Page 783 - Shakespeare - Vol. 2

Thy ignominy sleep with thee in the grave,
But not rememb’red in thy epitaph. [100]
He spieth Falstaff on the ground.
What, old acquaintance? Could not all this flesh

Keep in a little life? Poor Jack, farewell!
I could have better spared a better man.
O, I should have a heavy miss of thee
If I were much in love with vanity. [105]

Death hath not struck so fat a deer to-day,
Though many dearer, in this bloody fray.
Embowelled will I see thee by-and-by;
Till then in blood by noble Percy lie.

Exit.

Falstaff riseth up.

FALSTAFF
Embowelled? If thou embowel me to-day, I’ll [110] give you leave to powder
me and eat me too to-morrow. ’Sblood, ’twas time to counterfeit, or that hot
termagant Scot had paid me scot and lot too. Counterfeit? I lie; I am no

counterfeit. To die is to be a counterfeit, for he is but the counterfeit of a man
who hath not the life of a [115] man; but to counterfeit dying when a man
thereby liveth, is to be no counterfeit, but the true and perfect image of life
indeed. The better part of valour is discretion, in the which better part I have

saved my life. Zounds, I am afraid of this gunpowder Percy, though he be
dead. How [120] if he should counterfeit too, and rise? By my faith, I am
afraid he would prove the better counterfeit. Therefore I’ll make him sure;
yea, and I’ll swear I killed him. Why may not he rise as well as I? Nothing

confutes me but eyes, and nobody sees me. Therefore, sirrah [stabs him],
[125] with a new wound in your thigh, come you along with me.

He takes up Hotspur on his back. Enter Prince, and John of Lancaster.

PRINCE
Come, brother John; full bravely hast thou fleshed
Thy maiden sword.

JOHN