Act 2. Scene II - Page 2

's
money of the king's coming down the hill; 'tis going
to the king's exchequer.

FALSTAFF
You lie, ye rogue; 'tis going to the king's tavern.

GADSHILL
There's enough to make us all.

FALSTAFF
To be hanged.

PRINCE HENRY
Sirs, you four shall front them in the narrow lane;
Ned Poins and I will walk lower: if they 'scape
from your encounter, then they light on us.

PETO
How many be there of them?

GADSHILL
Some eight or ten.

FALSTAFF
'Zounds, will they not rob us?

PRINCE HENRY
What, a coward, Sir John Paunch?

FALSTAFF
Indeed, I am not John of Gaunt, your grandfather;
but yet no coward, Hal.

PRINCE HENRY
Well, we leave that to the proof.

POINS
Sirrah Jack, thy horse stands behind the hedge:
when thou needest him, there thou shalt find him.
Farewell, and stand fast.

FALSTAFF
Now cannot I strike him, if I should be hanged.

PRINCE HENRY
Ned, where are our disguises?

POINS
Here, hard by: stand close.

Exeunt PRINCE HENRY and POINS

FALSTAFF
Now, my masters, happy man be his dole, say I:
every man to his business.

Enter the Travellers

First Traveller
Come, neighbour: the boy shall lead our horses down
the hill; we'll walk afoot awhile, and ease our legs.

Thieves
Stand!

Travellers
Jesus bless us!

FALSTAFF
Strike; down with them; cut the villains' throats:
ah! whoreson caterpillars! bacon-fed knaves! they
hate us youth: down with them: fleece them.

Travellers
O, we are undone, both we and ours for ever!

FALSTAFF
Hang ye, gorbellied knaves, are ye undone? No, ye
fat chuffs: I would your store were here! On,
bacons, on! What, ye knaves! young men must live.
You are Grand-jurors, are ye? we'll jure ye, 'faith.

Here they rob them and bind them. Exeunt

Re-enter PRINCE HENRY and POINS

PRINCE HENRY
The thieves have bound the true men. Now could thou
and I rob the thieves and go merrily to London, it
would be argument for a week, laughter for a month
and a good jest for ever.

POINS
Stand close; I hear them coming.

Enter the Thieves again

FALSTAFF
Come, my masters, let us share, and then to horse
before day. An the Prince and Poins be not two
arrant cowards, there's no equity stirring: there's
no more valour in that Poins than in a wild-duck.

PRINCE HENRY
Your money!

POINS
Villains!

As they are sharing, the Prince and Poins set upon them; they all run away; and Falstaff, after a blow or two, runs away too, leaving the booty behind them

PRINCE