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2. Car. Why, they will allow us ne'er a jordan, and then we leak in

your chimney, and your chamber-lye breeds fleas like a loach.

1. Car. What, ostler! come away and be hang'd! come away!

2. Car. I have a gammon of bacon and two razes of ginger, to be

delivered as far as Charing Cross.

1. Car. God's body! the turkeys in my pannier are quite starved.

What, ostler! A plague on thee! hast thou never an eye in thy

head? Canst not hear? An 'twere not as good deed as drink to

break the pate on thee, I am a very villain. Come, and be hang'd!

Hast no faith in thee?

Enter Gadshill.

Gads. Good morrow, carriers. What's o'clock?

1. Car. I think it be two o'clock.

Gads. I prithee lend me this lantern to see my gelding in the stable.

1. Car. Nay, by God, soft! I know a trick worth two of that,

i' faith.

Gads. I pray thee lend me thine.

2. Car. Ay, when? canst tell? Lend me thy lantern, quoth he?

Marry,

I'll see thee hang'd first!

Gads. Sirrah carrier, what time do you mean to come to London?

2. Car. Time enough to go to bed with a candle, I warrant thee.

Come, neighbour Mugs, we'll call up the gentlemen. They will

along with company, for they have great charge.

Exeunt [Carriers].

Gads. What, ho! chamberlain!

Enter Chamberlain.

Cham. At hand, quoth pickpurse.

Gads. That's even as fair as- 'at hand, quoth the chamberlain'; for

thou variest no more from picking of purses than giving direction

doth from labouring: thou layest the plot how.

Cham. Good morrow, Master Gadshill. It holds current that I told

you yesternight. There's a franklin in the Wild of Kent hath

brought three hundred marks with him in gold. I heard him tell it

to one of his company last night at supper- a kind of auditor;

one that hath abundance of charge too, God knows what. They are

up already and call for eggs and butter. They will away presently.

Gads. Sirrah, if they meet not with Saint Nicholas' clerks,

I'll give thee this neck.

Cham. No, I'll none of it. I pray thee keep that for the hangman;

for I know thou worshippest Saint Nicholas as truly as a man of falsehood may.

Gads. What talkest thou to me of the hangman? If I hang, I'll make

a fat pair of gallows; for if I hang, old Sir John hangs with me,

and thou knowest he is no starveling. Tut! there are other

Troyans that thou dream'st not of, the which for sport sake are

content to do the profession some grace; that would (if matters

should be look'd into) for their own credit sake make all whole.

I am joined with no foot land-rakers, no long-staff sixpenny

strikers, none of these mad mustachio purple-hued maltworms; but

with nobility, and tranquillity, burgomasters and great oneyers,

such as can hold in, such as will strike sooner than speak, and

speak sooner than drink, and drink sooner than pray; and yet,

zounds, I lie; for they pray continually to their saint, the

commonwealth, or rather, not pray to her, but prey on her, for

they ride up and down on her and make her their boots.

Cham. What, the commonwealth their boots? Will she hold out water in foul way?

Gads. She will, she will! Justice hath liquor'd her. We steal as in

a castle, cocksure. We have the receipt of fernseed, we walk invisible.

Cham. Nay, by my faith, I think you are more beholding to the night

than to fernseed for your walking invisible.

Gads. Give me thy hand. Thou shalt have a share in our purchase, as

I and a true man.

Cham. Nay, rather let me have it, as you are a false thief.

Gads. Go to; 'homo' is a common name to all men. Bid the ostler

bring my gelding out of the stable. Farewell, you muddy knave.

Exeunt.

Scene II. The highway near Gadshill.

Enter Prince and Poins.

Poins. Come, shelter, shelter! I have remov'd Falstaff's horse, and

he frets like a gumm'd velvet.

Prince. Stand close. [They step aside.]

Enter Falstaff.

Fal. Poins! Poins, and be hang'd! Poins!

Prince. I comes forward I Peace, ye fat-kidney'd rascal! What a

brawling dost thou keep!

Fal. Where's Poins, Hal?

Prince. He is walk'd