第 9 节
作者:
冥王 更新:2021-02-19 19:23 字数:9321
ye cuckoo! but afoot he will not budge a foot。 Prince。 Yes; Jack; upon
instinct。 Fal。 I grant ye; upon instinct。 Well; he is there too; and one
Mordake; and a thousand bluecaps more。 Worcester is stol'n away to…night;
thy father's beard is turn'd white with the news; you may buy land now as
cheap as stinking mack'rel。 Prince。 Why then; it is like; if there come a hot
June; and this civil buffeting hold; we shall buy maidenheads as they buy
hobnails; by the hundreds。 Fal。 By the mass; lad; thou sayest true; it is like
we shall have good trading that way。 But tell me; Hal; art not thou horrible
afeard? Thou being heir apparent; could the world pick thee out three such
enemies again as that fiend Douglas; that spirit Percy; and that devil
Glendower? Art thou not horribly afraid? Doth not thy blood thrill at it?
Prince。 Not a whit; i' faith。 I lack some of thy instinct。 Fal。 Well; thou wilt
be horribly chid to…morrow when thou comest to thy father。 If thou love
file; practise an answer。 Prince。 Do thou stand for my father and examine
me upon the particulars of my life。 Fal。 Shall I? Content。 This chair shall
be my state; this dagger my sceptre; and this cushion my; crown。 Prince。
Thy state is taken for a join'd…stool; thy golden sceptre for a leaden dagger;
and thy precious rich crown for a pitiful bald crown。 Fal。 Well; an the fire
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of grace be not quite out of thee; now shalt thou be moved。 Give me a cup
of sack to make my eyes look red; that it may be thought I have wept; for I
must speak in passion; and I will do it in King Cambyses' vein。 Prince。
Well; here is my leg。 Fal。 And here is my speech。 Stand aside; nobility。
Host。 O Jesu; this is excellent sport; i' faith! Fal。 Weep not; sweet queen;
for trickling tears are vain。 Host。 O; the Father; how he holds his
countenance! Fal。 For God's sake; lords; convey my tristful queen! For
tears do stop the floodgates of her eyes。 Host。 O Jesu; he doth it as like one
of these harlotry players as ever I see! Fal。 Peace; good pintpot。 Peace;
good tickle…brain。… Harry; I do not only marvel where thou spendest thy
time; but also how thou art accompanied。 For though the camomile; the
more it is trodden on; the faster it grows; yet youth; the more it is wasted;
the sooner it wears。 That thou art my son I have partly thy mother's word;
partly my own opinion; but chiefly a villanous trick of thine eye and a
foolish hanging of thy nether lip that doth warrant me。 If then thou be son
to me; here lies the point: why; being son to me; art thou so pointed at?
Shall the blessed sun of heaven prove a micher and eat blackberries? A
question not to be ask'd。 Shall the son of England prove a thief and take
purses? A question to be ask'd。 There is a thing; Harry; which thou hast
often heard of; and it is known to many in our land by the name of pitch。
This pitch; as ancient writers do report; doth defile; so doth the company
thou keepest。 For; Harry; now I do not speak to thee in drink; but in tears;
not in pleasure; but in passion; not in words only; but in woes also: and yet
there is a virtuous man whom I have often noted in thy company; but I
know not his name。 Prince。 What manner of man; an it like your Majesty?
Fal。 A goodly portly man; i' faith; and a corpulent; of a cheerful look; a
pleasing eye; and a most noble carriage; and; as I think; his age some fifty;
or; by'r Lady; inclining to threescore; and now I remember me; his name is
Falstaff。 If that man should be lewdly; given; he deceiveth me; for; Harry; I
see virtue in his looks。 If then the tree may be known by the fruit; as the
fruit by the tree; then; peremptorily I speak it; there is virtue in that
Falstaff。 Him keep with; the rest banish。 And tell me now; thou naughty
varlet; tell me where hast thou been this month? Prince。 Dost thou speak
like a king? Do thou stand for me; and I'll play my father。 Fal。 Depose me?
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If thou dost it half so gravely; so majestically; both in word and matter;
hang me up by the heels for a rabbit…sucker or a poulter's hare。 Prince。
Well; here I am set。 Fal。 And here I stand。 Judge; my masters。 Prince。 Now;
Harry; whence come you? Fal。 My noble lord; from Eastcheap。 Prince。
The complaints I hear of thee are grievous。 Fal。 'Sblood; my lord; they are
false! Nay; I'll tickle ye for a young prince; i' faith。 Prince。 Swearest thou;
ungracious boy? Henceforth ne'er look on me。 Thou art violently carried
away from grace。 There is a devil haunts thee in the likeness of an old fat
man; a tun of man is thy companion。 Why dost thou converse with that
trunk of humours; that bolting hutch of beastliness; that swoll'n parcel of
dropsies; that huge bombard of sack; that stuff'd cloakbag of guts; that
roasted Manningtree ox with the pudding in his belly; that reverend vice;
that grey iniquity; that father ruffian; that vanity in years? Wherein is he
good; but to taste sack and drink it? wherein neat and cleanly; but to carve
a capon and eat it? wherein cunning; but in craft? wherein crafty; but in
villany? wherein villanous; but in all things? wherein worthy; but in
nothing? Fal。 I would your Grace would take me with you。 Whom means
your Grace? Prince。 That villanous abominable misleader of youth;
Falstaff; that old white…bearded Satan。 Fal。 My lord; the man I know。
Prince。 I know thou dost。 Fal。 But to say I know more harm in him than in
myself were to say more than I know。 That he is old (the more the pity) his
white hairs do witness it; but that he is (saving your reverence) a
whoremaster; that I utterly deny。 If sack and sugar be a fault; God help the
wicked! If to be old and merry be a sin; then many an old host that I know
is damn'd。 If to be fat be to be hated; then Pharaoh's lean kine are to be
loved。 No; my good lord。 Banish Peto; banish Bardolph; banish Poins; but
for sweet Jack Falstaff; kind Jack Falstaff; true Jack Falstaff; valiant Jack
Falstaff; and therefore more valiant being; as he is; old Jack Falstaff;
banish not him thy Harry's company; banish not him thy Harry's company。
Banish plump Jack; and banish all the world! Prince。 I do; I will。 'A
knocking heard。' 'Exeunt Hostess; Francis; and Bardolph。'
Enter Bardolph; running。
Bard。 O; my lord; my lord! the sheriff with a most monstrous watch is
at the door。 Fal。 Out; ye rogue! Play out the play。 I have much to say in the
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KING HENRY THE FOURTH Part 1
behalf of that Falstaff。
Enter the Hostess。
Host。 O Jesu; my lord; my lord! Prince。 Heigh; heigh; the devil rides
upon a fiddlestick! What's the matter? Host。 The sheriff and all the watch
are at the door。 They are come to search the house。 Shall I let them in? Fal。
Dost thou hear; Hal? Never call a true piece of gold a counterfeit。 Thou art
essentially mad without seeming so。 Prince。 And thou a natural coward
without instinct。 Fal。 I deny your major。 If you will deny the sheriff; so; if
not; let him enter。 If I become not a cart as well as another man; a plague
on my bringing up! I hope I shall as soon be strangled with a halter as
another。 Prince。 Go hide thee behind the arras。 The rest walk; up above。
Now; my masters; for a true face and good conscience。 Fal。 Both which I
have had; but their date is out; and therefore I'll hide me。 Exit。 Prince。 Call
in the sheriff。 'Exeunt Manent the Prince and Peto。'
Enter Sheriff and the Carrier。
Now; Master Sheriff; what is your will with me? Sher。 First; pardon
me; my lord。 A hue and cry Hath followed certain men unto this house。
Prince。 What men? Sher。 One of them is well known; my gracious lord… A
gross fat man。 Carrier。 As fat as butter。 Prince。 The man; I do assure you; is
not here; For I myself at this time have employ'd him。 And; sheriff; I will
engage my word to thee That I will by to…morrow dinner time Send him to
answer thee; or any man; For anything he shall be charg'd withal; And