Speeches (Lines) for Silence in "History of Henry IV, Part II"

Robert Shallow. Come on, come on, come on; give me your hand, sir;
your hand, sir. An early stirrer, by the rood! And how doth
good cousin Silence?

Silence. Good morrow, good cousin Shallow.

Robert Shallow. And how doth my cousin, your bed-fellow? and your
daughter and mine, my god-daughter Ellen?

Silence. Alas, a black ousel, cousin Shallow!

Robert Shallow. By yea and no, sir. I dare say my cousin William is
a good scholar; he is at Oxford still, is he not?

Silence. Indeed, sir, to my cost.

Robert Shallow. 'A must, then, to the Inns o' Court shortly. I was
Clement's Inn; where I think they will talk of mad Shallow

Silence. You were call'd 'lusty Shallow' then, cousin.

Robert Shallow. By the mass, I was call'd anything; and I would have
anything indeed too, and roundly too. There was I, and little
John Doit of Staffordshire, and black George Barnes, and
Pickbone, and Will Squele a Cotsole man--you had not four
swinge-bucklers in all the Inns of Court again. And I may say
you we knew where the bona-robas were, and had the best of
all at commandment. Then was Jack Falstaff, now Sir John,
and page to Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk.

Silence. This Sir John, cousin, that comes hither anon about
soldiers?

Robert Shallow. The same Sir John, the very same. I see him break
Scoggin's head at the court gate, when 'a was a crack not
high; and the very same day did I fight with one Sampson
Stockfish, a fruiterer, behind Gray's Inn. Jesu, Jesu, the
days that I have spent! and to see how many of my old
acquaintance are dead!

Silence. We shall all follow, cousin.

Robert Shallow. Certain, 'tis certain; very sure, very sure. Death, as
Psalmist saith, is certain to all; all shall die. How a good
of bullocks at Stamford fair?

Silence. By my troth, I was not there.

Robert Shallow. Death is certain. Is old Double of your town living

Silence. Dead, sir.

Robert Shallow. Jesu, Jesu, dead! drew a good bow; and dead! 'A shot a
fine shoot. John a Gaunt loved him well, and betted much
his head. Dead! 'A would have clapp'd i' th' clout at twelve
score, and carried you a forehand shaft a fourteen and
and a half, that it would have done a man's heart good to
How a score of ewes now?

Silence. Thereafter as they be--a score of good ewes may be
ten pounds.

Robert Shallow. And is old Double dead?

Silence. Here come two of Sir John Falstaffs men, as I think.

Falstaff. Good Master Silence, it well befits you should be of
peace.

Silence. Your good worship is welcome.

Robert Shallow. Nay, she must be old; she cannot choose but be old;
certain she's old; and had Robin Nightwork, by old Nightwork,
before I came to Clement's Inn.

Silence. That's fifty-five year ago.

Robert Shallow. A good varlet, a good varlet, a very good varlet, Sir
John. By the mass, I have drunk too much sack at supper. A
varlet. Now sit down, now sit down; come, cousin.

Silence. Ah, sirrah! quoth-a--we shall [Singing]
Do nothing but eat and make good cheer,
And praise God for the merry year;
When flesh is cheap and females dear,
And lusty lads roam here and there,
So merrily,
And ever among so merrily.

Robert Shallow. Be merry, Master Bardolph; and, my little soldier
be merry.

Silence. [Singing]
Be merry, be merry, my wife has all;
For women are shrews, both short and tall;
'Tis merry in hall when beards wag an;
And welcome merry Shrove-tide.
Be merry, be merry.

Falstaff. I did not think Master Silence had been a man of this
mettle.

Silence. Who, I? I have been merry twice and once ere now.

Davy. Your worship! I'll be with you straight. [To BARDOLPH]
A cup of wine, sir?

Silence. [Singing]
A cup of wine that's brisk and fine,
And drink unto the leman mine;
And a merry heart lives long-a.

Falstaff. Well said, Master Silence.

Silence. An we shall be merry, now comes in the sweet o' th'

Falstaff. Health and long life to you, Master Silence!

Silence. [Singing]
Fill the cup, and let it come,
I'll pledge you a mile to th' bottom.

Falstaff. [To SILENCE, who has drunk a bumper] Why, now you
done me right.

Silence. [Singing]
Do me right,
And dub me knight.
Samingo.
Is't not so?

Falstaff. 'Tis so.

Silence. Is't so? Why then, say an old man can do somewhat.

Pistol. Not the ill wind which blows no man to good. Sweet
thou art now one of the greatest men in this realm.

Silence. By'r lady, I think 'a be, but goodman Puff of Barson.

Falstaff. O base Assyrian knight, what is thy news?
Let King Cophetua know the truth thereof.

Silence. [Singing] And Robin Hood, Scarlet, and John.