Page:Henry IV Part 1 (1917) Yale.djvu/23

King Henry the Fourth, I. ii

Fal. Why, Hal, 'tis my vocation, Hal; 'tis no

sin for a man to labour in his vocation.

Enter Poins.

Poins! O! if men were to be saved by merit,

what hole in hell were hot enough for him? This

is the most omnipotent villain that ever cried

'Stand!' to a true man.

Prince. Good morrow, Ned.

Poins. Good morrow, sweet Hal. What says

Monsieur Remorse? What says Sir John Sack-

and-Sugar? Jack! how agrees the devil and thee

about thy soul, that thou soldest him on Good-

Friday last for a cup of Madeira and a cold

capon's leg?

Prince. Sir John stands to his word, the devil

shall have his bargain; for he was never yet a

breaker of proverbs: he will give the devil his due.

Poins. Then art thou damned for keeping thy

word with the devil.

Prince. Else he had been damned for cozen-

ing the devil.

Poins. But my lads, my lads, to-morrow

morning, by four o'clock, early at Gadshill!

There are pilgrims going to Canterbury with

rich offerings, and traders riding to London with

fat purses: I have vizards for you all; you have

horses for yourselves. Gadshill lies to-night in

Rochester; I have bespoke supper to-morrow

night in Eastcheap: we may do it as secure as

sleep. If you will go I will stuff your purses full

 118 Gadshill; cf. n.

set a match: planned a robbery

135 cozening: cheating

141 vizards: masks

144 Eastcheap; cf. n. 