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Whose blood is fetcht from fathers of war-proof;
Fathers, that, like fo many Alexanders,
Have in these parts from morn till even fought,
And fheath'd their fwords for lack of argument.
Dishonour not your mothers; now atteft,
That thofe, whom you call'd fathers, did beget you.
Be copy now to men of groffer blood,

And teach them how to war. And you, good yeomen,
Whose limbs were made in England, fhew us here
The mettle of your pafture, let us fwear

That you are worth your breeding, which I doubt not;
For there is none of you so mean and base,
That hath not noble luftre in your eyes.
I fee you ftand like Greyhounds in the flips,
Straining upon the ftart; the game's a-foot,
Follow your spirit; and, upon this charge,
Cry, God for Harry! England! and St. George!

[Exeunt King, and Train. [Alarm, and Cannon go off.

SCENE III.

Enter Nim, Bardolph, Piftol, and Boy.

Bard, On, on, on, on, on. To the breach, to the breach.

Nim. 'Pray thee, corporal, ftay; the knocks are too hot, and for mine own part, I have not a cafe of lives. The humour of it its too hot, that is the very plain fong of it.

Pift. The plain fong is moft juft, for humours do
abound,

Knocks go and come; God's vaffals drop and die;
And fword and fhield,

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Boy. 'Wou'd I were in an ale-house in London, I would give all my fame for a pot of ale and fafety. Pift. And I;

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Flu. Up to the breach, you dogs; avaunt, you cullions.

Pift. Be merciful, great Duke, to men of mould, Abate thy rage, abate thy manly rage;

Good bawcock, 'bate thy rage; ufe lenity, fweet chuck. Nim. Thefe be good humours; your honour wins bad humours.

[Exeunt. Boy. As young as I am, I have obferv'd thefe three fwafhers. I am boy to them all three; but all they three, though they would ferve me, could not be man to me; for, indeed, three fuch Anticks do not amount to a man. For Bardolph, he is white-liver'd and redfac'd; by the means whereof he faces it out, but fights not. For Liftol, he hath a killing tongue and a quiet fword; by the means whereof he breaks words, and keeps whole weapons. For Nim, he hath heard, that men of few words are the best men; and therefore he fcorns to say his prayers, left he should be thought a coward; but his few bad words are match'd with as few good deeds; for he never broke any man's head but his own, and that was against a poft when he was drunk. They will fteal any thing, and call it purchase. Bardolph ftole a lute-cafe, bore it twelve leagues, and

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fold it for three half-pence. Nim and Bardolph are Sworn brothers in filching; and in Calais they ftole a fre fhovel, I knew, by that piece of fervice, the men would carry coals. 3 They would have me as familiar

with men's pockets, as their gloves or their handkerchers, which makes much against my manhood; for if I would take from another's pocket to put into mine, it is plain pocketting up of wrongs I muft leave them, and feek fome better fervice; their villainy goes against my weak ftomach, and therefore I muft caft it up. [Exit Boy.

Enter Gower, and Fluellen.

Gower. Captain Fluellen, you must come presently to the mines; the Duke of Gloucefter would fpeak with

you.

Fiu. To the mines? tell you the Duke, it is not fo good to come to the mines; for look you, the mines are not according to the difciplines of the war; the concavities of it is not fufficient; for, look you, th' athversary (you may difcufs unto the Duke, look you) is digt himfelf four yards under the countermines; by Chefbu, I think, a' will plow up all, if there is not petter directions.

Gower. The Duke of Gloucester, to whom the order of the fiege is given, is altogether directed by an Irish man, a very valiant gentleman, i'faith.

Flu. It is captain Macmorris, is it not?

Gower. I think, it be.

Flu. By Chefbu, he is an Afs, as is in the world; I will verify as much in his beard. He has no more

3

the men would carry coals. It appears that in ShakeLeare's age, to carry coals was, I know not why, to endure af fronts. So in Romeo and Juliet, one fervingman afks another whether he will carry coals.

3

4-is digt himself four yards under the countermines;] Fluelin means, that the enemy had digged himself countermines four yards under the mines.

5 will plow up a'l,] That is, he will blow up all.

directions

directions in the true difciplines of the wars, look you, of the Roman difciplines, than is a Puppy-dog.

Enter Macmorris, and Capt. Jamy.`

Gower. Here he comes, and the Scots Captain, Captain Jamy with him.

Flu. Captain Jamy is a marvellous valorous gentleman, that is certain; and of great expedition and knowledge in the ancient wars, upon my particular knowledge of his directions; by Chefbu, he will maintain his argument as well as any military man in the world, in the difciplines of the priftine wars of the Romans.

Jamy. I fay, gudday, Captain Fluellen.

Flu. Godden to your worship, good captain James. Gower. How now, captain Macmorris, have you quitted the mines? have the pioneers given o'er?

Mac. By Chrifh law, tifh ill done; the work ish give over, the trumpet found the retreat. By my hand, I fwear, and by my father's foul, the work ifh ill done; it ish give over; I would have blowed up the town, fo Chrifh fave me law, in an hour. O tifh ill done, tifh ill done; by my hand, tish ill done.

Flu. Captain Macmorris, I beseech you now, will you vouchsafe me, look you, a few difputations with you, as partly touching or concerning the difciplines of the war, the Roman wars, in the way of argument, look you, and friendly communication; partly to fatisfy my opinion; and partly for the fatisfaction, look you, of my mind; as touching the direction of the military difcipline, that is the point.

Jamy. It fall be very gud, gud feith, gud captains bath; and I fall quit you with gud leve, as I may pick occafion; that fall I, marry.

6-Ifball quit you] That is, I fhall, with your permiffion, requite you, that is, afwer you, or

interpofe with my arguments, as 1 fhall find opportunity.

Mar.

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 Duke; it is not time to difcourfe, the town is befeech'd, and the trumpet calls us to the breach, and we talk, and by Chrish do nothing, 'tis fhame for us all; fo God fa' me, 'tis fhame to stand ftill; it is fhame, by my hand; and there is throats to be cut, and works to be done, and there is nothing done, fo Chrifh fa' me law.

Jamy. By the mess, ere theife eyes of mine take themselves to flomber, aile do gud fervice, or aile ligge i'th' ground for it; ay, or go to death; and aile pay it as valorously as I may, that fal I furely do, the breff and the long; marry, I wad full fain heard fome queftion 'tween you tway.

Flu. Captain Macmorris, I think, look you, under your correction, there is not many of your nationMac. Of my nation? what ifh my nation? ifh a villain, and a bastard, and a knave, and a rafcal? 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 fhall think you do not use me with that affability as in difcretion you ought to use me, look you; being as good 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 fo good a man as myfelf; fo Chrish fave me, I will cut off your head.

Gower. Gentlemen both, you will mistake each other.
Jamy. Au! that's a foul fault. [A Parley founded.
Gower. The town founds a parley.

Flu. Captain Macmorris, when there is more better opportunity to be requir'd, look you, I'll be fo bold as to tell you, I know the difciplines of war; and there's an end. * [Exeunt.

It were to be wished that logue had not been purchased the poor merriment of this dia- with fo much profaneness.

SCENE

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