They call drinking deep, dyeing
scarlet; and when you breathe in your watering, they
cry 'hem!' and bid you play it off. To conclude, I
am so good a proficient in one quarter of an hour,
that I can drink with any tinker in his own language
during my life. I tell thee, Ned, thou hast lost
much honour, that thou wert not with me in this sweet
action. But, sweet Ned,--to sweeten which name of
Ned, I give thee this pennyworth of sugar, clapped
even now into my hand by an under-skinker, one that
never spake other English in his life than 'Eight
shillings and sixpence' and 'You are welcome,' with
this shrill addition, 'Anon, anon, sir! Score a pint
of bastard in the Half-Moon,' or so. But, Ned, to
drive away the time till Falstaff come, I prithee,
do thou stand in some by-room, while I question my
puny drawer to what end he gave me the sugar; and do
thou never leave calling 'Francis,' that his tale
to me may be nothing but 'Anon.' Step aside, and
I'll show thee a precedent.
POINS Francis!
PRINCE HENRY Thou art perfect.
POINS Francis!
[Exit POINS]
[Enter FRANCIS]
FRANCIS Anon, anon, sir. Look down into the Pomgarnet, Ralph.
PRINCE HENRY Come hither, Francis.
FRANCIS My lord?
PRINCE HENRY How long hast thou to serve, Francis?
FRANCIS Forsooth, five years, and as much as to--
POINS [Within] Francis!
FRANCIS Anon, anon, sir.
PRINCE HENRY Five year! by'r lady, a long lease for the clinking
of pewter. But, Francis, darest thou be so valiant
as to play the coward with thy indenture and show it
a fair pair of heels and run from it?
FRANCIS O Lord, sir, I'll be sworn upon all the books in
England, I could find in my heart.
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