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Fal. Sir, I will be as good as my word: this that you heard was but a colour.

Shal. A colour that I fear you will die in, Sir John.

Fal. Fear no colours: go with me to dinner : come, Lieutenant Pistol; come, Bardolph: I shall be sent for soon at night.

Re-enter PRINCE JOHN, the LORD CHIEF-JUSTICE;
Officers with them.

Ch. Just. Go, carry Sir John Falstaff to the
Fleet:

Take all his company along with him.

Fal. My lord, my lord,

-

Ch. Just. I cannot now speak: I will hear you

soon.

Take them away.

Pist. Si fortuna me tormenta, spero contenta.
[Exeunt all but Prince John and the
Chief Justice.

Lan. I like this fair proceeding of the king's:
He hath intent his wonted followers

Shall all be very well provided for ;

But all are banish'd till their conversations
Appear more wise and modest to the world.
Ch. Just. And so they are.

91. colour, specious makebelieve.

96. soon at night, this very night.

102. Si fortuna, etc., so in Q. Pistol had quoted his motto before (2 ii. 4. 196) in an equally incorrect but different form according to the old texts; he is not intended to be either correct or consistent. His use of it in his present situation may VOL. VI

90

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be suggested by the tale of Hannibal Gonzaga (as pointed out by Farmer), 'who vaunted on yielding himself a prisoner, as you may read in an old collection of tales called Wits Fits and Fancies:

513

life.

Si Fortuna me tormenta
Il Speranza me contenta.'

106. conversations, habits of

2 L

Lan. The king hath call'd his parliament, my lord.

Ch. Just. He hath.

Lan. I will lay odds that, ere this year expire,
We bear our civil swords and native fire
As far as France: I heard a bird so sing,
Whose music, to my thinking, pleased the king.
Come, will you hence?

[Exeunt.

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EPILOGUE.

Spoken by a Dancer.

First my fear; then my courtesy; last my speech. My fear is, your displeasure; my courtesy, my duty; and my speech, to beg your pardons. If you look for a good speech now, you undo me for what I have to say is of mine own making; and what indeed I should say will, I doubt, prove mine own marring. But to the purpose, and so to the venture. Be it known to you, as it is very well, I was lately here in the end of a displeasing play, to pray your patience for it 10 and to promise you a better. I meant indeed to pay you with this; which, if like an ill venture it come unluckily home, I break, and you, my gentle creditors, lose. Here I promised you I would be and here I commit my body to your mercies: bate me some and I will pay you some and, as most debtors do, promise you infinitely.

13. break, become bankrupt. 17. promise you infinitely. At this point in Q occurs the last sentence of the Epilogue: and so kneel... queen.' It has

been plausibly inferred that the intervening passage (If my tongue...good night') was introduced somewhat later; it cannot have been much later, since Q

If my tongue cannot entreat you to acquit me, will you command me to use my legs? and yet that were but light payment, to dance out of your 20 debt. make any possible satisfaction, and so would I. All the gentlewomen here have forgiven me: if the gentlemen will not, then the gentlemen do not agree with the gentlewomen, which was never seen before in such an assembly.

But good conscience will

One word more, I beseech you. If you be not too much cloyed with fat meat, our humble author will continue the story, with Sir John in it, and make you merry with fair Katharine of France: where, for any thing I know, Falstaff shall die of a sweat, unless already a' be killed with your hard opinions; for Oldcastle died a martyr, and this is not the man. My tongue is weary; when my legs are too, I will bid you good night: and so kneel down before you; but, indeed, to pray for the queen.

was published in 1600. There is little doubt that the shorter version belonged to the original text of the play, and that the addition was made when the

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name 'Falstaff' was finally substituted for that of Oldcastle.'

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29. with Sir John in it. Cf. the Introduction.

END OF VOL. VI

Printed in Great Britain by R. & R. CLARK, LIMITED, Edinburgh.

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