And, when you find him evenly deriv'd From his most fam'd of famous ancestors, Edward the third, he bids you then resign Your crown and kingdom, indirectly held From him the native and true challenger. F. King. Or else what follows? Exe. Bloody constraint; for if you hide the crown This is his claim, his threat'ning, and my message; F. King. For us, we will consider of this further: Tomorrow shall you bear our full intent Back to our brother England. I stand here for him: What to him from England? Thus says my king: and, if your father's highness That caves and womby vaultages of France Shall chide your trespass, and return your mock In second accent of his ordnance. Dau. Say, if my father render fair reply, Nothing but odds with England; to that end, Exe. He'll make your Paris Louvre shake for it, And these he masters now; now he weighs time, F. King. To-morrow shall you know our mind at full. Exe. Despatch us with all speed, lest that our king Come here himself to question our delay; For he is footed in this land already. F. King. You shall be soon despatch'd, with fair conditions: A night is but small breath, and little pause, ACT III. Enter Chorus. IUS with imagin'd wing our swift scene flics, In motion of no less celerity Than that of thought. Suppose, that you have seen With silken streamers the young Phoebus fanning. With fatal mouths gaping on girded Harfleur. And down goes all before them. Still be kind, SCENE I.-The same. Before Harfleur. Alurums. Enter King Henry, Exeter, Bedford, Gloster, and Soldiers, with scaling ladders. K. Hen. Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; Or close the wall up with our English dead! But when the blast of war blows in our ears, That you are worth your breeding: which I doubt not I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips, Cry-God for Harry! England! and St. George! [Exeunt. Alarum, and chambers go off. SCENE IL-The same. Forces pass over; then enter Nym, Bardolph, Pistol, and Boy. Bard. 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 humour of it is too hot, that is the very plain-song of it. Pist. The plain-song is most just; for humours do abound; Knocks go and come; God's vassals drop and die; And sword and shield, In bloody field, Doth win immortal fame. Boy. 'Would I were in an ale-house in London! I would give all my fame for a pot of ale, and safety. Pist. And I: If wishes would prevail with me, My purpose should not fail with me, But thither would I hie. Boy. As duly, but not as truly, as bird doth sing on bough. Enter Fluellen. Flu. Got's plood! Up to the preaches, you rascals! will you not up to the preaches? [Driving them forward. Pist. Be merciful, great duke, to men of mould! Abate thy rage, abate thy manly rage! Abate thy rage, great duke! Good bawcock, bate thy rage! use lenity, sweet chuck! Nym. These be good humours!-your honour wins bad humours. a man. [Exeunt Nym, Pistol, and Bard. followed by Flu. Boy. As young as I am, I have observ'd 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 anties do not amount to For Bardolph, he is white-livered, and redfaced; by the means whereof, 'a faces it out, but fights not. For Pistol,-he hath a killing tongue, and a quiet sword; by the means whereof a breaks words, and keeps whole weapons. For Nym,-he hath heard, that inen of few words are the best men; and therefore he scorns to say his prayers, lest 'a should be thought a eoward; but his few bad words are matched with as few good deeds; for 'a never broke any man's head but his own; and that was against a post when he was drunk. They will steal any thing, and call it, pur chase. Bardolph stole a lute-case, bore it twelve leagues, and sold it for three half-pence. 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 ine as familiar with men's pockets, as their gloves or their handkerchiefs; 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 villany goes against my weak stomach, and therefore I must cast it up. [Exit Boy. Re-enter Fluellen, Gower following. Gow. Captain Fluellen, you must come presently to the mines; the duke of Gloster would speak with you. Flu. 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' ath versary (you may discuss unto the duke, look you) is dight himself four yards under the countermines: by Cheshu, I think, 'a will plow up all, if there is not better directions. Gow. The duke of Gloster, to whom the order of the siege is given, is altogether directed by an Irishman; a very valiant gentleman, i'faith. Flu. It is captain Macmorris, is it not? Gow. I think it be. Flu. By Cheshu, he is an ass, as in the 'orld: I will verify as much in his peard: he has no more directions in the true disciplines of the wars, look you, of the Roman disciplines, than is a puppy-dog. Enter Macmorris and Jamy, at a distance. Gow. Here 'a comes; and the Scots captain, captain Jamy, with him. Flu. Captain Jamy is a marvellous falorous gentleman, that is certain; and of great expedition; and knowledge in the ancient wars, upon my particular knowledge of his directions: by Cheshu, he will main tain-his argument as well as any military man in the 'orld, in the disciplines of the pristine wars of the Ro mans. Jamy. I say, gud-day, captain Fluellen. Flu. God-den to your worship, goot captain Jamy. Gow. How now, captain Macmorris? have.you quit the mines? have the pioneers given o'er? Mac. By Chrish la, tish ill done: the work ish give over, the trumpet sound the retreat. By my hand, I swear, and by 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! Flu. Captain Macmorris, I peseech 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 sat isfy my opinion, and partly, for the satisfaction, look you, of my mind, as touching the direction of the mili tary discipline; that is the point. Jamy. It sall be very gud, gud feith, gud captains bath: and I sall quit you with gud leave, as I may pick occasion; that sall I, marry. Mac. 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, and the trumpet calls us to the breach; and we talk, and, by 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 Chrish sa' me, la. Jamy. By the mess, ere theise eyes of mine take themselves to slumber, aile do gud service, or aile ligge i' the grund for it; ay, or go to death; and aile pay it as valorously as I may, that sal I surely do, that is the breff and the long: Mary, I wad full fain heard some question 'tween you tway. Flu. Captain Macmorris, I think, look you, under your correction, there is not many of your nationMac. Of my nation? What ish my nation? ish a villain, and a bastard, and a knave, and a rascal? What ish my nation? Who talks of my nation? Flu. 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 goof a man as yourself, both in the disciplines of wars, and in the derivation of my birth, and in other particularities. Mac. I do not know you so good a man as myself: so Chrish save me, I will cut off your head. Gow. Gentlemen both, you will mistake each other. Jamy. Au! that's a foul fault. A parley sounded. Gew. The town sounds a parley. Flu. 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 [Exeunt. is an end. SCENE III.-The same. Before the gates of Harfleur. The Governor and some Citizens on the walls; the English forces below. Enter King Henry, and his train. K. Hen. 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 battery 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 flesh'd soldier,-rough and hard of heart,— With conscience wide as hell; mowing like grass What is't to me, when you yourselves are cause, What rein can hold licentious wickedness, grace To come ashore. Therefore, you men of Harfleur, And their most reverend heads dash'd to the walls; Gov. Our expectation hath this day an end: K. Hen. Open your gates.-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, Alice. Un peu, madame. Kath. Je te prie, m'enseigneuz; il faut que j'appren ne a parler. Comment appaliez vous la main, en Anglois? Alice. La main? elle est appellee, de hand. Kath. De hand. Et les doigts? Alice. Les doigts? ma foy, je oublie les doigts ; mais je me souviendray. Les doigts? je pense qu'ils sont appelle de fingres; ouy, de fingres. Kath. La main, de hand: les doigts, de fingres. Je pense, que je suis le bon escolier. J'ay gagne deux mots d'Anglois vistement. Comment appallez vous les ongles? Alice. Les ongles? les appellons, de nails. Kath. De nails. Escoutez: dites moy, si je parle bien; de hand, de fingres, de nails. Alice. C'est bien dit, madame; il est fort bon Ans glois. Kath. Dites moy en Anglois, le bras. Kath. Et le coude. Alice. De elbow. Alice. De nails, madame. Kath. De nails, de arm, de ilbow. Alice, Sauf vostre honneur, de elbow. Kath. Ainsi dis je; de elbow, de neck, et de sin: Comment appellez vous le pieds et la robe ? Alice. De foot, madame; et de con. Kath. De foot, et de con? O seigneur Dieu! ces sont mots de son mauvais, corruptible, grosse et impudique, et non pour les dames d'honneur d'user: Je ne voudrois, prononcer ces mots devant les seigneurs de France, pour tout le monde ! Il faut de foot, et de con, neant-moins. Je reciterai une autrefois ma leçon ensemble: De hand, de fingre, de nails, de arm, de clbow, de neck, de sin, de foot, de con, Alice. Excellent, madame! Kath. C'est assez pour une fois; allons nous a dis[Exeun'. ner. SCENE V.-The same. Another Room in the same. Enter the French King, the Dauphin, Duke of Bourbon, the Constable of France, and others. F. King. 'Tis certain, he hath pass'd the river Some. Con. And 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. Dau. O Dieu vivant! shall a few sprays The emptying of our father's luxury, Our scions, put in wild and savage stock,— Spirt up so suddenly into the clouds, And overlook their grafters? of as, Bour. Normans, but bastard Normans, Norman bastards! Mort de ma vie! if they march along Unfought withal, but I will sell my dukedom, In that nook-shotten isle of Albion. Prince Dauphin, you shall stay with us in Ronen. Dau. Not so, I do beseech your majesty. F. 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. [Exeunt. SCENE VI.-The English Camp in Picardy. Enter Gower and Fluellen. Gow. How now, captain Fluellen? come you from the bridge? Flu. I assure you, there is very excellent service committed at the pridge. Gow. Is the duke of Exeter safe? Flu. The duke of Exeter is as magnanimous as Agamemnon; and a man that I love and honour with my soul, and my heart, and my duty, and my life, and my livings, and my uttermost powers: he is not, (God be Con. Dieu de battailes! where have they this mettle? praised and plessed!) any hurt in the 'orld; but keeps Is not their climate foggy, raw, and dull? On whom, as in despite, the sun looks pale, Upon our houses' thatch, whiles a more frosty people Dau. By faith and honour, Our madams mock at us; and plainly say, Bour. 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 run-aways. the pridge most valiantly, with excellent discipline. There is an ensign there at the pridge,-I think, in my very conscience, he is as valiant as Mark Antony; and he is a man of no estimation in the 'orld: but I did see him do gallant service. Gow. What do you call him? Flu. He is called-ancient Pistol. Enter Pistol. Flu. Do you not know him? Here comes the man. Pist. Captain, I thee beseech to do me favours: The duke of Exeter doth love thee well. Flu. Ay, I praise Got; and I have merited some love at his hands. Pist. Bardolph, a soldier, firm and sound of heart, That stands upon the rolling restless stone,— F. King. Where is Montjoy, the herald? speed painted plind, with a muffler before her eyes, to signify bim hence; Let him greet England with our sharp defiance.- Con. And, for achievement, offer us his ransome. F. King. Therefore, lord constable, haste on Montjoy. And let him say to England, that we send To know what willing ransome he will give. to you that fortune is plind: 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 variations, and mutabilities; and her foot, look you, is fixed upan a spherical stone, which rolls, and rolls, and rolls:In good truth, the poet is make a most excellent de scription of fortune. Fortune, look you, is an excel· lent moral. Pist. Fortune is Bardolph's foe, and frowns on him Let gallows gape for dog, let man go free, Therefore, go speak, the duke will hear thy voice; Pist. Why then rejoice therefore. Flu. Certainly, ancient, it is not a thing to rejoice at: for if, look you, he were my brother, I would desire the duke to use his goot pleasure, and put him to executions; for disciplines ought to be used. Pist. Die and be dain'd; and fige for thy friend ship! Flu. Very good. Gow. Why, this is an arrant counterfeit rascal; I remember him now; a bawd; a cut-purse. Flu. I'll assure you, 'a utter'd as prave 'ords 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. Gow. 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 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 marvellous mistook. Flu. I tell you what, captain Gower;-1 do perceive, he is not the man that he would gladly make show to the 'orld he is; if I find a hole in his coat, I will tell him my mind. [Drum heard.] Hark you, the king is coming; and I must speak with him from the pridge. Enter King Henry, Gloster, and Soldiers. Flu. Got pless your majesty! losses we have borne, the subjects we have lost, the dis- K. Hen. What is thy name? I know thy quality. K. Hen. Thou dost thy office fairly. Turn thee And tell thy king,-I do not seek him now; Who, when they were in health, I tell thee, herald, K. Hen. How now, Fluellen? camest thou from the My ransome is this frail and worthless trunk; Flu. 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. K. Hen. What men have you lost, Fluellen ? Flu. The perdition of th' athversary hath been very great, very 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 of fire; and his lips plows at his nose, and it is like a coal of fire, sometimes plne, and sometimes red; but his nose is executed, and bis fire 's out. K. Hen. 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 sounds. Enter Montjoy. Mont. You know me by my habit. K. Hen. Well then, I know thee: What shall I know of thee? Mont. My master's mind. Mont. 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 ransome; which inust proportion the My army, but a weak and sickly guard; Mont. I shall deliver so. Thanks to your highness. And on to-morrow bid them march away. [Exeunt. Con. Tut! I have the best armour of the world. "Would, it were day! Orl. You have an excellent armour; but let my horse have his due. Con. It is the best horse of Europe. Orl. Will it never be morning? Dau. My lord of Orleans, and my lord high constable, you talk of horse and armour, Orl. You are as well provided of both, as any prince in the world. Dau. 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. |