2 KING HENRY IV EPILOGUE.

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2 KING HENRY IV EPILOGUE.

[Spoken by a Dancer]

First my fear; then my courtesy; last my speech.

My fear is, your displeasure; my courtesy, my duty;

and my speech, to beg your pardons. If you look

for a good speech now, you undo me: for what I have

to say is of mine own making; and what indeed I 5

should say will, I doubt, prove mine own marring.

But to the purpose, and so to the venture. Be it

known to you, as it is very well, I was lately here

in the end of a displeasing play, to pray your

patience for it and to promise you a better. I 10

meant indeed to pay you with this; which, if like an

ill venture it come unluckily home, I break, and

you, my gentle creditors, lose. Here I promised you

I would be and here I commit my body to your

mercies: bate me some and I will pay you some and, 15

as most debtors do, promise you infinitely.

If my tongue cannot entreat you to acquit me, will

you command me to use my legs? and yet that were but

light payment, to dance out of your debt. But a

good conscience will make any possible satisfaction, 20

and so would I. All the gentlewomen here have

forgiven me: if the gentlemen will not, then the

gentlemen do not agree with the gentlewomen, which

was never seen before in such an assembly.

One word more, I beseech you. If you be not too 25

much cloyed with fat meat, our humble author will

continue the story, with Sir John in it, and make

you merry with fair Katharine of France: where, for

any thing I know, Falstaff shall die of a sweat,

unless already a' be killed with your hard 30

opinions; for Oldcastle died a martyr, and this is

not the man. My tongue is weary; when my legs are

too, I will bid you good night: and so kneel down

before you; but, indeed, to pray for the queen.

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		[Spoken by a Dancer]
		First my fear; then my courtesy; last my speech.
		My fear is, your displeasure; my courtesy, my duty;
		and my speech, to beg your pardons. If you look
		for a good speech now, you undo me: for what I have
		to say is of mine own making; and what indeed I	5
		should say will, I doubt, prove mine own marring.
		But to the purpose, and so to the venture. Be it
		known to you, as it is very well, I was lately here
		in the end of a displeasing play, to pray your
		patience for it and to promise you a better. I	10
		meant indeed to pay you with this; which, if like an
		ill venture it come unluckily home, I break, and
		you, my gentle creditors, lose. Here I promised you
		I would be and here I commit my body to your
		mercies: bate me some and I will pay you some and,	15
		as most debtors do, promise you infinitely.
		If my tongue cannot entreat you to acquit me, will
		you command me to use my legs? and yet that were but
		light payment, to dance out of your debt. But a
		good conscience will make any possible satisfaction,	20
		and so would I. All the gentlewomen here have
		forgiven me: if the gentlemen will not, then the
		gentlemen do not agree with the gentlewomen, which
		was never seen before in such an assembly.
		One word more, I beseech you. If you be not too	25
		much cloyed with fat meat, our humble author will
		continue the story, with Sir John in it, and make
		you merry with fair Katharine of France: where, for
		any thing I know, Falstaff shall die of a sweat,
		unless already a' be killed with your hard	30
		opinions; for Oldcastle died a martyr, and this is
		not the man. My tongue is weary; when my legs are
		too, I will bid you good night: and so kneel down
		before you; but, indeed, to pray for the queen.

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