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Another part of the forest.
[Alarum. Excursions. Enter FALSTAFF and COLEVILE, meeting]
FALSTAFF
What's your name, sir? of what condition are you? and of what place, I pray?
COLEVILE
I am a knight, sir:
And my name is Colevile of the dale.
FALSTAFF
Well then, Colevile is your name, a knight is your degree, and your place,
the dale. Colevile shall be still your name, a traitor your degree, and the
dungeon your place, a place deep enough: so shall you be still Colevile of
the dale.
COLEVILE
Are not you Sir John Falstaff?
FALSTAFF
As good a man as he sir, whoere I am: Do ye yield sir, or shall I sweat
for you? if I do sweat, they are the drops of thy lovers, and they weep for
thy death, therefore rouse up fear and trembling, and do observance to my
mercy.
COLEVILE
I think you are Sir John Falstaff, and in that thought yield me.
FALSTAFF
I have a whole school of tongues in this belly of mine, and not a tongue of
them all, speaks any other word but my name: And I had but a belly of any
indifference, I were simply the most active fellow in Europe: my womb, my
womb, my womb, undoes me. Here comes our general.
[Enter PRINCE JOHN OF LANCASTER, WESTMORELAND, BLUNT, and others]
LANCASTER
, ,
, ,
,
The heat | is past,| follow | no furth|er now:
,
x , , ,
Call in | the powers,| good* cous|in
West|moreland.
, ,
, ,
,
Now Fal|staff, where*| have you | been all | this
while?
, ,
, ,
,
When eve|rything | is end|ed, then | you come.
, ,
, ,
,
These tar|dy tricks | of yours | will (on | my
life)
, ,
, ,
,
One time,| or oth|er, break | some gal|lows'
back.
FALSTAFF
I would be sorry (my lord) but it should be thus: I never knew yet, but
rebuke and cheque was the reward of valor. Do you think me a swallow, an
arrow, or a bullet? have I, in my poor and old motion, the expedition of
thought? I have speeded hither with the very extremest inch of possibility.
I have foundered nine score and odd posts: and here (travel-tainted as I am)
have, in my pure and immaculate valor, taken Sir John Colevile of the dale, a
most furious knight, and valorous enemy: But what of that? he saw me, and
yielded: that I may justly say with the hook-nosed fellow of Rome, I came,
saw, and overcame.
LANCASTER
It was more of his courtesy, than your deserving.
FALSTAFF
I know not: here he is, and here I yield him: and I beseech your grace, let
it be booked, with the rest of this day's deeds; or I swear, I will have
it in a particular ballad, with mine own picture on the top on it (Colevile kissing my foot): to the which course, if I be enforced, if you do
not all show like gilt twopences to me; and I, in the clear sky of fame,
oreshine you as much as the full moon doth the cinders of the element (which
show like pins' heads to her) believe not the word of the noble: therefore
let me have right, and let desert mount.
LANCASTER
Thine's too heavy to mount.
FALSTAFF
Let it shine then.
LANCASTER
Thine's too thick to shine.
FALSTAFF
Let it do something (my good lord) that may do me good, and call it what you
will.
LANCASTER
Is thy name Colevile?
COLEVILE
It is (my lord).
LANCASTER
A famous rebel art thou, Colevile.
FALSTAFF
And a famous true subject took him.
COLEVILE
,
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, ,
I am |(my lord)| but as | my bet|ters are,
, ,
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,
That led | me hith|er: had | they been ruled | by
me,
,
, ,
, ,
You should | have won | them dear|er than | you
have.
FALSTAFF
I know not how they sold themselves, but thou like a kind fellow, gavst
thyself away; and I thank thee, for thee.
[Enter WESTMORELAND]
LANCASTER
Have you left pursuit?
WESTMORELAND
, ,
, , ,
Retreat | is made,| and ex|ecu|tion stayed.
LANCASTER
T T T
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,
Send Colevile,| with his | confed|erates
, ,
, , ,
To York,| to pres|ent ex|ecu|tion.
T T . T
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,
Blunt, lead him hence,| and see | you guard
| him sure.
, ,
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,
And now | dispatch | we toward | the court |(my
lords)
, ,
, , ,
I hear | the king,| my fath|er, is / sore sick.
, , x
2 , ,
Our news | shall go | before us,| to his
maj|esty,
, ,
, ,
,
Which (cous/in) you | shall bear,| to com|fort
him:
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, , ,
And we | with sob|er speed | will fol|low you.
FALSTAFF
, 2 ,
, ,
,
My lord,| I beseech | you, give | me leave | to
go
,
, , ,
,
Through Glouce|stershire:| and when | you come |
to court,
,
, ,
, ,
Stand my | good lord,| pray, in | your good |
report.
LANCASTER
,
T T T ,
3 3 ,
Fare you | well, Falstaff:| I, in my con|dition,
,
, , ,
,
Shall bet|ter speak | of you,| than you |
deserve.
[Exeunt all but Falstaff]
FALSTAFF
I would you had but the wit: 'twere better than your dukedom. Good
faith, this same young sober-blooded boy, doth not love me, nor a man cannot
make him laugh: but that's no marvel, he drinks no wine. There's never none
of these demure boys come to any proof: for thin drink doth so over-cool
their blood, and making many fish-meals, that they fall into a kind of male
green-sickness: and then, when they marry, they get wenches. They are
generally fools, and cowards; which some of us should be too, but for
inflammation. A good sherris sack hath a two-fold operation in it: it
ascends me into the brain, dries me there all the foolish, and dull, and curdy
vapors, which environ it: makes it apprehensive, quick, forgetive, full of
nimble, fiery, and delectable shapes; which delivered ore to the voice, the
tongue, which is the birth, becomes excellent wit. The second property of
your excellent sherris, is, the warming of the blood: which before (cold, and
settled) left the liver white, and pale; which is the badge of pusillanimity,
and cowardice: but the sherris warms it, and makes it course from the inwards,
to the parts extreme: it illumineth the face, which (as a beacon) gives
warning to all the rest of this little kingdom (man) to arm: and then the
vital commoners and inland petty spirits, muster me all to their captain, the
heart; who great, and puffed up with this retinue, doth any deed of courage:
and this valor comes of sherris. So, that skill in the weapon is nothing,
without sack (for that sets it a-work) and learning, a mere hoard of gold,
kept by a devil, till sack commences it, and sets it in act, and use. Hereof
comes it, that Prince Harry is valiant: for the cold blood he did naturally
inherit of his father, he hath, like lean, sterile, and bare land, manured,
husbanded, and tilled, with excellent endeavor of drinking good, and good
store of fertile sherris, that he is become very hot, and valiant. If I had a
thousand sons, the first humane principle I would teach them, should be to
forswear thin potations, and to addict themselves to sack. How now Bardolph?
[Enter BARDOLPH]
BARDOLPH
The army is discharged all, and gone.
FALSTAFF
Let them go: I'll through Gloucestershire, and there will I visit Master
Robert Shallow, esquire: I have him already tempering between my finger and
my thumb, and shortly will I seal with him. Come away.
[Exeunt]