Henry IV, Part I, William Shakespeare [good books to read in english .TXT] 📗

and baffle me. Prince I see a good amendment of life in thee; from praying to purse-taking. Falstaff Why, Hal, ’tis my vocation, Hal; ’tis no sin for a man to labour in his vocation. Enter Poins. Poins! Now shall we know if Gadshill have set a match. O, if men were to be saved by merit, what hole in hell were hot enough for him? This is the most omnipotent villain that ever cried “stand” to a true man. Prince Good morrow, Ned. Poins Good morrow, sweet Hal. What says Monsieur Remorse? what says Sir John Sack and Sugar? Jack! how agrees the devil and thee about thy soul, that thou soldest him on Good-Friday last for a cup of Madeira and a cold capon’s leg? Prince Sir John stands to his word, the devil shall have his bargain; for he was never yet a breaker of proverbs: he will give the devil his due. Poins Then art thou damned for keeping thy word with the devil. Prince Else he had been damned for cozening the devil. Poins But, my lads, my lads, to-morrow morning, by four o’clock, early at Gadshill! there are pilgrims going to Canterbury with rich offerings, and traders riding to London with fat purses: I have vizards for you all; you have horses for yourselves: Gadshill lies to-night in Rochester: I have bespoke supper to-morrow night in Eastcheap: we may do it as secure as sleep. If you will go, I will stuff your purses full of crowns; if you will not, tarry at home and be hanged. Falstaff Hear ye, Yedward; if I tarry at home and go not, I’ll hang you for going. Poins You will, chops? Falstaff Hal, wilt thou make one? Prince Who, I rob? I a thief? not I, by my faith. Falstaff There’s neither honesty, manhood, nor good fellowship in thee, nor thou camest not of the blood royal, if thou darest not stand for ten shillings. Prince Well then, once in my days I’ll be a madcap. Falstaff Why, that’s well said. Prince Well, come what will, I’ll tarry at home. Falstaff By the Lord, I’ll be a traitor then, when thou art king. Prince I care not. Poins Sir John, I prithee, leave the prince and me alone: I will lay him down such reasons for this adventure that he shall go. Falstaff Well, God give thee the spirit of persuasion and him the ears of profiting, that what thou speakest may move and what he hears may be believed, that the true prince may, for recreation sake, prove a false thief; for the poor abuses of the time want countenance. Farewell: you shall find me in Eastcheap. Prince Farewell, thou latter spring! farewell, All-hallown summer! Exit Falstaff. Poins Now, my good sweet honey lord, ride with us to-morrow: I have a jest to execute that I cannot manage alone. Falstaff, Bardolph, Peto and Gadshill shall rob those men that we have already waylaid; yourself and I will not be there; and when they have the booty, if you and I do not rob them, cut this head off from my shoulders. Prince How shall we part with them in setting forth? Poins Why, we will set forth before or after them, and appoint them a place of meeting, wherein it is at our pleasure to fail, and then will they adventure upon the exploit themselves; which they shall have no sooner achieved, but we’ll set upon them. Prince Yea, but ’tis like that they will know us by our horses, by our habits and by every other appointment, to be ourselves. Poins Tut! our horses they shall not see; I’ll tie them in the wood; our vizards we will change after we leave them: and, sirrah, I have cases of buckram for the nonce, to immask our noted outward garments. Prince Yea, but I doubt they will be too hard for us. Poins Well, for two of them, I know them to be as true-bred cowards as ever turned back; and for the third, if he fight longer than he sees reason, I’ll forswear arms. The virtue of this jest will be, the incomprehensible lies that this same fat rogue will tell us when we meet at supper: how thirty, at least, he fought with; what wards, what blows, what extremities he endured; and in the reproof of this lies the jest. Prince Well, I’ll go with thee: provide us all things necessary and meet me to-morrow night in Eastcheap; there I’ll sup. Farewell. Poins Farewell, my lord. Exit Poins. Prince

I know you all, and will awhile uphold
The unyoked humour of your idleness:
Yet herein will I imitate the sun,
Who doth permit the base contagious clouds
To smother up his beauty from the world,
That, when he please again to be himself,
Being wanted, he may be more wonder’d at,
By breaking through the foul and ugly mists
Of vapours that did seem to strangle him.
If all the year were playing holidays,
To sport would be as tedious as to work;
But when they seldom come, they wish’d for come,
And nothing pleaseth but rare accidents.
So, when this loose behaviour I throw off
And pay the debt I never promised,
By how much better than my word I am,
By so much shall I falsify men’s hopes;
And like bright metal on a sullen ground,
My reformation, glittering o’er my fault,
Shall show more goodly and attract more eyes
Than that which hath no foil to set it off.
I’ll so offend, to make offence a skill;
Redeeming time when men think least I will. Exit.

Scene III

London. The palace.

Enter the King, Northumberland, Worcester, Hotspur, Sir Walter Blunt, with others. King

My blood hath been too cold and temperate,
Unapt to stir at these indignities,
And you have found me; for accordingly
You tread upon my patience: but be sure
I will from henceforth rather be myself,
Mighty and to be fear’d, than my condition;
Which hath been smooth as oil, soft as young down,
And therefore lost that title of respect
Which the proud soul ne’er pays but to the proud.

Worcester

Our house, my sovereign liege, little deserves
The scourge of greatness to be used on