Page:Henry IV Part 1 (1917) Yale.djvu/21

King Henry the Fourth, I. ii

Prince. Did I ever call for thee to pay thy

part?

Fal. No; I'll give thee thy due, thou hast

paid all there.

Prince. Yea, and elsewhere, so far as my coin

would stretch; and where it would not, I have

used my credit.

Fal. Yea, and so used it that, were it not here

apparent that thou art heir apparent,—But, I

prithee, sweet wag, shall there be gallows stand-

ing in England when thou art king, and resolu-

tion thus fobbed as it is with the rusty curb of

old father antic the law? Do not thou, when

thou art king, hang a thief.

Prince. No; thou shalt.

Fal. Shall I? O rare! By the Lord, I'll be a

brave judge.

Prince. Thou judgest false already; I mean,

thou shalt have the hanging of the thieves and

so become a rare hangman.

Fal. Well, Hal, well; and in some sort it

jumps with my humour as well as waiting in

the court, I can tell you.

Prince. For obtaining of suits?

Fal. Yea, for obtaining of suits, whereof the

hangman hath no lean wardrobe. 'Sblood, I

am as melancholy as a gib cat, or a lugged bear.

Prince. Or an old lion, or a lover's lute.

Fal. Yea, or the drone of a Lincolnshire

bagpipe.

 67 resolution: determination, boldness 68 fobbed: tricked 69 antic: buffoon 73 brave: fine 78 jumps: agrees humour: temperament, inclination 81 obtaining of suits: the clothes of the criminal were the hangman's perquisite 82 'Sblood: God's blood 83 gib cat: tom cat lugged bear: bear led by a rope 