Act 2. Scene II

SCENE II. London. Another street.

Enter PRINCE HENRY and POINS
PRINCE HENRY
Before God, I am exceeding weary.

POINS
Is't come to that? I had thought weariness durst not
have attached one of so high blood.

PRINCE HENRY
Faith, it does me; though it discolours the
complexion of my greatness to acknowledge it. Doth
it not show vilely in me to desire small beer?

POINS
Why, a prince should not be so loosely studied as
to remember so weak a composition.

PRINCE HENRY
Belike then my appetite was not princely got; for,
by my troth, I do now remember the poor creature,
small beer. But, indeed, these humble
considerations make me out of love with my
greatness. What a disgrace is it to me to remember
thy name! or to know thy face to-morrow! or to
take note how many pair of silk stockings thou
hast, viz. these, and those that were thy
peach-coloured ones! or to bear the inventory of thy
shirts, as, one for superfluity, and another for
use! But that the tennis-court-keeper knows better
than I; for it is a low ebb of linen with thee when
thou keepest not racket there; as thou hast not done
a great while, because the rest of thy low
countries have made a shift to eat up thy holland:
and God knows, whether those that bawl out the ruins
of thy linen shall inherit his kingdom: but the
midwives say the children are not in the fault;
whereupon the world increases, and kindreds are
mightily strengthened.

POINS
How ill it follows, after you have laboured so hard,
you should talk so idly! Tell me, how many good
young princes would do so, their fathers being so
sick as yours at this time is?

PRINCE HENRY
Shall I tell thee one thing, Poins?

POINS
Yes, faith; and let it be an excellent good thing.

PRINCE HENRY
It shall serve among wits of no higher breeding than thine.

POINS
Go to; I stand the push of your one thing that you
will tell.

PRINCE HENRY
Marry, I tell thee, it is not meet that I should be
sad, now my father is sick: albeit I could tell
thee, as to one it pleases me, for fault of a
better, to call my friend, I could be sad, and sad
indeed too.

POINS
Very hardly upon such a subject.

PRINCE HENRY
By this hand thou thinkest me as far in the devil's
book as thou and Falstaff for obduracy and
persistency: let the end try the man. But I tell
thee, my heart bleeds inwardly that my father is so
sick: and keeping such vile company as thou art
hath in reason taken from me all ostentation of sorrow.

POINS
The reason?

PRINCE HENRY
What wouldst thou think of me, if I should weep?

POINS
I