diff --git "a/res/henryv.txt" "b/res/henryv.txt" new file mode 100644--- /dev/null +++ "b/res/henryv.txt" @@ -0,0 +1,4727 @@ +Henry V +by William Shakespeare + + +Characters in the Play +====================== +CHORUS +HENRY V, KING OF ENGLAND +THOMAS, DUKE OF EXETER, uncle to the King +Brothers to the King: + HUMPHREY, DUKE OF GLOUCESTER + JOHN, DUKE OF BEDFORD + THOMAS, DUKE OF CLARENCE +Cousins to the King: + DUKE OF YORK + EARL OF WESTMORELAND + EARL OF CAMBRIDGE +English nobles: + EARL OF WARWICK + EARL OF SALISBURY + EARL OF HUNTINGTON + LORD SCROOP OF MASHAM +SIR THOMAS GREY +HOSTESS QUICKLY +Former companions of Henry, now in his army: + PISTOL + NYM + BARDOLPH +BOY, their servant +Officers in Henry's army: + SIR THOMAS ERPINGHAM + CAPTAIN FLUELLEN + CAPTAIN GOWER + CAPTAIN MACMORRIS + CAPTAIN JAMY +English heralds +Soldiers in Henry's army: + JOHN BATES + ALEXANDER COURT + MICHAEL WILLIAMS +BISHOP OF CANTERBURY +BISHOP OF ELY + +KING OF FRANCE +QUEEN ISABEL OF FRANCE +KATHERINE, Princess of France +ALICE, a gentlewoman attending on Katherine +DAUPHIN (i.e., Prince) of France +French nobles: + DUKE OF BERRI + DUKE OF BRITTANY + DUKE OF ORLEANS + DUKE OF BOURBON + DUKE OF BURGUNDY + CONSTABLE OF FRANCE + LORD GRANDPRE + LORD RAMBURES + LORD BEAUMONT +MONTJOY, French herald +French ambassadors to England +MONSIEUR LE FER, a French soldier +Governor of Harfleur +Lords, Attendants, Soldiers, French Prisoners, Messengers + + +PROLOGUE +======== + +[Enter Chorus as Prologue.] + + +CHORUS +O, for a muse of fire that would ascend +The brightest heaven of invention! +A kingdom for a stage, princes to act, +And monarchs to behold the swelling scene! +Then should the warlike Harry, like himself, +Assume the port of Mars, and at his heels, +Leashed in like hounds, should famine, sword, and +fire +Crouch for employment. But pardon, gentles all, +The flat unraised spirits that hath dared +On this unworthy scaffold to bring forth +So great an object. Can this cockpit hold +The vasty fields of France? Or may we cram +Within this wooden O the very casques +That did affright the air at Agincourt? +O pardon, since a crooked figure may +Attest in little place a million, +And let us, ciphers to this great account, +On your imaginary forces work. +Suppose within the girdle of these walls +Are now confined two mighty monarchies, +Whose high upreared and abutting fronts +The perilous narrow ocean parts asunder. +Piece out our imperfections with your thoughts. +Into a thousand parts divide one man, +And make imaginary puissance. +Think, when we talk of horses, that you see them +Printing their proud hoofs i' th' receiving earth, +For 'tis your thoughts that now must deck our +kings, +Carry them here and there, jumping o'er times, +Turning th' accomplishment of many years +Into an hourglass; for the which supply, +Admit me chorus to this history, +Who, prologue-like, your humble patience pray +Gently to hear, kindly to judge our play. +[He exits.] + + +ACT 1 +===== + +Scene 1 +======= +[Enter the two Bishops of Canterbury and Ely.] + + +BISHOP OF CANTERBURY +My lord, I'll tell you that self bill is urged +Which in th' eleventh year of the last king's reign +Was like, and had indeed against us passed +But that the scambling and unquiet time +Did push it out of farther question. + +BISHOP OF ELY +But how, my lord, shall we resist it now? + +BISHOP OF CANTERBURY +It must be thought on. If it pass against us, +We lose the better half of our possession, +For all the temporal lands which men devout +By testament have given to the Church +Would they strip from us, being valued thus: +"As much as would maintain, to the King's honor, +Full fifteen earls and fifteen hundred knights, +Six thousand and two hundred good esquires; +And, to relief of lazars and weak age +Of indigent faint souls past corporal toil, +A hundred almshouses right well supplied; +And to the coffers of the King besides, +A thousand pounds by th' year." Thus runs the bill. + +BISHOP OF ELY +This would drink deep. + +BISHOP OF CANTERBURY 'Twould drink the cup and +all. + +BISHOP OF ELY But what prevention? + +BISHOP OF CANTERBURY +The King is full of grace and fair regard. + +BISHOP OF ELY +And a true lover of the holy Church. + +BISHOP OF CANTERBURY +The courses of his youth promised it not. +The breath no sooner left his father's body +But that his wildness, mortified in him, +Seemed to die too. Yea, at that very moment +Consideration like an angel came +And whipped th' offending Adam out of him, +Leaving his body as a paradise +T' envelop and contain celestial spirits. +Never was such a sudden scholar made, +Never came reformation in a flood +With such a heady currance scouring faults, +Nor never Hydra-headed willfulness +So soon did lose his seat, and all at once, +As in this king. + +BISHOP OF ELY We are blessed in the change. + +BISHOP OF CANTERBURY +Hear him but reason in divinity +And, all-admiring, with an inward wish +You would desire the King were made a prelate; +Hear him debate of commonwealth affairs, +You would say it hath been all in all his study; +List his discourse of war, and you shall hear +A fearful battle rendered you in music; +Turn him to any cause of policy, +The Gordian knot of it he will unloose +Familiar as his garter; that, when he speaks, +The air, a chartered libertine, is still, +And the mute wonder lurketh in men's ears +To steal his sweet and honeyed sentences; +So that the art and practic part of life +Must be the mistress to this theoric; +Which is a wonder how his Grace should glean it, +Since his addiction was to courses vain, +His companies unlettered, rude, and shallow, +His hours filled up with riots, banquets, sports, +And never noted in him any study, +Any retirement, any sequestration +From open haunts and popularity. + +BISHOP OF ELY +The strawberry grows underneath the nettle, +And wholesome berries thrive and ripen best +Neighbored by fruit of baser quality; +And so the Prince obscured his contemplation +Under the veil of wildness, which, no doubt, +Grew like the summer grass, fastest by night, +Unseen yet crescive in his faculty. + +BISHOP OF CANTERBURY +It must be so, for miracles are ceased, +And therefore we must needs admit the means +How things are perfected. + +BISHOP OF ELY But, my good lord, +How now for mitigation of this bill +Urged by the Commons? Doth his Majesty +Incline to it or no? + +BISHOP OF CANTERBURY He seems indifferent, +Or rather swaying more upon our part +Than cherishing th' exhibitors against us; +For I have made an offer to his Majesty-- +Upon our spiritual convocation +And in regard of causes now in hand, +Which I have opened to his Grace at large, +As touching France--to give a greater sum +Than ever at one time the clergy yet +Did to his predecessors part withal. + +BISHOP OF ELY +How did this offer seem received, my lord? + +BISHOP OF CANTERBURY +With good acceptance of his Majesty-- +Save that there was not time enough to hear, +As I perceived his Grace would fain have done, +The severals and unhidden passages +Of his true titles to some certain dukedoms, +And generally to the crown and seat of France, +Derived from Edward, his great-grandfather. + +BISHOP OF ELY +What was th' impediment that broke this off? + +BISHOP OF CANTERBURY +The French ambassador upon that instant +Craved audience. And the hour, I think, is come +To give him hearing. Is it four o'clock? + +BISHOP OF ELY It is. + +BISHOP OF CANTERBURY +Then go we in to know his embassy, +Which I could with a ready guess declare +Before the Frenchman speak a word of it. + +BISHOP OF ELY +I'll wait upon you, and I long to hear it. +[They exit.] + +Scene 2 +======= +[Enter the King of England, Humphrey Duke of +Gloucester, Bedford, Clarence, Warwick, Westmoreland, +and Exeter, with other Attendants.] + + +KING HENRY +Where is my gracious Lord of Canterbury? + +EXETER +Not here in presence. + +KING HENRY Send for him, good uncle. + +WESTMORELAND +Shall we call in th' Ambassador, my liege? + +KING HENRY +Not yet, my cousin. We would be resolved, +Before we hear him, of some things of weight +That task our thoughts concerning us and France. + +[Enter the two Bishops of Canterbury and Ely.] + + +BISHOP OF CANTERBURY +God and his angels guard your sacred throne +And make you long become it. + +KING HENRY Sure we thank you. +My learned lord, we pray you to proceed +And justly and religiously unfold +Why the law Salic that they have in France +Or should or should not bar us in our claim. +And God forbid, my dear and faithful lord, +That you should fashion, wrest, or bow your +reading, +Or nicely charge your understanding soul +With opening titles miscreate, whose right +Suits not in native colors with the truth; +For God doth know how many now in health +Shall drop their blood in approbation +Of what your reverence shall incite us to. +Therefore take heed how you impawn our person, +How you awake our sleeping sword of war. +We charge you in the name of God, take heed, +For never two such kingdoms did contend +Without much fall of blood, whose guiltless drops +Are every one a woe, a sore complaint +'Gainst him whose wrongs gives edge unto the +swords +That makes such waste in brief mortality. +Under this conjuration, speak, my lord, +For we will hear, note, and believe in heart +That what you speak is in your conscience washed +As pure as sin with baptism. + +BISHOP OF CANTERBURY +Then hear me, gracious sovereign, and you peers +That owe yourselves, your lives, and services +To this imperial throne. There is no bar +To make against your Highness' claim to France +But this, which they produce from Pharamond: +"In terram Salicam mulieres ne succedant +(No woman shall succeed in Salic land), +Which Salic land the French unjustly gloze +To be the realm of France, and Pharamond +The founder of this law and female bar. +Yet their own authors faithfully affirm +That the land Salic is in Germany, +Between the floods of Sala and of Elbe, +Where Charles the Great, having subdued the +Saxons, +There left behind and settled certain French, +Who, holding in disdain the German women +For some dishonest manners of their life, +Established then this law: to wit, no female +Should be inheritrix in Salic land, +Which "Salic," as I said, 'twixt Elbe and Sala +Is at this day in Germany called Meissen. +Then doth it well appear the Salic law +Was not devised for the realm of France, +Nor did the French possess the Salic land +Until four hundred one and twenty years +After defunction of King Pharamond, +Idly supposed the founder of this law, +Who died within the year of our redemption +Four hundred twenty-six; and Charles the Great +Subdued the Saxons and did seat the French +Beyond the river Sala in the year +Eight hundred five. Besides, their writers say, +King Pepin, which deposed Childeric, +Did, as heir general, being descended +Of Blithild, which was daughter to King Clothair, +Make claim and title to the crown of France. +Hugh Capet also, who usurped the crown +Of Charles the Duke of Lorraine, sole heir male +Of the true line and stock of Charles the Great, +To find his title with some shows of truth, +Though in pure truth it was corrupt and naught, +Conveyed himself as th' heir to th' Lady Lingare, +Daughter to Charlemagne, who was the son +To Lewis the Emperor, and Lewis the son +Of Charles the Great. Also King Lewis the Tenth, +Who was sole heir to the usurper Capet, +Could not keep quiet in his conscience, +Wearing the crown of France, till satisfied +That fair Queen Isabel, his grandmother, +Was lineal of the Lady Ermengare, +Daughter to Charles the foresaid Duke of Lorraine: +By the which marriage the line of Charles the Great +Was reunited to the crown of France. +So that, as clear as is the summer's sun, +King Pepin's title and Hugh Capet's claim, +King Lewis his satisfaction, all appear +To hold in right and title of the female. +So do the kings of France unto this day, +Howbeit they would hold up this Salic law +To bar your Highness claiming from the female, +And rather choose to hide them in a net +Than amply to imbar their crooked titles +Usurped from you and your progenitors. + +KING HENRY +May I with right and conscience make this claim? + +BISHOP OF CANTERBURY +The sin upon my head, dread sovereign, +For in the Book of Numbers is it writ: +"When the man dies, let the inheritance +Descend unto the daughter." Gracious lord, +Stand for your own, unwind your bloody flag, +Look back into your mighty ancestors. +Go, my dread lord, to your great-grandsire's tomb, +From whom you claim; invoke his warlike spirit +And your great-uncle's, Edward the Black Prince, +Who on the French ground played a tragedy, +Making defeat on the full power of France +Whiles his most mighty father on a hill +Stood smiling to behold his lion's whelp +Forage in blood of French nobility. +O noble English, that could entertain +With half their forces the full pride of France +And let another half stand laughing by, +All out of work and cold for action! + +BISHOP OF ELY +Awake remembrance of these valiant dead +And with your puissant arm renew their feats. +You are their heir, you sit upon their throne, +The blood and courage that renowned them +Runs in your veins; and my thrice-puissant liege +Is in the very May-morn of his youth, +Ripe for exploits and mighty enterprises. + +EXETER +Your brother kings and monarchs of the Earth +Do all expect that you should rouse yourself +As did the former lions of your blood. + +WESTMORELAND +They know your Grace hath cause and means and +might; +So hath your Highness. Never king of England +Had nobles richer, and more loyal subjects, +Whose hearts have left their bodies here in England +And lie pavilioned in the fields of France. + +BISHOP OF CANTERBURY +O, let their bodies follow, my dear liege, +With blood and sword and fire to win your right, +In aid whereof we of the spiritualty +Will raise your Highness such a mighty sum +As never did the clergy at one time +Bring in to any of your ancestors. + +KING HENRY +We must not only arm t' invade the French, +But lay down our proportions to defend +Against the Scot, who will make road upon us +With all advantages. + +BISHOP OF CANTERBURY +They of those marches, gracious sovereign, +Shall be a wall sufficient to defend +Our inland from the pilfering borderers. + +KING HENRY +We do not mean the coursing snatchers only, +But fear the main intendment of the Scot, +Who hath been still a giddy neighbor to us. +For you shall read that my great-grandfather +Never went with his forces into France +But that the Scot on his unfurnished kingdom +Came pouring like the tide into a breach +With ample and brim fullness of his force, +Galling the gleaned land with hot assays, +Girding with grievous siege castles and towns, +That England, being empty of defense, +Hath shook and trembled at th' ill neighborhood. + +BISHOP OF CANTERBURY +She hath been then more feared than harmed, my +liege, +For hear her but exampled by herself: +When all her chivalry hath been in France +And she a mourning widow of her nobles, +She hath herself not only well defended +But taken and impounded as a stray +The King of Scots, whom she did send to France +To fill King Edward's fame with prisoner kings +And make her chronicle as rich with praise +As is the ooze and bottom of the sea +With sunken wrack and sumless treasuries. + +BISHOP OF ELY +But there's a saying very old and true: + "If that you will France win, + Then with Scotland first begin." +For once the eagle England being in prey, +To her unguarded nest the weasel Scot +Comes sneaking and so sucks her princely eggs, +Playing the mouse in absence of the cat, +To 'tame and havoc more than she can eat. + +EXETER +It follows, then, the cat must stay at home. +Yet that is but a crushed necessity, +Since we have locks to safeguard necessaries +And pretty traps to catch the petty thieves. +While that the armed hand doth fight abroad, +Th' advised head defends itself at home. +For government, though high and low and lower, +Put into parts, doth keep in one consent, +Congreeing in a full and natural close, +Like music. + +BISHOP OF CANTERBURY Therefore doth heaven divide +The state of man in divers functions, +Setting endeavor in continual motion, +To which is fixed as an aim or butt +Obedience; for so work the honeybees, +Creatures that by a rule in nature teach +The act of order to a peopled kingdom. +They have a king and officers of sorts, +Where some like magistrates correct at home, +Others like merchants venture trade abroad, +Others like soldiers armed in their stings +Make boot upon the summer's velvet buds, +Which pillage they with merry march bring home +To the tent royal of their emperor, +Who, busied in his majesty, surveys +The singing masons building roofs of gold, +The civil citizens kneading up the honey, +The poor mechanic porters crowding in +Their heavy burdens at his narrow gate, +The sad-eyed justice with his surly hum +Delivering o'er to executors pale +The lazy yawning drone. I this infer: +That many things, having full reference +To one consent, may work contrariously, +As many arrows loosed several ways +Come to one mark, as many ways meet in one town, +As many fresh streams meet in one salt sea, +As many lines close in the dial's center, +So may a thousand actions, once afoot, +End in one purpose and be all well borne +Without defeat. Therefore to France, my liege! +Divide your happy England into four, +Whereof take you one quarter into France, +And you withal shall make all Gallia shake. +If we, with thrice such powers left at home, +Cannot defend our own doors from the dog, +Let us be worried, and our nation lose +The name of hardiness and policy. + +KING HENRY +Call in the messengers sent from the Dauphin. +[Attendants exit.] +Now are we well resolved, and by God's help +And yours, the noble sinews of our power, +France being ours, we'll bend it to our awe +Or break it all to pieces. Or there we'll sit, +Ruling in large and ample empery +O'er France and all her almost kingly dukedoms, +Or lay these bones in an unworthy urn, +Tombless, with no remembrance over them. +Either our history shall with full mouth +Speak freely of our acts, or else our grave, +Like Turkish mute, shall have a tongueless mouth, +Not worshiped with a waxen epitaph. + +[Enter Ambassadors of France, with Attendants. +] + +Now are we well prepared to know the pleasure +Of our fair cousin Dauphin, for we hear +Your greeting is from him, not from the King. + +AMBASSADOR +May 't please your Majesty to give us leave +Freely to render what we have in charge, +Or shall we sparingly show you far off +The Dauphin's meaning and our embassy? + +KING HENRY +We are no tyrant, but a Christian king, +Unto whose grace our passion is as subject +As is our wretches fettered in our prisons. +Therefore with frank and with uncurbed plainness +Tell us the Dauphin's mind. + +AMBASSADOR Thus, then, in few: +Your Highness, lately sending into France, +Did claim some certain dukedoms in the right +Of your great predecessor, King Edward the Third; +In answer of which claim, the Prince our master +Says that you savor too much of your youth +And bids you be advised there's naught in France +That can be with a nimble galliard won; +You cannot revel into dukedoms there. +He therefore sends you, meeter for your spirit, +This tun of treasure and, in lieu of this, +Desires you let the dukedoms that you claim +Hear no more of you. This the Dauphin speaks. + +KING HENRY +What treasure, uncle? + +EXETER Tennis balls, +my liege. + +KING HENRY +We are glad the Dauphin is so pleasant with us. +His present and your pains we thank you for. +When we have matched our rackets to these balls, +We will in France, by God's grace, play a set +Shall strike his father's crown into the hazard. +Tell him he hath made a match with such a +wrangler +That all the courts of France will be disturbed +With chases. And we understand him well, +How he comes o'er us with our wilder days, +Not measuring what use we made of them. +We never valued this poor seat of England, +And therefore, living hence, did give ourself +To barbarous license, as 'tis ever common +That men are merriest when they are from home. +But tell the Dauphin I will keep my state, +Be like a king, and show my sail of greatness +When I do rouse me in my throne of France, +For that I have laid by my majesty +And plodded like a man for working days; +But I will rise there with so full a glory +That I will dazzle all the eyes of France, +Yea, strike the Dauphin blind to look on us. +And tell the pleasant prince this mock of his +Hath turned his balls to gun-stones, and his soul +Shall stand sore charged for the wasteful vengeance +That shall fly with them; for many a thousand +widows +Shall this his mock mock out of their dear husbands, +Mock mothers from their sons, mock castles down; +And some are yet ungotten and unborn +That shall have cause to curse the Dauphin's scorn. +But this lies all within the will of God, +To whom I do appeal, and in whose name +Tell you the Dauphin I am coming on, +To venge me as I may and to put forth +My rightful hand in a well-hallowed cause. +So get you hence in peace. And tell the Dauphin +His jest will savor but of shallow wit +When thousands weep more than did laugh at it.-- +Convey them with safe conduct.--Fare you well. +[Ambassadors exit, with Attendants.] + +EXETER This was a merry message. + +KING HENRY +We hope to make the sender blush at it. +Therefore, my lords, omit no happy hour +That may give furth'rance to our expedition; +For we have now no thought in us but France, +Save those to God, that run before our business. +Therefore let our proportions for these wars +Be soon collected, and all things thought upon +That may with reasonable swiftness add +More feathers to our wings. For, God before, +We'll chide this Dauphin at his father's door. +Therefore let every man now task his thought, +That this fair action may on foot be brought. +[Flourish. They exit.] + + +ACT 2 +===== + + +[Enter Chorus.] + + +CHORUS +Now all the youth of England are on fire, +And silken dalliance in the wardrobe lies; +Now thrive the armorers, and honor's thought +Reigns solely in the breast of every man. +They sell the pasture now to buy the horse, +Following the mirror of all Christian kings +With winged heels, as English Mercurys. +For now sits Expectation in the air +And hides a sword, from hilts unto the point, +With crowns imperial, crowns, and coronets +Promised to Harry and his followers. +The French, advised by good intelligence +Of this most dreadful preparation, +Shake in their fear, and with pale policy +Seek to divert the English purposes. +O England, model to thy inward greatness, +Like little body with a mighty heart, +What might'st thou do, that honor would thee do, +Were all thy children kind and natural! +But see, thy fault France hath in thee found out, +A nest of hollow bosoms, which he fills +With treacherous crowns, and three corrupted men-- +One, Richard, Earl of Cambridge, and the second, +Henry, Lord Scroop of Masham, and the third, +Sir Thomas Grey, knight, of Northumberland-- +Have, for the gilt of France (O guilt indeed!), +Confirmed conspiracy with fearful France, +And by their hands this grace of kings must die, +If hell and treason hold their promises, +Ere he take ship for France, and in Southampton. +Linger your patience on, and we'll digest +Th' abuse of distance, force a play. +The sum is paid, the traitors are agreed, +The King is set from London, and the scene +Is now transported, gentles, to Southampton. +There is the playhouse now, there must you sit, +And thence to France shall we convey you safe +And bring you back, charming the narrow seas +To give you gentle pass; for, if we may, +We'll not offend one stomach with our play. +But, till the King come forth, and not till then, +Unto Southampton do we shift our scene. +[He exits.] + +Scene 1 +======= +[Enter Corporal Nym and Lieutenant Bardolph.] + + +BARDOLPH Well met, Corporal Nym. + +NYM Good morrow, Lieutenant Bardolph. + +BARDOLPH What, are Ancient Pistol and you friends +yet? + +NYM For my part, I care not. I say little, but when time +shall serve, there shall be smiles; but that shall be as +it may. I dare not fight, but I will wink and hold out +mine iron. It is a simple one, but what though? It +will toast cheese, and it will endure cold as another +man's sword will, and there's an end. + +BARDOLPH I will bestow a breakfast to make you +friends, and we'll be all three sworn brothers to +France. Let 't be so, good Corporal Nym. + +NYM Faith, I will live so long as I may, that's the +certain of it; and when I cannot live any longer, I +will do as I may. That is my rest, that is the +rendezvous of it. + +BARDOLPH It is certain, corporal, that he is married to +Nell Quickly, and certainly she did you wrong, for +you were troth-plight to her. + +NYM I cannot tell. Things must be as they may. Men +may sleep, and they may have their throats about +them at that time, and some say knives have edges. +It must be as it may. Though patience be a tired +mare, yet she will plod. There must be conclusions. +Well, I cannot tell. + +[Enter Pistol and Hostess Quickly.] + + +BARDOLPH Here comes Ancient Pistol and his wife. +Good corporal, be patient here.--How now, mine +host Pistol? + +PISTOL Base tyke, call'st thou me host? Now, by this +hand, I swear I scorn the term, nor shall my Nell +keep lodgers. + +HOSTESS No, by my troth, not long; for we cannot +lodge and board a dozen or fourteen gentlewomen +that live honestly by the prick of their needles but it +will be thought we keep a bawdy house straight. +[Nym and Pistol draw their swords.] +O well-a-day, Lady! If he be not hewn now, we shall +see willful adultery and murder committed. + +BARDOLPH Good lieutenant, good corporal, offer nothing +here. + +NYM Pish! + +PISTOL Pish for thee, Iceland dog, thou prick-eared +cur of Iceland! + +HOSTESS Good Corporal Nym, show thy valor, and put +up your sword. + +NYM Will you shog off? [To Pistol.] I would have you +solus. + +PISTOL "Solus, egregious dog? O viper vile, the solus +in thy most marvelous face, the solus in thy teeth +and in thy throat and in thy hateful lungs, yea, in thy +maw, perdy, and, which is worse, within thy nasty +mouth! I do retort the solus in thy bowels, for I can +take, and Pistol's cock is up, and flashing fire will +follow. + +NYM I am not Barbason, you cannot conjure me. I +have an humor to knock you indifferently well. If +you grow foul with me, Pistol, I will scour you with +my rapier, as I may, in fair terms. If you would walk +off, I would prick your guts a little in good terms, as +I may, and that's the humor of it. + +PISTOL +O braggart vile and damned furious wight, +The grave doth gape, and doting death is near. +Therefore exhale. + +BARDOLPH Hear me, hear me what I say: he that strikes +the first stroke, I'll run him up to the hilts, as I am a +soldier. [He draws.] + +PISTOL An oath of mickle might, and fury shall abate. +[Pistol and Nym and then Bardolph +sheathe their swords.] +Give me thy fist, thy forefoot to me give. Thy spirits +are most tall. + +NYM, [to Pistol] I will cut thy throat one time or other +in fair terms, that is the humor of it. + +PISTOL Couple a gorge, that is the word. I defy thee +again. O hound of Crete, think'st thou my spouse to +get? No, to the spital go, and from the powd'ring tub +of infamy fetch forth the lazar kite of Cressid's kind, +Doll Tearsheet she by name, and her espouse. I +have, and I will hold, the quondam Quickly for the +only she: and pauca, there's enough too! Go to. + +[Enter the Boy.] + + +BOY Mine host Pistol, you must come to my master, +and your hostess. He is very sick and would to +bed.--Good Bardolph, put thy face between his +sheets, and do the office of a warming-pan. Faith, +he's very ill. + +BARDOLPH Away, you rogue! + +HOSTESS By my troth, he'll yield the crow a pudding +one of these days. The King has killed his heart. +Good husband, come home presently. +[She exits with the Boy.] + +BARDOLPH Come, shall I make you two friends? We +must to France together. Why the devil should we +keep knives to cut one another's throats? + +PISTOL +Let floods o'erswell and fiends for food howl on! + +NYM You'll pay me the eight shillings I won of you at +betting? + +PISTOL Base is the slave that pays. + +NYM That now I will have, that's the humor of it. + +PISTOL As manhood shall compound. Push home. +[They draw.] + +BARDOLPH, [drawing his sword] By this sword, he that +makes the first thrust, I'll kill him. By this sword, I +will. + +PISTOL, [sheathing his sword] "Sword" is an oath, and +oaths must have their course. + +BARDOLPH Corporal Nym, an thou wilt be friends, be +friends; an thou wilt not, why then be enemies with +me too. Prithee, put up. + +PISTOL, [to Nym] A noble shalt thou have, and present +pay, and liquor likewise will I give to thee, and +friendship shall combine, and brotherhood. I'll live +by Nym, and Nym shall live by me. Is not this just? +For I shall sutler be unto the camp, and profits will +accrue. Give me thy hand. + +NYM I shall have my noble? + +PISTOL In cash, most justly paid. + +NYM Well, then, that's the humor of 't. +[Nym and Bardolph sheathe their swords.] + +[Enter Hostess.] + + +HOSTESS As ever you come of women, come in quickly +to Sir John. Ah, poor heart, he is so shaked of a +burning quotidian-tertian that it is most lamentable +to behold. Sweet men, come to him. + +NYM The King hath run bad humors on the knight, +that's the even of it. + +PISTOL Nym, thou hast spoke the right. His heart is +fracted and corroborate. + +NYM The King is a good king, but it must be as it may; +he passes some humors and careers. + +PISTOL Let us condole the knight, for, lambkins, we +will live. +[They exit.] + +Scene 2 +======= +[Enter Exeter, Bedford, and Westmoreland.] + + +BEDFORD +'Fore God, his Grace is bold to trust these traitors. + +EXETER +They shall be apprehended by and by. + +WESTMORELAND +How smooth and even they do bear themselves, +As if allegiance in their bosoms sat +Crowned with faith and constant loyalty. + +BEDFORD +The King hath note of all that they intend, +By interception which they dream not of. + +EXETER +Nay, but the man that was his bedfellow, +Whom he hath dulled and cloyed with gracious +favors-- +That he should, for a foreign purse, so sell +His sovereign's life to death and treachery! + +[Sound Trumpets. Enter the King of England, +Scroop, Cambridge, and Grey, with Attendants.] + + +KING HENRY +Now sits the wind fair, and we will aboard.-- +My Lord of Cambridge, and my kind Lord of +Masham, +And you, my gentle knight, give me your thoughts. +Think you not that the powers we bear with us +Will cut their passage through the force of France, +Doing the execution and the act +For which we have in head assembled them? + +SCROOP +No doubt, my liege, if each man do his best. + +KING HENRY +I doubt not that, since we are well persuaded +We carry not a heart with us from hence +That grows not in a fair consent with ours, +Nor leave not one behind that doth not wish +Success and conquest to attend on us. + +CAMBRIDGE +Never was monarch better feared and loved +Than is your Majesty. There's not, I think, a subject +That sits in heart-grief and uneasiness +Under the sweet shade of your government. + +GREY +True. Those that were your father's enemies +Have steeped their galls in honey, and do serve you +With hearts create of duty and of zeal. + +KING HENRY +We therefore have great cause of thankfulness, +And shall forget the office of our hand +Sooner than quittance of desert and merit +According to the weight and worthiness. + +SCROOP +So service shall with steeled sinews toil, +And labor shall refresh itself with hope +To do your Grace incessant services. + +KING HENRY +We judge no less.--Uncle of Exeter, +Enlarge the man committed yesterday +That railed against our person. We consider +It was excess of wine that set him on, +And on his more advice we pardon him. + +SCROOP +That's mercy, but too much security. +Let him be punished, sovereign, lest example +Breed, by his sufferance, more of such a kind. + +KING HENRY O, let us yet be merciful. + +CAMBRIDGE +So may your Highness, and yet punish too. + +GREY +Sir, you show great mercy if you give him life +After the taste of much correction. + +KING HENRY +Alas, your too much love and care of me +Are heavy orisons 'gainst this poor wretch. +If little faults proceeding on distemper +Shall not be winked at, how shall we stretch our eye +When capital crimes, chewed, swallowed, and +digested, +Appear before us? We'll yet enlarge that man, +Though Cambridge, Scroop, and Grey, in their dear +care +And tender preservation of our person, +Would have him punished. And now to our French +causes. +Who are the late commissioners? + +CAMBRIDGE I one, my lord. +Your Highness bade me ask for it today. + +SCROOP So did you me, my liege. + +GREY And I, my royal sovereign. + +KING HENRY, [giving them papers] +Then Richard, Earl of Cambridge, there is yours-- +There yours, Lord Scroop of Masham.--And, sir +knight, +Grey of Northumberland, this same is yours.-- +Read them, and know I know your worthiness.-- +My Lord of Westmoreland and uncle Exeter, +We will aboard tonight.--Why how now, gentlemen? +What see you in those papers, that you lose +So much complexion?--Look you, how they change. +Their cheeks are paper.--Why, what read you there +That have so cowarded and chased your blood +Out of appearance? + +CAMBRIDGE I do confess my fault, +And do submit me to your Highness' mercy. + +GREY/SCROOP To which we all appeal. + +KING HENRY +The mercy that was quick in us but late +By your own counsel is suppressed and killed. +You must not dare, for shame, to talk of mercy, +For your own reasons turn into your bosoms +As dogs upon their masters, worrying you.-- +See you, my princes and my noble peers, +These English monsters. My Lord of Cambridge +here, +You know how apt our love was to accord +To furnish him with all appurtenants +Belonging to his honor, and this man +Hath, for a few light crowns, lightly conspired +And sworn unto the practices of France +To kill us here in Hampton; to the which +This knight, no less for bounty bound to us +Than Cambridge is, hath likewise sworn.--But O, +What shall I say to thee, Lord Scroop, thou cruel, +Ingrateful, savage, and inhuman creature? +Thou that didst bear the key of all my counsels, +That knew'st the very bottom of my soul, +That almost mightst have coined me into gold, +Wouldst thou have practiced on me for thy use-- +May it be possible that foreign hire +Could out of thee extract one spark of evil +That might annoy my finger? 'Tis so strange +That, though the truth of it stands off as gross +As black and white, my eye will scarcely see it. +Treason and murder ever kept together, +As two yoke-devils sworn to either's purpose, +Working so grossly in a natural cause +That admiration did not whoop at them. +But thou, 'gainst all proportion, didst bring in +Wonder to wait on treason and on murder, +And whatsoever cunning fiend it was +That wrought upon thee so preposterously +Hath got the voice in hell for excellence. +All other devils that suggest by treasons +Do botch and bungle up damnation +With patches, colors, and with forms being fetched +From glist'ring semblances of piety; +But he that tempered thee bade thee stand up, +Gave thee no instance why thou shouldst do treason, +Unless to dub thee with the name of traitor. +If that same demon that hath gulled thee thus +Should with his lion gait walk the whole world, +He might return to vasty Tartar back +And tell the legions "I can never win +A soul so easy as that Englishman's." +O, how hast thou with jealousy infected +The sweetness of affiance! Show men dutiful? +Why, so didst thou. Seem they grave and learned? +Why, so didst thou. Come they of noble family? +Why, so didst thou. Seem they religious? +Why, so didst thou. Or are they spare in diet, +Free from gross passion or of mirth or anger, +Constant in spirit, not swerving with the blood, +Garnished and decked in modest complement, +Not working with the eye without the ear, +And but in purged judgment trusting neither? +Such and so finely bolted didst thou seem. +And thus thy fall hath left a kind of blot +To mark the full-fraught man and best endued +With some suspicion. I will weep for thee, +For this revolt of thine methinks is like +Another fall of man.--Their faults are open. +Arrest them to the answer of the law, +And God acquit them of their practices. + +EXETER I arrest thee of high treason, by the name of +Richard, Earl of Cambridge.-- +I arrest thee of high treason, by the name of +Henry, Lord Scroop of Masham.-- +I arrest thee of high treason, by the name of +Thomas Grey, knight, of Northumberland. + +SCROOP +Our purposes God justly hath discovered, +And I repent my fault more than my death, +Which I beseech your Highness to forgive, +Although my body pay the price of it. + +CAMBRIDGE +For me, the gold of France did not seduce, +Although I did admit it as a motive +The sooner to effect what I intended; +But God be thanked for prevention, +Which I in sufferance heartily will rejoice, +Beseeching God and you to pardon me. + +GREY +Never did faithful subject more rejoice +At the discovery of most dangerous treason +Than I do at this hour joy o'er myself, +Prevented from a damned enterprise. +My fault, but not my body, pardon, sovereign. + +KING HENRY +God quit you in His mercy. Hear your sentence: +You have conspired against our royal person, +Joined with an enemy proclaimed, and from his +coffers +Received the golden earnest of our death, +Wherein you would have sold your king to +slaughter, +His princes and his peers to servitude, +His subjects to oppression and contempt, +And his whole kingdom into desolation. +Touching our person, seek we no revenge, +But we our kingdom's safety must so tender, +Whose ruin you have sought, that to her laws +We do deliver you. Get you therefore hence, +Poor miserable wretches, to your death, +The taste whereof God of His mercy give +You patience to endure, and true repentance +Of all your dear offenses.--Bear them hence. +[They exit under guard.] +Now, lords, for France, the enterprise whereof +Shall be to you as us, like glorious. +We doubt not of a fair and lucky war, +Since God so graciously hath brought to light +This dangerous treason lurking in our way +To hinder our beginnings. We doubt not now +But every rub is smoothed on our way. +Then forth, dear countrymen. Let us deliver +Our puissance into the hand of God, +Putting it straight in expedition. +Cheerly to sea. The signs of war advance. +No king of England if not king of France. +[Flourish. They exit.] + +Scene 3 +======= +[Enter Pistol, Nym, Bardolph, Boy, and Hostess.] + + +HOSTESS Prithee, honey-sweet husband, let me bring +thee to Staines. + +PISTOL No; for my manly heart doth earn.--Bardolph, +be blithe.--Nym, rouse thy vaunting veins.-- Boy, +bristle thy courage up. For Falstaff, he is dead, and +we must earn therefore. + +BARDOLPH Would I were with him, wheresome'er he +is, either in heaven or in hell. + +HOSTESS Nay, sure, he's not in hell! He's in Arthur's +bosom, if ever man went to Arthur's bosom. He +made a finer end, and went away an it had been any +christom child. He parted ev'n just between twelve +and one, ev'n at the turning o' th' tide; for after I saw +him fumble with the sheets and play with flowers +and smile upon his finger's end, I knew there was +but one way, for his nose was as sharp as a pen and +he talked of green fields. "How now, Sir John?" +quoth I. "What, man, be o' good cheer!" So he cried +out "God, God, God!" three or four times. Now I, to +comfort him, bid him he should not think of God; I +hoped there was no need to trouble himself with +any such thoughts yet. So he bade me lay more +clothes on his feet. I put my hand into the bed and +felt them, and they were as cold as any stone. Then I +felt to his knees, and so upward and upward, and +all was as cold as any stone. + +NYM They say he cried out of sack. + +HOSTESS Ay, that he did. + +BARDOLPH And of women. + +HOSTESS Nay, that he did not. + +BOY Yes, that he did, and said they were devils +incarnate. + +HOSTESS He could never abide carnation. 'Twas a +color he never liked. + +BOY He said once, the devil would have him about +women. + +HOSTESS He did in some sort, indeed, handle women, +but then he was rheumatic and talked of the Whore +of Babylon. + +BOY Do you not remember he saw a flea stick upon +Bardolph's nose, and he said it was a black soul +burning in hell? + +BARDOLPH Well, the fuel is gone that maintained that +fire. That's all the riches I got in his service. + +NYM Shall we shog? The King will be gone from +Southampton. + +PISTOL Come, let's away.--My love, give me thy lips. +[They kiss.] Look to my chattels and my movables. +Let senses rule. The word is "Pitch and pay." Trust +none, for oaths are straws, men's faiths are wafer-cakes, +and Holdfast is the only dog, my duck. +Therefore, Caveto be thy counselor. Go, clear thy +crystals.--Yoke-fellows in arms, let us to France, +like horse-leeches, my boys, to suck, to suck, the +very blood to suck. + +BOY And that's but unwholesome food, they say. + +PISTOL Touch her soft mouth, and march. + +BARDOLPH, [kissing the Hostess] Farewell, hostess. + +NYM I cannot kiss, that is the humor of it. But adieu. + +PISTOL, [to the Hostess] Let huswifery appear. Keep +close, I thee command. + +HOSTESS Farewell. Adieu. +[They exit.] + +Scene 4 +======= +[Flourish. Enter the French King, the Dauphin, the Dukes + of Berri and Brittany, the Constable, and others.] + + +KING OF FRANCE +Thus comes the English with full power upon us, +And more than carefully it us concerns +To answer royally in our defenses. +Therefore the Dukes of Berri and of Brittany, +Of Brabant and of Orleans, shall make forth, +And you, Prince Dauphin, with all swift dispatch, +To line and new-repair our towns of war +With men of courage and with means defendant. +For England his approaches makes as fierce +As waters to the sucking of a gulf. +It fits us then to be as provident +As fear may teach us out of late examples +Left by the fatal and neglected English +Upon our fields. + +DAUPHIN My most redoubted father, +It is most meet we arm us 'gainst the foe, +For peace itself should not so dull a kingdom, +Though war nor no known quarrel were in question +But that defenses, musters, preparations +Should be maintained, assembled, and collected +As were a war in expectation. +Therefore I say 'tis meet we all go forth +To view the sick and feeble parts of France. +And let us do it with no show of fear, +No, with no more than if we heard that England +Were busied with a Whitsun morris-dance. +For, my good liege, she is so idly kinged, +Her scepter so fantastically borne +By a vain, giddy, shallow, humorous youth, +That fear attends her not. + +CONSTABLE O peace, Prince Dauphin! +You are too much mistaken in this king. +Question your Grace the late ambassadors +With what great state he heard their embassy, +How well supplied with noble councillors, +How modest in exception, and withal +How terrible in constant resolution, +And you shall find his vanities forespent +Were but the outside of the Roman Brutus, +Covering discretion with a coat of folly, +As gardeners do with ordure hide those roots +That shall first spring and be most delicate. + +DAUPHIN +Well, 'tis not so, my Lord High Constable. +But though we think it so, it is no matter. +In cases of defense, 'tis best to weigh +The enemy more mighty than he seems. +So the proportions of defense are filled, +Which of a weak and niggardly projection +Doth, like a miser, spoil his coat with scanting +A little cloth. + +KING OF FRANCE Think we King Harry strong, +And, princes, look you strongly arm to meet him. +The kindred of him hath been fleshed upon us, +And he is bred out of that bloody strain +That haunted us in our familiar paths. +Witness our too-much-memorable shame +When Cressy battle fatally was struck +And all our princes captived by the hand +Of that black name, Edward, Black Prince of +Wales, +Whiles that his mountain sire, on mountain standing +Up in the air, crowned with the golden sun, +Saw his heroical seed and smiled to see him +Mangle the work of nature and deface +The patterns that by God and by French fathers +Had twenty years been made. This is a stem +Of that victorious stock, and let us fear +The native mightiness and fate of him. + +[Enter a Messenger.] + + +MESSENGER +Ambassadors from Harry King of England +Do crave admittance to your Majesty. + +KING OF FRANCE +We'll give them present audience. Go, and bring +them. [Messenger exits.] +You see this chase is hotly followed, friends. + +DAUPHIN +Turn head and stop pursuit, for coward dogs +Most spend their mouths when what they seem to +threaten +Runs far before them. Good my sovereign, +Take up the English short, and let them know +Of what a monarchy you are the head. +Self-love, my liege, is not so vile a sin +As self-neglecting. + +[Enter Exeter, with Lords and Attendants.] + + +KING OF FRANCE From our brother of England? + +EXETER +From him, and thus he greets your Majesty: +He wills you, in the name of God almighty, +That you divest yourself and lay apart +The borrowed glories that, by gift of heaven, +By law of nature and of nations, 'longs +To him and to his heirs--namely, the crown +And all wide-stretched honors that pertain +By custom and the ordinance of times +Unto the crown of France. That you may know +'Tis no sinister nor no awkward claim +Picked from the wormholes of long-vanished days +Nor from the dust of old oblivion raked, +He sends you this most memorable line, +[He offers a paper.] +In every branch truly demonstrative, +Willing you overlook this pedigree, +And when you find him evenly derived +From his most famed of famous ancestors, +Edward the Third, he bids you then resign +Your crown and kingdom, indirectly held +From him, the native and true challenger. + +KING OF FRANCE Or else what follows? + +EXETER +Bloody constraint, for if you hide the crown +Even in your hearts, there will he rake for it. +Therefore in fierce tempest is he coming, +In thunder and in earthquake like a Jove, +That, if requiring fail, he will compel, +And bids you, in the bowels of the Lord, +Deliver up the crown and to take mercy +On the poor souls for whom this hungry war +Opens his vasty jaws, and on your head +Turning the widows' tears, the orphans' cries, +The dead men's blood, the prived maidens' +groans, +For husbands, fathers, and betrothed lovers +That shall be swallowed in this controversy. +This is his claim, his threat'ning, and my message-- +Unless the Dauphin be in presence here, +To whom expressly I bring greeting too. + +KING OF FRANCE +For us, we will consider of this further. +Tomorrow shall you bear our full intent +Back to our brother of England. + +DAUPHIN, [to Exeter] For the Dauphin, +I stand here for him. What to him from England? + +EXETER +Scorn and defiance, slight regard, contempt, +And anything that may not misbecome +The mighty sender, doth he prize you at. +Thus says my king: an if your father's Highness +Do not, in grant of all demands at large, +Sweeten the bitter mock you sent his Majesty, +He'll call you to so hot an answer of it +That caves and womby vaultages of France +Shall chide your trespass and return your mock +In second accent of his ordinance. + +DAUPHIN +Say, if my father render fair return, +It is against my will, for I desire +Nothing but odds with England. To that end, +As matching to his youth and vanity, +I did present him with the Paris balls. + +EXETER +He'll make your Paris Louvre shake for it, +Were it the mistress court of mighty Europe. +And be assured you'll find a difference, +As we his subjects have in wonder found, +Between the promise of his greener days +And these he masters now. Now he weighs time +Even to the utmost grain. That you shall read +In your own losses, if he stay in France. + +KING OF FRANCE +Tomorrow shall you know our mind at full. +[Flourish.] + +EXETER +Dispatch us with all speed, lest that our king +Come here himself to question our delay, +For he is footed in this land already. + +KING OF FRANCE +You shall be soon dispatched with fair conditions. +A night is but small breath and little pause +To answer matters of this consequence. +[Flourish. They exit.] + + +ACT 3 +===== + + +[Enter Chorus.] + + +CHORUS +Thus with imagined wing our swift scene flies +In motion of no less celerity +Than that of thought. Suppose that you have seen +The well-appointed king at Dover pier +Embark his royalty, and his brave fleet +With silken streamers the young Phoebus +fanning. +Play with your fancies and in them behold, +Upon the hempen tackle, shipboys climbing. +Hear the shrill whistle, which doth order give +To sounds confused. Behold the threaden sails, +Borne with th' invisible and creeping wind, +Draw the huge bottoms through the furrowed sea, +Breasting the lofty surge. O, do but think +You stand upon the rivage and behold +A city on th' inconstant billows dancing, +For so appears this fleet majestical, +Holding due course to Harfleur. Follow, follow! +Grapple your minds to sternage of this navy, +And leave your England, as dead midnight still, +Guarded with grandsires, babies, and old women, +Either past or not arrived to pith and puissance, +For who is he whose chin is but enriched +With one appearing hair that will not follow +These culled and choice-drawn cavaliers to France? +Work, work your thoughts, and therein see a siege; +Behold the ordnance on their carriages, +With fatal mouths gaping on girded Harfleur. +Suppose th' Ambassador from the French comes +back, +Tells Harry that the King doth offer him +Katherine his daughter and with her, to dowry, +Some petty and unprofitable dukedoms. +The offer likes not, and the nimble gunner +With linstock now the devilish cannon touches, +[Alarum, and chambers go off.] +And down goes all before them. Still be kind, +And eke out our performance with your mind. +[He exits.] + +Scene 1 +======= +[Enter the King of England, Exeter, Bedford, and +Gloucester. Alarum. Enter Soldiers with scaling +ladders at Harfleur.] + + +KING HENRY +Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once +more, +Or close the wall up with our English dead! +In peace there's nothing so becomes a man +As modest stillness and humility, +But when the blast of war blows in our ears, +Then imitate the action of the tiger: +Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood, +Disguise fair nature with hard-favored rage, +Then lend the eye a terrible aspect, +Let it pry through the portage of the head +Like the brass cannon, let the brow o'erwhelm it +As fearfully as doth a galled rock +O'erhang and jutty his confounded base +Swilled with the wild and wasteful ocean. +Now set the teeth, and stretch the nostril wide, +Hold hard the breath, and bend up every spirit +To his full height. On, on, you noblest English, +Whose blood is fet from fathers of war-proof, +Fathers that, like so many Alexanders, +Have in these parts from morn till even fought, +And sheathed their swords for lack of argument. +Dishonor not your mothers. Now attest +That those whom you called fathers did beget you. +Be copy now to men of grosser blood +And teach them how to war. And you, good +yeomen, +Whose limbs were made in England, show us here +The mettle of your pasture. Let us swear +That you are worth your breeding, which I doubt +not, +For there is none of you so mean and base +That hath not noble luster in your eyes. +I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips, +Straining upon the start. The game's afoot. +Follow your spirit, and upon this charge +Cry "God for Harry, England, and Saint George!" +[Alarum, and chambers go off.] +[They exit.] + +Scene 2 +======= +[Enter Nym, Bardolph, Pistol, and Boy.] + + +BARDOLPH On, on, on, on, on! To the breach, to the +breach! + +NYM Pray thee, corporal, stay. The knocks are too hot, +and, for mine own part, I have not a case of lives. +The humor of it is too hot; that is the very plainsong +of it. + +PISTOL "The plainsong" is most just, for humors do +abound. +Knocks go and come. God's vassals drop and die, +[Sings] And sword and shield, + In bloody field, + Doth win immortal fame. + +BOY Would I were in an alehouse in London! I would +give all my fame for a pot of ale, and safety. + +PISTOL And I. +[Sings] If wishes would prevail with me, + My purpose should not fail with me, + But thither would I hie. + +BOY [sings] As duly, + But not as truly, + As bird doth sing on bough. + +[Enter Fluellen. +] + +FLUELLEN +Up to the breach, you dogs! Avaunt, you cullions! + +PISTOL Be merciful, great duke, to men of mold. Abate +thy rage, abate thy manly rage, abate thy rage, great +duke. Good bawcock, 'bate thy rage. Use lenity, +sweet chuck. + +NYM, [to Fluellen] These be good humors. Your Honor +wins bad humors. +[All but the Boy exit.] + +BOY As young as I am, I have observed these three +swashers. I am boy to them all three, but all they +three, though they would serve me, could not be +man to me. For indeed three such antics do not +amount to a man: for Bardolph, he is white-livered +and red-faced, by the means whereof he faces it out +but fights not; for Pistol, he hath a killing tongue +and a quiet sword, by the means whereof he breaks +words and keeps whole weapons; for Nym, he hath +heard that men of few words are the best men, and +therefore he scorns to say his prayers, lest he should +be thought a coward, but his few bad words are +matched with as few good deeds, for he never broke +any man's head but his own, and that was against a +post when he was drunk. They will steal anything +and call it purchase. Bardolph stole a lute case, bore +it twelve leagues, and sold it for three halfpence. +Nym and Bardolph are sworn brothers in filching, +and in Calais they stole a fire shovel. I knew by that +piece of service the men would carry coals. They +would have me as familiar with men's pockets as +their gloves or their handkerchers, which makes +much against my manhood, if I should take from +another's pocket to put into mine, for it is plain +pocketing up of wrongs. I must leave them and seek +some better service. Their villainy goes against my +weak stomach, and therefore I must cast it up. +[He exits.] + +[Enter Fluellen and Gower.] + + +GOWER Captain Fluellen, you must come presently to +the mines; the Duke of Gloucester would speak +with you. + +FLUELLEN To the mines? Tell you the Duke it is not so +good to come to the mines, for, look you, the mines +is not according to the disciplines of the war. The +concavities of it is not sufficient, for, look you, th' +athversary, you may discuss unto the Duke, look +you, is digt himself four yard under the countermines. +By Cheshu, I think he will plow up all if +there is not better directions. + +GOWER The Duke of Gloucester, to whom the order of +the siege is given, is altogether directed by an +Irishman, a very valiant gentleman, i' faith. + +FLUELLEN It is Captain Macmorris, is it not? + +GOWER I think it be. + +FLUELLEN By Cheshu, he is an ass, as in the world. I +will verify as much in his beard. He has no more +directions in the true disciplines of the wars, look +you, of the Roman disciplines, than is a puppy dog. + +[Enter Captain Macmorris, and Captain Jamy.] + + +GOWER Here he comes, and the Scots captain, Captain +Jamy, with him. + +FLUELLEN Captain Jamy is a marvelous falorous gentleman, +that is certain, and of great expedition and +knowledge in th' aunchient wars, upon my particular +knowledge of his directions. By Cheshu, he will +maintain his argument as well as any military man +in the world in the disciplines of the pristine wars +of the Romans. + +JAMY I say gudday, Captain Fluellen. + +FLUELLEN Godden to your Worship, good Captain +James. + +GOWER How now, Captain Macmorris, have you quit +the mines? Have the pioners given o'er? + +MACMORRIS By Chrish, la, 'tish ill done. The work ish +give over. The trompet sound the retreat. By my +hand I swear, and my father's soul, the work ish ill +done. It ish give over. I would have blowed up the +town, so Chrish save me, la, in an hour. O, 'tish ill +done, 'tish ill done, by my hand, 'tish ill done. + +FLUELLEN Captain Macmorris, I beseech you now, +will you voutsafe me, look you, a few disputations +with you as partly touching or concerning the +disciplines of the war, the Roman wars? In the way +of argument, look you, and friendly communication, +partly to satisfy my opinion, and partly for the +satisfaction, look you, of my mind, as touching the +direction of the military discipline, that is the point. + +JAMY It sall be vary gud, gud feith, gud captens bath, +and I sall quit you with gud leve, as I may pick +occasion, that sall I, marry. + +MACMORRIS It is no time to discourse, so Chrish save +me. The day is hot, and the weather, and the wars, +and the King, and the dukes. It is no time to +discourse. The town is beseeched. An the trumpet +call us to the breach and we talk and, be Chrish, do +nothing, 'tis shame for us all. So God sa' me, 'tis +shame to stand still. It is shame, by my hand. And +there is throats to be cut, and works to be done, +and there ish nothing done, so Christ sa' me, la. + +JAMY By the Mess, ere theise eyes of mine take themselves +to slomber, ay'll de gud service, or I'll lig i' +th' grund for it, ay, or go to death. And I'll pay 't as +valorously as I may, that sall I suerly do, that is the +breff and the long. Marry, I wad full fain heard +some question 'tween you tway. + +FLUELLEN Captain Macmorris, I think, look you, under +your correction, there is not many of your +nation-- + +MACMORRIS Of my nation? What ish my nation? Ish a +villain and a basterd and a knave and a rascal. What +ish my nation? Who talks of my nation? + +FLUELLEN Look you, if you take the matter otherwise +than is meant, Captain Macmorris, peradventure I +shall think you do not use me with that affability as, +in discretion, you ought to use me, look you, being +as good a man as yourself, both in the disciplines of +war and in the derivation of my birth, and in other +particularities. + +MACMORRIS I do not know you so good a man as +myself. So Chrish save me, I will cut off your head. + +GOWER Gentlemen both, you will mistake each other. + +JAMY Ah, that's a foul fault. +[A parley sounds.] + +GOWER The town sounds a parley. + +FLUELLEN Captain Macmorris, when there is more +better opportunity to be required, look you, I will +be so bold as to tell you I know the disciplines of +war, and there is an end. +[They exit.] + +Scene 3 +======= +[Enter the King of England and all his train +before the gates.] + + +KING HENRY, [to the men of Harfleur] +How yet resolves the Governor of the town? +This is the latest parle we will admit. +Therefore to our best mercy give yourselves +Or, like to men proud of destruction, +Defy us to our worst. For, as I am a soldier, +A name that in my thoughts becomes me best, +If I begin the batt'ry once again, +I will not leave the half-achieved Harfleur +Till in her ashes she lie buried. +The gates of mercy shall be all shut up, +And the fleshed soldier, rough and hard of heart, +In liberty of bloody hand, shall range +With conscience wide as hell, mowing like grass +Your fresh fair virgins and your flow'ring infants. +What is it then to me if impious war, +Arrayed in flames like to the prince of fiends, +Do with his smirched complexion all fell feats +Enlinked to waste and desolation? +What is 't to me, when you yourselves are cause, +If your pure maidens fall into the hand +Of hot and forcing violation? +What rein can hold licentious wickedness +When down the hill he holds his fierce career? +We may as bootless spend our vain command +Upon th' enraged soldiers in their spoil +As send precepts to the Leviathan +To come ashore. Therefore, you men of Harfleur, +Take pity of your town and of your people +Whiles yet my soldiers are in my command, +Whiles yet the cool and temperate wind of grace +O'erblows the filthy and contagious clouds +Of heady murder, spoil, and villainy. +If not, why, in a moment look to see +The blind and bloody soldier with foul hand +Desire the locks of your shrill-shrieking daughters, +Your fathers taken by the silver beards +And their most reverend heads dashed to the walls, +Your naked infants spitted upon pikes +Whiles the mad mothers with their howls confused +Do break the clouds, as did the wives of Jewry +At Herod's bloody-hunting slaughtermen. +What say you? Will you yield and this avoid +Or, guilty in defense, be thus destroyed? + +[Enter Governor.] + + +GOVERNOR +Our expectation hath this day an end. +The Dauphin, whom of succors we entreated, +Returns us that his powers are yet not ready +To raise so great a siege. Therefore, great king, +We yield our town and lives to thy soft mercy. +Enter our gates, dispose of us and ours, +For we no longer are defensible. + +KING HENRY +Open your gates. [Governor exits.] +Come, uncle Exeter, +Go you and enter Harfleur. There remain, +And fortify it strongly 'gainst the French. +Use mercy to them all for us, dear uncle. +The winter coming on and sickness growing +Upon our soldiers, we will retire to Calais. +Tonight in Harfleur will we be your guest. +Tomorrow for the march are we addressed. +[Flourish, and enter the town.] + +Scene 4 +======= +[Enter Katherine and Alice, an old Gentlewoman.] + + +KATHERINE Alice, tu as ete en Angleterre, et tu parles +bien le langage. + +ALICE Un peu, madame. + +KATHERINE Je te prie, m'enseignez. Il faut que j'apprenne +a parler. Comment appelez-vous "la main" en +anglais? + +ALICE La main? Elle est appelee "de hand." + +KATHERINE De hand. Et "les doigts"? + +ALICE Les doigts? Ma foi, j'oublie les doigts; mais je +me souviendrai. Les doigts? Je pense qu'ils sont +appeles "de fingres"; oui, de fingres. + +KATHERINE La main, de hand. Les doigts, le fingres. +Je pense que je suis le bon ecolier. J'ai gagne deux +mots d'anglais vitement. Comment appelez-vous "les +ongles"? + +ALICE Les ongles? Nous les appelons "de nailes." + +KATHERINE De nailes. Ecoutez. Dites-moi si je parle +bien: de hand, de fingres, et de nailes. + +ALICE C'est bien dit, madame. Il est fort bon anglais. + +KATHERINE Dites-moi l'anglais pour "le bras." + +ALICE "De arme," madame. + +KATHERINE Et "le coude"? + +ALICE "D' elbow." + +KATHERINE D' elbow. Je m'en fais la repetition de tous +les mots que vous m'avez appris des a present. + +ALICE Il est trop difficile, madame, comme je pense. + +KATHERINE Excusez-moi, Alice. Ecoutez: d' hand, de +fingre, de nailes, d' arma, de bilbow. + +ALICE D' elbow, madame. + +KATHERINE O Seigneur Dieu! Je m'en oublie; d' elbow. +Comment appelez-vous "le col"? + +ALICE "De nick," madame. + +KATHERINE De nick. Et "le menton"? + +ALICE "De chin." + +KATHERINE De sin. Le col, de nick; le menton, de sin. + +ALICE Oui. Sauf votre honneur, en verite vous prononcez +les mots aussi droit que les natifs d'Angleterre. + +KATHERINE Je ne doute point d'apprendre, par le grace +de Dieu, et en peu de temps. + +ALICE N'avez-vous pas deja oublie ce que je vous ai +enseigne? + +KATHERINE Non. Je reciterai a vous promptement: d' +hand, de fingre, de mailes-- + +ALICE De nailes, madame. + +KATHERINE De nailes, de arme, de ilbow-- + +ALICE Sauf votre honneur, d' elbow. + +KATHERINE Ainsi dis-je: d' elbow, de nick, et de sin. +Comment appelez-vous "le pied" et "la robe"? + +ALICE "Le foot," madame, et "le count." + +KATHERINE Le foot, et le count. O Seigneur Dieu! Ils +sont les mots de son mauvais, corruptible, gros, et +impudique, et non pour les dames d'honneur d'user. +Je ne voudrais prononcer ces mots devant les seigneurs +de France, pour tout le monde. Foh! Le foot et le +count! Neanmoins, je reciterai une autre fois ma +lecon ensemble: d' hand, de fingre, de nailes, d' +arme, d' elbow, de nick, de sin, de foot, le count. + +ALICE Excellent, madame. + +KATHERINE C'est assez pour une fois. Allons-nous a +diner. +[They exit.] + +Scene 5 +======= +[Enter the King of France, the Dauphin, the Duke of +Brittany, the Constable of France, and others.] + + +KING OF FRANCE +'Tis certain he hath passed the river Somme. + +CONSTABLE +An if he be not fought withal, my lord, +Let us not live in France. Let us quit all, +And give our vineyards to a barbarous people. + +DAUPHIN +O Dieu vivant, shall a few sprays of us, +The emptying of our fathers' luxury, +Our scions, put in wild and savage stock, +Spurt up so suddenly into the clouds +And overlook their grafters? + +BRITTANY +Normans, but bastard Normans, Norman bastards! +Mort de ma vie, if they march along +Unfought withal, but I will sell my dukedom +To buy a slobb'ry and a dirty farm +In that nook-shotten isle of Albion. + +CONSTABLE +Dieu de batailles, where have they this mettle? +Is not their climate foggy, raw, and dull, +On whom, as in despite, the sun looks pale, +Killing their fruit with frowns? Can sodden water, +A drench for sur-reined jades, their barley broth, +Decoct their cold blood to such valiant heat? +And shall our quick blood, spirited with wine, +Seem frosty? O, for honor of our land, +Let us not hang like roping icicles +Upon our houses' thatch, whiles a more frosty +people +Sweat drops of gallant youth in our rich fields! +"Poor" we may call them in their native lords. + +DAUPHIN By faith and honor, +Our madams mock at us and plainly say +Our mettle is bred out, and they will give +Their bodies to the lust of English youth +To new-store France with bastard warriors. + +BRITTANY +They bid us to the English dancing-schools, +And teach lavoltas high, and swift corantos, +Saying our grace is only in our heels +And that we are most lofty runaways. + +KING OF FRANCE +Where is Montjoy the herald? Speed him hence. +Let him greet England with our sharp defiance. +Up, princes, and, with spirit of honor edged +More sharper than your swords, hie to the field: +Charles Delabreth, High Constable of France; +You Dukes of Orleans, Bourbon, and of Berri, +Alencon, Brabant, Bar, and Burgundy; +Jacques Chatillon, Rambures, Vaudemont, +Beaumont, Grandpre, Roussi, and Faulconbridge, +Foix, Lestrale, Bouciquault, and Charolois; +High dukes, great princes, barons, lords, and +knights, +For your great seats now quit you of great shames. +Bar Harry England, that sweeps through our land +With pennons painted in the blood of Harfleur. +Rush on his host, as doth the melted snow +Upon the valleys, whose low vassal seat +The Alps doth spit and void his rheum upon. +Go down upon him--you have power enough-- +And in a captive chariot into Rouen +Bring him our prisoner. + +CONSTABLE This becomes the great! +Sorry am I his numbers are so few, +His soldiers sick and famished in their march, +For, I am sure, when he shall see our army, +He'll drop his heart into the sink of fear +And for achievement offer us his ransom. + +KING OF FRANCE +Therefore, Lord Constable, haste on Montjoy, +And let him say to England that we send +To know what willing ransom he will give.-- +Prince Dauphin, you shall stay with us in Rouen. + +DAUPHIN +Not so, I do beseech your Majesty. + +KING +Be patient, for you shall remain with us.-- +Now forth, Lord Constable and princes all, +And quickly bring us word of England's fall. +[They exit.] + +Scene 6 +======= +[Enter Captains, English and Welsh, Gower and Fluellen.] + + +GOWER How now, Captain Fluellen? Come you from +the bridge? + +FLUELLEN I assure you there is very excellent services +committed at the bridge. + +GOWER Is the Duke of Exeter safe? + +FLUELLEN The Duke of Exeter is as magnanimous as +Agamemnon, and a man that I love and honor with +my soul and my heart and my duty and my life and +my living and my uttermost power. He is not, God +be praised and blessed, any hurt in the world, but +keeps the bridge most valiantly, with excellent +discipline. There is an aunchient lieutenant there at +the pridge; I think in my very conscience he is as +valiant a man as Mark Antony, and he is a man of no +estimation in the world, but I did see him do as +gallant service. + +GOWER What do you call him? + +FLUELLEN He is called Aunchient Pistol. + +GOWER I know him not. + +[Enter Pistol.] + + +FLUELLEN Here is the man. + +PISTOL Captain, I thee beseech to do me favors. The +Duke of Exeter doth love thee well. + +FLUELLEN Ay, I praise God, and I have merited some +love at his hands. + +PISTOL Bardolph, a soldier firm and sound of heart and +of buxom valor, hath, by cruel Fate and giddy +Fortune's furious fickle wheel, that goddess blind, +that stands upon the rolling restless stone-- + +FLUELLEN By your patience, Aunchient Pistol, Fortune +is painted blind, with a muffler afore her eyes, to +signify to you that Fortune is blind; and she is +painted also with a wheel to signify to you, which is +the moral of it, that she is turning and inconstant, +and mutability and variation; and her foot, look you, +is fixed upon a spherical stone, which rolls and rolls +and rolls. In good truth, the poet makes a most +excellent description of it. Fortune is an excellent +moral. + +PISTOL Fortune is Bardolph's foe and frowns on him, +for he hath stolen a pax and hanged must he be. A +damned death! Let gallows gape for dog, let man go +free, and let not hemp his windpipe suffocate. But +Exeter hath given the doom of death for pax of little +price. Therefore go speak; the Duke will hear thy +voice, and let not Bardolph's vital thread be cut +with edge of penny cord and vile reproach. Speak, +captain, for his life, and I will thee requite. + +FLUELLEN Aunchient Pistol, I do partly understand +your meaning. + +PISTOL Why then, rejoice therefore. + +FLUELLEN Certainly, aunchient, it is not a thing to +rejoice at, for if, look you, he were my brother, I +would desire the Duke to use his good pleasure and +put him to execution, for discipline ought to be +used. + +PISTOL Die and be damned, and figo for thy friendship! + +FLUELLEN It is well. + +PISTOL The fig of Spain! [He exits.] + +FLUELLEN Very good. + +GOWER Why, this is an arrant counterfeit rascal. I +remember him now, a bawd, a cutpurse. + +FLUELLEN I'll assure you he uttered as prave words at +the pridge as you shall see in a summer's day. But it +is very well; what he has spoke to me, that is well, I +warrant you, when time is serve. + +GOWER Why, 'tis a gull, a fool, a rogue, that now and +then goes to the wars to grace himself at his return +into London under the form of a soldier; and such +fellows are perfect in the great commanders' +names, and they will learn you by rote where +services were done--at such and such a sconce, at +such a breach, at such a convoy; who came off +bravely, who was shot, who disgraced, what terms +the enemy stood on; and this they con perfectly in +the phrase of war, which they trick up with new-tuned +oaths; and what a beard of the general's cut +and a horrid suit of the camp will do among +foaming bottles and ale-washed wits is wonderful to +be thought on. But you must learn to know such +slanders of the age, or else you may be marvelously +mistook. + +FLUELLEN I tell you what, Captain Gower. I do perceive +he is not the man that he would gladly make +show to the world he is. If I find a hole in his coat, I +will tell him my mind. + +[Drum and Colors. Enter the King of England and his +poor Soldiers, and Gloucester.] + +Hark you, the King is coming, and I must speak +with him from the pridge.--God pless your +Majesty. + +KING HENRY How now, Fluellen, cam'st thou from the +bridge? + +FLUELLEN Ay, so please your Majesty. The Duke of +Exeter has very gallantly maintained the pridge. +The French is gone off, look you, and there is gallant +and most prave passages. Marry, th' athversary was +have possession of the pridge, but he is enforced +to retire, and the Duke of Exeter is master of the +pridge. I can tell your Majesty, the Duke is a prave +man. + +KING HENRY What men have you lost, Fluellen? + +FLUELLEN The perdition of th' athversary hath been +very great, reasonable great. Marry, for my part, I +think the Duke hath lost never a man but one that is +like to be executed for robbing a church, one +Bardolph, if your Majesty know the man. His face is +all bubukles and whelks and knobs and flames o' +fire; and his lips blows at his nose, and it is like a +coal of fire, sometimes plue and sometimes red, but +his nose is executed, and his fire's out. + +KING HENRY We would have all such offenders so cut +off; and we give express charge that in our marches +through the country there be nothing compelled +from the villages, nothing taken but paid for, +none of the French upbraided or abused in disdainful +language; for when lenity and cruelty play +for a kingdom, the gentler gamester is the soonest +winner. + +[Tucket. Enter Montjoy.] + + +MONTJOY You know me by my habit. + +KING HENRY Well then, I know thee. What shall I know +of thee? + +MONTJOY My master's mind. + +KING HENRY Unfold it. + +MONTJOY Thus says my king: "Say thou to Harry of +England, though we seemed dead, we did but sleep. +Advantage is a better soldier than rashness. Tell him +we could have rebuked him at Harfleur, but that we +thought not good to bruise an injury till it were full +ripe. Now we speak upon our cue, and our voice is +imperial. England shall repent his folly, see his +weakness, and admire our sufferance. Bid him +therefore consider of his ransom, which must proportion +the losses we have borne, the subjects we +have lost, the disgrace we have digested, which, in +weight to reanswer, his pettiness would bow under. +For our losses, his exchequer is too poor; for th' +effusion of our blood, the muster of his kingdom +too faint a number; and for our disgrace, his own +person kneeling at our feet but a weak and worthless +satisfaction. To this, add defiance, and tell him, +for conclusion, he hath betrayed his followers, +whose condemnation is pronounced." So far my +king and master; so much my office. + +KING HENRY +What is thy name? I know thy quality. + +MONTJOY Montjoy. + +KING HENRY +Thou dost thy office fairly. Turn thee back, +And tell thy king I do not seek him now +But could be willing to march on to Calais +Without impeachment, for, to say the sooth, +Though 'tis no wisdom to confess so much +Unto an enemy of craft and vantage, +My people are with sickness much enfeebled, +My numbers lessened, and those few I have +Almost no better than so many French, +Who when they were in health, I tell thee, herald, +I thought upon one pair of English legs +Did march three Frenchmen. Yet forgive me, God, +That I do brag thus. This your air of France +Hath blown that vice in me. I must repent. +Go therefore, tell thy master: here I am. +My ransom is this frail and worthless trunk, +My army but a weak and sickly guard, +Yet, God before, tell him we will come on +Though France himself and such another neighbor +Stand in our way. There's for thy labor, Montjoy. +[Gives money.] +Go bid thy master well advise himself: +If we may pass, we will; if we be hindered, +We shall your tawny ground with your red blood +Discolor. And so, Montjoy, fare you well. +The sum of all our answer is but this: +We would not seek a battle as we are, +Nor, as we are, we say we will not shun it. +So tell your master. + +MONTJOY +I shall deliver so. Thanks to your Highness. +[He exits.] + +GLOUCESTER +I hope they will not come upon us now. + +KING HENRY +We are in God's hand, brother, not in theirs. +March to the bridge. It now draws toward night. +Beyond the river we'll encamp ourselves, +And on tomorrow bid them march away. +[They exit.] + +Scene 7 +======= +[Enter the Constable of France, the Lord Rambures, +Orleans, Dauphin, with others.] + + +CONSTABLE Tut, I have the best armor of the world. +Would it were day! + +ORLEANS You have an excellent armor, but let my +horse have his due. + +CONSTABLE It is the best horse of Europe. + +ORLEANS Will it never be morning? + +DAUPHIN My Lord of Orleans and my Lord High Constable, +you talk of horse and armor? + +ORLEANS You are as well provided of both as any +prince in the world. + +DAUPHIN What a long night is this! I will not change +my horse with any that treads but on four pasterns. +Ca, ha! He bounds from the earth, as if his +entrails were hairs, le cheval volant, the Pegasus, qui +a les narines de feu. When I bestride him, I soar; I +am a hawk; he trots the air. The earth sings when he +touches it. The basest horn of his hoof is more +musical than the pipe of Hermes. + +ORLEANS He's of the color of the nutmeg. + +DAUPHIN And of the heat of the ginger. It is a beast for +Perseus. He is pure air and fire, and the dull +elements of earth and water never appear in him, +but only in patient stillness while his rider mounts +him. He is indeed a horse, and all other jades you +may call beasts. + +CONSTABLE Indeed, my lord, it is a most absolute and +excellent horse. + +DAUPHIN It is the prince of palfreys; his neigh is like +the bidding of a monarch, and his countenance +enforces homage. + +ORLEANS No more, cousin. + +DAUPHIN Nay, the man hath no wit that cannot, from +the rising of the lark to the lodging of the lamb, +vary deserved praise on my palfrey. It is a theme as +fluent as the sea. Turn the sands into eloquent +tongues, and my horse is argument for them all. 'Tis +a subject for a sovereign to reason on, and for a +sovereign's sovereign to ride on, and for the world, +familiar to us and unknown, to lay apart their +particular functions and wonder at him. I once writ +a sonnet in his praise and began thus: "Wonder of +nature--" + +ORLEANS I have heard a sonnet begin so to one's +mistress. + +DAUPHIN Then did they imitate that which I composed +to my courser, for my horse is my mistress. + +ORLEANS Your mistress bears well. + +DAUPHIN Me well--which is the prescript praise and +perfection of a good and particular mistress. + +CONSTABLE Nay, for methought yesterday your mistress +shrewdly shook your back. + +DAUPHIN So perhaps did yours. + +CONSTABLE Mine was not bridled. + +DAUPHIN O, then belike she was old and gentle, and +you rode like a kern of Ireland, your French hose +off, and in your strait strossers. + +CONSTABLE You have good judgment in horsemanship. + +DAUPHIN Be warned by me, then: they that ride so, and +ride not warily, fall into foul bogs. I had rather have +my horse to my mistress. + +CONSTABLE I had as lief have my mistress a jade. + +DAUPHIN I tell thee, constable, my mistress wears his +own hair. + +CONSTABLE I could make as true a boast as that if I had +a sow to my mistress. + +DAUPHIN "Le chien est retourne a son propre vomissement, +et la truie lavee au bourbier." Thou mak'st use +of anything. + +CONSTABLE Yet do I not use my horse for my mistress, +or any such proverb so little kin to the purpose. + +RAMBURES My Lord Constable, the armor that I saw in +your tent tonight, are those stars or suns upon it? + +CONSTABLE Stars, my lord. + +DAUPHIN Some of them will fall tomorrow, I hope. + +CONSTABLE And yet my sky shall not want. + +DAUPHIN That may be, for you bear a many superfluously, +and 'twere more honor some were away. + +CONSTABLE Ev'n as your horse bears your praises-- +who would trot as well were some of your brags +dismounted. + +DAUPHIN Would I were able to load him with his +desert! Will it never be day? I will trot tomorrow a +mile, and my way shall be paved with English faces. + +CONSTABLE I will not say so for fear I should be faced +out of my way. But I would it were morning, for I +would fain be about the ears of the English. + +RAMBURES Who will go to hazard with me for twenty +prisoners? + +CONSTABLE You must first go yourself to hazard ere you +have them. + +DAUPHIN 'Tis midnight. I'll go arm myself. [He exits.] + +ORLEANS The Dauphin longs for morning. + +RAMBURES He longs to eat the English. + +CONSTABLE I think he will eat all he kills. + +ORLEANS By the white hand of my lady, he's a gallant +prince. + +CONSTABLE Swear by her foot, that she may tread out +the oath. + +ORLEANS He is simply the most active gentleman of +France. + +CONSTABLE Doing is activity, and he will still be doing. + +ORLEANS He never did harm, that I heard of. + +CONSTABLE Nor will do none tomorrow. He will keep +that good name still. + +ORLEANS I know him to be valiant. + +CONSTABLE I was told that by one that knows him +better than you. + +ORLEANS What's he? + +CONSTABLE Marry, he told me so himself, and he said +he cared not who knew it. + +ORLEANS He needs not. It is no hidden virtue in him. + +CONSTABLE By my faith, sir, but it is; never anybody +saw it but his lackey. 'Tis a hooded valor, and when +it appears, it will bate. + +ORLEANS Ill will never said well. + +CONSTABLE I will cap that proverb with "There is +flattery in friendship." + +ORLEANS And I will take up that with "Give the devil +his due." + +CONSTABLE Well placed; there stands your friend for +the devil. Have at the very eye of that proverb with +"A pox of the devil." + +ORLEANS You are the better at proverbs, by how much +"A fool's bolt is soon shot." + +CONSTABLE You have shot over. + +ORLEANS 'Tis not the first time you were overshot. + +[Enter a Messenger.] + + +MESSENGER My Lord High Constable, the English lie +within fifteen hundred paces of your tents. + +CONSTABLE Who hath measured the ground? + +MESSENGER The Lord Grandpre. + +CONSTABLE A valiant and most expert gentleman.-- +Would it were day! Alas, poor Harry of England! He +longs not for the dawning as we do. + +ORLEANS What a wretched and peevish fellow is this +King of England to mope with his fat-brained +followers so far out of his knowledge. + +CONSTABLE If the English had any apprehension, they +would run away. + +ORLEANS That they lack; for if their heads had any +intellectual armor, they could never wear such +heavy headpieces. + +RAMBURES That island of England breeds very valiant +creatures. Their mastiffs are of unmatchable +courage. + +ORLEANS Foolish curs, that run winking into the +mouth of a Russian bear and have their heads +crushed like rotten apples. You may as well say +that's a valiant flea that dare eat his breakfast on the +lip of a lion. + +CONSTABLE Just, just; and the men do sympathize with +the mastiffs in robustious and rough coming on, +leaving their wits with their wives. And then give +them great meals of beef and iron and steel, they +will eat like wolves and fight like devils. + +ORLEANS Ay, but these English are shrewdly out of +beef. + +CONSTABLE Then shall we find tomorrow they have +only stomachs to eat and none to fight. Now is it +time to arm. Come, shall we about it? + +ORLEANS +It is now two o'clock. But, let me see, by ten +We shall have each a hundred Englishmen. +[They exit.] + + +ACT 4 +===== + +[Enter Chorus.] + + +CHORUS +Now entertain conjecture of a time +When creeping murmur and the poring dark +Fills the wide vessel of the universe. +From camp to camp, through the foul womb of +night, +The hum of either army stilly sounds, +That the fixed sentinels almost receive +The secret whispers of each other's watch. +Fire answers fire, and through their paly flames +Each battle sees the other's umbered face; +Steed threatens steed in high and boastful neighs +Piercing the night's dull ear; and from the tents +The armorers, accomplishing the knights, +With busy hammers closing rivets up, +Give dreadful note of preparation. +The country cocks do crow, the clocks do toll, +And, the third hour of drowsy morning named, +Proud of their numbers and secure in soul, +The confident and overlusty French +Do the low-rated English play at dice +And chide the cripple, tardy-gaited night, +Who like a foul and ugly witch doth limp +So tediously away. The poor condemned English, +Like sacrifices, by their watchful fires +Sit patiently and inly ruminate +The morning's danger; and their gesture sad, +Investing lank-lean cheeks and war-worn coats, +Presenteth them unto the gazing moon +So many horrid ghosts. O now, who will behold +The royal captain of this ruined band +Walking from watch to watch, from tent to tent, +Let him cry, "Praise and glory on his head!" +For forth he goes and visits all his host, +Bids them good morrow with a modest smile, +And calls them brothers, friends, and countrymen. +Upon his royal face there is no note +How dread an army hath enrounded him, +Nor doth he dedicate one jot of color +Unto the weary and all-watched night, +But freshly looks and overbears attaint +With cheerful semblance and sweet majesty, +That every wretch, pining and pale before, +Beholding him, plucks comfort from his looks. +A largesse universal, like the sun, +His liberal eye doth give to everyone, +Thawing cold fear, that mean and gentle all +Behold, as may unworthiness define, +A little touch of Harry in the night. +And so our scene must to the battle fly, +Where, O for pity, we shall much disgrace, +With four or five most vile and ragged foils +Right ill-disposed in brawl ridiculous, +The name of Agincourt. Yet sit and see, +Minding true things by what their mock'ries be. +[He exits.] + +Scene 1 +======= +[Enter the King of England, Bedford, and Gloucester.] + + +KING HENRY +Gloucester, 'tis true that we are in great danger. +The greater therefore should our courage be.-- +Good morrow, brother Bedford. God almighty, +There is some soul of goodness in things evil, +Would men observingly distill it out. +For our bad neighbor makes us early stirrers, +Which is both healthful and good husbandry. +Besides, they are our outward consciences +And preachers to us all, admonishing +That we should dress us fairly for our end. +Thus may we gather honey from the weed +And make a moral of the devil himself. + +[Enter Erpingham.] + +Good morrow, old Sir Thomas Erpingham. +A good soft pillow for that good white head +Were better than a churlish turf of France. + +ERPINGHAM +Not so, my liege, this lodging likes me better, +Since I may say "Now lie I like a king." + +KING HENRY +'Tis good for men to love their present pains +Upon example. So the spirit is eased; +And when the mind is quickened, out of doubt, +The organs, though defunct and dead before, +Break up their drowsy grave and newly move +With casted slough and fresh legerity. +Lend me thy cloak, Sir Thomas. +[He puts on Erpingham's cloak.] +Brothers both, +Commend me to the princes in our camp, +Do my good morrow to them, and anon +Desire them all to my pavilion. + +GLOUCESTER We shall, my liege. + +ERPINGHAM Shall I attend your Grace? + +KING HENRY No, my good knight. +Go with my brothers to my lords of England. +I and my bosom must debate awhile, +And then I would no other company. + +ERPINGHAM +The Lord in heaven bless thee, noble Harry. +[All but the King exit.] + +KING HENRY +God-a-mercy, old heart, thou speak'st cheerfully. + +[Enter Pistol.] + + +PISTOL Qui vous la? + +KING HENRY A friend. + +PISTOL Discuss unto me: art thou officer or art thou +base, common, and popular? + +KING HENRY I am a gentleman of a company. + +PISTOL Trail'st thou the puissant pike? + +KING HENRY Even so. What are you? + +PISTOL As good a gentleman as the Emperor. + +KING HENRY Then you are a better than the King. + +PISTOL The King's a bawcock and a heart of gold, a lad +of life, an imp of fame, of parents good, of fist most +valiant. I kiss his dirty shoe, and from heartstring I +love the lovely bully. What is thy name? + +KING HENRY Harry le Roy. + +PISTOL Le Roy? A Cornish name. Art thou of Cornish +crew? + +KING HENRY No, I am a Welshman. + +PISTOL Know'st thou Fluellen? + +KING HENRY Yes. + +PISTOL Tell him I'll knock his leek about his pate upon +Saint Davy's day. + +KING HENRY Do not you wear your dagger in your cap +that day, lest he knock that about yours. + +PISTOL Art thou his friend? + +KING HENRY And his kinsman too. + +PISTOL The figo for thee then! + +KING HENRY I thank you. God be with you. + +PISTOL My name is Pistol called. [He exits.] + +KING HENRY It sorts well with your fierceness. +[He steps aside.] + +[Enter Fluellen and Gower.] + + +GOWER Captain Fluellen. + +FLUELLEN ’So. In the name of Jesu Christ, speak fewer. +It is the greatest admiration in the universal world +when the true and aunchient prerogatifes and +laws of the wars is not kept. If you would take the +pains but to examine the wars of Pompey the +Great, you shall find, I warrant you, that there is +no tiddle taddle nor pibble babble in Pompey's +camp. I warrant you, you shall find the ceremonies +of the wars and the cares of it and the forms +of it and the sobriety of it and the modesty of it to +be otherwise. + +GOWER Why, the enemy is loud. You hear him all +night. + +FLUELLEN If the enemy is an ass and a fool and a prating +coxcomb, is it meet, think you, that we should also, +look you, be an ass and a fool and a prating +coxcomb, in your own conscience now? + +GOWER I will speak lower. + +FLUELLEN I pray you and beseech you that you will. +[Gower and Fluellen exit.] + +KING HENRY +Though it appear a little out of fashion, +There is much care and valor in this Welshman. + +[Enter three Soldiers, John Bates, Alexander Court, and +Michael Williams.] + + +COURT Brother John Bates, is not that the morning +which breaks yonder? + +BATES I think it be, but we have no great cause to desire +the approach of day. + +WILLIAMS We see yonder the beginning of the day, but +I think we shall never see the end of it.--Who goes +there? + +KING HENRY A friend. + +WILLIAMS Under what captain serve you? + +KING HENRY Under Sir Thomas Erpingham. + +WILLIAMS A good old commander and a most kind +gentleman. I pray you, what thinks he of our +estate? + +KING HENRY Even as men wracked upon a sand, that +look to be washed off the next tide. + +BATES He hath not told his thought to the King? + +KING HENRY No. Nor it is not meet he should, for, +though I speak it to you, I think the King is but a +man as I am. The violet smells to him as it doth to +me. The element shows to him as it doth to me. All +his senses have but human conditions. His ceremonies +laid by, in his nakedness he appears but a man, +and though his affections are higher mounted than +ours, yet when they stoop, they stoop with the like +wing. Therefore, when he sees reason of fears as we +do, his fears, out of doubt, be of the same relish as +ours are. Yet, in reason, no man should possess him +with any appearance of fear, lest he, by showing it, +should dishearten his army. + +BATES He may show what outward courage he will, +but I believe, as cold a night as 'tis, he could wish +himself in Thames up to the neck; and so I would +he were, and I by him, at all adventures, so we were +quit here. + +KING HENRY By my troth, I will speak my conscience +of the King. I think he would not wish himself +anywhere but where he is. + +BATES Then I would he were here alone; so should he +be sure to be ransomed, and a many poor men's +lives saved. + +KING HENRY I dare say you love him not so ill to wish +him here alone, howsoever you speak this to feel +other men's minds. Methinks I could not die anywhere +so contented as in the King's company, his +cause being just and his quarrel honorable. + +WILLIAMS That's more than we know. + +BATES Ay, or more than we should seek after, for we +know enough if we know we are the King's subjects. +If his cause be wrong, our obedience to the +King wipes the crime of it out of us. + +WILLIAMS But if the cause be not good, the King +himself hath a heavy reckoning to make, when all +those legs and arms and heads, chopped off in a +battle, shall join together at the latter day, and cry +all "We died at such a place," some swearing, some +crying for a surgeon, some upon their wives left +poor behind them, some upon the debts they owe, +some upon their children rawly left. I am afeard +there are few die well that die in a battle, for how +can they charitably dispose of anything when blood +is their argument? Now, if these men do not die +well, it will be a black matter for the king that led +them to it, who to disobey were against all proportion +of subjection. + +KING HENRY So, if a son that is by his father sent about +merchandise do sinfully miscarry upon the sea, +the imputation of his wickedness, by your rule, +should be imposed upon his father that sent him. +Or if a servant, under his master's command transporting +a sum of money, be assailed by robbers and +die in many irreconciled iniquities, you may call the +business of the master the author of the servant's +damnation. But this is not so. The King is not bound +to answer the particular endings of his soldiers, the +father of his son, nor the master of his servant, for +they purpose not their death when they purpose +their services. Besides, there is no king, be his cause +never so spotless, if it come to the arbitrament of +swords, can try it out with all unspotted soldiers. +Some, peradventure, have on them the guilt of +premeditated and contrived murder; some, of beguiling +virgins with the broken seals of perjury; +some, making the wars their bulwark, that have +before gored the gentle bosom of peace with pillage +and robbery. Now, if these men have defeated the +law and outrun native punishment, though they can +outstrip men, they have no wings to fly from God. +War is His beadle, war is His vengeance, so that here +men are punished for before-breach of the King's +laws in now the King's quarrel. Where they feared +the death, they have borne life away; and where they +would be safe, they perish. Then, if they die unprovided, +no more is the King guilty of their damnation +than he was before guilty of those impieties for the +which they are now visited. Every subject's duty is +the King's, but every subject's soul is his own. +Therefore should every soldier in the wars do as +every sick man in his bed: wash every mote out of +his conscience. And, dying so, death is to him +advantage; or not dying, the time was blessedly lost +wherein such preparation was gained. And in him +that escapes, it were not sin to think that, making +God so free an offer, He let him outlive that day to +see His greatness and to teach others how they +should prepare. + +WILLIAMS 'Tis certain, every man that dies ill, the ill +upon his own head; the King is not to answer it. + +BATES I do not desire he should answer for me, and yet +I determine to fight lustily for him. + +KING HENRY I myself heard the King say he would not +be ransomed. + +WILLIAMS Ay, he said so to make us fight cheerfully, +but when our throats are cut, he may be ransomed +and we ne'er the wiser. + +KING HENRY If I live to see it, I will never trust his +word after. + +WILLIAMS You pay him then. That's a perilous shot out +of an elder gun, that a poor and a private displeasure +can do against a monarch. You may as well go +about to turn the sun to ice with fanning in his face +with a peacock's feather. You'll "never trust his +word after." Come, 'tis a foolish saying. + +KING HENRY Your reproof is something too round. I +should be angry with you if the time were +convenient. + +WILLIAMS Let it be a quarrel between us, if you live. + +KING HENRY I embrace it. + +WILLIAMS How shall I know thee again? + +KING HENRY Give me any gage of thine, and I will wear +it in my bonnet. Then, if ever thou dar'st acknowledge +it, I will make it my quarrel. + +WILLIAMS Here's my glove. Give me another of thine. + +KING HENRY There. [They exchange gloves.] + +WILLIAMS This will I also wear in my cap. If ever thou +come to me and say, after tomorrow, "This is my +glove," by this hand I will take thee a box on the +ear. + +KING HENRY If ever I live to see it, I will challenge it. + +WILLIAMS Thou dar'st as well be hanged. + +KING HENRY Well, I will do it, though I take thee in the +King's company. + +WILLIAMS Keep thy word. Fare thee well. + +BATES Be friends, you English fools, be friends. We +have French quarrels enough, if you could tell how +to reckon. + +KING HENRY Indeed, the French may lay twenty +French crowns to one they will beat us, for they +bear them on their shoulders. But it is no English +treason to cut French crowns, and tomorrow the +King himself will be a clipper. +[Soldiers exit.] +Upon the King! Let us our lives, our souls, our +debts, our careful wives, our children, and our sins, +lay on the King! +We must bear all. O hard condition, +Twin-born with greatness, subject to the breath +Of every fool whose sense no more can feel +But his own wringing. What infinite heart's ease +Must kings neglect that private men enjoy? +And what have kings that privates have not too, +Save ceremony, save general ceremony? +And what art thou, thou idol ceremony? +What kind of god art thou that suffer'st more +Of mortal griefs than do thy worshipers? +What are thy rents? What are thy comings-in? +O ceremony, show me but thy worth! +What is thy soul of adoration? +Art thou aught else but place, degree, and form, +Creating awe and fear in other men, +Wherein thou art less happy, being feared, +Than they in fearing? +What drink'st thou oft, instead of homage sweet, +But poisoned flattery? O, be sick, great greatness, +And bid thy ceremony give thee cure! +Think'st thou the fiery fever will go out +With titles blown from adulation? +Will it give place to flexure and low bending? +Canst thou, when thou command'st the beggar's +knee, +Command the health of it? No, thou proud dream, +That play'st so subtly with a king's repose. +I am a king that find thee, and I know +'Tis not the balm, the scepter, and the ball, +The sword, the mace, the crown imperial, +The intertissued robe of gold and pearl, +The farced title running 'fore the King, +The throne he sits on, nor the tide of pomp +That beats upon the high shore of this world; +No, not all these, thrice-gorgeous ceremony, +Not all these, laid in bed majestical, +Can sleep so soundly as the wretched slave +Who, with a body filled and vacant mind, +Gets him to rest, crammed with distressful bread; +Never sees horrid night, the child of hell, +But, like a lackey, from the rise to set +Sweats in the eye of Phoebus, and all night +Sleeps in Elysium; next day after dawn +Doth rise and help Hyperion to his horse, +And follows so the ever-running year +With profitable labor to his grave. +And, but for ceremony, such a wretch, +Winding up days with toil and nights with sleep, +Had the forehand and vantage of a king. +The slave, a member of the country's peace, +Enjoys it, but in gross brain little wots +What watch the King keeps to maintain the peace, +Whose hours the peasant best advantages. + +[Enter Erpingham.] + + +ERPINGHAM +My lord, your nobles, jealous of your absence, +Seek through your camp to find you. + +KING HENRY Good old knight, +Collect them all together at my tent. +I'll be before thee. + +ERPINGHAM I shall do 't, my lord. [He exits.] + +KING HENRY +O God of battles, steel my soldiers' hearts. +Possess them not with fear. Take from them now +The sense of reck'ning or th' opposed numbers +Pluck their hearts from them. Not today, O Lord, +O, not today, think not upon the fault +My father made in compassing the crown. +I Richard's body have interred new +And on it have bestowed more contrite tears +Than from it issued forced drops of blood. +Five hundred poor I have in yearly pay +Who twice a day their withered hands hold up +Toward heaven to pardon blood. And I have built +Two chantries where the sad and solemn priests +Sing still for Richard's soul. More will I do-- +Though all that I can do is nothing worth, +Since that my penitence comes after all, +Imploring pardon. + +[Enter Gloucester.] + + +GLOUCESTER My liege. + +KING HENRY My brother Gloucester's voice.--Ay, +I know thy errand. I will go with thee. +The day, my friends, and all things stay for me. +[They exit.] + +Scene 2 +======= +[Enter the Dauphin, Orleans, Rambures, and Beaumont.] + + +ORLEANS +The sun doth gild our armor. Up, my lords. + +DAUPHIN +Montez a cheval! My horse, varlet! Lackey! Ha! + +ORLEANS O brave spirit! + +DAUPHIN Via les eaux et terre. + +ORLEANS Rien puis? L'air et feu? + +DAUPHIN Cieux, cousin Orleans. + +[Enter Constable.] + +Now, my Lord Constable? + +CONSTABLE +Hark how our steeds for present service neigh. + +DAUPHIN +Mount them, and make incision in their hides, +That their hot blood may spin in English eyes +And dout them with superfluous courage. Ha! + +RAMBURES +What, will you have them weep our horses' blood? +How shall we then behold their natural tears? + +[Enter Messenger.] + + +MESSENGER +The English are embattled, you French peers. + +CONSTABLE +To horse, you gallant princes, straight to horse. +Do but behold yond poor and starved band, +And your fair show shall suck away their souls, +Leaving them but the shales and husks of men. +There is not work enough for all our hands, +Scarce blood enough in all their sickly veins +To give each naked curtal ax a stain, +That our French gallants shall today draw out +And sheathe for lack of sport. Let us but blow on +them, +The vapor of our valor will o'erturn them. +'Tis positive against all exceptions, lords, +That our superfluous lackeys and our peasants, +Who in unnecessary action swarm +About our squares of battle, were enough +To purge this field of such a hilding foe, +Though we upon this mountain's basis by +Took stand for idle speculation, +But that our honors must not. What's to say? +A very little little let us do, +And all is done. Then let the trumpets sound +The tucket sonance and the note to mount, +For our approach shall so much dare the field +That England shall couch down in fear and yield. + +[Enter Grandpre.] + + +GRANDPRE +Why do you stay so long, my lords of France? +Yond island carrions, desperate of their bones, +Ill-favoredly become the morning field. +Their ragged curtains poorly are let loose, +And our air shakes them passing scornfully. +Big Mars seems bankrupt in their beggared host +And faintly through a rusty beaver peeps. +The horsemen sit like fixed candlesticks +With torch staves in their hand, and their poor jades +Lob down their heads, drooping the hides and hips, +The gum down-roping from their pale dead eyes, +And in their pale dull mouths the gemeled bit +Lies foul with chawed grass, still and motionless. +And their executors, the knavish crows, +Fly o'er them all, impatient for their hour. +Description cannot suit itself in words +To demonstrate the life of such a battle +In life so lifeless, as it shows itself. + +CONSTABLE +They have said their prayers, and they stay for death. + +DAUPHIN +Shall we go send them dinners and fresh suits, +And give their fasting horses provender, +And after fight with them? + +CONSTABLE +I stay but for my guard. On, to the field! +I will the banner from a trumpet take +And use it for my haste. Come, come away. +The sun is high, and we outwear the day. +[They exit.] + +Scene 3 +======= +[Enter Gloucester, Bedford, Exeter, Erpingham with all +his host, Salisbury, and Westmoreland.] + + +GLOUCESTER Where is the King? + +BEDFORD +The King himself is rode to view their battle. + +WESTMORELAND +Of fighting men they have full threescore thousand. + +EXETER +There's five to one. Besides, they all are fresh. + +SALISBURY +God's arm strike with us! 'Tis a fearful odds. +God be wi' you, princes all. I'll to my charge. +If we no more meet till we meet in heaven, +Then joyfully, my noble Lord of Bedford, +My dear Lord Gloucester, and my good Lord Exeter, +And my kind kinsman, warriors all, adieu. + +BEDFORD +Farewell, good Salisbury, and good luck go with +thee. +And yet I do thee wrong to mind thee of it, +For thou art framed of the firm truth of valor. + +EXETER +Farewell, kind lord. Fight valiantly today. +[Salisbury exits.] + +BEDFORD +He is as full of valor as of kindness, +Princely in both. + +[Enter the King of England.] + + +WESTMORELAND O, that we now had here +But one ten thousand of those men in England +That do no work today. + +KING HENRY What's he that wishes so? +My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin. +If we are marked to die, we are enough +To do our country loss; and if to live, +The fewer men, the greater share of honor. +God's will, I pray thee wish not one man more. +By Jove, I am not covetous for gold, +Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost; +It yearns me not if men my garments wear; +Such outward things dwell not in my desires. +But if it be a sin to covet honor, +I am the most offending soul alive. +No, 'faith, my coz, wish not a man from England. +God's peace, I would not lose so great an honor +As one man more, methinks, would share from me, +For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more! +Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host, +That he which hath no stomach to this fight, +Let him depart. His passport shall be made, +And crowns for convoy put into his purse. +We would not die in that man's company +That fears his fellowship to die with us. +This day is called the feast of Crispian. +He that outlives this day and comes safe home +Will stand o' tiptoe when this day is named +And rouse him at the name of Crispian. +He that shall see this day, and live old age, +Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbors +And say "Tomorrow is Saint Crispian." +Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars. +Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot, +But he'll remember with advantages +What feats he did that day. Then shall our names, +Familiar in his mouth as household words, +Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter, +Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester, +Be in their flowing cups freshly remembered. +This story shall the good man teach his son, +And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by, +From this day to the ending of the world, +But we in it shall be remembered-- +We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; +For he today that sheds his blood with me +Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile, +This day shall gentle his condition; +And gentlemen in England now abed +Shall think themselves accursed they were not here, +And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks +That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day. + +[Enter Salisbury.] + + +SALISBURY +My sovereign lord, bestow yourself with speed. +The French are bravely in their battles set, +And will with all expedience charge on us. + +KING HENRY +All things are ready if our minds be so. + +WESTMORELAND +Perish the man whose mind is backward now! + +KING HENRY +Thou dost not wish more help from England, coz? + +WESTMORELAND +God's will, my liege, would you and I alone, +Without more help, could fight this royal battle! + +KING HENRY +Why, now thou hast unwished five thousand men, +Which likes me better than to wish us one.-- +You know your places. God be with you all. + +[Tucket. Enter Montjoy.] + + +MONTJOY +Once more I come to know of thee, King Harry, +If for thy ransom thou wilt now compound, +Before thy most assured overthrow. +For certainly thou art so near the gulf +Thou needs must be englutted. Besides, in mercy, +The Constable desires thee thou wilt mind +Thy followers of repentance, that their souls +May make a peaceful and a sweet retire +From off these fields where, wretches, their poor +bodies +Must lie and fester. + +KING HENRY Who hath sent thee now? + +MONTJOY The Constable of France. + +KING HENRY +I pray thee bear my former answer back. +Bid them achieve me and then sell my bones. +Good God, why should they mock poor fellows +thus? +The man that once did sell the lion's skin +While the beast lived was killed with hunting him. +A many of our bodies shall no doubt +Find native graves, upon the which, I trust, +Shall witness live in brass of this day's work. +And those that leave their valiant bones in France, +Dying like men, though buried in your dunghills, +They shall be famed; for there the sun shall greet +them +And draw their honors reeking up to heaven, +Leaving their earthly parts to choke your clime, +The smell whereof shall breed a plague in France. +Mark, then, abounding valor in our English, +That being dead, like to the bullet's crazing, +Break out into a second course of mischief, +Killing in relapse of mortality. +Let me speak proudly: tell the Constable +We are but warriors for the working day; +Our gayness and our gilt are all besmirched +With rainy marching in the painful field. +There's not a piece of feather in our host-- +Good argument, I hope, we will not fly-- +And time hath worn us into slovenry. +But, by the Mass, our hearts are in the trim, +And my poor soldiers tell me, yet ere night +They'll be in fresher robes, or they will pluck +The gay new coats o'er the French soldiers' heads +And turn them out of service. If they do this, +As, if God please, they shall, my ransom then +Will soon be levied. Herald, save thou thy labor. +Come thou no more for ransom, gentle herald. +They shall have none, I swear, but these my joints, +Which, if they have, as I will leave 'em them, +Shall yield them little, tell the Constable. + +MONTJOY +I shall, King Harry. And so fare thee well. +Thou never shalt hear herald anymore. + +KING HENRY I fear thou wilt once more come again +for a ransom. [Montjoy exits.] +[Enter York. +] + +YORK, [kneeling] +My lord, most humbly on my knee I beg +The leading of the vaward. + +KING HENRY +Take it, brave York. [York rises.] +Now, soldiers, march away, +And how Thou pleasest, God, dispose the day. +[They exit.] + +Scene 4 +======= +[Alarum. Excursions. Enter Pistol, French Soldier, +and Boy.] + + +PISTOL Yield, cur. + +FRENCH SOLDIER Je pense que vous etes le gentilhomme +de bonne qualite. + +PISTOL Qualtitie calmie custure me. Art thou a gentleman? +What is thy name? Discuss. + +FRENCH SOLDIER O Seigneur Dieu! + +PISTOL O, Seigneur Dew should be a gentleman. Perpend +my words, O Seigneur Dew, and mark: O +Seigneur Dew, thou diest on point of fox, except, O +Seigneur, thou do give to me egregious ransom. + +FRENCH SOLDIER O, prenez misericorde! Ayez pitie de +moi! + +PISTOL Moy shall not serve. I will have forty moys, or +I will fetch thy rim out at thy throat in drops of +crimson blood. + +FRENCH SOLDIER Est-il impossible d'echapper la force +de ton bras? + +PISTOL Brass, cur? Thou damned and luxurious +mountain goat, offer'st me brass? + +FRENCH SOLDIER O, pardonnez-moi! + +PISTOL Say'st thou me so? Is that a ton of moys?-- +Come hither, boy. Ask me this slave in French what +is his name. + +BOY Ecoutez. Comment etes-vous appele? + +FRENCH SOLDIER Monsieur le Fer. + +BOY He says his name is Master Fer. + +PISTOL Master Fer. I'll fer him, and firk him, and ferret +him. Discuss the same in French unto him. + +BOY I do not know the French for "fer," and "ferret," +and "firk." + +PISTOL Bid him prepare, for I will cut his throat. + +FRENCH SOLDIER, [to the Boy] Que dit-il, monsieur? + +BOY Il me commande a vous dire que vous faites vous +pret, car ce soldat ici est dispose tout a cette heure de +couper votre gorge. + +PISTOL Owy, cuppele gorge, permafoy, peasant, unless +thou give me crowns, brave crowns, or mangled +shalt thou be by this my sword. + +FRENCH SOLDIER O, je vous supplie, pour l'amour de +Dieu, me pardonner. Je suis le gentilhomme de bonne +maison. Gardez ma vie, et je vous donnerai deux +cents ecus. + +PISTOL What are his words? + +BOY He prays you to save his life. He is a gentleman of a +good house, and for his ransom he will give you two +hundred crowns. + +PISTOL Tell him my fury shall abate, and I the crowns +will take. + +FRENCH SOLDIER, [to the Boy] Petit monsieur, que dit-il? + +BOY Encore qu'il est contre son jurement de pardonner +aucun prisonnier; neanmoins, pour les ecus que vous +lui avez promis, il est content a vous donner la liberte, +le franchisement. +[French soldier kneels.] + +FRENCH SOLDIER Sur mes genoux je vous donne mille +remerciments, et je m'estime heureux que j'ai tombe +entre les mains d'un chevalier, je pense, le plus brave, +vaillant, et tres distingue seigneur d'Angleterre. + +PISTOL Expound unto me, boy. + +BOY He gives you upon his knees a thousand thanks, +and he esteems himself happy that he hath fall'n +into the hands of one, as he thinks, the most +brave, valorous, and thrice-worthy seigneur of +England. + +PISTOL As I suck blood, I will some mercy show. +Follow me. + +BOY Suivez-vous le grand capitaine. +[The French Soldier stands up. He and Pistol exit.] +I did never know so full a voice issue from so empty +a heart. But the saying is true: "The empty vessel +makes the greatest sound." Bardolph and Nym had +ten times more valor than this roaring devil i' th' old +play, that everyone may pare his nails with a wooden +dagger, and they are both hanged, and so would +this be if he durst steal anything adventurously. I +must stay with the lackeys with the luggage of our +camp. The French might have a good prey of us if he +knew of it, for there is none to guard it but boys. +[He exits.] + +Scene 5 +======= +[Enter Constable, Orleans, Bourbon, Dauphin, and +Rambures.] + + +CONSTABLE O diable! + +ORLEANS +O Seigneur! Le jour est perdu, tout est perdu! + +DAUPHIN +Mort de ma vie, all is confounded, all! +Reproach and everlasting shame +Sits mocking in our plumes. [A short Alarum.] +O mechante Fortune! +Do not run away. + +CONSTABLE Why, all our ranks are broke. + +DAUPHIN +O perdurable shame! Let's stab ourselves. +Be these the wretches that we played at dice for? + +ORLEANS +Is this the king we sent to for his ransom? + +BOURBON +Shame, and eternal shame, nothing but shame! +Let us die. In once more! Back again! +And he that will not follow Bourbon now, +Let him go hence, and with his cap in hand +Like a base pander hold the chamber door, +Whilst by a slave, no gentler than my dog, +His fairest daughter is contaminate. + +CONSTABLE +Disorder, that hath spoiled us, friend us now. +Let us on heaps go offer up our lives. + +ORLEANS +We are enough yet living in the field +To smother up the English in our throngs, +If any order might be thought upon. + +BOURBON +The devil take order now! I'll to the throng. +Let life be short, else shame will be too long. +[They exit.] + +Scene 6 +======= +[Alarum. Enter the King of England and his train, +with prisoners.] + + +KING HENRY +Well have we done, thrice-valiant countrymen, +But all's not done. Yet keep the French the field. + +[Enter Exeter.] + + +EXETER +The Duke of York commends him to your Majesty. + +KING HENRY +Lives he, good uncle? Thrice within this hour +I saw him down, thrice up again and fighting. +From helmet to the spur, all blood he was. + +EXETER +In which array, brave soldier, doth he lie, +Larding the plain, and by his bloody side, +Yoke-fellow to his honor-owing wounds, +The noble Earl of Suffolk also lies. +Suffolk first died, and York, all haggled over, +Comes to him where in gore he lay insteeped, +And takes him by the beard, kisses the gashes +That bloodily did yawn upon his face. +He cries aloud "Tarry, my cousin Suffolk. +My soul shall thine keep company to heaven. +Tarry, sweet soul, for mine; then fly abreast, +As in this glorious and well-foughten field +We kept together in our chivalry." +Upon these words I came and cheered him up. +He smiled me in the face, raught me his hand, +And with a feeble grip, says "Dear my lord, +Commend my service to my sovereign." +So did he turn, and over Suffolk's neck +He threw his wounded arm and kissed his lips, +And so, espoused to death, with blood he sealed +A testament of noble-ending love. +The pretty and sweet manner of it forced +Those waters from me which I would have stopped, +But I had not so much of man in me, +And all my mother came into mine eyes +And gave me up to tears. + +KING HENRY I blame you not, +For, hearing this, I must perforce compound +With my full eyes, or they will issue too. [Alarum.] +But hark, what new alarum is this same? +The French have reinforced their scattered men. +Then every soldier kill his prisoners. +Give the word through. +[They exit.] + +Scene 7 +======= +[Enter Fluellen and Gower.] + + +FLUELLEN Kill the poys and the luggage! 'Tis expressly +against the law of arms. 'Tis as arrant a piece of +knavery, mark you now, as can be offert, in your +conscience now, is it not? + +GOWER 'Tis certain there's not a boy left alive, and +the cowardly rascals that ran from the battle ha' +done this slaughter. Besides, they have burned +and carried away all that was in the King's tent, +wherefore the King, most worthily, hath caused +every soldier to cut his prisoner's throat. O, 'tis a +gallant king! + +FLUELLEN Ay, he was porn at Monmouth, Captain +Gower. What call you the town's name where +Alexander the Pig was born? + +GOWER Alexander the Great. + +FLUELLEN Why, I pray you, is not "pig" great? The pig, +or the great, or the mighty, or the huge, or the +magnanimous, are all one reckonings, save the +phrase is a little variations. + +GOWER I think Alexander the Great was born in Macedon. +His father was called Philip of Macedon, as I +take it. + +FLUELLEN I think it is in Macedon where Alexander is +porn. I tell you, captain, if you look in the maps of +the 'orld, I warrant you sall find, in the comparisons +between Macedon and Monmouth, that the +situations, look you, is both alike. There is a river in +Macedon, and there is also, moreover, a river at +Monmouth. It is called Wye at Monmouth, but it is +out of my prains what is the name of the other river. +But 'tis all one; 'tis alike as my fingers is to my +fingers, and there is salmons in both. If you mark +Alexander's life well, Harry of Monmouth's life is +come after it indifferent well, for there is figures in +all things. Alexander, God knows and you know, in +his rages and his furies and his wraths and his +cholers and his moods and his displeasures and his +indignations, and also being a little intoxicates in +his prains, did, in his ales and his angers, look you, +kill his best friend, Cleitus. + +GOWER Our king is not like him in that. He never +killed any of his friends. + +FLUELLEN It is not well done, mark you now, to take +the tales out of my mouth ere it is made and +finished. I speak but in the figures and comparisons +of it. As Alexander killed his friend Cleitus, being in +his ales and his cups, so also Harry Monmouth, +being in his right wits and his good judgments, +turned away the fat knight with the great-belly +doublet; he was full of jests and gipes and knaveries +and mocks--I have forgot his name. + +GOWER Sir John Falstaff. + +FLUELLEN That is he. I'll tell you, there is good men +porn at Monmouth. + +GOWER Here comes his Majesty. + +[Alarum. Enter King Harry, Exeter, Warwick, Gloucester, +Heralds and Bourbon with other prisoners. Flourish.] + + +KING HENRY +I was not angry since I came to France +Until this instant. Take a trumpet, herald. +Ride thou unto the horsemen on yond hill. +If they will fight with us, bid them come down, +Or void the field. They do offend our sight. +If they'll do neither, we will come to them +And make them skirr away as swift as stones +Enforced from the old Assyrian slings. +Besides, we'll cut the throats of those we have, +And not a man of them that we shall take +Shall taste our mercy. Go and tell them so. + +[Enter Montjoy.] + + +EXETER +Here comes the herald of the French, my liege. + +GLOUCESTER +His eyes are humbler than they used to be. + +KING HENRY +How now, what means this, herald? Know'st thou +not +That I have fined these bones of mine for ransom? +Com'st thou again for ransom? + +MONTJOY No, great king. +I come to thee for charitable license, +That we may wander o'er this bloody field +To book our dead and then to bury them, +To sort our nobles from our common men, +For many of our princes--woe the while!-- +Lie drowned and soaked in mercenary blood. +So do our vulgar drench their peasant limbs +In blood of princes, and the wounded steeds +Fret fetlock deep in gore, and with wild rage +Yerk out their armed heels at their dead masters, +Killing them twice. O, give us leave, great king, +To view the field in safety and dispose +Of their dead bodies. + +KING HENRY I tell thee truly, herald, +I know not if the day be ours or no, +For yet a many of your horsemen peer +And gallop o'er the field. + +MONTJOY The day is yours. + +KING HENRY +Praised be God, and not our strength, for it! +What is this castle called that stands hard by? + +MONTJOY They call it Agincourt. + +KING HENRY +Then call we this the field of Agincourt, +Fought on the day of Crispin Crispianus. + +FLUELLEN Your grandfather of famous memory, an 't +please your Majesty, and your great-uncle Edward +the Plack Prince of Wales, as I have read in the +chronicles, fought a most prave pattle here in +France. + +KING HENRY They did, Fluellen. + +FLUELLEN Your Majesty says very true. If your Majesties +is remembered of it, the Welshmen did good +service in a garden where leeks did grow, wearing +leeks in their Monmouth caps, which, your Majesty +know, to this hour is an honorable badge of the +service. And I do believe your Majesty takes no +scorn to wear the leek upon Saint Tavy's day. + +KING HENRY +I wear it for a memorable honor, +For I am Welsh, you know, good countryman. + +FLUELLEN All the water in Wye cannot wash your +Majesty's Welsh plood out of your pody, I can tell +you that. God pless it and preserve it as long as it +pleases his Grace and his Majesty too. + +KING HENRY Thanks, good my countryman. + +FLUELLEN By Jeshu, I am your Majesty's countryman, +I care not who know it. I will confess it to all the +'orld. I need not to be ashamed of your Majesty, +praised be God, so long as your Majesty is an +honest man. + +KING HENRY +God keep me so.--Our heralds, go with him. +Bring me just notice of the numbers dead +On both our parts. +[Montjoy, English Heralds, and Gower exit.] + +[Enter Williams.] + +Call yonder fellow hither. + +EXETER Soldier, you must come to the King. + +KING HENRY Soldier, why wear'st thou that glove in thy +cap? + +WILLIAMS An 't please your Majesty, 'tis the gage of +one that I should fight withal, if he be alive. + +KING HENRY An Englishman? + +WILLIAMS An 't please your Majesty, a rascal that +swaggered with me last night, who, if alive and ever +dare to challenge this glove, I have sworn to take +him a box o' th' ear, or if I can see my glove in his +cap, which he swore, as he was a soldier, he would +wear if alive, I will strike it out soundly. + +KING HENRY What think you, Captain Fluellen, is it fit +this soldier keep his oath? + +FLUELLEN He is a craven and a villain else, an 't +please your Majesty, in my conscience. + +KING HENRY It may be his enemy is a gentleman of +great sort, quite from the answer of his degree. + +FLUELLEN Though he be as good a gentleman as the +devil is, as Lucifer and Beelzebub himself, it is +necessary, look your Grace, that he keep his vow +and his oath. If he be perjured, see you now, his +reputation is as arrant a villain and a Jack Sauce as +ever his black shoe trod upon God's ground and His +earth, in my conscience, la. + +KING HENRY Then keep thy vow, sirrah, when thou +meet'st the fellow. + +WILLIAMS So I will, my liege, as I live. + +KING HENRY Who serv'st thou under? + +WILLIAMS Under Captain Gower, my liege. + +FLUELLEN Gower is a good captain, and is good knowledge +and literatured in the wars. + +KING HENRY Call him hither to me, soldier. + +WILLIAMS I will, my liege. [He exits.] + +KING HENRY, [giving Fluellen Williams's glove] Here, +Fluellen, wear thou this favor for me, and stick it in +thy cap. When Alencon and myself were down +together, I plucked this glove from his helm. If any +man challenge this, he is a friend to Alencon and an +enemy to our person. If thou encounter any such, +apprehend him, an thou dost me love. + +FLUELLEN, [putting the glove in his cap] Your Grace +does me as great honors as can be desired in the +hearts of his subjects. I would fain see the man that +has but two legs that shall find himself aggriefed at +this glove, that is all; but I would fain see it once, an +please God of His grace that I might see. + +KING HENRY Know'st thou Gower? + +FLUELLEN He is my dear friend, an please you. + +KING HENRY Pray thee, go seek him, and bring him to +my tent. + +FLUELLEN I will fetch him. [He exits.] + +KING HENRY +My Lord of Warwick and my brother Gloucester, +Follow Fluellen closely at the heels. +The glove which I have given him for a favor +May haply purchase him a box o' th' ear. +It is the soldier's. I by bargain should +Wear it myself. Follow, good cousin Warwick. +If that the soldier strike him, as I judge +By his blunt bearing he will keep his word, +Some sudden mischief may arise of it, +For I do know Fluellen valiant +And, touched with choler, hot as gunpowder, +And quickly will return an injury. +Follow, and see there be no harm between them.-- +Go you with me, uncle of Exeter. +[They exit.] + +Scene 8 +======= +[Enter Gower and Williams.] + + +WILLIAMS I warrant it is to knight you, captain. + +[Enter Fluellen, wearing Williams's glove.] + + +FLUELLEN, [to Gower] God's will and His pleasure, +captain, I beseech you now, come apace to the +King. There is more good toward you peradventure +than is in your knowledge to dream of. + +WILLIAMS, [to Fluellen, pointing to the glove in his own +hat] Sir, know you this glove? + +FLUELLEN Know the glove? I know the glove is a glove. + +WILLIAMS I know this, and thus I challenge it. +[Strikes him.] + +FLUELLEN 'Sblood, an arrant traitor as any 's in the +universal world, or in France, or in England! + +GOWER, [to Williams] How now, sir? You villain! + +WILLIAMS Do you think I'll be forsworn? + +FLUELLEN Stand away, Captain Gower. I will give treason +his payment into plows, I warrant you. + +WILLIAMS I am no traitor. + +FLUELLEN That's a lie in thy throat.--I charge you in +his Majesty's name, apprehend him. He's a friend +of the Duke Alencon's. + +[Enter Warwick and Gloucester.] + + +WARWICK How now, how now, what's the matter? + +FLUELLEN My Lord of Warwick, here is, praised be +God for it, a most contagious treason come to +light, look you, as you shall desire in a summer's +day. + +[Enter King of England and Exeter.] + +Here is his Majesty. + +KING HENRY How now, what's the matter? + +FLUELLEN My liege, here is a villain and a traitor, that, +look your Grace, has struck the glove which your +Majesty is take out of the helmet of Alencon. + +WILLIAMS My liege, this was my glove; here is the fellow +of it. And he that I gave it to in change promised to +wear it in his cap. I promised to strike him if he did. +I met this man with my glove in his cap, and I have +been as good as my word. + +FLUELLEN Your Majesty, hear now, saving your Majesty's +manhood, what an arrant, rascally, beggarly, +lousy knave it is. I hope your Majesty is pear me +testimony and witness and will avouchment that +this is the glove of Alencon that your Majesty is give +me, in your conscience now. + +KING HENRY, [to Williams] Give me thy glove, soldier. +Look, here is the fellow of it. +'Twas I indeed thou promised'st to strike, +And thou hast given me most bitter terms. + +FLUELLEN An please your Majesty, let his neck answer +for it, if there is any martial law in the world. + +KING HENRY, [to Williams] How canst thou make me +satisfaction? + +WILLIAMS All offenses, my lord, come from the heart. +Never came any from mine that might offend your +Majesty. + +KING HENRY It was ourself thou didst abuse. + +WILLIAMS Your Majesty came not like yourself. You +appeared to me but as a common man; witness the +night, your garments, your lowliness. And what +your Highness suffered under that shape, I beseech +you take it for your own fault and not mine, for, had +you been as I took you for, I made no offense. +Therefore, I beseech your Highness pardon me. + +KING HENRY +Here, uncle Exeter, fill this glove with crowns +And give it to this fellow.--Keep it, fellow, +And wear it for an honor in thy cap +Till I do challenge it.--Give him the crowns.-- +And, captain, you must needs be friends with him. + +FLUELLEN By this day and this light, the fellow has +mettle enough in his belly.--Hold, there is twelvepence +for you, and I pray you to serve God and keep +you out of prawls and prabbles and quarrels and +dissensions, and I warrant you it is the better for +you. + +WILLIAMS I will none of your money. + +FLUELLEN It is with a good will. I can tell you it will +serve you to mend your shoes. Come, wherefore +should you be so pashful? Your shoes is not so +good. 'Tis a good silling, I warrant you, or I will +change it. + +[Enter an English Herald.] + + +KING HENRY Now, herald, are the dead numbered? + +HERALD, [giving the King a paper] +Here is the number of the slaughtered French. + +KING HENRY, [to Exeter] +What prisoners of good sort are taken, uncle? + +EXETER +Charles, Duke of Orleans, nephew to the King; +John, Duke of Bourbon, and Lord Bouciqualt. +Of other lords and barons, knights and squires, +Full fifteen hundred, besides common men. + +KING HENRY +This note doth tell me of ten thousand French +That in the field lie slain. Of princes in this number +And nobles bearing banners, there lie dead +One hundred twenty-six. Added to these, +Of knights, esquires, and gallant gentlemen, +Eight thousand and four hundred, of the which +Five hundred were but yesterday dubbed knights. +So that in these ten thousand they have lost, +There are but sixteen hundred mercenaries. +The rest are princes, barons, lords, knights, squires, +And gentlemen of blood and quality. +The names of those their nobles that lie dead: +Charles Delabreth, High Constable of France; +Jacques of Chatillon, Admiral of France; +The Master of the Crossbows, Lord Rambures; +Great Master of France, the brave Sir Guichard +Dauphin; +John, Duke of Alencon; Anthony, Duke of Brabant, +The brother to the Duke of Burgundy; +And Edward, Duke of Bar. Of lusty earls: +Grandpre and Roussi, Faulconbridge and Foix, +Beaumont and Marle, Vaudemont and Lestrale. +Here was a royal fellowship of death. +Where is the number of our English dead? +[Herald gives him another paper.] +Edward the Duke of York, the Earl of Suffolk, +Sir Richard Ketly, Davy Gam, esquire; +None else of name, and of all other men +But five and twenty. O God, thy arm was here, +And not to us, but to thy arm alone +Ascribe we all! When, without stratagem, +But in plain shock and even play of battle, +Was ever known so great and little loss +On one part and on th' other? Take it, God, +For it is none but thine. + +EXETER 'Tis wonderful. + +KING HENRY +Come, go we in procession to the village, +And be it death proclaimed through our host +To boast of this or take that praise from God +Which is His only. + +FLUELLEN Is it not lawful, an please your Majesty, to +tell how many is killed? + +KING HENRY +Yes, captain, but with this acknowledgment: +That God fought for us. + +FLUELLEN Yes, my conscience, He did us great good. + +KING HENRY Do we all holy rites. +Let there be sung Non nobis, and Te Deum, +The dead with charity enclosed in clay, +And then to Calais, and to England then, +Where ne'er from France arrived more happy men. +[They exit.] + + +ACT 5 +===== + +[Enter Chorus.] + + +CHORUS +Vouchsafe to those that have not read the story +That I may prompt them; and of such as have, +I humbly pray them to admit th' excuse +Of time, of numbers, and due course of things, +Which cannot in their huge and proper life +Be here presented. Now we bear the King +Toward Calais. Grant him there. There seen, +Heave him away upon your winged thoughts +Athwart the sea. Behold, the English beach +Pales in the flood with men, wives, and boys, +Whose shouts and claps outvoice the deep-mouthed +sea, +Which, like a mighty whiffler 'fore the King +Seems to prepare his way. So let him land, +And solemnly see him set on to London. +So swift a pace hath thought that even now +You may imagine him upon Blackheath, +Where that his lords desire him to have borne +His bruised helmet and his bended sword +Before him through the city. He forbids it, +Being free from vainness and self-glorious pride, +Giving full trophy, signal, and ostent +Quite from himself, to God. But now behold, +In the quick forge and workinghouse of thought, +How London doth pour out her citizens. +The Mayor and all his brethren in best sort, +Like to the senators of th' antique Rome, +With the plebeians swarming at their heels, +Go forth and fetch their conqu'ring Caesar in-- +As, by a lower but by loving likelihood +Were now the general of our gracious empress, +As in good time he may, from Ireland coming, +Bringing rebellion broached on his sword, +How many would the peaceful city quit +To welcome him! Much more, and much more +cause, +Did they this Harry. Now in London place him +(As yet the lamentation of the French +Invites the King of England's stay at home; +The Emperor's coming in behalf of France +To order peace between them) and omit +All the occurrences, whatever chanced, +Till Harry's back return again to France. +There must we bring him, and myself have played +The interim, by remembering you 'tis past. +Then brook abridgment, and your eyes advance +After your thoughts, straight back again to France. +[He exits.] + +Scene 1 +======= +[Enter Fluellen and Gower.] + + +GOWER Nay, that's right. But why wear you your leek +today? Saint Davy's day is past. + +FLUELLEN There is occasions and causes why and +wherefore in all things. I will tell you ass my +friend, Captain Gower. The rascally, scald, beggarly, +lousy, pragging knave Pistol, which you and +yourself and all the world know to be no petter than +a fellow, look you now, of no merits, he is come to +me and prings me pread and salt yesterday, look +you, and bid me eat my leek. It was in a place where +I could not breed no contention with him, but I will +be so bold as to wear it in my cap till I see him once +again, and then I will tell him a little piece of my +desires. + +[Enter Pistol.] + + +GOWER Why here he comes, swelling like a +turkey-cock. + +FLUELLEN 'Tis no matter for his swellings, nor his +turkey-cocks.--God pless you, Aunchient Pistol, +you scurvy, lousy knave, God pless you. + +PISTOL Ha, art thou bedlam? Dost thou thirst, base +Trojan, to have me fold up Parca's fatal web? Hence. +I am qualmish at the smell of leek. + +FLUELLEN I peseech you heartily, scurvy, lousy knave, +at my desires and my requests and my petitions, to +eat, look you, this leek. Because, look you, you do +not love it, nor your affections and your appetites +and your disgestions does not agree with it, I would +desire you to eat it. + +PISTOL Not for Cadwallader and all his goats. + +FLUELLEN There is one goat for you. [(Strikes him +with a cudgel.)] Will you be so good, scald knave, +as eat it? + +PISTOL Base Trojan, thou shalt die. + +FLUELLEN You say very true, scald knave, when God's +will is. I will desire you to live in the meantime and +eat your victuals. Come, there is sauce for it. [Strikes +him.] You called me yesterday "mountain squire," +but I will make you today a squire of low degree. I +pray you, fall to. If you can mock a leek, you can eat +a leek. + +GOWER Enough, captain. You have astonished him. + +FLUELLEN I say I will make him eat some part of my +leek, or I will peat his pate four days.--Bite, I pray +you. It is good for your green wound and your +ploody coxcomb. + +PISTOL Must I bite? + +FLUELLEN Yes, certainly, and out of doubt and out of +question, too, and ambiguities. + +PISTOL By this leek, I will most horribly revenge. +[Fluellen threatens him.] I eat and eat, I swear-- + +FLUELLEN Eat, I pray you. Will you have some more +sauce to your leek? There is not enough leek to +swear by. + +PISTOL Quiet thy cudgel. Thou dost see I eat. + +FLUELLEN Much good do you, scald knave, heartily. +Nay, pray you throw none away. The skin is good for +your broken coxcomb. When you take occasions to +see leeks hereafter, I pray you mock at 'em, that is +all. + +PISTOL Good. + +FLUELLEN Ay, leeks is good. Hold you, there is a groat +to heal your pate. + +PISTOL Me, a groat? + +FLUELLEN Yes, verily, and in truth you shall take it, or I +have another leek in my pocket, which you shall +eat. + +PISTOL I take thy groat in earnest of revenge. + +FLUELLEN If I owe you anything, I will pay you in +cudgels. You shall be a woodmonger and buy +nothing of me but cudgels. God be wi' you and +keep you and heal your pate. [He exits.] + +PISTOL All hell shall stir for this. + +GOWER Go, go. You are a counterfeit cowardly knave. +Will you mock at an ancient tradition begun upon +an honorable respect and worn as a memorable +trophy of predeceased valor, and dare not avouch in +your deeds any of your words? I have seen you +gleeking and galling at this gentleman twice or +thrice. You thought because he could not speak +English in the native garb, he could not therefore +handle an English cudgel. You find it otherwise, and +henceforth let a Welsh correction teach you a good +English condition. Fare you well. [He exits.] + +PISTOL Doth Fortune play the huswife with me now? +News have I that my Doll is dead i' th' spital of a +malady of France, and there my rendezvous is quite +cut off. Old I do wax, and from my weary limbs +honor is cudgeled. Well, bawd I'll turn, and something +lean to cutpurse of quick hand. To England +will I steal, and there I'll steal. +And patches will I get unto these cudgeled scars, +And swear I got them in the Gallia wars. +[He exits.] + +Scene 2 +======= +[Enter at one door, King Henry, Exeter, Bedford, +Warwick, Westmoreland, and other Lords. At another, +Queen Isabel of France, the King of France, the +Princess Katherine and Alice, the Duke of Burgundy, +and other French.] + + +KING HENRY +Peace to this meeting wherefor we are met. +Unto our brother France and to our sister, +Health and fair time of day.--Joy and good wishes +To our most fair and princely cousin Katherine.-- +And, as a branch and member of this royalty, +By whom this great assembly is contrived, +We do salute you, Duke of Burgundy.-- +And princes French, and peers, health to you all. + +KING OF FRANCE +Right joyous are we to behold your face, +Most worthy brother England. Fairly met.-- +So are you, princes English, every one. + +QUEEN OF FRANCE +So happy be the issue, brother Ireland, +Of this good day and of this gracious meeting, +As we are now glad to behold your eyes-- +Your eyes which hitherto have borne in them +Against the French that met them in their bent +The fatal balls of murdering basilisks. +The venom of such looks, we fairly hope, +Have lost their quality, and that this day +Shall change all griefs and quarrels into love. + +KING HENRY +To cry "Amen" to that, thus we appear. + +QUEEN OF FRANCE +You English princes all, I do salute you. + +BURGUNDY +My duty to you both, on equal love, +Great kings of France and England. That I have +labored +With all my wits, my pains, and strong endeavors +To bring your most imperial Majesties +Unto this bar and royal interview, +Your Mightiness on both parts best can witness. +Since, then, my office hath so far prevailed +That face to face and royal eye to eye +You have congreeted, let it not disgrace me +If I demand before this royal view +What rub or what impediment there is +Why that the naked, poor, and mangled peace, +Dear nurse of arts, plenties, and joyful births, +Should not in this best garden of the world, +Our fertile France, put up her lovely visage? +Alas, she hath from France too long been chased, +And all her husbandry doth lie on heaps, +Corrupting in its own fertility. +Her vine, the merry cheerer of the heart, +Unpruned, dies. Her hedges, even-pleached, +Like prisoners wildly overgrown with hair, +Put forth disordered twigs. Her fallow leas +The darnel, hemlock, and rank fumitory +Doth root upon, while that the coulter rusts +That should deracinate such savagery. +The even mead, that erst brought sweetly forth +The freckled cowslip, burnet, and green clover, +Wanting the scythe, withal uncorrected, rank, +Conceives by idleness, and nothing teems +But hateful docks, rough thistles, kecksies, burrs, +Losing both beauty and utility. +And all our vineyards, fallows, meads, and hedges, +Defective in their natures, grow to wildness. +Even so our houses and ourselves and children +Have lost, or do not learn for want of time, +The sciences that should become our country, +But grow like savages, as soldiers will +That nothing do but meditate on blood, +To swearing and stern looks, diffused attire, +And everything that seems unnatural. +Which to reduce into our former favor +You are assembled, and my speech entreats +That I may know the let why gentle peace +Should not expel these inconveniences +And bless us with her former qualities. + +KING HENRY +If, Duke of Burgundy, you would the peace, +Whose want gives growth to th' imperfections +Which you have cited, you must buy that peace +With full accord to all our just demands, +Whose tenors and particular effects +You have, enscheduled briefly, in your hands. + +BURGUNDY +The King hath heard them, to the which as yet +There is no answer made. + +KING HENRY +Well then, the peace which you before so urged +Lies in his answer. + +KING OF FRANCE +I have but with a cursitory eye +O'erglanced the articles. Pleaseth your Grace +To appoint some of your council presently +To sit with us once more with better heed +To resurvey them, we will suddenly +Pass our accept and peremptory answer. + +KING HENRY +Brother, we shall.--Go, uncle Exeter, +And brother Clarence, and you, brother Gloucester, +Warwick, and Huntington, go with the King, +And take with you free power to ratify, +Augment, or alter, as your wisdoms best +Shall see advantageable for our dignity, +Anything in or out of our demands, +And we'll consign thereto.--Will you, fair sister, +Go with the princes or stay here with us? + +QUEEN OF FRANCE +Our gracious brother, I will go with them. +Haply a woman's voice may do some good +When articles too nicely urged be stood on. + +KING HENRY +Yet leave our cousin Katherine here with us. +She is our capital demand, comprised +Within the forerank of our articles. + +QUEEN OF FRANCE +She hath good leave. +[All but Katherine, and the King of England, +and Alice exit.] + +KING HENRY Fair Katherine, and most fair, +Will you vouchsafe to teach a soldier terms +Such as will enter at a lady's ear +And plead his love-suit to her gentle heart? + +KATHERINE Your Majesty shall mock at me. I cannot +speak your England. + +KING HENRY O fair Katherine, if you will love me +soundly with your French heart, I will be glad to +hear you confess it brokenly with your English +tongue. Do you like me, Kate? + +KATHERINE Pardonnez-moi, I cannot tell wat is "like +me." + +KING HENRY An angel is like you, Kate, and you are +like an angel. + +KATHERINE, [to Alice] Que dit-il? Que je suis semblable a +les anges? + +ALICE Oui, vraiment, sauf votre Grace, ainsi dit-il. + +KING HENRY I said so, dear Katherine, and I must not +blush to affirm it. + +KATHERINE O bon Dieu, les langues des hommes sont +pleines de tromperies. + +KING HENRY, [to Alice] What says she, fair one? That the +tongues of men are full of deceits? + +ALICE Oui, dat de tongues of de mans is be full of +deceits; dat is de Princess. + +KING HENRY The Princess is the better Englishwoman.-- +I' faith, Kate, my wooing is fit for thy +understanding. I am glad thou canst speak no +better English, for if thou couldst, thou wouldst +find me such a plain king that thou wouldst think I +had sold my farm to buy my crown. I know no ways +to mince it in love, but directly to say "I love you." +Then if you urge me farther than to say "Do you, in +faith?" I wear out my suit. Give me your answer, i' +faith, do; and so clap hands and a bargain. How say +you, lady? + +KATHERINE Sauf votre honneur, me understand well. + +KING HENRY Marry, if you would put me to verses or +to dance for your sake, Kate, why you undid me. +For the one, I have neither words nor measure; and +for the other, I have no strength in measure, yet a +reasonable measure in strength. If I could win a +lady at leapfrog or by vaulting into my saddle with +my armor on my back, under the correction of +bragging be it spoken, I should quickly leap into a +wife. Or if I might buffet for my love, or bound my +horse for her favors, I could lay on like a butcher +and sit like a jackanapes, never off. But, before God, +Kate, I cannot look greenly nor gasp out my eloquence, +nor I have no cunning in protestation, only +downright oaths, which I never use till urged, nor +never break for urging. If thou canst love a fellow of +this temper, Kate, whose face is not worth sun-burning, +that never looks in his glass for love of +anything he sees there, let thine eye be thy cook. I +speak to thee plain soldier. If thou canst love me for +this, take me. If not, to say to thee that I shall die is +true, but for thy love, by the Lord, no. Yet I love thee +too. And while thou liv'st, dear Kate, take a fellow of +plain and uncoined constancy, for he perforce must +do thee right because he hath not the gift to woo in +other places. For these fellows of infinite tongue, +that can rhyme themselves into ladies' favors, they +do always reason themselves out again. What? A +speaker is but a prater, a rhyme is but a ballad, a +good leg will fall, a straight back will stoop, a black +beard will turn white, a curled pate will grow bald, +a fair face will wither, a full eye will wax hollow, but +a good heart, Kate, is the sun and the moon, or +rather the sun and not the moon, for it shines bright +and never changes but keeps his course truly. If +thou would have such a one, take me. And take me, +take a soldier. Take a soldier, take a king. And what +say'st thou then to my love? Speak, my fair, and +fairly, I pray thee. + +KATHERINE Is it possible dat I sould love de enemy of +France? + +KING HENRY No, it is not possible you should love the +enemy of France, Kate. But, in loving me, you +should love the friend of France, for I love France +so well that I will not part with a village of it. I will +have it all mine. And, Kate, when France is mine +and I am yours, then yours is France and you are +mine. + +KATHERINE I cannot tell wat is dat. + +KING HENRY No, Kate? I will tell thee in French, +which I am sure will hang upon my tongue like a +new-married wife about her husband's neck, hardly +to be shook off. Je quand sur le possession de +France, et quand vous avez le possession de moi--let +me see, what then? Saint Denis be my speed!--donc +votre est France, et vous etes mienne. It is as easy for +me, Kate, to conquer the kingdom as to speak so +much more French. I shall never move thee in +French, unless it be to laugh at me. + +KATHERINE Sauf votre honneur, le francais que vous +parlez, il est meilleur que l'anglais lequel je parle. + +KING HENRY No, faith, is 't not, Kate, but thy speaking +of my tongue, and I thine, most truly-falsely must +needs be granted to be much at one. But, Kate, dost +thou understand thus much English? Canst thou +love me? + +KATHERINE I cannot tell. + +KING HENRY Can any of your neighbors tell, Kate? I'll +ask them. Come, I know thou lovest me; and at +night, when you come into your closet, you'll question +this gentlewoman about me, and, I know, Kate, +you will, to her, dispraise those parts in me that you +love with your heart. But, good Kate, mock me +mercifully, the rather, gentle princess, because I +love thee cruelly. If ever thou beest mine, Kate, as I +have a saving faith within me tells me thou shalt, I +get thee with scambling, and thou must therefore +needs prove a good soldier-breeder. Shall not thou +and I, between Saint Denis and Saint George, compound +a boy, half French, half English, that shall go +to Constantinople and take the Turk by the beard? +Shall we not? What say'st thou, my fair flower de +luce? + +KATHERINE I do not know dat. + +KING HENRY No, 'tis hereafter to know, but now to +promise. Do but now promise, Kate, you will +endeavor for your French part of such a boy; and +for my English moiety, take the word of a king and +a bachelor. How answer you, la plus belle Katherine +du monde, mon tres cher et divin deesse? + +KATHERINE Your Majeste 'ave fausse French enough to +deceive de most sage demoiselle dat is en France. + +KING HENRY Now fie upon my false French. By mine +honor, in true English, I love thee, Kate. By which +honor I dare not swear thou lovest me, yet my blood +begins to flatter me that thou dost, notwithstanding +the poor and untempering effect of my visage. Now +beshrew my father's ambition! He was thinking of +civil wars when he got me; therefore was I created +with a stubborn outside, with an aspect of iron, that +when I come to woo ladies, I fright them. But, in +faith, Kate, the elder I wax, the better I shall appear. +My comfort is that old age, that ill layer-up of +beauty, can do no more spoil upon my face. Thou +hast me, if thou hast me, at the worst, and thou shalt +wear me, if thou wear me, better and better. And +therefore tell me, most fair Katherine, will you have +me? Put off your maiden blushes, avouch the +thoughts of your heart with the looks of an empress, +take me by the hand, and say "Harry of England, I +am thine," which word thou shalt no sooner bless +mine ear withal, but I will tell thee aloud "England +is thine, Ireland is thine, France is thine, and Henry +Plantagenet is thine," who, though I speak it before +his face, if he be not fellow with the best king, thou +shalt find the best king of good fellows. Come, your +answer in broken music, for thy voice is music, and +thy English broken. Therefore, queen of all, Katherine, +break thy mind to me in broken English. Wilt +thou have me? + +KATHERINE Dat is as it shall please de roi mon pere. + +KING HENRY Nay, it will please him well, Kate; it shall +please him, Kate. + +KATHERINE Den it sall also content me. + +KING HENRY Upon that I kiss your hand, and I call you +my queen. + +KATHERINE Laissez, mon seigneur, laissez, laissez! Ma +foi, je ne veux point que vous abaissiez votre grandeur, +en baisant la main d' une--Notre Seigneur!-- +indigne serviteur. Excusez-moi, je vous supplie, mon +tres puissant seigneur. + +KING HENRY Then I will kiss your lips, Kate. + +KATHERINE Les dames et demoiselles, pour etre baisees +devant leurs noces, il n'est pas la coutume de France. + +KING HENRY Madam my interpreter, what says she? + +ALICE Dat it is not be de fashion pour les ladies of +France--I cannot tell wat is baiser en Anglish. + +KING HENRY To kiss. + +ALICE Your Majeste entendre bettre que moi. + +KING HENRY It is not a fashion for the maids in France +to kiss before they are married, would she say? + +ALICE Oui, vraiment. + +KING HENRY O Kate, nice customs curtsy to great +kings. Dear Kate, you and I cannot be confined +within the weak list of a country's fashion. We are +the makers of manners, Kate, and the liberty that +follows our places stops the mouth of all find-faults, +as I will do yours for upholding the nice fashion of +your country in denying me a kiss. Therefore, +patiently and yielding. [He kisses her.] You have +witchcraft in your lips, Kate. There is more eloquence +in a sugar touch of them than in the tongues +of the French council, and they should sooner +persuade Harry of England than a general petition +of monarchs. + +[Enter the French power, the French King and Queen +and Burgundy, and the English Lords Westmoreland +and Exeter.] +Here comes your father. + +BURGUNDY God save your Majesty. My royal cousin, +teach you our princess English? + +KING HENRY I would have her learn, my fair cousin, +how perfectly I love her, and that is good English. + +BURGUNDY Is she not apt? + +KING HENRY Our tongue is rough, coz, and my condition +is not smooth, so that, having neither the voice +nor the heart of flattery about me, I cannot so +conjure up the spirit of love in her that he will +appear in his true likeness. + +BURGUNDY Pardon the frankness of my mirth if I +answer you for that. If you would conjure in her, +you must make a circle; if conjure up Love in her in +his true likeness, he must appear naked and blind. +Can you blame her, then, being a maid yet rosed +over with the virgin crimson of modesty, if she deny +the appearance of a naked blind boy in her naked +seeing self? It were, my lord, a hard condition for a +maid to consign to. + +KING HENRY Yet they do wink and yield, as love is +blind and enforces. + +BURGUNDY They are then excused, my lord, when they +see not what they do. + +KING HENRY Then, good my lord, teach your cousin to +consent winking. + +BURGUNDY I will wink on her to consent, my lord, if +you will teach her to know my meaning, for maids +well summered and warm kept are like flies at +Bartholomew-tide: blind, though they have their +eyes; and then they will endure handling, which +before would not abide looking on. + +KING HENRY This moral ties me over to time and a hot +summer. And so I shall catch the fly, your cousin, +in the latter end, and she must be blind too. + +BURGUNDY As love is, my lord, before it loves. + +KING HENRY It is so. And you may, some of you, thank +love for my blindness, who cannot see many a fair +French city for one fair French maid that stands in +my way. + +KING OF FRANCE Yes, my lord, you see them perspectively, +the cities turned into a maid, for they are all +girdled with maiden walls that war hath never +entered. + +KING HENRY Shall Kate be my wife? + +KING OF FRANCE So please you. + +KING HENRY I am content, so the maiden cities you +talk of may wait on her. So the maid that stood in +the way for my wish shall show me the way to my +will. + +KING OF FRANCE +We have consented to all terms of reason. + +KING HENRY Is 't so, my lords of England? + +WESTMORELAND +The King hath granted every article, +His daughter first, and, in sequel, all, +According to their firm proposed natures. + +EXETER +Only he hath not yet subscribed this: +Where your Majesty demands that the King of +France, having any occasion to write for matter of +grant, shall name your Highness in this form and +with this addition, in French: Notre tres cher fils +Henri, roi d' Angleterre, heritier de France; and thus +in Latin: Praeclarissimus filius noster Henricus, rex +Angliae et hoeres Franciae. + +KING OF FRANCE +Nor this I have not, brother, so denied +But your request shall make me let it pass. + +KING HENRY +I pray you, then, in love and dear alliance, +Let that one article rank with the rest, +And thereupon give me your daughter. + +KING OF FRANCE +Take her, fair son, and from her blood raise up +Issue to me, that the contending kingdoms +Of France and England, whose very shores look pale +With envy of each other's happiness, +May cease their hatred, and this dear conjunction +Plant neighborhood and Christian-like accord +In their sweet bosoms, that never war advance +His bleeding sword 'twixt England and fair France. + +LORDS Amen. + +KING HENRY +Now welcome, Kate, and bear me witness all +That here I kiss her as my sovereign queen. +[He kisses her. Flourish.] + +QUEEN OF FRANCE +God, the best maker of all marriages, +Combine your hearts in one, your realms in one. +As man and wife, being two, are one in love, +So be there 'twixt your kingdoms such a spousal +That never may ill office or fell jealousy, +Which troubles oft the bed of blessed marriage, +Thrust in between the paction of these kingdoms +To make divorce of their incorporate league, +That English may as French, French Englishmen, +Receive each other. God speak this Amen! + +ALL Amen. + +KING HENRY +Prepare we for our marriage; on which day, +My Lord of Burgundy, we'll take your oath, +And all the peers', for surety of our leagues. +Then shall I swear to Kate, and you to me, +And may our oaths well kept and prosp'rous be. +[Sennet. They exit.] + +[Enter Chorus as Epilogue.] + + +CHORUS +Thus far with rough and all-unable pen +Our bending author hath pursued the story, +In little room confining mighty men, +Mangling by starts the full course of their glory. +Small time, but in that small most greatly lived +This star of England. Fortune made his sword, +By which the world's best garden he achieved +And of it left his son imperial lord. +Henry the Sixth, in infant bands crowned King +Of France and England, did this king succeed, +Whose state so many had the managing +That they lost France and made his England bleed, +Which oft our stage hath shown. And for their sake, +In your fair minds let this acceptance take. +[He exits.] \ No newline at end of file