Flu. Your majesty says very true: if your majesties is remembered of it,116 the Welshmen did goot service in a garden where leeks did grow, wearing leeks in their Monmouth caps; 117 which, your majesty know, to this hour is an honourable padge of the service; and I do believe your majesty takes no scorn to wear the leek upon Saint Tavy's day.

K. Hen. I wear it for a memorable honour; For I am Welsh, you know, good countryman.

Flu. All the water in Wye cannot wash your majesty's Welsh plood out of your pody, I can tell you that: Got pless it, and preserve it, as long as it pleases his grace, and his majesty too!

K. Hen. Thanks, good my countryman. Flu. 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 Got, so long as your majesty is an honest man. K. Hen. God keep me so!-Our heralds go with

him:

glove in his cap (which he swore, as he was a soldier, he would wear if alive), I will strike it out soundly.

K. Hen. What think you, Captain Fluellen? is it fit this soldier keep his oath ?

Flu. He is a craven 119 and a villain else, an 't please your majesty, in my conscience.

K. Hen. It may be, his enemy is a gentleman of great sort, quite from the answer of his degree,120

Flu. Though he be as goot a gentleman as the tevil is, as Lucifer and Belzebub 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,121 as ever his plack shoe trod upon Got's ground and his earth, in my conscience, la.

K. Hen. Then keep thy vow, sirrah, when thou meetest the fellow.

Will. So I will, my liege, as I live.
K. Hen. Who servest thou under?
Will. Under Captain Gower, my liege.
Flu. Gower is a goot captain, and is goot
knowledge and literature in the wars.

K. Hen. Call him hither to me, soldier.
Will. I will, my liege.

[Exit.

K. Hen. Here, Fluellen; wear thou this favour for me, and stick it in thy cap: when Alençon and myself were down 122 together, I plucked this glove from his helm: if any man challenge this, he is a friend to Alençon, and an enemy to our person; if thou encounter any such, apprehend him, an thou dost me love.

Exe.

K. Hen. An Englishman?

Will. An't please your majesty, a rascal that swaggered with me last night; who, if 'a live, 118 and ever dare to challenge this glove, I have sworn

116. If your majesties is remembered of it. If your majesty remember it.' See Note 94, Act ii., "As You Like It."

117. Monmouth caps. Fuller, in his "Worthies of Wales," mentions that "the best caps were formerly made at Monmouth, where the Capper's Chapel doth still remain." These Monmouth caps were much worn by soldiers.

118. If 'a live. The Folio prints if alive' for "if 'a live." Capell's correction. 119. Craven. Shrew."

See Note 24, Act ii., "Taming of the

120. Of great sort, quite from the answer of his degree. 'Of great rank, quite removed from a corresponding level of low degree with that of the soldier, and therefore exempt from being called upon to render him an answer.' See Note 45, Act i., of the present play; and Note 97, Act i., "Twelfth Night."

121. Jack-sauce. Fluellen's mode of expressing 'saucy Jack.'

that I might see.

K. Hen. Knowest thou Gower?
Flu. He is my dear friend, an please you.

K. Hen. Pray thee, go seek him, and bring him to my tent.

It is noteworthy that not only here, where the peppery Welshman's diction is intentionally made confused, but in other passages of simile and comparison, Shakespeare's style is sometimes curiously inexact (conventionally speaking) in expression. He had his excellent reason for it, no doubt, in each particular instance and our efforts will be directed to the endeavour of tracing his several reasons as the passages occur.

122. When Alençon and myself were down. This is in accordance with historical fact. During the battle, Henry had personal encounter with the Duke of Alençon, who felled the king to the ground; but the latter recovered, and slew two of the duke's attendants. Alençon was afterwards killed by the king's guard, contrary to Henry's intention, who wished to have saved him.

K. Hen. My Lord of Warwick, and my brother Gloster,

Follow Fluellen closely at the heels:

The glove which I have given him for a favour,
May haply purchase him a box o' the 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, touch'd 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.

[Exeunt.

K. Hen.

How now! what's the matter? Flu. 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 Alençon.

Will. 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.

Flu. Your majesty hear now (saving your majesty's manhood) what an arrant, rascally,

Enter GOWER and WILLIAMS.

Will. I warrant it is to knight you,124 captain.

Enter FLUELLEN.

Flu. Got's will and his pleasure, captain, I peseech you now, come apace to the king: there is more goot toward you peradventure than is in your knowledge to dream of.

Will. Sir, know you this glove?

Flu, Know the glove! I know the glove is a glove.

Will. I know this; 125 and thus I challenge it. [Strikes him. Flu. 'Splood, an arrant traitor as any's in the universal 'orld, or in France, or in England! Gow. How now, sir! you villain! Will Do you think I'll be forsworn? Flu. Stand away, Captain Gower; I will give treason his payment into plows, 126 I warrant you. Will. I am no traitor.

Flu. That's a lie in thy throat.—I charge you in his majesty's naine, apprehend him: he's a friend of the Duke Alençon's.

124. I warrant it is to knight you. The soldier's guess at an explanation of the cause for which he is doubtless sent to fetch Gower, thus abruptly introduced, is just in Shakespeare's natural manner of occasionally commencing a scene. See Note 76, Act iii., "All's Well."

125. I know this. "This," in Williams's present speech, refers to the glove worn in Fluellen's cap; "this," in Williams's previous speech, refers to the one he has received from the king during the night.

126. His payment into plows. "His" used for 'its; and "into" for 'in.' See Note 67. Act ii., "All's Well." Fuller, in his "Church History," speaking of the task-masters of Israel, has the phrase, “On whose back the number of bricks wanting were only scored in blows;" and Fluellen himself afterwards says, 'I will pay you in cudgels." See Note 16, Act v.

me testimony, and witness, and will avouchment, 127 that this is the glove of Alençon, that your majesty is give me, in your conscience, now,

K. Hen. Give me thy glove, soldier: 128 look, here is the fellow of it.

'Twas I, indeed, thou promised'st to strike; And thou hast given me most bitter terms, Flu. An please your majesty, let his neck answer for it, if there is any martial law in the 'orld.

K. Hen. How canst thou make me satisfaction? Will. All offences, my liege, come from the heart: never came any from mine that might offend your majesty.

K. Hen. It was ourself thou didst abuse.

Will. 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 offence; therefore, I beseech your highness, pardon me.129 K, Hen, Here uncle Exeter, fill this glove with

crowns,

And give it to this fellow.-Keep it, fellow;

127. And will avouchment. Capell altered this to and avouchments,' an alteration which we at one time adopted. But Fluellen's language is so purposely complicated in its construction, that we think it probable the Folio text here may give what the author wrote.

128. Give me thy glove, soldier. That is, the glove given by Henry to Williams over-night. This, though obvious, is explained, because Johnson, mistaking the meaning, proposed to change "thy" to 'my' here, observing that "of the soldier's glove the king had not the fellow."

129. Therefore, I beseech your highness, pardon me. The beautiful rough simplicity of this and the previous short speech of self-vindication from the shoe-worn soldier, contains a forcible precept on the effect produced by a few honest, straightforward words spoken to the purpose.

And wear it for an honour in thy cap

Till I do challenge it.—Give him the crowns:— And, captain, you must needs be friends with him. Flu. By this day and this light, the fellow has mettle enough in his pelly.-Hold, there is twelve pence for you; and I pray you to serve Got, and keep you out of prawls, and prabbles, and quarrels, and dissensions, and, I warrant you, it is the petter for you.

Will. I will none of your money.

Flu. It is with a goot 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 goot: 'tis a goot silling, I warrant you, or I will change it.

Enter an English Herald.

K. Hen. Now, herald,-are the dead number'd? Her. Here is the number of the slaughter'd French, 130 [Delivers a paper. K. Hen. What prisoners of good sort are taken, uncle?

Exe. 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.

K. Hen, 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 dubb'd knights;131
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,—

130. Here is the number, &c. This passage confirms the reading referred to in Note 112 of the present Act.

131. Were but yesterday dubb'd knights. The distribution of this honour was customary, in former times, on the eve of a battle.

132. Davy Gam, esquire. A brave Welsh gentleman, who, being sent out by Henry before the battle to reconnoitre the enemy and estimate their strength, made this report-"May it please you, my liege, there are enough to be killed, enough to be taken prisoners, and enough to run away." Moreover, he saved the king's life in the field; and his memory, besides obtaining a niche in a line by Shakespeare, has had honourable mention in Drayton's Battaile of Agincourt," 162;, and in Philips's poem called "Cider."

133. Let there be sung, &c. Holinshed thus records the

Charles De-la-bret, high-constable of France;
Jaques of Chatillon, admiral of France;
The master of the cross-bows, Lord Rambures;
Great-master of France, the brave Sir Guischard
Dauphin;

John Duke of Alençon; Antony Duke of Brabant,
The brother to the Duke of Burgundy;
And Edward Duke of Bar: of lusty earls,
Grandpré and Roussi, Fauconberg and Foix,
Beaumont and Marle, Vaudemont and Lestrale.
Here was a royal fellowship of death!—
Where is the number of our English dead?

[Herald presents another paper.
Edward the Duke of York, the Earl of Suffolk,
Sir Richard Ketly, Davy Gam,132 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!
Exe.

'Tis wonderful!

K. Hen. 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.

Flu. Is it not lawful, an please your majesty, to tell how many is killed?

K. Hen, Yes, captain; but with this acknowledgment,

That God fought for us.

Flu, Yes, my conscience, he did us great goot.
K. Hen. Do we all holy rites:

Let there be sung Non nobis and Te Deum; 133
The dead with charity enclos'd in clay :
And then to Calais; and to England then ;
Where ne'er from France arriv'd more happy men.
[Exeunt.

circumstance-" Aboute foure of the clocke in the afternoone, the king, when he saw no appearance of enemies, caused the retreit to be blowen; and gathering his armie together, gave thanks to Almightie God for so happie a victorie: causing his prelates and chapleins to sing this psalm, 'In exitu Israel de Egypto, and commanded everie man to kneele downe on the ground at this verse, Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, sed Nomini Tuo da gloriam:' which done, he caused ‘Te Deum' with certaine anthems to be sung, giving laud and praise to God, without boasting of his owne force, or anie humane power." In the English version, Psalm cxiii. commences, 'When Israel came out of Egypt,' and the verse "Non nobis" forms the beginning of that following, answering to Psalms cxiv., cxv. of the ordinary Vulgate; though in the older Psalters they are united into one.

VCL. IL

128

Enter Chorus.

Being free from vainness and self-glorious pride; Giving full trophy, signal, and ostent,

story,

That I may prompt them: and of such as have,
I humbly pray them' to admit the 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, with wives, and boys,
Whose shouts and claps out-voice the deep-mouth'd

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,

1. And of such as have, I humbly pray them, &c. "Of" in this sentence has been changed to 'for' and 'to' by various commentators. But the word " of" here appears to us to be used either in the same way that Shakespeare uses it where he makes Flavius say, "I beg of you to know me" ("Timon of Athens," Act iv., sc. 3), and where he makes Iago say, “I humbly do beseech you of your pardon" ("Othello," Act iii., sc. 3), or possibly in the same way that it is used in the sentence, "You have of these pedlers." See Note 101, Act iv., "Winter's Tale."

2. With wives. "With" here is omitted in the first Folio, and was supplied in the second Folio. "Wives" is here used in the sense of women' generally, as the Scotch use the word in their phrase 'auld wives,' meaning 'old women;' or in the compound terms, 'fish-wives,' 'spae-wives,' &c. The Germans employ their word frau, and the French their word femme, equally for a woman as for a spouse; and Lord Bacon uses the word "wives" to express, not married women, but ordinary women, where he says, Strawberry wives lay two or three great strawberries at the mouth of their pot, and all the rest are little ones."

3. Whiffler. An official, provided with a staff or wand, who preceded great personages in processions to clear the way. The word has been variously derived: some alleging that it comes from "whiffle,” an old name for a fife or pipe, and affirming that fifers usually preceded armies or processions; others believing that it is a corruption of 'way-feeler,' and that the Teutonic and Flemish word weyffeler, or wjifeler, has the same meaning as "whiffler:" and still others, who think it may have originated from whiffle," to disperse as by a puff of wind. The junior liverymen of the City companies are still called "whifflers," from the circumstance of their walking before the processional train on occasions of public ceremonial.

"

4. He forbids it. This point of royal modesty is recorded in Holinshed; and, considering the entire character of Boling

In the quick forge and working-house 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 conquering Cæsar 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 broachèd7 on his sword,
How many would the peaceful city quit,

To welcome him! much more, and much more

broke's son Henry as carefully and faithfully developed from first to last by Shakespeare, it is not improbable that the apparent self-abnegation was in fact dictated by astutest policy, and the result of nicest calculation. The sagacity of Harry V. told him that to let this piece of humility be well and widely known was to ensure a far more ample and lasting share of honour and glory than the temporary wearing of that Agincourt helmet would have brought. That sight would have dwelt in the eyes and upon the lips of the populace for but a few passing days: whereas his refusal to appear decked with it endures in the chronicler's and poet's page and in the hearts of Englishmen; while the very casque that his brow meekly resigned the honour of sustaining, now rests on the dust-laden beam above his tomb in Westminster Abbey, proclaiming the glory of Agincourt and Agincourt's hero, so long as iron and stone shall remain uncrumbled.

5. Likelihood. Here used for 'similitude.'

6. The general of our gracious empress. The Earl of Essex; who was the commander of Queen Elizabeth's forces in Ireland during the year 1599, and whose popularity was at that time very great.

7. Broached. Spitted, transfixed. French, broche, a spit. 8. Much more, and much more cause, did they, &c. One of Shakespeare's elliptically constructed sentences; 'with' being understood before the second "much."

9. To order peace between them. "Order" is here used for 'arrange,' 'settle,' 'establish.' See Note 5, Act v., King John." The present passage has an air of obscurity that gives reason to believe something may have been omitted from the original text. Various attempts have been made to alter the words, so as to lend them clearer consecution and meaning, but none that, to our minds, are satisfactory; therefore we leave them as given in the Folio. The "emperor" here mentioned was Sigismond, Emperor of Germany, who was married to Heary's second cousin.