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SCENE I.

ACT V.

Gloucestershire. SHALLOW's house.

Enter SHALLOw, Falstaff, Bardolph,
and Page.

Shal. By cock and pie, sir, you shall not away to-night. What, Davy, I say!

Fal. You must excuse me, Master Robert Shallow.

Shal. I will not excuse you; you shall not be excused; excuses shall not be admitted; there is no excuse shall serve; you shall not be excused. Why, Davy!

Davy. Here, sir.

Enter DAVY.

Shal. 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 excused.

Davy. Marry, sir, thus; those precepts cannot be served: and, again, sir, shall we sow the headland with wheat?

1. By cock and pie, a trivial oath, originally containing a corruption of the names God and 'pica' (the Catholic servicebook); but in Shakespeare's time supposed to refer to the two birds.

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unploughed land left at the end of the furrows, where the plough was turned. As this became available for sowing later than the field, it was often sowed with a later species of wheat. Red wheat is a spring wheat, white, a winter wheat

14. precepts, summonses.
16. headland, the strip of (Vaughan).

But for William

Shal. With red wheat, Davy. cook are there no young pigeons? Davy. Yes, sir.

Here is now the smith's note

for shoeing and plough-irons.

Shal. 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?

Shal. A' shall answer it. Some pigeons, Davy, a couple of short-legged hens, a joint of mutton, and any pretty little tiny kickshaws, tell William cook.

Davy. Doth the man of war stay all night, sir?

Shal. Yea, Davy. I will use him well: a friend i' the 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.

Shal. Well conceited, Davy: about thy business, Davy.

Davy. I beseech you, sir, to countenance William Visor of Woncot against Clement Perkes of the Hill.

Shal. There is many complaints, Davy, against

21. cast, reckoned out.

26. Hinckley, a market-town north-east of Coventry.

33. a friend i' the court, etc. A proverb, found already in the Romaunt of the Rose.

42. Woncot, a village in Gloucestershire, Woodmancote (still pron. Woncot); a family

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of Visor or Vizard has been associated with it since the sixteenth century, and a house on the adjoining Stinchcombe Hill (now as then locally known as 'the Hill') was then occupied by the family of Perkes. (Cf. Madden, The Diary of William Silence, p. 86.)

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, 50 when a knave is not. I have served your worship truly, sir, this eight years; and if 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 your worship, let him be countenanced.

Shal. Go to; I say he shall have no wrong. Look about, Davy. [Exit Davy.] Where are you, Sir John ? Come, come, come, off with 60 Give me your hand, Master Bar

your boots. dolph.

Bard. I am glad to see your worship.

Shal. I thank thee with all my heart, kind Master Bardolph and welcome, my tall fellow [to the Page]. Come, Sir John.

Fal. 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 together in consent,

70. quantities, small pieces, scantlings.

78. consent, agreement.

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like so many wild-geese. If I had a suit to Master Shallow, I would humour his men with 80 the imputation of being near their master: if to his men, I would curry with Master Shallow that no man could better command his servants. It is certain that either wise bearing or ignorant carriage is caught, as men take diseases, one of another therefore let men take heed of their company. I will devise matter enough out of this Shallow to keep Prince Harry in continual laughter the wearing out of six fashions, which is four terms, or two actions, and a' shall laugh 90 without intervallums. O, it is much that a lie with a slight oath and a jest with a sad brow will do with a fellow that never had the ache in his shoulders! O, you shall see him laugh till his face be like a wet cloak ill laid up!

Shal. [Within] Sir John!

Fal. I come, Master Shallow; I come, Master Shallow.

[Exit.

SCENE II.

Westminster.

The palace.

Enter WARWICK and the LORD CHIEF-JUSTICE,

meeting.

War. How now, my lord chief-justice! whither away?

Ch. Just. How doth the king?

War. Exceeding well; his cares are now all ended.

Ch. Just. I hope, not dead.

War.

He's walk'd the way of nature;

And to our purposes he lives no more.

Ch. Just. I would his majesty had call'd me with him:

The service that I truly did his life

Hath left me open to all injuries.

War. Indeed I think the young king loves you not.

Ch. Just. I know he doth not, and do arm myself

To welcome the condition of the time,

Which cannot look more hideously upon me
Than I have drawn it in my fantasy.

Enter LANCASTER, CLARENCE, GLOUCESTER,
WESTMORELAND, and others.

War. Here come the heavy issue of dead
Harry :

O that the living Harry had the temper

Of him, the worst of these three gentlemen!
How many nobles then should hold their places,
That must strike sail to spirits of vile sort!

Ch. Just. O God, I fear all will be overturn'd!

Lan. Good morrow, cousin Warwick, good

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Lan. We meet like men that had forgot to speak.

War. We do remember; but our argument

Is all too heavy to admit much talk.

Lan. Well, peace be with him that hath made us heavy!

Ch. Just. Peace be with us, lest we be heavier !

14. heavy, mourning.

16. Of him, the worst, i.e. of the worst (whichever it be).

VOL. VI

497

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