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[Steps aside.]

Fal. I am accurs'd to rob in that thief's company. The rascal hath

removed my horse and tied him I know not where. If I travel but

four foot by the squire further afoot, I shall break my wind.

Well, I doubt not but to die a fair death for all this, if I

scape hanging for killing that rogue. I have forsworn his company

hourly any time this two-and-twenty years, and yet I am bewitch'd

with the rogue's company. If the rascal have not given me

medicines to make me love him, I'll be hang'd. It could not be

else. I have drunk medicines. Poins! Hal! A plague upon you both!

Bardolph! Peto! I'll starve ere I'll rob a foot further. An

'twere not as good a deed as drink to turn true man and to leave

these rogues, I am the veriest varlet that ever chewed with a

tooth. Eight yards of uneven ground is threescore and ten miles

afoot with me, and the stony-hearted villains know it well

enough. A plague upon it when thieves cannot be true one to

another! (They whistle.) Whew! A plague upon you all! Give me my

horse, you rogues! give me my horse and be hang'd!

Prince. [comes forward] Peace, ye fat-guts! Lie down, lay thine ear

close to the ground, and list if thou canst hear the tread of travellers.

Fal. Have you any levers to lift me up again, being down?

'Sblood,

I'll not bear mine own flesh so far afoot again for all the coin

in thy father's exchequer. What a plague mean ye to colt me thus?

Prince. Thou liest; thou art not colted, thou art uncolted.

Fal. I prithee, good Prince Hal, help me to my horse, good king's son.

Prince. Out, ye rogue! Shall I be your ostler?

Fal. Go hang thyself in thine own heir-apparent garters! If I be

ta'en, I'll peach for this. An I have not ballads made on you

all, and sung to filthy tunes, let a cup of sack be my poison.

When a jest is so forward- and afoot too- I hate it.

Enter Gadshill, [Bardolph and Peto with him].

Gads. Stand!

Fal. So I do, against my will.

Poins. [comes fortward] O, 'tis our setter. I know his voice.

Bardolph, what news?

Bar. Case ye, case ye! On with your vizards! There's money of the

King's coming down the hill; 'tis going to the King's exchequer.

Fal. You lie, ye rogue! 'Tis going to the King's tavern.

Gads. There's enough to make us all.

Fal. To be hang'd.

Prince. Sirs, you four shall front them in the narrow lane; Ned

Poins and I will walk lower. If they scape from your encounter,

then they light on us.

Peto. How many be there of them?

Gads. Some eight or ten.

Fal. Zounds, will they not rob us?

Prince. What, a coward, Sir John Paunch?

Fal. Indeed, I am not John of Gaunt, your grandfather; but yet no

coward, Hal.

Prince. Well, we leave that to the proof.

Poins. Sirrah Jack, thy horse stands behind the hedge. When thou

need'st him, there thou shalt find him. Farewell and stand fast.

Fal. Now cannot I strike him, if I should be hang'd.

Prince. [aside to Poins] Ned, where are our disguises?

Poins. [aside to Prince] Here, hard by. Stand close.

[Exeunt Prince and Poins.]

Fal. Now, my masters, happy man be his dole, say I. Every man to his business.

Enter the Travellers.

Traveller. Come, neighbour.

The boy shall lead our horses down the hill;

We'll walk afoot awhile and ease our legs.

Thieves. Stand!

Traveller. Jesus bless us!

Fal. Strike! down with them! cut the villains' throats! Ah,

whoreson caterpillars! bacon-fed knaves! they hate us youth.

Down

with them! fleece them!

Traveller. O, we are undone, both we and ours for ever!

Fal. Hang ye, gorbellied knaves, are ye undone? No, ye fat chuffs;

I would your store were here! On, bacons on! What, ye knaves!

young men must live. You are grandjurors, are ye? We'll jure ye, faith!

Here they rob and bind them. Exeunt.

Enter the Prince and Poins [in buckram suits].

Prince. The thieves have bound the true men. Now could thou and

I

rob the thieves and go merrily to London, it would be argument

for a week, laughter for a month, and a good