SCENE III
Gloucestershire. SHALLOW'S orchard.Enter FALSTAFF, SHALLOW, SILENCE, DAVY, BARDOLPH, and the Page.
Shal.
Nay, you shall see my orchard,
where, in an arbour, we will eat a last year's
pippin of my own graffing, with a dish of
caraways, and so forth: come, cousin Silence:
and then to bed.
Fal.
'Fore God, you have here a goodly
dwelling and a rich.
Shal.
Barren, barren, barren; beggars all,
beggars all, Sir John: marry, good air.
Spread,Davy; spread, Davy: well said, Davy.
Fal.
This Davy serves you for good uses;
he is your serving-man and your husband.
Shal.
A good varlet, a good varlet, a very
good varlet, Sir John: by the mass, I have
drunk too much sack at supper: a good varlet.
Now sit down, now sit down: come, cousin.
Sil.
Ah, sirrah! quoth-a, we shall
Do nothing but eat, and make good cheer,
[Singing,
And praise God for the merry year; (20)
When flesh is cheap and females dear,
And lusty lads roam here and there
So merrily,
And ever among so merrily.
Fal.
There's a merry heart! Good Master
Silence, I'll give you a health for that anon.
Shal.
Give Master Bardolph some wine, Davy.
Davy.
Sweet sir, sit; I'll be with you anon;
most sweet sir, sit. Master page, good master
page, sit. Proface! What you want in meat,
we'll have in drink: but you must bear; the
heart's all. [Exit.
Shal.
Be merry, Master Bardolph; and,
my little soldier there, be merry.
Sil.
Be merry, be merry, my wife has all; [Singing.
For women are shrews, both short and tall:
'Tis merry in hall when beards wag all,
And welcome merry Shrove-tide.
Be merry, be merry.
Fal.
I did not think Master Silence had (41)
been a man of this mettle.
Sil.
Who, I? I have been merry twice and
once ere now.
Re-enter DAVY.
Davy.
There's a dish of leather-coats for you. [To Bardolph.
Shal.
Davy!
Davy.
Your worship! I'll be with you
straight [to Bardolph] . A cup of wine, sir?
Sil.
A cup of wine that's brisk and fine, [Singing.
And drink unto the leman mine; (50)
And a merry heart lives long-a.
Fal.
Well said, Master Silence.
Sil.
An we shall be merry, now comes in
the sweet o' the night.
Fal.
Health and long life to you, Master
Silence.
Sil.
Fill the cup, and let it come; [Singing.
I'll pledge you a mile to the bottom.
Shal.
Honest Bardolph, welcome: if thou
wantest any thing, and wilt not call, beshrew
thy heart. Welcome, my little tiny thief [to
the Page] , and welcome indeed too. I'll drink
to Master Bardolph, and to all the cavaleros
about London.
Davy.
I hope to see London once ere I dvie.
Bard.
An I might see you there, Davy,-
Shal.
By the mass, you 'll crack a quart to
gether, ha! will you not, Master Bardolph?
Bard.
Yea, sir, in a pottle-pot.
Shal.
By God's liggens, I thank thee: the
knave will stick by thee, I can assure thee (71)
that. A' will not out; he is true bred.
Bard.
And I 'll stick by him, sir.
Shal.
Why, there spoke a king. Lack nothing:
be merry. [Knocking within.] Look
who's at the door there, ho! who knocks? [Exit Davy.
Fal.
Why, now you have done me right. [To Silence, seeing him take off a bumper.
Sil.
Do me right, [Singing.
And dub me knight:
Samingo. (80)
Is't not so?
Fal.
'Tis so.
Sil.
Is't so? Why, then, say an old man
can do somewhat. Re-enter DAVY.
Davy.
An't please your worship, there's
one Pistol come from the court with news.
Fal.
From the court! let him come in.
Enter PISTOL.
How now, Pistol!
Pist.
Sir John, God save youl
Fal.
What wind blew you hither, Pistol?
Pist.
Not the ill wind which blows no man
to good. Sweet knight, thou art now one of
the greatest men in this realm.
Sil.
By'r lady, I think a' be, but goodman
Puff of Barson.
Pist.
Puff!
Puff in thy teeth, most recreant coward base!
Sir John, I am thy Pistol and thy friend,
And helter-skelter have I rode to thee,
And tidings do I bring and lucky joys
And golden times and happy news of price.
Fal.
I pray thee now, deliver them like a (101)
man of this world.
Pist.
A foutre for the world and worldlings base!
I speak of Africa and golden joys.
Fal.
O base Assyrian knight, what is thy news?
Let King Cophetua know the truth thereof.
Sil.
And Robin Hood, Scarlet, and John. [Singing.
Pist.
Shall dunghill curs confront the Helicons?
And shall good news be baffled? (110)
Then, Pistol, lay thy head in Furies' lap.
Shal.
Honest gentleman, I know not yourbreeding.
Pist.
Why then, lament therefore.
Shal.
Give me pardon, sir: if, sir, you
come with news from the court, I take it there's
but two ways, either to utter them, or toconceal
them. I am, sir, under the king, in some
authority.
Pist.
Under which king, Besonian? speak, or die.
Shal.
Under King Harry.
Pist.
Harry the Fourth? or Fifth?
Shal.
Harry the Fourth.
Pist.
A foutre for thine office!
Sir John, thy tender lambkin now is king;
Harry the Fifth's the man. I speak the truth:
When Pistol lies, do this; and fig me, like
The bragging Spaniard.
Fal.
What, is the old king dead?
Pist.
As nail in door: the things I speak are just.
Fal.
Away, Bardolph! saddle my horse.
Master Robert Shallow, choose what office
thou wilt in the land, 'tis thine. Pistol, I will (130)
double-charge thee with dignities.
Bard.
O joyful day!
I would not take a knighthood for my fortune.
Pist.
What! I do bring good news.
Fal.
Carry Master Silence to bed. Master
Shallow, my Lord Shallow,--be what thou
wilt; I am fortune's steward--get on thy
boots: we'll ride all night. O sweet Pistol!
Away, Bardolph! Exit Bard.] Come, Pistol,
utter more to me; and withal devise something
to do thyself good. Boot, boot, Master
Shallow: I know the young king is sick for
me. Let us take any man's horses; the laws of
England are at my commandment. Blessed are
they that have been my friends; and woe to
my lord chief-justice!
Pist.
Let vultures vile seize on his lungs also !
'Where is the life that late I led?' say they:
'Why, here it is; welcome these pleasant days! [Exeunt.
