Page:Henry IV Part 1 (1917) Yale.djvu/123

King Henry the Fourth, V. iv

Ill-weav'd ambition, how much art thou shrunk!

When that this body did contain a spirit,

A kingdom for it was too small a bound;

But now, two paces of the vilest earth

Is room enough: this earth, that bears thee dead,

Bears not alive so stout a gentleman.

If thou wert sensible of courtesy,

I should not make so dear a show of zeal:

But let my favours hide thy mangled face,

And, even in thy behalf, I'll thank myself

For doing these fair rites of tenderness.

Adieu, and take thy praise with thee to heaven!

Thy ignominy sleep with thee in the grave,

But not remember'd in thy epitaph!

He spieth Falstaff on the ground.

What! old acquaintance! could not all this flesh

Keep in a little life? Poor Jack, farewell!

I could have better spar'd a better man.

O! I should have a heavy miss of thee

If I were much in love with vanity.

Death hath not struck so fat a deer to-day,

Though many dearer, in this bloody fray.

Embowell'd will I see thee by and by:

Till then in blood by noble Percy lie.

Fal. Embowelled! if thou embowel me to-

day, I'll give you leave to powder me and

eat me too, to-morrow. 'Sblood! 'twas time to

counterfeit, or that hot termagant Scot had paid

me scot and lot too. Counterfeit? I lie, I am no

 93 stout: valiant

95 dear: affectionate

96 favours: a knot of ribbons worn by a knight, the gift of his lady

109 Embowell'd: disembowelled for embalming

112 powder: salt

114 termagant: violent; cf. n.

115 scot and lot: a tax paid according to one's ability and resources 