ression, both in words and action. Falstaff throws himself
into all the attitudes, and elevates and depresses his
voice, as if he was actually engaged in the combat he
describes--preserving the utmost gravity of face, until he
finds that the Prince has really detected him. Then the "fat
rogue" bursts into a jolly, unctuous laugh, and carries off
the honors, after all:

_P. Henry._ What's the matter?

_Fal._ What's the matter? there be four of us here have ta'en a
thousand pound this morning.

_P. Hen._ Where is it, Jack? where is it?

_Fal._ Where is it? taken from us it is: a hundred upon poor four of
us.

_P. Hen._ What, a hundred, man?

_Fal._ I am a rogue, if I were not at half-sword with a dozen of them
two hours together. I have 'scaped by miracle. I am eight times thrust
through the doublet; four, through the hose; my buckler cut through
and through; my sword hacked like a hand-saw _ecce signum_. I never
dealt better since I was a man: all would not do. A plague of all
cowards!--Let them speak: if they speak more or less than truth, they
are villains, and the sons of darkness.

_P. Hen._ Speak, sirs: how was it?

_Gads._ We four set upon some dozen,--

_Fal._ Sixteen at least, my lord.

_Gads._ And bound them.

_Peto._ No, no, they were not bound.

_Fal._ You rogue, they were bound, every man of them; or I am a Jew
else, an Ebrew Jew.

_Gads._ As we were sharing, some six or seven fresh men set upon us.

_Fal._ And unbound the rest, and then come in the other.

_P. Hen._ What, fought ye with them all?

_Fal._ All! I know not what ye call, all; but if I fought not with
fifty of them, I am a bunch of radish; if there were not two or three
and fifty upon poor old Jack, then I am no two-legged creature.

_Poins._ Pray God, you have not murdered some of them.

_Fal._ Nay, that's past praying for, for I have peppered two of them:
two, I am sure, I have paid; two rogues in buckram suits. I tell thee
what, Hal,--if I tell thee a lie, spit in my face, call me horse.
Thou knowest my old ward;--here I lay, and thus I bore my point. Four
rogues in buckram let drive at me.--

_P. Hen._ What, four? thou said'st but two, even now.

_Fal._ Four, Hal; I told thee four.

_Poins._ Ay, ay, he said four.

_Fal._ These four came all a-front, and mainly thrust at me. I made no
more ado, but took all their seven points in my target, thus.

_P. Hen._ Seven? why, there were but four