William Shakespeare: King Henry IV Part I

ACT II. 4. Scene IV. Eastcheap. A Room in the Boar's-Head Tavern. (continued)

PRINCE.
Content; and the argument shall be thy running away.

FAL.
Ah, no more of that, Hal, an thou lovest me!

[Enter the Hostess.]

HOST.
O Jesu, my lord the Prince,--

PRINCE.
How now, my lady the hostess! What say'st thou to me?

HOST.
Marry, my lord, there is a nobleman of the Court at door would
speak with you: he says he comes from your father.

PRINCE.
Give him as much as will make him a royal man, and send him back
again to my mother.

FAL.
What manner of man is he?

HOST.
An old man.

FAL.
What doth gravity out of his bed at midnight? Shall I give him
his answer?

PRINCE.
Pr'ythee, do, Jack.

FAL.
Faith, and I'll send him packing.

[Exit.]

PRINCE.
Now, sirs:--by'r Lady, you fought fair;--so did you, Peto;--so did you,
Bardolph: you are lions, too, you ran away upon instinct, you will not
touch the true Prince; no,--fie!

BARD.
Faith, I ran when I saw others run.

PRINCE.
Tell me now in earnest, how came Falstaff's sword so hack'd?

PETO.
Why, he hack'd it with his dagger; and said he would swear truth out of
England, but he would make you believe it was done in fight; and
persuaded us to do the like.

BARD.
Yea, and to tickle our noses with spear-grass to make them bleed;
and then to beslubber our garments with it, and swear it was the
blood of true men. I did that I did not this seven year before;
I blush'd to hear his monstrous devices.