Henry IV Part 2 (1921) Yale/Text/Act V
ACT FIFTH
Scene One
[Justice Shallow's House in Gloucestershire]
Enter Shallow, Falstaff, Bardolph [and Bardolph's boy].
Shal. By cock and pie, sir, you shall not away
to-night. What! Davy, I say.
Fal. You must excuse me, Master Robert
Shallow. 4
Shal. I will not excuse you; you shall not be
excused; excuses shall not be admitted; there
is no excuse shall serve; you shall not be ex-
cused. Why, Davy! 8
Enter Davy.
Davy. Here, sir.
Shal. Davy, Davy, Davy, Davy, let me see,
Davy; let me see: yea, marry, William cook, bid
him come hither. Sir John, you shall not be 12
excused.
Davy. Marry, sir, thus; those precepts can-
not be served: and again, sir, shall we sow the
headland with wheat? 16
Shal. With red wheat, Davy. But for William
cook: are there no young pigeons?
Davy. Yes, sir. Here is now the smith's note
for shoeing and plough-irons. 20
Shal. Let it be cast and paid. Sir John, you
shall not be excused.
Davy. Now, sir, a new link to the bucket
must needs be had: and, sir, do you mean to 24
stop any of William's wages, about the sack he
lost the other day at Hinckley fair?
Shal. A' shall answer it. Some pigeons,
Davy, a couple of short-legged hens, a joint of 28
mutton, and any petty little tiny kickshaws,
tell William cook.
Davy. Doth the man of war stay all night,
sir? 32
Shal. Yea, Davy. I will use him well. A
friend i' the court is better than a penny in
purse. Use his men well, Davy, for they are
arrant knaves, and will backbite. 36
Davy. No worse than they are back-bitten,
sir; for they have marvellous foul linen.
Shal. Well conceited, Davy: about thy busi-
ness, Davy. 40
Davy. I beseech you, sir, to countenance
William Visor of Wincot against Clement Perkes
o' the hill.
Shal. There is many complaints, Davy, 44
against that Visor: that Visor is an arrant
knave, on my knowledge.
Davy. I grant your worship that he is a
knave, sir; but yet, God forbid, sir, but a knave 48
should have some countenance at his friend's
request. An honest man, sir, is able to speak for
himself, when a knave is not. I have served
your worship truly, sir, this eight years; and if 52
I cannot once or twice in a quarter bear out a
knave against an honest man, I have but a very
little credit with your worship. The knave is
mine honest friend, sir; therefore, I beseech your 56
worship, let him be countenanced.
Shal. Go to; I say he shall have no wrong.
Look about, Davy. [Exit Davy.] Where are you,
Sir John? Come, come, come; off with your 60
boots. Give me your hand, Master Bardolph.
Bard. I am glad to see your worship.
Shal. I thank thee with all my heart, kind
Master Bardolph:—[To the Page.] and wel- 64
come, my tall fellow. Come, Sir John.
Fal. I'll follow you, good Master Robert
Shallow. [Exit Shallow.] Bardolph, look to
our horses. [Exeunt Bardolph and Page.] If I 68
were sawed into quantities, I should make four
dozen of such bearded hermit's staves as Master
Shallow. It is a wonderful thing to see the
semblable coherence of his men's spirits and his: 72
they, by observing him, do bear themselves like
foolish justices; he, by conversing with them, is
turned into a justice-like serving-man. Their
spirits are so married in conjunction with the 76
participation of society that they flock together
in consent, like so many wild-geese. If I had a
suit to Master Shallow, I would humour his men
with the imputation of being near their master: 80
if to his men, I would curry with Master Shallow
that no man could better command his servants.
It is certain that either wise bearing or ignorant
carriage is caught, as men take diseases, one of 84
another: therefore let men take heed of their
company. I will devise matter enough out of
this Shallow to keep Prince Harry in continual
laughter the wearing out of six fashions,— which 88
is four terms, or two actions,—and a' shall laugh
without intervallums. O! it is much that a lie
with a slight oath and a jest with a sad brow
will do with a fellow that never had the ache in 92
his shoulders. O! you shall see him laugh till
his face be like a wet cloak ill laid up!
Shal. [Within.] Sir John!
Fat. I come, Master Shallow: I come, Master 96
Shallow. [Exit.]
Scene Two
[Westminster. The Palace]
Enter the Earl of Warwick and the Lord Chief Justice.
War. How now, my Lord Chief Justice! whither away?
Ch. Just. How doth the king?
War. Exceeding well: his cares are now all ended.
Ch. Just. I hope not dead.
War. He's walk'd the way of nature; 4
And to our purposes he lives no more.
Ch. Just. I would his majesty had call'd me with him:
The service that I truly did his life
Hath left me open to all injuries. 8
War. Indeed I think the young king loves you not.
Ch. Just. I know he doth not, and do arm myself
To welcome the condition of the time,
Which cannot look more hideously upon me 12
Than I have drawn it in my fantasy.
Enter John of Lancaster, Gloucester, Clarence [Westmoreland, and others].
War. Here come the heavy issue of dead Harry:
O! that the living Harry had the temper
Of him, the worst of these three gentlemen. 16
How many nobles then should hold their places,
That must strike sail to spirits of vile sort!
Ch. Just. O God! I fear all will be overturn'd.
Lanc. Good morrow, cousin Warwick, good morrow. 20
| Glo. | Good morrow, cousin. | |
| Cla. |
Lanc. We meet like men that had forgot to speak.
War. We do remember; but our argument
Is all too heavy to admit much talk. 24
Lanc. Well, peace be with him that hath made us heavy!
Ch. Just. Peace be with us, lest we be heavier!
Glo. O! good my lord, you have lost a friend indeed;
And I dare swear you borrow not that face 28
Of seeming sorrow; it is sure your own.
Lanc. Though no man be assur'd what grace to find,
You stand in coldest expectation.
I am the sorrier; would 'twere otherwise. 32
Cla. Well, you must now speak Sir John Falstaff fair,
Which swims against your stream of quality.
Ch. Just. Sweet princes, what I did, I did in honour,
Led by the impartial conduct of my soul; 36
And never shall you see that I will beg
A ragged and forestall'd remission.
If truth and upright innocency fail me,
I'll to the king my master that is dead, 40
And tell him who hath sent me after him.
War. Here comes the prince.
Enter the Prince and Blunt.
Ch. Just. Good morrow, and God save your majesty!
Prince. This new and gorgeous garment, majesty, 44
Sits not so easy on me as you think.
Brothers, you mix your sadness with some fear:
This is the English, not the Turkish court;
Not Amurath an Amurath succeeds, 48
But Harry Harry. Yet be sad, good brothers,
For, by my faith, it very well becomes you:
Sorrow so royally in you appears
That I will deeply put the fashion on 52
And wear it in my heart. Why then, be sad;
But entertain no more of it, good brothers,
Than a joint burden laid upon us all.
For me, by heaven, I bid you be assur'd, 56
I'll be your father and your brother too;
Let me but bear your love, I'll bear your cares:
Yet weep that Harry's dead, and so will I;
But Harry lives that shall convert those tears 60
By number into hours of happiness.
Brothers. We hope no other from your majesty.
Prince. You all look strangely on me: [To the Chief Justice.] and you most;
You are, I think, assur'd I love you not. 64
Ch. Just. I am assur'd, if I be measur'd rightly,
Your majesty hath no just cause to hate me.
Prince. No?
How might a prince of my great hopes forget 68
So great indignities you laid upon me?
What! rate, rebuke, and roughly send to prison
The immediate heir of England! Was this easy?
May this be wash'd in Lethe, and forgotten? 72
Ch. Just. I then did use the person of your father;
The image of his power lay then in me:
And, in the administration of his law,
Whiles I was busy for the commonwealth, 76
Your highness pleased to forget my place,
The majesty and power of law and justice,
The image of the king whom I presented,
And struck me in my very seat of judgment; 80
Whereon, as an offender to your father,
I gave bold way to my authority,
And did commit you. If the deed were ill,
Be you contented, wearing now the garland, 84
To have a son set your decrees at nought,
To pluck down justice from your awful bench,
To trip the course of law, and blunt the sword
That guards the peace and safety of your person: 88
Nay, more, to spurn at your most royal image
And mock your workings in a second body.
Question your royal thoughts, make the case yours;
Be now the father and propose a son, 92
Hear your own dignity so much profan'd,
See your most dreadful laws so loosely slighted,
Behold yourself so by a son disdain'd;
And then imagine me taking your part, 96
And in your power soft silencing your son:
After this cold considerance, sentence me;
And, as you are a king, speak in your state
What I have done that misbecame my place, 100
My person, or my liege's sovereignty.
Prince. You are right, justice; and you weigh this well;
Therefore still bear the balance and the sword:
And I do wish your honours may increase 104
Till you do live to see a son of mine
Offend you and obey you, as I did.
So shall I live to speak my father's words:
'Happy am I, that have a man so bold 108
That dares do justice on my proper son;
And not less happy, having such a son,
That would deliver up his greatness so
Into the hands of justice.' You did commit me: 112
For which, I do commit into your hand
The unstained sword that you have us'd to bear;
With this remembrance, that you use the same
With the like bold, just, and impartial spirit 116
As you have done 'gainst me. There is my hand:
You shall be as a father to my youth;
My voice shall sound as you do prompt mine ear,
And I will stoop and humble my intents 120
To your well-practis'd wise directions.
And, princes all, believe me, I beseech you;
My father is gone wild into his grave,
For in his tomb lie my affections; 124
And with his spirit sadly I survive,
To mock the expectation of the world,
To frustrate prophecies, and to raze out
Rotten opinion, who hath writ me down 128
After my seeming. The tide of blood in me
Hath proudly flow'd in vanity till now:
Now doth it turn and ebb back to the sea,
Where it shall mingle with the state of floods 132
And flow henceforth in formal majesty.
Now call we our high court of parliament;
And let us choose such limbs of noble counsel,
That the great body of our state may go 136
In equal rank with the best govern'd nation;
That war or peace, or both at once, may be
As things acquainted and familiar to us;
In which you, father, shall have foremost hand. 140
Our coronation done, we will accite,
As I before remember'd, all our state:
And, God consigning to my good intents,
No prince nor peer shall have just cause to say, 144
God shorten Harry's happy life one day. Exeunt.
Scene Three
[The Garden of Justice Shallow's House in Gloucestershire]
Enter Sir John, Shallow, Silence, Davy, Bardolph, Page.
Shal. Nay, you shall see my orchard, where,
in an arbour, we will eat a last year's pippin of
mine own graffing, with a dish of caraways, and
so forth; come, cousin Silence; and then to bed. 4
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, 8
Davy; spread: 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 12
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 16
'Do nothing but eat, and make good cheer,
And praise God for the merry year;
When flesh is cheap and females dear,
And lusty lads roam here and there, 20
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. 24
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 28
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. 32
Sil. 'Be merry, be merry, my wife has all;
For women are shrews, both short and tall:
'Tis merry in hall when beards wag all,
And welcome merry Shrove-tide. 36
Be merry, be merry.'
Fal. I did not think Master Silence had been
a man of this mettle.
Sil. Who, I? I have been merry twice and 40
once ere now.
[Enter Davy.]
Davy. There's a dish of leather-coats for you.
Shal. Davy!
Davy. Your worship! I'll be with you straight. 44
A cup of wine, sir?
Sil. 'A cup of wine that's brisk and fine
And drink unto the leman mine;
And a merry heart lives long-a.' 48
Fal. Well said, Master Silence.
Sil. And we shall be merry, now comes in the
sweet o' the night.
Fal. Health and long life to you, Master 52
Silence.
Sil. 'Fill the cup, and let it come;
I'll pledge you a mile to the bottom.'
Shal. Honest Bardolph, welcome: if thou want- 56
est anything and wilt not call, beshrew thy heart.
[To the Page.] Welcome, my little tiny thief;
and welcome indeed too. I'll drink to Master
Bardolph and to all the cavaleros about London. 60
Davy. I hope to see London once ere I die.
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? 64
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 that:
a' will not out; he is true bred. 68
Bard. And I'll stick by him, sir.
Shal. Why, there spoke a king. Lack nothing:
be merry. [One knocks at the door.]
Look who's at door there. Ho! who knocks? 72
Fal. [To Silence, who drinks a bumper.]
Why, now you have done me right.
Sil.'Do me right,
And dub me knight: 76
Samingo.'
Is 't not so?
Fal. 'Tis so.
Sil. Is 't so? Why, then, say an old man can 80
do somewhat.
[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. 84
Enter Pistol.
How now, Pistol!
Pist. Sir John, God save you, sir!
Fal. What wind blew you hither, Pistol?
Pist. Not the ill wind which blows no man to good. 88
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. 92
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, 96
And tidings do I bring and lucky joys
And golden times and happy news of price.
Fal. I prithee now, deliver them like a man of this world.
Pist. A foutra for the world and worldlings base! 100
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/ 104
Pist. Shall dunghill curs confront the Helicons?
And shall good news be baffled?
Then, Pistol, lay thy head in Furies' lap.
Shal. Honest gentleman, I know not your 108
breeding.
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 112
two ways: either to utter them, or to conceal
them. I am sir, under the king, in some authority.
Pist. Under which king, Bezonian? speak, or
die. 116
Shal. Under King Harry.
Pist.Harry the Fourth? or Fifth?
Shal. Harry the Fourth.
Pist.A foutra for thine office!
Sir John, thy tender lambkin now is king;
Harry the Fifth's the man. I speak the truth: 120
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. 124
Fal. Away, Bardolph! saddle my horse.
Master Robert Shallow, choose what office thou
wilt in the land, 'tis thine. Pistol, I will double
charge thee with dignities. 128
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 132
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 Bardolph.] Come, Pistol, utter more to 136
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 140
commandment. Blessed are they which have
been my friends, and woe to my lord chief
justice!
Pist. Let vultures vile seize on his lungs also! 144
'Where is the life that late I led?' say they:
Why, here it is: welcome these pleasant days!
Scene Four
[London. A Street]
Enter Hostess Quickly, Doll Tearsheet, and Beadles.
Host. No, thou arrant knave: I would to God
that I might die that I might have thee hanged;
thou hast drawn my shoulder out of joint.
First Bead. The constables have delivered 4
her over to me, and she shall have whipping-
cheer enough, I warrant her: there hath been a
man or two lately killed about her.
Dol. Nut-hook, nut-hook, you lie. Come on; 8
I'll tell thee what, thou damned tripe-visaged
rascal, an the child I now go with do miscarry,
thou wert better thou hadst struck thy mother,
thou paper-faced villain. 12
Host. O the Lord! that Sir John were come;
he would make this a bloody day to somebody.
But I pray God the fruit of her womb miscarry!
First Bead. If it do, you shall have a dozen 16
of cushions again; you have but eleven now.
Come, I charge you both go with me; for the man
is dead that you and Pistol beat amongst you.
Dol. I'll tell you what, you thin man in a 20
censer, I will have you as soundly swinged for
this, you blue-bottle rogue! you filthy famished
correctioner! if you be not swinged, I'll for-
swear half-kirtles. 24
First Bead. Come, come, you she knight-errant, come.
Host. O God, that right should thus overcome
might! Well, of sufferance comes ease.
Dol. Come, you rogue, come: bring me to 28
a justice.
Host. Ay; come, you starved blood-hound.
Dol. Goodman death! goodman bones!
Host. Thou atomy, thou! 32
Dol. Come, you thin thing; come, you rascal!
First Bead. Very well. Exeunt.
Scene Five
[A public Place near Westminster Abbey]
Enter two Grooms, strewers of rushes.
First Groom. More rushes, more rushes.
Sec. Groom. The trumpets have sounded
twice.
First Groom. 'Twill be two o'clock ere they 4
come from the coronation. Dispatch, dispatch.
Trumpets sound, and the King and his train pass over the stage. After them, enter Falstaff, Shallow, Pistol, Bardolph, and the Boy.
Fal. Stand here by me, Master Robert Shal-
low; I will make the king do you grace. I will
leer upon him, as a' comes by; and do but mark 8
the countenance that he will give me.
Pist. God bless thy lungs, good knight.
Fal. Come here, Pistol; stand behind me.
O! if I had had time to have made new liveries, 12
I would have bestowed the thousand pound I
borrowed of you. But 'tis no matter; this poor
show doth better: this doth infer the zeal I had
to see him. 16
Shal. It doth so.
Fal. It shows my earnestness of affection.
Shal. It doth so.
Fal. My devotion. 20
Shal. It doth, it doth, it doth.
Fal. As it were, to ride day and night; and
not to deliberate, not to remember, not to have
patience to shift me. 24
Shal. It is best, certain.
Fal. But to stand stained with travel, and
sweating with desire to see him; thinking of
nothing else; putting all affairs else in oblivion, 28
as if there were nothing else to be done but to
see him.
Pist. 'Tis semper idem, for absque hoc nihil est:
'Tis all in every part. 32
Shal. 'Tis so, indeed.
Pist. My knight, I will inflame thy noble liver,
And make thee rage.
Thy Doll, and Helen of thy noble thoughts, 36
Is in base durance and contagious prison;
Hal'd thither
By most mechanical and dirty hand:
Rouse up revenge from ebon den with fell Alecto's snake, 40
For Doll is in: Pistol speaks nought but truth.
Fal. I will deliver her.
Pist. There roar'd the sea, and trumpet-clangour sounds.
The trumpets sound. Enter King Henry the Fifth, Brothers, Lord Chief Justice.
Fal. God save thy grace, King Hal! my royal 44
Hal!
Pist. The heavens thee guard and keep, most
royal imp of fame!
Fal. God save thee, my sweet boy! 48
K. Hen. V. My lord chief justice, speak to that vain man.
Ch. Just. Have you your wits? know you what 'tis you speak?
Fal. My king! my Jove! I speak to thee, my heart!
K. Hen. V. I know thee not, old man: fall to thy prayers; 52
How ill white hairs become a fool and jester!
I have long dream'd of such a kind of man,
So surfeit-swell'd, so old, and so profane;
But, being awak'd, I do despise my dream. 56
Make less thy body hence, and more thy grace;
Leave gormandising; know the grave doth gape
For thee thrice wider than for other men.
Reply not to me with a fool-born jest: 60
Presume not that I am the thing I was;
For God doth know, so shall the world perceive,
That I have turn'd away my former self;
So will I those that kept me company. 64
When thou dost hear I am as I have been,
Approach me, and thou shalt be as thou wast,
The tutor and the feeder of my riots:
Till then, I banish thee, on pain of death, 68
As I have done the rest of my misleaders,
Not to come near our person by ten mile.
For competence of life I will allow you,
That lack of means enforce you not to evil: 72
And, as we hear you do reform yourselves,
We will, according to your strength and qualities,
Give you advancement. Be it your charge, my lord,
To see perform'd the tenour of our word. 76
Set on. Exit the King [with his Train].
Fal. Master Shallow, I owe you a thousand pound.
Shal. Yea, marry, Sir John; which I beseech
you to let me have home with me. 80
Fal. That can hardly be, Master Shallow. Do
not you grieve at this: I shall be sent for in
private to him. Look you, he must seem thus
to the world. Fear not your advancements; I 84
will be the man yet that shall make you great.
Shal. I cannot perceive how, unless you give
me your doublet and stuff me out with straw.
I beseech you, good Sir John, let me have five 88
hundred of my thousand.
Fal. Sir, I will be as good as my word: this
that you heard was but a colour.
Shal. A colour that I fear you will die in, Sir 92
John.
Fal. Fear no colours: go with me to dinner.
Come, Lieutenant Pistol; come, Bardolph: I
shall be sent for soon at night. 96
Enter Justice and Prince John.
Ch. Just. Go, carry Sir John Falstaff to the Fleet;
Take all his company along with him.
Fal. My lord, my lord!
Ch. Just. I cannot now speak: I will hear you soon. 100
Take them away.
Pist. Si fortuna me tormenta, spero contenta.
Lanc. I like this fair proceeding of the king's.
He hath intent his wonted followers 104
Shall all be very well provided for;
But all are banish'd till their conversations
Appear more wise and modest to the world.
Ch. Just. And so they are. 108
Lanc. The king hath call'd his parliament, my lord.
Ch. Just. He hath.
Lanc. I will lay odds, that, ere this year expire,
We bear our civil swords and native fire 112
As far as France. I heard a bird so sing,
Whose music, to my thinking, pleas'd the king.
Come, will you hence? Exeunt.
Footnotes to Act V
Scene One
1 cock and pie; cf. n.
14 precepts: summonses
21 cast: reckoned
29 kickshaws: fancy dishes
39 Well conceited: cleverly put
41 countenance: favor
69 quantities: small pieces
72 semblable coherence: approach to likeness
78 consent: agreement
89 terms: i.e., of court
actions: legal actions for debt
90 intervallums: intervals
91 sad: sober
94 ill laid up: carelessly put away
Scene Two
14 heavy: sorrowful
23 argument: subject of conversation
31 coldest: most hopeless
34 Cf. n.
38 ragged: beggarly
forestall'd remission: pardon that is sure not to be granted
48 Cf. n.
71 easy: trivial
72 Lethe: the river of oblivion
73 use the person: make use of my position as personal representative
79 presented: represented
84 garland: crown
90 second body: deputy
92 propose: imagine
98 considerance: consideration
103 balance and the sword: emblems of Justice
109 proper: own
115 remembrance: admonition
123, 124 Cf. n.
125 sadly: soberly
Scene Three
129 After my seeming: according to appearances
132 state of floods: majesty of the ocean
137 In equal rank: step by step
141 accite: summon
142 remember'd: mentioned
143 consigning to: confirming
3 graffing: grafting
caraways: confection made with caraway seeds
9 said: done
11 husband: husbandman
22 ever among: all the while
28 Proface: may it do you good (Italian 'pro vi faccia')
30 heart: intention
36 Shrove-tide: a time of special merriment at the close of the carnival
42 leather-coats: russet apples
47 leman: sweetheart
60 cavaleros: cavaliers
66 liggens: an original oath of Shallow's
68 will not out: will not fail (sporting term)
74 done me right: a common expression in drinking healths
76 dub me knight; cf. n.
77 Samingo: San Domingo, a common refrain in drinking songs
91 but: except
92 Barson: Barston in Warwickshire
98 price: value
100 foutra: exclamation of contempt
103, 104 These lines refer to popular ballads
105 Cf. n.
115 Bezonian: base beggar
121 fig: to thrust the thumb between two closed fingers, or into the mouth, a vulgar insult, imported from Spain
124 just: correct
145 Quotation from another ballad
Scene Four
8 nut-hook: slang for beadle; cf. catchpole
20, 21 in a censer: i.e., a figure embossed on a censer
21 swinged: whipped
22 blue-bottle: the reference is to the beadle's blue livery
24 half-kirtles: waists or skirts
27 of sufferance: out of suffering
32 atomy: Dame Quickly's confusion of 'atom' with 'anatomy' = skeleton
Scene Five
31, 32 Cf. n.
39 mechanical: common, vulgar
40 ebon: black
Alecto: one of the Furies
47 imp: child
49 vain: foolish
92 colour: pun on collar, halter
94 Fear no colours: have no fear; originally, fear no enemy
97 the Fleet: a London prison
106 conversations: habits