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

[Exit.

Fal. [rising slowly.] Emboweled! if thou embowel me to-day, I'll give you leave to powder1 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 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 valor 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 if he should counterfeit too, and rise? 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, [stabbing him.] with a new wound in your thigh, come you along with me.

[takes Hotspur on his back.

would deny it, I would make him eat a piece of my sword.

P. John. This is the strangest tale that e'er I

heard.

P. Hen. This is the strangest fellow, brother

John.

'ome, bring your luggage nobly on your back. For my part, if a lie may do thee grace, I'll gild it with the happiest terms I have.

[a retreat is sounded,

The trumpet sounds retreat; the day is ours.
Come, brother, let us to the highest of the field,
To see what friends are living, who are dead.

[Exeunt Prince Henry and Prince John. Fal. I'll follow, as they say, for reward. He t rewards me, God reward him! If I do grow at, I'll grow less; for I'll purge, and leave sack, live cleanly, as a nobleman should do.

[Exit, bearing off the body.

SCENE V.

Another part of the field.

rumpets sound. Enter KING HENRY, PRINCE
RY, PRINCE JOHN, WESTMORELAND, and others,
WORCESTER and VERNON prisoners.

Hen. Thus ever did rebellion find rebuke.
ited Worcester! did we not send grace,
and terms of love to all of you?
ouldst thou turn our offers contrary?

Re-enter PRINCE HENRY and PRINCE JOHN.

P. Hen. Come, brother John, full bravely hast thou flesh'd

Thy maiden sword.

P. John.

But, soft! whom have we here?

Did you not tell me this fat man was dead?

P. Hen. I did; I saw him dead, breathless and bleeding

Upon the ground.

Art thou alive? or is it fantasy

That plays upon our eyesight? I pr'ythee, speak,
We will not trust our eyes without our ears.
Thou art not what thou seem'st.

Fal. No, that's certain; I am not a double man; but if I be not Jack Falstaff, then am I a Jack. There is Percy: [throwing the body down.] if your father will do me any honor, so; if not, let him kill the next Percy himself. I look to be either earl or duke, I can assure you.

P. Hen. Why, Percy I killed myself, and saw thee dead.

Fal. Didst thou ?-Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying! I grant you, I was down, and out of breath; and so was he; but we rose both at an instant, and fought a long hour by Shrewsbury clock. If I may be believed, so; if not, let them, that should reward valor, bear the sin upon their own heads. I'll take it upon my death, I gave him this wound in the thigh: if the man were alive, and