The First Part of Henry the Fourth: ACT II
Introduction ACT I ACT II SCENE I. Rochester. An inn yard. SCENE II. The highway, near Gadshill. SCENE III. Warkworth castle SCENE IV. The Boar's-Head Tavern, Eastcheap. ACT III ACT IV ACT V About the Play Feedback			Search: All the plays Hamlet Coriolanus Julius Caesar King Lear Macbeth Othello Romeo and Juliet Richard II Richard III Titus Andronicus Antony and Cleopatra Timon of Athens Henry IV Part 1 Henry IV Part 2 Henry the Fifth Henry VI Part 1 Henry VI Part 2 Henry VI Part 3 Henry VIII King John Pericles Troilus and Cressida All's Well... As You Like It The Comedy of Errors Cymbeline A Midsummer... Love's Labour's Lost Measure for Measure The Merry Wives... Much Ado about Nothing The Merchant of Venice Twelfth Night The Taming of... The Tempest The Two Gentlemen... The Winter's Tale    for: SCENE I. Rochester. An inn yard. Enter a Carrier with a lantern in his hand First Carrier       Heigh-ho! an it be not four by the day, I'll be       hanged: Charles' wain is over the new chimney, and       yet our horse not packed. What, ostler! Ostler       (Within) Anon, anon. First Carrier 5     I prithee, Tom, beat Cut's saddle, put a few flocks       in the point; poor jade, is wrung in the withers out       of all cess. Enter another Carrier Second Carrier       Peas and beans are as dank here as a dog, and that       is the next way to give poor jades the bots: this 10    house is turned upside down since Robin Ostler died. First Carrier       Poor fellow, never joyed since the price of oats       rose; it was the death of him. Second Carrier       I think this be the most villanous house in all       London road for fleas: I am stung like a tench. First Carrier 15    Like a tench! by the mass, there is ne'er a king       christen could be better bit than I have been since       the first cock. Second Carrier       Why, they will allow us ne'er a jordan, and then we       leak in your chimney; and your chamber-lie breeds 20    fleas like a loach. First Carrier       What, ostler! come away and be hanged! Second Carrier       I have a gammon of bacon and two razors of ginger,       to be delivered as far as Charing-cross. First Carrier       God's body! the turkeys in my pannier are quite 25    starved. What, ostler! A plague on thee! hast thou       never an eye in thy head? canst not hear? An       'twere not as good deed as drink, to break the pate       on thee, I am a very villain. Come, and be hanged!       hast thou no faith in thee? Enter GADSHILL GADSHILL 30    Good morrow, carriers. What's o'clock? First Carrier       I think it be two o'clock. GADSHILL       I pray thee lend me thy lantern, to see my gelding       in the stable. First Carrier       Nay, by God, soft; I know a trick worth two of that, i' faith. GADSHILL 35    I pray thee, lend me thine. Second Carrier       Ay, when? can'st tell? Lend me thy lantern, quoth       he? marry, I'll see thee hanged first. GADSHILL       Sirrah carrier, what time do you mean to come to London? Second Carrier       Time enough to go to bed with a candle, I warrant 40    thee. Come, neighbour Mugs, we'll call up the       gentleman: they will along with company, for they       have great charge. Exeunt carriers GADSHILL       What, ho! chamberlain! Chamberlain       (Within) At hand, quoth pick-purse. GADSHILL 45    That's even as fair as--at hand, quoth the       chamberlain; for thou variest no more from picking       of purses than giving direction doth from labouring;       thou layest the plot how. Enter Chamberlain Chamberlain       Good morrow, Master Gadshill. It holds current that 50    I told you yesternight: there's a franklin in the       wild of Kent hath brought three hundred marks with       him in gold: I heard him tell it to one of his       company last night at supper; a kind of auditor; one       that hath abundance of charge too, God knows what. 55    They are up already, and call for eggs and butter;       they will away presently. GADSHILL       Sirrah, if they meet not with Saint Nicholas'       clerks, I'll give thee this neck. Chamberlain       No, I'll none of it: I pray thee keep that for the 60    hangman; for I know thou worshippest St. Nicholas       as truly as a man of falsehood may. GADSHILL       What talkest thou to me of the hangman? if I hang,       I'll make a fat pair of gallows; for if I hang, old       Sir John hangs with me, and thou knowest he is no 65    starveling. Tut! there are other Trojans that thou       dreamest not of, the which for sport sake are       content to do the profession some grace; that would,       if matters should be looked into, for their own       credit sake, make all whole. I am joined with no 70    foot-land rakers, no long-staff sixpenny strikers,       none of these mad mustachio purple-hued malt-worms;       but with nobility and tranquillity, burgomasters and       great oneyers, such as can hold in, such as will       strike sooner than speak, and speak sooner than 75    drink, and drink sooner than pray: and yet, zounds,       I lie; for they pray continually to their saint, the       commonwealth; or rather, not pray to her, but prey       on her, for they ride up and down on her and make       her their boots. Chamberlain 80    What, the commonwealth their boots? will she hold       out water in foul way? GADSHILL       She will, she will; justice hath liquored her. We       steal as in a castle, cocksure; we have the receipt       of fern-seed, we walk invisible. Chamberlain 85    Nay, by my faith, I think you are more beholding to       the night than to fern-seed for your walking invisible. GADSHILL       Give me thy hand: thou shalt have a share in our       purchase, as I am a true man. Chamberlain       Nay, rather let me have it, as you are a false thief. GADSHILL 90    Go to; 'homo' is a common name to all men. Bid the       ostler bring my gelding out of the stable. Farewell,       you muddy knave. Exeunt Return to top of page ... or ... Go to next scene