Page:Henry IV Part 1 (1917) Yale.djvu/86

72

The eleventh of this month at Shrewsbury.

A mighty and a fearful head they are,—

If promises be kept on every hand,—

As ever offer'd foul play in a state.

King. The Earl of Westmoreland set forth to-day,

With him my son. Lord John of Lancaster;

For this advertisement is five days old.

On Wednesday next, Harry, you shall set forward;

On Thursday we ourselves will march: our meeting

Is Bridgenorth; and Harry, you shall march

Through Gloucestershire; by which account,

Our business valued, some twelve days hence

Our general forces at Bridgenorth shall meet.

Our hands are full of business: let's away;

Advantage feeds him fat while men delay. Exeunt.

Fal. Bardolph, am I not fallen away vilely

since this last action? do I not bate? do I not

dwindle? Why, my skin hangs about me like an

old lady's loose gown; I am withered like an old

apple-john. Well, I'll repent, and that suddenly,

while I am in some liking; I shall be out of heart

shortly, and then I shall have no strength to re-

pent. An I have not forgotten what the inside

of a church is made of, I am a peppercorn, a

 172 advertisement: news

177 valued: taken into consideration

 2 bate: fall off, grow thin

5 apple-john: an apple that keeps well but becomes very shrivelled

6 liking: (good) bodily condition

9 peppercorn: the dried berry from which pepper is ground 