； and as much as to… Poins。 ＇within＇
Francis！ Fran。 Anon； anon； sir。 Prince。 Five year！ by'r Lady； a long lease
for the clinking of Pewter。 But； Francis； darest thou be so valiant as to play
the coward with thy indenture and show it a fair pair of heels and run from
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it？ Fran。 O Lord； sir； I'll be sworn upon all the books in England I could
find in my heart… Poins。 ＇within＇ Francis！ Fran。 Anon； sir。 Prince。 How old
art thou； Francis？ Fran。 Let me see。 About Michaelmas next I shall be…
Poins。 ＇within＇ Francis！ Fran。 Anon； sir。 Pray stay a little； my lord。 Prince。
Nay； but hark you； Francis。 For the sugar thou gavest me… 'twas a
pennyworth； wast not？ Fran。 O Lord！ I would it had been two！ Prince。 I
will give thee for it a thousand pound。 Ask me when thou wilt； and； thou
shalt have it。 Poins。 ＇within＇ Francis！ Fran。 Anon； anon。 Prince。 Anon；
Francis？ No； Francis； but to…morrow； Francis； or； Francis； a Thursday； or
indeed； Francis； when thou wilt。 But Francis… Fran。 My lord？ Prince。 Wilt
thou rob this leathern…jerkin； crystal…button； not…pated； agate…ring； puke…
stocking； caddis…garter； smooth…tongue； Spanish…pouch… Fran。 O Lord； sir；
who do you mean？ Prince。 Why then； your brown bastard is your only
drink； for look you； Francis； your white canvas doublet will sully。 In
Barbary； sir； it cannot come to so much。 Fran。 What； sir？ Poins。 ＇within＇
Francis！ Prince。 Away； you rogue！ Dost thou not hear them call？ Here they
both call him。 The Drawer stands amazed； not knowing which way to go。
Enter Vintner。
Vint。 What； stand'st thou still； and hear'st such a calling？ Look to the
guests within。 ＇Exit Francis。＇ My lord； old Sir John； with half…a…dozen
more； are at the door。 Shall I let them in？ Prince。 Let them alone awhile；
and then open the door。 ＇Exit Vintner。＇ Poins！ Poins。 ＇within＇ Anon； anon；
sir。
Enter Poins。
Prince。 Sirrah； Falstaff and the rest of the thieves are at the door。
Shall we be merry？ Poins。 As merry as crickets； my lad。 But hark ye； what
cunning match have you made with this jest of the drawer？ Come； what's
the issue？ Prince。 I am now of all humours that have showed themselves
humours since the old days of goodman Adam to the pupil age of this
present this twelve o'clock at midnight。 ＇Enter Francis。＇
What's o'clock； Francis？ Fran。 Anon； anon； sir。 ＇Exit。＇ Prince。 That
ever this fellow should have fewer words than a parrot； and yet the son of
a woman！ His industry is upstairs and downstairs； his eloquence the parcel
of a reckoning。 I am not yet of Percy's mind； the Hotspur of the North； he
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KING HENRY THE FOURTH Part 1
that kills me some six or seven dozen of Scots at a breakfast； washes his
hands； and says to his wife； 'Fie upon this quiet life！ I want work。' 'O my
sweet Harry；' says she； 'how many hast thou kill'd to…day？' 'Give my roan
horse a drench；' says he； and answers 'Some fourteen；' an hour after； 'a
trifle； a trifle。' I prithee call in Falstaff。 I'll play Percy； and that damn'd
brawn shall play Dame Mortimer his wife。 'Rivo！' says the drunkard。 Call
in ribs； call in tallow。
Enter Falstaff； ＇Gadshill； Bardolph； and Peto； Francis follows with
wine＇。 Poins。 Welcome； Jack。 Where hast thou been？ Fal。 A plague of all
cowards； I say； and a vengeance too！ Marry and amen！ Give me a cup of
sack； boy。 Ere I lead this life long； I'll sew nether…stocks； and mend them
and foot them too。 A plague of all cowards！ Give me a cup of sack； rogue。
Is there no virtue extant？ He drinketh。 Prince。 Didst thou never see Titan
kiss a dish of butter？ Pitiful…hearted butter； that melted at the sweet tale of
the sun！ If thou didst； then behold that compound。 Fal。 You rogue； here's
lime in this sack too！ There is nothing but roguery to be found in villanous
man。 Yet a coward is worse than a cup of sack with lime in it… a villanous
coward！ Go thy ways； old Jack； die when thou wilt； if manhood； good
manhood； be not forgot upon the face of the earth； then am I a shotten
herring。 There lives not three good men unhang'd in England； and one of
them is fat； and grows old。 God help the while！ A bad world； I say。 I would
I were a weaver； I could sing psalms or anything。 A plague of all cowards I
say still！ Prince。 How now； woolsack？ What mutter you？ Fal。 A king's son！
If I do not beat thee out of thy kingdom with a dagger of lath and drive all
thy subjects afore thee like a flock of wild geese； I'll never wear hair on
my face more。 You Prince of Wales？ Prince。 Why； you whoreson round
man； what's the matter？ Fal。 Are not you a coward？ Answer me to that…
and Poins there？ Poins。 Zounds； ye fat paunch； an ye call me coward； by
the Lord； I'll stab thee。 Fal。 I call thee coward？ I'll see thee damn'd ere I
call thee coward； but I would give a thousand pound I could run as fast as
thou canst。 You are straight enough in the shoulders； you care not who
sees Your back。 Call you that backing of your friends？ A plague upon such
backing！ Give me them that will face me。 Give me a cup of sack。 I am a
rogue if I drunk to…day。 Prince。 O villain！ thy lips are scarce wip'd since
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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