Will. But, if the cause be not good, the king | displeasure can do against a monarch! you may as himself hath a heavy reckoning to make; when all well go about to turn the sun to ice, with fanning in those legs, and arms, and heads, chopped off in a his face with a peacock's feather. You'll never battle, shall join together at the latter day, and cry trust his word after! come, 'tis a foolish saying. all-We died at such a place; some swearing, K. Hen. Your reproof is something too round; some, crying for a surgeon; some, upon their wives I should be angry with you, if the time were conleft poor behind them; some, upon the debts they venient. owe; some, upon their children rawly left. I am afeard there are few die well, that die in battle; for how can they charitably dispose of any thing, 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; whom to disobey, were against all proportion of subjection. sea, Will. Let it be a quarrel between us, if you live. Will. How shall I know thee again. K. Hen. Give me any gage of thine, and I will wear it in my bonnet: then, if ever thou darest acknowledge it, I will make it my quarrel. Will. Here's my glove; give me another of thine. Will. This will I also wear in my cap: if ever thou come to me and say, after to-morrow, This is my glove, by this hand, I will take thee a box on the ear. K. Hen. If ever I live to see it, I will challenge it. K. Hen. Well, I will do it, though I take thee in the king's company. Will. 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. K. Hen. 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, to-morrow the king himself will be a clipper. [Exeunt Soldiers. K. Hen. So, if a son, that is by his father sent about merchandize, do sinfully miscarry upon the 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 perdition : 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 arbitrement 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 punish-O ment 2, though they can outstrip men, they have no wings to fly from God: 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 it, 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. Will. 'Tis certain, every man that dies ill, the ill is upon his own head, the king is not to answer for it. Bates. I do not desire he should answer for me; and yet I determine to fight lustily for him. K. Hen. I myself heard the king say, he would not be ransomed. Will. 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. K. Hen. If I live to see it, I will never trust his word after. Upon the king! let us our lives, our souls, What drink'st thou oft, instead of homage sweet, Will it give place to flexure and low bending? Command the health of it? No, thou proud dream, The throne he sits on, nor the tide of pomp Will. 'Mass, you'll pay him then! That's a peril-The farced 5 title running 'fore the king, ous shot out of an elder gun, that a poor and private 1 Suddenly. 2 i. e. Punishment in their native country. To pay here signifies to bring to account, to punish. Farced is stuffed. The tumid puffy titles with which a king's name is introduced. That beats upon the high shore of this world, Can sleep so soundly as the wretched slave; Enter ERPINGHAM. Erp. My lord, your nobles, jealous of your absence, Seek through your camp to find you. K. Hen. Good old knight, Collect them all together at my tent: I'll be before thee. Erp. I shall do't, my lord. [Exit. K. Hen. O God of battles! steel my soldiers' hearts! Possess them not with fear; take from them now Dau. Mount them,and make incision in their hides; That their hot blood may spin in English eyes, And dout 8 them with superfluous courage: Ha! Ram. What, will you have them weep our horses' blood? How shall we then behold their natural tears? Mess. The English are embattled, you French peers. Con. To horse, you gallant princes! straight to horse! Do but behold yon poor and starved band, them, The vapour of our valour will o'erturn them. For our approach shall so much dare the field, That England shall couch down in fear, and yield. Enter GRANDpré. Grand. Why do you stay so long, my lords of France? 2 Yon island carrions, desperate of their bones, Lob down their heads, dropping the hides and hips; Con. They have said their prayers, and they stay for death. Dau. Shall we go send them dinners, and fresh suits, And give their fasting horses provender, And after fight with them? Con. 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. [Exeunt. thousand. Exe. There's five to one; besides, they all are fresh. Sal. 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 Gloster, and my good lord Exeter, And my kind kinsman, -warriors all, adieu! Bed. Farewell, good Salisbury: and good luck go with thee! Exe. Farewell, kind lord; fight valiantly to-day: And yet I do thee wrong, to mind thee of it, For thou art fram'd of the firm truth of valour. [Exit SALISBURY. Bed. He is as full of valour as of kindness; Princely in both. West. O that we now had here But one ten thousand of those men in England, K. Hen. O no, 1 What's he, that wishes so? My cousin Westmoreland?. - No, my fair cousin : If we are mark'd to die, we are enough To do our country loss; and if to live, The fewer men, the greater share of honour. 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 outer things dwell not in my desires: But, if it be a sin to covet honour, I am the most offending soul alive. No, 'faith, my coz, wish not a man from England: By heaven! I would not lose so great an honour, 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 call'd - the feast of Crispian : He, that outlives this day, and comes safe home, Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd, And rouse him at the name of Crispian : He, that shall live this day, and see old age, Will yearly on the vigil feast his friends, to-morrow is saint Crispian : And say Then will he strip his sleeve, and show his scars, 4 Grieves. But we in it shall be remembered: Enter SALISBURY. Sal. My sovereign lord, bestow yourself with speed: The French are bravely in their battles set, And will with all expedience charge on us. K. Hen. All things are ready, if our minds be so. West. Perish the man, whose mind is backward now! K. Hen. Thou dost not wish more help from England, cousin? West. By heaven, my liege, 'would you and I alone, Which likes me better, than to wish us one. — Mont. Once more I come to know of thee, king If for thy ransome thou wilt now compound, - For, certainly, thou art so near the gulf, Who hath sent thee now? K. Hen. I pray thee, bear my former answer back; Bid them achieve me, and then sell my bones. Good Heaven! why should they mock poor fellows thus? The man, that once did sell the lion's skin And draw their honours reeking up to heaven. Will soon be levied. Herald, save thou thy labour; Mont. I shall, king Harry. And so fare thee well: ransome. Pist. Yield, cur. Fr. Sol. Je pense, que vous estes le gentilhomme de bonne qualité. Pist. Quality, call you me? Construe me, art thou a gentleman? What is thy name? discuss. Fr. Sol. O seigneur Dieu! Pist. O, signieur Dew should be a gentleman: — Perpend my words, O signieur Dew, and mark; O signieur Dew, thou diest on point of fox *, Except, O signieur, thou do give to me Egregious ransome. Fr. Sol. 0, prennez misericorde! ayez pitié de moy. Pist. Moy shall not serve, I will have forty moys; For I will fetch thy rim out at thy throat, In drops of crimson blood. Fr. Sol. Est il impossible d'eschapper la force de ton bras. Pist. Brass, cur! Offer'st me brass? Fr. Sol. 0, pardonnez moy! Pist. 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. Escoutez; Comment estes vous appellé ? Fr. Sol. Monsieur le Fer. Boy. He says, his name is-master Fer. Pist. Master Fer, I'll fer him, and firk 6 him, and ferret him: - discuss the same in French unto him. Boy. I do not know the French for fer, and ferret, and firk. Pist. Bid him prepare, for I will cut his throat. Boy. Il me commande de vous dire que vous faites vous prest; car ce soldat icy est disposé toute à cette heure de couper vostre gorge. Pist. Ouy, couper gorge, par may foy, pesant. Fr. Sol. 0, je vous supplie pour l'amour de Dieu, me pardonner! Je suis gentilhomme de bonne maison: gardez ma vie, et je vous donneray deux cents escus. Pist. What are his words?. Fr. Sol. Petit monsieur, que dit-il ? Boy. Encore qu'il est contre son jurement, de pardonner aucun prisonnier; neantmoins, pour les escus que vous l'avez promis, il est content de vous donner la liberté, le franchisement. Fr. Sol. Sur mes genoux, je vous donne mille remerciemens: et je m'estime heureux que je suis tombé entre les mains d'un chevalier, je pense, le plus brave, valiant, et très distingué seigneur d'Angleterre. Pist. Expound unto me, boy. Boy. He gives you, upon his knees, a thousand thanks: and he esteems himself happy that he hath fallen into the hands of (as he thinks) the most brave, valorous, and thrice-worthy signieur of England. Pist. As I suck blood, I will some mercy show.— Follow me, cur. [Exit PISTOL. Boy. Suivez vous le grand capitaine. I did never know so full a voice issue from so [Exit French Soldier. empty a heart: but the saying is true, - The empty Nym, had ten times more valour than this roaring vessel makes the greatest sound. Bardolph, and devil i'the old play, that every one may pare his nails with a wooden dagger; and they are both hanged; and so would this be, if he durst steal any thing 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. [Exit. Let us die instant: Once more back again; Let us, in heaps, go offer up our lives Orl. We are enough, yet living in the field, Bour. The devil take order now; I'll to the throng; Let life be short; else, shame will be too long. [Exeunt. Another Part of the Field. SCENE VI. Boy. He prays you to save his life: he is a gentleman of a good house; and, for his ransome, he Alarums. Enter KING HENRY, and Forces; EXETER, will give you two hundred crowns. Pist. Tell him, — my fury shall abate, and I The crowns will take. and others. Fre. The duke of York commends him to your majesty. K. Hen. 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. Ere. In which array, (brave soldier,) doth he lie, Suffolk first died: and York, all haggled over, Upon these words I came, and cheer'd him up: A testament of noble-ending love. The pretty and sweet manner of it forc'd There comparisons between Macedon and Monmouth, that the situations, look you, is both alike. 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 so like 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, 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 pest friend, Clytus. Gow. Our king is not like him in that; he never killed any of his friends. Flu. It is not well done, mark you now, to take tales out of my mouth, ere it is made an end and finished. I speak but in the figures and comparisons of it: As Alexander is kill his friend Clytus, being in his ales and his cups; so also Harry Monmouth, being in his right wits and his goot judgments, is turn away the fat knight with the great pelly-doublet: he was full of jests, and gipes, and knaveries, and mocks; I am forget his name. Gow. Sir John Falstaff. Flu. That is he: I can tell you there is goot men Those waters from me, which I would have stopp'd born at Monmouth. But I had not so much of man in me, But all my mother came into mine eyes, K. Hen. [Alarum. [Exeunt. SCENE VII. Another Part of the Field. Alarums. Enter FLUELLEN and Gower. Flu. 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 offer'd in the 'orld: In your conscience now, is it not? Gow. 'Tis certain, there's not a boy left alive; and the cowardly rascals, that ran from the battle, have 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! Flu. Ay, he was porn at Monmouth, captain Gower: What call you the town's name, where Alexander the pig was born? Gow. Alexander the great. Flu. 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. Gow. I think, Alexander the great was born in Macedon; his father was called. · Philip of Macedon; as I take it. Flu. 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 shall find, in the 8 Reached. Gow. Here comes his majesty Alarum. Enter KING HENRY, with a Part of the English Forces; WARWICK, GLOSTER, EXETER, and others. K. Hen. I was not angry since I came to France If they will fight with us, bid them come down, Enier MONTJOY. Exe. Here comes the herald of the French, my liege. Glo. His eyes are humbler than they us'd to be. I come to thee for charitable licence, For many of our princes (woe the while!) Of their dead bodies. • Scour. |