1    Well met, Corporal Nym.

2    Good morrow, Lieutenant Bardolph.

3    What, are Ancient Pistol and you friends yet?

4    For my part, I care not: I say little; but when
5    time shall serve, there shall be smiles; but that
6    shall be as it may. I dare not fight; but I will
7    wink and hold out mine iron: it is a simple one; but
8    what though? it will toast cheese, and it will
9    endure cold as another man's sword will: and
10   there's an end.

11   I will bestow a breakfast to make you friends; and
12   we'll be all three sworn brothers to France: let it
13   be so, good Corporal Nym.

14   Faith, I will live so long as I may, that's the
15   certain of it; and when I cannot live any longer, I
16   will do as I may: that is my rest, that is the
17   rendezvous of it.

18   It is certain, corporal, that he is married to Nell
19   Quickly: and certainly she did you wrong; for you
20   were troth-plight to her.

21   I cannot tell: things must be as they may: men may
22   sleep, and they may have their throats about them at
23   that time; and some say knives have edges. It must
24   be as it may: though patience be a tired mare, yet
25   she will plod. There must be conclusions. Well, I
26   cannot tell.

27   Here comes Ancient Pistol and his wife: good
28   corporal, be patient here. How now, mine host Pistol!

29   Base tike, call'st thou me host? Now, by this hand,
30   I swear, I scorn the term; Nor shall my Nell keep lodgers.

31   No, by my troth, not long; for we cannot lodge and
32   board a dozen or fourteen gentlewomen that live
33   honestly by the prick of their needles, but it will
34   be thought we keep a bawdy house straight.
NYM and PISTOL draw
35   O well a day, Lady, if he be not drawn now! we
36   shall see wilful adultery and murder committed.

37   Good lieutenant! good corporal! offer nothing here.

38   Pish!

39   Pish for thee, Iceland dog! thou prick-ear'd cur of Iceland!

40   Good Corporal Nym, show thy valour, and put up your sword.

41   Will you shog off? I would have you solus.

42   'Solus,' egregious dog? O viper vile!
43   The 'solus' in thy most mervailous face;
44   The 'solus' in thy teeth, and in thy throat,
45   And in thy hateful lungs, yea, in thy maw, perdy,
46   And, which is worse, within thy nasty mouth!
47   I do retort the 'solus' in thy bowels;
48   For I can take, and Pistol's cock is up,
49   And flashing fire will follow.

50   I am not Barbason; you cannot conjure me. I have an
51   humour to knock you indifferently well. If you grow
52   foul with me, Pistol, I will scour you with my
53   rapier, as I may, in fair terms: if you would walk
54   off, I would prick your guts a little, in good
55   terms, as I may: and that's the humour of it.

56   O braggart vile and damned furious wight!
57   The grave doth gape, and doting death is near;
58   Therefore exhale.

59   Hear me, hear me what I say: he that strikes the
60   first stroke, I'll run him up to the hilts, as I am a soldier.

61   An oath of mickle might; and fury shall abate.
62   Give me thy fist, thy fore-foot to me give:
63   Thy spirits are most tall.

64   I will cut thy throat, one time or other, in fair
65   terms: that is the humour of it.

66   'Couple a gorge!'
67   That is the word. I thee defy again.
68   O hound of Crete, think'st thou my spouse to get?
69   No; to the spital go,
70   And from the powdering tub of infamy
71   Fetch forth the lazar kite of Cressid's kind,
72   Doll Tearsheet she by name, and her espouse:
73   I have, and I will hold, the quondam Quickly
74   For the only she; and--pauca, there's enough. Go to.

75   Mine host Pistol, you must come to my master, and
76   you, hostess: he is very sick, and would to bed.
77   Good Bardolph, put thy face between his sheets, and
78   do the office of a warming-pan. Faith, he's very ill.

79   Away, you rogue!

80   By my troth, he'll yield the crow a pudding one of
81   these days. The king has killed his heart. Good
82   husband, come home presently.

83   Come, shall I make you two friends? We must to
84   France together: why the devil should we keep
85   knives to cut one another's throats?

86   Let floods o'erswell, and fiends for food howl on!

87   You'll pay me the eight shillings I won of you at betting?

88   Base is the slave that pays.

89   That now I will have: that's the humour of it.

90   As manhood shall compound: push home.

91   By this sword, he that makes the first thrust, I'll
92   kill him; by this sword, I will.

93   Sword is an oath, and oaths must have their course.

94   Corporal Nym, an thou wilt be friends, be friends:
95   an thou wilt not, why, then, be enemies with me too.
96   Prithee, put up.

97   I shall have my eight shillings I won of you at betting?

98   A noble shalt thou have, and present pay;
99   And liquor likewise will I give to thee,
100  And friendship shall combine, and brotherhood:
101  I'll live by Nym, and Nym shall live by me;
102  Is not this just? for I shall sutler be
103  Unto the camp, and profits will accrue.
104  Give me thy hand.

105  I shall have my noble?

106  In cash most justly paid.

107  Well, then, that's the humour of't.

108  As ever you came of women, come in quickly to Sir
109  John. Ah, poor heart! he is so shaked of a burning
110  quotidian tertian, that it is most lamentable to
111  behold. Sweet men, come to him.

112  The king hath run bad humours on the knight; that's
113  the even of it.

114  Nym, thou hast spoke the right;
115  His heart is fracted and corroborate.

116  The king is a good king: but it must be as it may;
117  he passes some humours and careers.

118  Let us condole the knight; for, lambkins we will live.