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And I must know it, else he loves me not.

Hot. What, ho!

[Enter a Servant.]

Is Gilliams with the packet gone?

Serv. He is, my lord, an hour ago.

Hot. Hath Butler brought those horses from the sheriff?

Serv. One horse, my lord, he brought even now.

Hot. What horse? A roan, a crop-ear, is it not?

Serv. It is, my lord.

Hot. That roan shall be my throne.

Well, I will back him straight. O esperance!

Bid Butler lead him forth into the park.

[Exit Servant.]

Lady. But hear you, my lord.

Hot. What say'st thou, my lady?

Lady. What is it carries you away?

Hot. Why, my horse, my love- my horse!

Lady. Out, you mad-headed ape!

A weasel hath not such a deal of spleen

As you are toss'd with. In faith,

I'll know your business, Harry; that I will!

I fear my brother Mortimer doth stir

About his title and hath sent for you

To line his enterprise; but if you go-

Hot. So far afoot, I shall be weary, love.

Lady. Come, come, you paraquito, answer me

Directly unto this question that I ask.

I'll break thy little finger, Harry,

An if thou wilt not tell my all things true.

Hot. Away.

Away, you trifler! Love? I love thee not;

I care not for thee, Kate. This is no world

To play with mammets and to tilt with lips.

We must have bloody noses and crack'd crowns,

And pass them current too. Gods me, my horse!

What say'st thou, Kate? What wouldst thou have with me?

Lady. Do you not love me? do you not indeed?

Well, do not then; for since you love me not,

I will not love myself. Do you not love me?

Nay, tell me if you speak in jest or no.

Hot. Come, wilt thou see me ride?

And when I am a-horseback, I will swear

I love thee infinitely. But hark you. Kate:

I must not have you henceforth question me

Whither I go, nor reason whereabout.

Whither I must, I must; and to conclude,

This evening must I leave you, gentle Kate.

I know you wise; but yet no farther wise

Than Harry Percy's wife; constant you are,

But yet a woman; and for secrecy,

No lady closer, for I well believe

Thou wilt not utter what thou dost not know,

And so far will I trust thee, gentle Kate.

Lady. How? so far?

Hot. Not an inch further. But hark you, Kate:

Whither I go, thither shall you go too;

To-day will I set forth, to-morrow you.

Will this content you, Kate,?

Lady. It must of force. Exeunt.

Scene IV. Eastcheap. The Boar's Head Tavern.

Enter Prince and Poins.

Prince. Ned, prithee come out of that fat-room and lend me thy hand

to laugh a little.

Poins. Where hast been, Hal?

Prince,. With three or four loggerheads amongst three or

fourscore hogsheads. I have sounded the very bass-string of

humility. Sirrah, I am sworn brother to a leash of drawers and

can call them all by their christen names, as Tom, Dick, and

Francis. They take it already upon their salvation that, though

I be but Prince of Wales, yet I am the king of courtesy; and tell

me flatly I am no proud Jack like Falstaff, but a Corinthian, a

lad of mettle, a good boy (by the Lord, so they call me!), and

when I am King of England I shall command all the good lads

Eastcheap. They call drinking deep, dying scarlet; and when

you breathe in your watering, they cry 'hem!' and bid you play it

off. To conclude, I am so good a proficient in one quarter of an

hour that I can drink with any tinker in his own language during

my life. I tell thee, Ned, thou hast lost much honour that thou

wert not with me in this action. But, sweet Ned- to sweeten which

name of Ned, I give thee this pennyworth of sugar, clapp'd even

now into my hand by an under-skinker, one that never spake other

English in his life than 'Eight shillings and sixpence,' and

'You

are welcome,' with this shrill addition, 'Anon, anon, sir!

Score

a pint of bastard in the Half-moon,' or so- but, Ned, to drive

away the time till Falstaff come, I prithee do thou stand in some

by-room while I question my puny drawer to what end be gave me

the sugar; and do thou never leave calling 'Francis!' that his

tale to me may be nothing but 'Anon!' Step aside,