Shakespeare - First Folio facsimile (1910)/The Second Part of King Henry the Fourth/Act 5 Scene 1

Actus Quintus. Scœna Prima.


Enter Shallow, Silence, Falstaffe, Bardolfe, Page, and Dauie.
Shal. By Cocke and Pye, you shall not away to night.What Dauy, I say.
Fal. You must excuse me, M. Robert Shallow.
Shal. I will not excuse you: you shall not be excused.Excuses shall not be admitted: there is no excuse shallserue: you shall not be excus'd.Why Dauie.
Dauie. Heere sir.
Shal. Dauy, Dauy, Dauy, let me see (Dauy) let me see:William Cooke, bid him come hither. Sir Iohn, you shalnot be excus'd.
Dauy. Marry sir, thus: those Precepts cannot beeseru'd: and againe sir, shall we sowe the head-land withWheate?
Shal. With red Wheate Dauy. But for William Cook:are there no yong Pigeons?
Dauy. Yes Sir.Heere is now the Smithes note, for Shooing,And Plough-Irons.
Shal. Let it be cast, and payde: Sir Iohn, you shallnot be excus'd.
Dauy. Sir, a new linke to the Bucket must needes beehad: And Sir, doe you meane to stoppe any of WilliamsWages, about the Sacke he lost the other day, at HinckleyFayre?
Shal. He shall answer it:Some Pigeons Dauy, a couple of short-legg'd Hennes: aioynt of Mutton, and any pretty little tine Kickshawes,tell William Cooke.
Dauy. Doth the man of Warre, stay all night sir?
Shal. Yes Dauy:I will vse him well. A Friend i'th Court, is better then apenny in purse. Vse his men well Dauy, for they are arrant Knaues, and will backe-bite.
Dauy. No worse then they are bitten, sir: For theyhaue maruellous fowle linnen.
Shallow. Well conceited Dauy: about thy Businesse, Dauy.
Dauy. I beseech you sir,To countenance William Visor of Woncot, against ClementPerkes of the hill.
Shal. There are many Complaints Dauy, against thatVisor, that Visor is an arrant Knaue, on my knowledge.
Dauy. I graunt your Worship, that he is a knaue (Sir:)But yet heauen forbid Sir, but a Knaue should haue someCountenance, at his Friends request. An honest man sir,is able to speake for himselfe, when a Knaue is not. I haueseru'd your Worshippe truely sir, these eight yeares: andif I cannot once or twice in a Quarter beare out a knaue,against an honest man, I haue but a very litle credite withyour Worshippe. The Knaue is mine honest Friend Sir,therefore I beseech your Worship, let him bee Counte-nanc'd.
Shal. Go too,I say he shall haue no wrong: Looke about Dauy.Where are you Sir Iohn? Come, off with your Boots.Giue me your hand M. Bardolfe.
Bard. I am glad to see your Worship.
Shal. I thanke thee, with all my heart, kinde MasterBardolfe: and welcome my tall Fellow:Come Sir Iohn.
Falstaffe. Ile follow you, good Master Robert Shallow.Bardolfe, looke to our Horsses. If I were saw'de intoQuantities, I should make foure dozen of such beardedHermites staues, as Master Shallow. It is a wonderfullthing to see the semblable Coherence of his mens spirits,and his: They, by obseruing of him, do beare themselueslike foolish Iustices: Hee, by conuersing with them, isturn'd into a Iustice-like Seruingman. Their spirits areso married in Coniunction, with the participation of Society, that they flocke together in consent, like so many Wilde-Geese. If I had a suite to Mayster Shallow, Iwould humour his men, with the imputation of beeingneere their Mayster. If to his Men, I would currie withMaister Shallow, that no man could better command hisSeruants. It is certaine, that either wise bearing, or ig-norant Carriage is caught, as men take diseases, one ofanother: therefore, let men take heede of their Compa-nie. I will deuise matter enough out of this Shallow, tokeepe Prince Harry in continuall Laughter, the wearingout of sixe Fashions (which is foure Tearmes) or two Ac-tions, and he shall laugh with Interuallums. O it is muchthat a Lye (with a slight Oath) and a iest (with a saddebrow) will doe, with a Fellow, that neuer had the Achein his shoulders. O you shall see him laugh, till his Facebe like a wet Cloake, ill laid vp.
Shal. Sir Iohn.
Falst. I come Master Shallow, I come Master Shallow. Exeunt.