Shakespeare Portal

Act 5, Scene 1

Gloucestershire. Shallow's house.

  1. [Enter Shallow, Falstaff, Bardolph, and Page.]
  2. Justice Shallow
  3. 2508 By cock and pie, sir, you shall not away to-night.
  4. 2509 What, Davy, I say!
  5. Sir John Falstaff
  6. 2510 You must excuse me, Master Robert Shallow.
  7. Justice Shallow
  8. 2511 I will not excuse you; you shall not be excused; excuses
  9. 2512 shall not be admitted; there is no excuse shall serve; you shall
  10. 2513 not be excused. Why, Davy!
  11. [Enter Davy.]
  12. Davy
  13. 2514 Here, sir.
  14. Justice Shallow
  15. 2515 Davy, Davy, Davy, Davy, let me see, Davy; let me see,
  16. 2516 Davy; let me see: yea, marry, William cook, bid him come hither.
  17. 2517 Sir John, you shall not be excused.
  18. Davy
  19. 2518 Marry, sir, thus; those precepts cannot be served; and,
  20. 2519 again, sir, shall we sow the headland with wheat?
  21. Justice Shallow
  22. 2520 With red wheat, Davy. But for William cook: are there no
  23. 2521 young pigeons?
  24. Davy
  25. 2522 Yes, sir. Here is now the smith's note for shoeing and
  26. 2523 plough-irons.
  27. Justice Shallow
  28. 2524 Let it be cast and paid. Sir John, you shall not be excused.
  29. Davy
  30. 2525 Now, sir, a new link to the bucket must needs be had: and, sir, do
  31. 2526 you mean to stop any of William's wages, about the sack he lost the
  32. 2527 other day at Hinckley fair?
  33. Justice Shallow
  34. 2528 A' shall answer it. Some pigeons, Davy, a couple of short-legg'd
  35. 2529 hens, a joint of mutton, and any pretty little tiny kickshaws,
  36. 2530 tell William cook.
  37. Davy
  38. 2531 Doth the man of war stay all night, sir?
  39. Justice Shallow
  40. 2532 Yea, Davy. I will use him well: a friend i' the court is better
  41. 2533 than a penny in purse. Use his men well, Davy; for they are
  42. 2534 arrant knaves, and will backbite.
  43. Davy
  44. 2535 No worse than they are backbitten, sir; for they have marvellous
  45. 2536 foul linen.
  46. Justice Shallow
  47. 2537 Well conceited, Davy: about thy business, Davy.
  48. Davy
  49. 2538 I beseech you, sir, to countenance William Visor of Woncot
  50. 2539 against Clement Perkes of the hill.
  51. Justice Shallow
  52. 2540 There is many complaints, Davy, against that Visor: that
  53. 2541 Visor is an arrant knave, on my knowledge.
  54. Davy
  55. 2542 I grant your worship that he is a knave, sir; but yet, God forbid,
  56. 2543 sir, but a knave should have some countenance at his friend's request.
  57. 2544 An honest man, sir, is able to speak for himself, when a knave is not.
  58. 2545 I have served your worship truly, sir, this eight years; and if I cannot
  59. 2546 once or twice in a quarter bear out a knave against an honest man, I
  60. 2547 have but a very little credit with your worship.
  61. 2548 The knave is mine honest friend, sir; therefore, I beseech your worship,
  62. 2549 let him be countenanced.
  63. Justice Shallow
  64. 2550 Go to; I say he shall have no wrong. Look about, Davy.
  65. [Exit Davy.]
  66. Justice Shallow
  67. 2551 Where are you, Sir John? Come, come, come, off with your boots.
  68. 2552 Give me your hand, Master Bardolph.
  69. Bardolph
  70. 2553 I am glad to see your worship.
  71. Justice Shallow
  72. 2554 I thank thee with all my heart, kind Master Bardolph: and
  73. 2555 welcome, my tall fellow
  74. [to the Page]
  75. Justice Shallow
  76. 2556 . Come, Sir John.
  77. Sir John Falstaff
  78. 2557 I'll follow you, good Master Robert Shallow.
  79. [Exit Shallow.]
  80. Sir John Falstaff
  81. 2558 Bardolph, look to our horses.
  82. [Exeunt Bardolph and Page.]
  83. Sir John Falstaff
  84. 2559 If I were sawed into quantities, I should make four dozen of such
  85. 2560 bearded hermits' staves as Master Shallow. It is a wonderful thing to
  86. 2561 see the semblable coherence of his men's spirits and his: they, by
  87. 2562 observing of him, do bear themselves like foolish justices: he, by
  88. 2563 conversing with them, is turned into a justice-like serving-man:
  89. 2564 their spirits are so married in conjunction with the participation of
  90. 2565 society that they flock together in consent, like so many wild-geese.
  91. 2566 If I had a suit to Master Shallow, I would humour his men with the
  92. 2567 imputation of being near their master: if to his men, I would curry
  93. 2568 with Master Shallow that no man could better command his servants.
  94. 2569 It is certain that either wise bearing or ignorant carriage is
  95. 2570 caught, as men take diseases, one of another: therefore let men take
  96. 2571 heed of their company. I will devise matter enough out of this Shallow
  97. 2572 to keep Prince Harry in continual laughter the wearing out of six
  98. 2573 fashions, which is four terms, or two actions; and a' shall laugh
  99. 2574 without intervallums.
  100. 2575 O, it is much that a lie with a slight oath and a jest with a sad brow
  101. 2576 will do with a fellow that never had the ache in his shoulders!
  102. 2577 O, you shall see him laugh till his face be like a wet cloak ill laid up!
  103. [Within.]
  104. Justice Shallow
  105. 2578 Sir John!
  106. Sir John Falstaff
  107. 2579 I come, Master Shallow; I come, Master Shallow.
  108. [Exit.]