KING HENRY V.

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Con. You must first go fourself to hazard, ere only stomachs to eat, and none to fight. Now is it you have them. time to arm: Come, shall we about it? Orl. It is now two o'clock: but, let me see,-by ten,

Dau. "Tis midnight, I'll go arm myself. [Exit.
Orl. The dauphin longs for morning.
Ram. He longs to eat the English.
Con. I think, he will eat all he kills.

Orl. By the white hand of my lady, he's a gallant prince.

Con. Swear by her foot, that she may tread out the oath.

Orl. He is, simply, the most active gentleman of France.

Con. Doing is activity: and he will still be doing.
Orl. He never did harm, that I heard of.
Con. Nor will do none to-morrow; he will keep
that good name still.

Orl. I know him to be valiant.

We shall have each a hundred Englishmen. [Exe.

ACT IV.

Enter Chorus.

When creeping murmur, and the poring dark,
Chor. Now entertain conjecture of a time,
From camp to camp, through the foul womb of night,
Fills the wide vessel of the universe.
The hum of either army stilly sounds,
That the fix'd sentinels almost receive

Con. I was told that, by one that knows him The secret whispers of each other's watch: better than you.

Orl. What's he?

Con. Marry, he told me so himself; and he said, he cared not who knew it.

Orl. He needs not, it is no hidden virtue in him. Con. By my faith, sir, but it is; never any body saw it, but his lackey: 'tis a hooded valour; and, when it appears, it will bate.1

Orl. I will never said well.

Con. I will cap that proverb with-There is flattery in friendship.

Orl. And I will take up that with-Give the devil his due.

Fire answers fire; and through their paly flames
Steed threatens steed, in high and boastful neighs
Each battle sees the other's umber'd face:
The armourers, accomplishing the knights,
Piercing the night's dull ear; and from the tents,
With busy hammers closing rivets up,
Give dreadful note of preparation.
The country cocks do crow, the clocks do toll,
Proud of their numbers, and secure in soul,
And the third hour of drowsy morning name.
Do the low-rated English play at dice;
The confident and over-lusty' French
Who, like a foul and ugly witch, doth limp
And chide the cripple tardy-gaited night,

Con. Well placed; there stands your friend for the devil: have at the very eye of that proverb, So tediously away. The poor condemned English, with-A pox of the devil.

Like sacrifices, by their watchful fires

Orl. You are the better at proverbs, by how Sit patiently, and inly ruminate

much-A fool's bolt is soon shot.

Con. You have shot over.

Orl. 'Tis not the first time you were overshot.

Enter a Messenger.

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 ruin'd band,

Mess. My lord high constable, the English lie Walking from watch to watch, from tent to tent,

within fifteen hundred paces of your tent. Con. Who hath measured the ground? Mess. The lord Grandpré.

Con. A valiant and most expert gentleman. Would it were day!-Alas, poor ilarry of England! -he longs not for the dawning, as we do. Orl. What a wretched and peevish fellow is this king of England, to mope with his fat-brained followers so far out of his knowledge!

Con. If the English had any apprehension, they would run away.

Let him cry-Praise and glory on his head! For forth he goes, and visits all his host; And calls them-brothers, friends, and countrymen. Bids them good-morrow, with a modest smile; Upon his royal face there is no note, Nor doth he dedicate one jot of colour How dread an army hath enrounded him; Unto the weary and all-watched night: With cheerful semblance, and sweet majesty; But freshly looks, and overbears attaint, Orl. That they lack; for if their heads had any Beholding him, plucks comfort from his looks: That every wretch, pining and pale before, intellectual armour, they could never wear such A largess universal, like the sun, heavy head-pieces. His liberal eye doth give to every one, Ram. That island of England breeds very valiant Thawing cold fear. Then, mean and gentle all, creatures; their mastiffs are of unmatchable courage. Behold, as may unworthiness define, Orl. Foolish curs! that run winking into the A little touch of Harry in the night: mouth of a Russian bear, and have their heads And so our scene must to the battle fly; crushed like rotten apples: You may as well say,-Where (O for pity!) we shall much disgracethat's a valiant flea, that dare eat his breakfast on With four or five most vile and ragged foils, the lip of a lion. Con. Just, just; and the men do sympathize with The name of Agincourt: Yet, sit and see; Right ill-dispos'd, in brawl ridiculous,the mastiffs, in robustious and rough coming on, Minding true things, by what their mockeries bc. leaving their wits with their wives: and then give them great meals of beef, and iron, and steel, they SCENE 1.-The English camp at Agincourt. [Exit. will eat like wolves, and fight like devils.

Orl. Ay, but these English are shrewdly out of beef.

Con. Then we shall find to-morrow-they have

(1) An equivoque in terms in falconry: he means, his valour is hid from every body but his lackey, and when it appears it will fall off.

Enter King Henry, Bedford, and Gloster.

K. Hen. Gloster, 'tis truc, that we are in great danger;

(2) Foolish. (3) Gently, lowly.

(4) Discoloured by the gleam of the fires.
(5) Over-saucy. (6) Calling to remembrance.

Good-morrow, old sir Thomas Erpingham:
A good soft pillow for that good white head
Were better than a churlish turf of France.
Erp. Not so, my liege; this lodging likes me all night.
better,

Since I may say-now lie I like a king.

Gow. Why, the enemy is loud; you heard him

Flu. If the enemy is an ass, and a fool, and a prating coxcomb, is it meet, think you, that we

K. Hen. 'Tis good for men to love their present should also, look you, be an ass, and a fool, and a

of

any where so contented, as in the king's company;| his cause being just, and his quarrel honourable. Will. 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.

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.

Will. But, if the cause be not good, the king Will. 'Mass, you'll pay him then! That's a pehimself hath a heavy reckoning to make; when all rilous shot out of an elder gun, that a poor and prithose legs, and arms, and heads, chopped off in a vate displeasure can do against a monarch! you may battle, shall join together at the latter day,' and as well go about to turn the sun to ice, with fanning cry all-We died at such a place; some, swearing; in his face with a peacock's feather. You'll never some, crying for a surgeon; some, upon their wives trust his word after! come, 'tis a foolish saying! left poor behind them; some, upon the debts they K. Hen. Your reproof is something too round;$ owe; some, upon their children rawly left. I am I should be angry with you, if the time were conafeard there are few die well, that die in battle; venient. 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.

Will. Let it be a quarrel between us, if you live.
K. Hen. I embrace it.

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.
K. Hen. There.

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 car.

K. Hen. If ever I live to see it, I will challenge it.
Will. Thou darest as well be hanged.

K. Hen. Well, I will do it, though I take thee

Will. Keep thy word: fare thee well.

K. Hen. 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 in the king's company. servant; for they purpose not their death, when they purpose their services. Besides, there is no Bates. Be friends, you English fools, be friends; king, be his cause never so spotless, if it come to we have French quarrels enough, if you could tell the arbitrement of swords, can try it out with all how to reckon. unspotted soldiers. Some, peradventure, have on K. Hen. Indeed, the French may lay twenty them the guilt of premeditated and contrived mur- French crowns to one, they will beat us; for they der; some, of beguiling virgins with the broken bear them on their shoulders: But it is no English seals of perjury; some, making the wars their bul- treason, to cut French crowns; and, to-morrow, wark, that have before gored the gentle bosom of the king himself will be a clipper. [Exe. Soldiers. peace with pillage and robbery. Now, if these men Upon the king! let us our lives, our souls, have defeated the law, and out-run native punish- Our debts, our careful wives, our children, and ment, though they can outstrip men, they have no Our sins, lay on the king;-we must bear all. wings to fly from God: war is his beadle, war is O hard condition! twin-born with greatness, his vengeance; so that here men are punished, for Subjected to the breath of every fool, before-breach of the king's laws, in now the king's Whose sense no more can feel but his own wringing! quarrel where they feared the death, they have What infinite heart's ease must kings neglect, borne life away; and where they would be safe, That private men enjoy?

3

they perish: Then if they die unprovided, no more And what have kings, that privates have not too, is the king guilty of their damnation, than he was Save ceremony, save general ceremony? before guilty of those impieties for the which they And what art thou, thou idol ceremony? are now visited. Every subject's duty is the king's; What kind of god art thou, that suffer'st more but every subject's soul is his own. Therefore of mortal griefs, than do thy worshippers? should every soldier in the wars do as every sick What are thy rents? what are thy comings-in? man in his bed, wash every mote out of his con- O ceremony, show me but thy worth! science and dying so, death is to him advantage; What is the soul of adoration?

or not dying, the time was blessedly lost, wherein Art thou aught else but place, degree, and form, such preparation was gained: and, in him that Creating awe and fear in other men? cscapes, it were not sin to think, that making God Wherein thou art less happy being fear'd so free an offer, he let him outlive that day to see Than they in fearing. 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.

(1) The last day, the day of judgment.

(2) Suddenly.

(3) i. e. Punishment in their native country. (4) To pay here signifies to bring to account, to punish

What drink'st thou oft, instead of homage sweet,
But poison'd 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,

The vapour of our valour will o'erturn them. 'Tis positive 'gainst all exceptions, lords, Good old knight, That our superfluous lackey's, and our peasants,— Who, in unnecessary action, swarm About our squares of battle,-were enough [Exit. To purge this field of such a hildings foc; Though we, upon this mountain's basis by, Took stand for idle speculation:

SCENE III-The English camp. Enter the We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; English host; Gloster, Bedford, Exeter, Salisbury, and Westmoreland.

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
And my kind kinsman,-warriors all, adieu!

Bed. Farewell, good Salisbury; and good luck
go with thee!

Ere. 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.