Obrázky stránek
PDF
ePub

In peace,
there's nothing so becomes a man,
As modest stillness, and humility:
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage:
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Let it pry through the portage of the head,

Nym. These be good humours!—your honour wins bad humours.

[Exeunt Nym, Pistol, and Bardolph, fellowed by Fluellen.

Boy. As young as I am, I have observed 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 antics do

Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it, not amount to a man. For Bardolph,-he is whiteAs fearfully, as doth a galled rock

O'erhang and jutty' his confounded2 base,
Swill'd with the wild and wasteful ocean.
Now set the teeth, and stretch the nostril wide;
Hold hard the breath, and bend up every spirit
To his full height !-On, on, you noblest English,
Whose blood is fets from fathers of war-proof!
Fathers, that, like so many Alexanders,

Have, in these parts, from morn till even fought,
And sheath'd their swords for lack of argument.4
Dishonour not your mothers; now attest,
That those, whom you call'd fathers, did beget

[blocks in formation]

For there is none of you so mean and base,
That hath not noble lustre in your eyes.
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot;
Follow your spirit: and, upon this charge,
Cry-God for Harry! England! and Saint George!

[Exeunt. Alarum, and chambers go off.

SCENE II.-The same. Forces pass over; then

enter Nym, Bardolph, Pistol, and Boy.

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

breach!

a

Nym. 'Pray thee, corporal, stay; the knocks are too hot; and, for mine own part, I have not 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.

livered, and red-faced; 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 men of few words are the best men; and therefore he scorns to say his prayers, lest 'a should be thought a coward; but his few bad words are match'd 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,purchase. Bardolph stole a lute-case; bore it twelve leagues, and sold it for three halfpence. Nym and Bardolph, are sworn brothers in tilching; and in Calais they stole a fire-shovel: I knew, by that piece of service, the men would carry coals, They would have me 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 east 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' athversary (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,

Boy. As duly, but not as truly, as bird doth sing captain Jamy, with him. on bough.

[blocks in formation]

Flu. Captain Jamy is a marvellous falorous gentleman, that is certain; and of great expedition, and knowledge, in the ancient wars, upon my par ticular knowledge of his directions: by Cheshu, he will maintain his argument as well as any military man in the 'orld, in the disciplines of the pristine wars of the Romans.

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 ?

(4) Matter, subject.
(6) Earth. (7) Bravest.
(9) Digged. (10) Blow.

(5) Commander. (8) Pocket affronts.

Mac. By Chrish la, tish ill done: the work isn And the flesh'd soldier,-rough and hard of heart,give over, the trumpet sound the retreat. By my In liberty of bloody hand, shall range hand, I swear, and by my father's soul, the work With conscience wide as hell; mowing like grass Ish ill done; it ish give over: I would have blowed Your fresh-air virgins, and your flowering infants. up the town, so Chrish save me, la, in an hour. What is it then to me, if impious war,O, tish ill done, tish ill done; by my hand, tish ill Array'd in flames, like to the prince of fiends,done! Do, with his smirch'd2 complexion, all fell' feats Flu. Captain Macmorris, I peseech you now, will Enlink'd to waste and desolation? you vouchsafe me, look you, a few disputations with What is't to me, when you yourselves are cause, you? as partly touching or concerning the disci- If your pure maidens fall into the hand plines of the war, the Roman wars, in the way of Of hot and forcing violation? argument, look you, and friendly communication; What rein can hold licentious wickedness, partly, to satisfy my opinion, and partly, for the When down the hill he holds his fierce career? satisfaction, look you, of my mind, as touching the We may as bootless spend our vain command direction of the military discipline; that is the point. Upon the enraged soldiers in their spoil, Jamy. It sall be very gud, gud feith, gud cap- As send precepts to the Leviathan tains both: and I sall quit you with gud leave, as To come ashore. Therefore, you men of Harflew I may pick occasion; that sall I, marry. Take pity of your town, and of your people,

Mac. It is no time to discourse, so Chrish save Whiles yet my soldiers are in my command; me, the day is hot, and the weather, and the wars, Whiles yet the cool and temperate wind of grace and the king, and the dukes; it is no time to dis-O'erblows the filthy and contagious clouds course. The town is beseeched, and the trumpet Of deadly murder, spoil, and villany. calls us to the breach; and we talk, and, by Chrish, If not, why, in a moment, look to see do nothing; 'tis shame for us all: so God sa' me, The blind and bloody soldier with foul hand 'tis shame to stand still; it is shame, by my hand: Defile the locks of your shrill-shrieking daughters; and there is throats to be cut, and works to be done; Your fathers taken by the silver beards, and there ish nothing done, so Chrish sa' me, la. And their most reverend heads dash'd to the walls; Jamy. By the mess, ere theise eyes of mine take Your naked infants spitted upon pikes ; themselves to slumber, aile do gude service, or aile Whiles the mad mothers with their howls confus'd ligge i'the grund for it; ay, or go to death; and Do break the clouds, as did the wives of Jewry aile pay it as valorously as I may, that sall I surely At Herod's bloody-hunting slaughtermen. 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 nation

Mac. 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?

What say you? will you yield, and this avoid?
Or, guilty in defence, be thus destroy'd?

Gov. Our expectation hath this day an end:
The dauphin, whom of succour we entreated,
Returns us-that his powers are not yet ready
To raise so great a siege. Therefore, dread king,
We yield our town, and lives, to thy soft mercy:
Enter our gates; dispose of us, and ours;
For we no longer are defensible.

Flu. Look you, if you take the matter otherwise than is meant, captain Macmorris, peradventure, I K. Hen. Open your gates.-Come, uncle Exeter, spall think you do not use me with that affability as Go you and enter Harfleur; there remain, in discretion you ought to use me, look you; being And fortify it strongly 'gainst the French: as goot a man as yourself, both in the disciplines Use mercy to them all. For us, dear uncle,of wars, and in the derivation of my birth, and in The winter coming on, and sickness growing other particularities. Upon our soldiers,-we'll retire to Calais.

Mac. I do not know you so good a man as my-To-night in Harfleur will we be your guest; self: 80 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.
Gow. 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 is an end.
[Exeunt.
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;

(1) Requite, answer. (2) Soiled. (3) Cruel.

To-morrow for the march are we addrest."

[Flourish. The King, &c. enter the town. SCENE IV.-Rouen. A room in the palace. Enter Katharine and Alice.

Kath. Alice, tu as esté en Angleterre, et tu parles bien le language.

Alice. Un peu, madame.
Kath. Je te prie, m'enseignez; il faut que j'ap-
en Anglois?
prenne à parler. Comment appellez vous la main,

Alice. Le main? elle est appellée, 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 appellé de fingres; ouy, de fingres.

Kath. Le main, de hand; les doigts, de fingres. Je pense, que je suis le bon escolier. J'ay gagné deux mots d'Anglois vistement. Comment appellez 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
Anglois.

[blocks in formation]

In peace, there's nothing so becomes a man,
As modest stillness, and humility:

But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage:
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;

Let it pry through the portage of the head,

Nym. These be good humours!-your honour wins bad huinours.

[Exeunt Nym, Pistol, and Bardolph, fol lowed by Fluellen.

Boy. As young as I am, I have observed 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 antics do

Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it, not amount to a man. For Bardolph,-he is whiteAs fearfully, as doth a galled rock

O'erhang and jutty' his confounded? base,
Swill'd with the wild and wasteful ocean.

Now set the teeth, and stretch the nostril wide;
Hold hard the breath, and bend up every spirit
To his full height !-On, on, you noblest English,
Whose blood is fet from fathers of war-proof!
Fathers, that, like so many Alexanders,
Have, in these parts, from morn till even fought,
And sheath'd their swords for lack of argument.4
Dishonour not your mothers; now attest,

livered, and red-faced; 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 men of few words are the best men; and therefore he scorns to say his prayers, lest 'a should be thought a coward; but his few bad words are match'd 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,

That those, whom you call'd fathers, did beget purchase. Bardolph stole a lute-case; bore it

[blocks in formation]

yeomen,

Whose limbs were made in England, show us here
The mettle of your pasture; let us swear
That you are worth your breeding: which I doubt
not;

For there is none of you so mean and base,
That hath not noble lustre in your eyes.
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot;
Follow your spirit: and, upon this charge,
Cry-God for Harry! England! and Saint George!

[Exeunt. Alarum, and chambers go off.

SCENE II.-The same. Forces pass over; then
enter Nym, Bardolph, Pistol, and Boy.
Bard. On, on, on, on, on! to the breach, to the

breach!

twelve leagues, and sold it for three halfpence. 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 me 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 Nym. Pray thee, corporal, stay; the knocks you, th' athversary (you may discuss unto the duke, are too hot; and, for mine own part, I have not a look you,) is dight himself four yards under the case of lives: the humour of it is too hot, that is countermines: by Cheshu, I think, 'a will plow the very plain-song of it. up all, if there is not better directions.

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.

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,

Boy. As duly, but not as truly, as bird doth sing captain Jamy, with him. on bough.

[blocks in formation]

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 maintain his argument as well as any military man in the 'orld, in the disciplines of the pristine wars of the Romans.

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?

(4) Matter, subject.
(6) Earth. (7) Bravest.
(9) Digged. (10) Blow.

(5) Commander. Pocket affronts.

Mac. By Chrish la, tish ill done: the work isn And the flesh'd soldier,-rough and hard of heart,— give over, the trumpet sound the retreat. By my In liberty of bloody hand, shall range hand, I swear, and by my father's soul, the work With conscience wide as hell; mowing like grass Ish ill done; it ish give over: I would have blowed Your fresh-air virgins, and your flowering infants. up the town, so Chrish save me, la, in an hour. What is it then to me, if impious war,O, tish ill done, tish ill done; by my hand, tish ill Array'd in flames, like to the prince of fiends,done! Do, with his smirch'd' complexion, all fell' feats

Fiu. Captain Macmorris, I peseech you now, will Enlink'd to waste and desolation? you vouchsafe me, look you, a few disputations with What is't to me, when you yourselves are cause, you? as partly touching or concerning the disci- If your pure maidens fall into the hand plines of the war, the Roman wars, in the way of Of hot and forcing violation? argument, look you, and friendly communication; What rein can hold licentious wickedness, partly, to satisfy my opinion, and partly, for the When down the hill he holds his fierce career? satisfaction, look you, of my mind, as touching the We may as bootless spend our vain command direction of the military discipline; that is the point. Upon the enraged soldiers in their spoil, Jamy. It sall be very gud, gud feith, gud cap- As send precepts to the Leviathan tains both and I sall quit you with gud leave, as To come ashore. Therefore, you men of Harflew I may pick occasion; that sall I, marry. Take pity of your town, and of your people,

Mac. It is no time to discourse, so Chrish save Whiles yet my soldiers are in my command; me, the day is hot, and the weather, and the wars, Whiles yet the cool and temperate wind of grace and the king, and the dukes; it is no time to dis-O'erblows the filthy and contagious clouds course. The town is beseeched, and the trumpet Of deadly murder, spoil, and villany. calls us to the breach; and we talk, and, by Chrish, If not, why, in a moment, look to see do nothing; 'tis shame for us all: so God sa' me, The blind and bloody soldier with foul hand 'tis shame to stand still; it is shame, by my hand: Defile the locks of your shrill-shrieking daughters; and there is throats to be cut, and works to be done; Your fathers taken by the silver beards, and there ish nothing done, so Chrish sa' me, la. And their most reverend heads dash'd to the walls; Jamy. By the mess, ere theise eyes of mine take Your naked infants spitted upon pikes ; themselves to slumber, aile do gude service, or aile Whiles the mad mothers with their howls confus'd ligge i'the grund for it; ay, or go to death; and Do break the clouds, as did the wives of Jewry aile pay it as valorously as I may, that sall I surely At Herod's bloody-hunting slaughtermen. 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 nation

What say you? will you yield, and this avoid?
Or, guilty in defence, be thus destroy'd?

Gov. Our expectation hath this day an end:
The dauphin, whom of succour we entreated,
Returns us-that his powers are not yet ready

We yield our town, and lives, to thy soft mercy:
Enter our gates; dispose of us, and ours;
For we no longer are defensible.

Mac. Of my nation? What ish my nation? ish To raise so great a siege. Therefore, dread king, 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 K. Hen. Open your gates.-Come, uncle Exeter, shall think you do not use me with that affability as Go you and enter Harfleur; there remain, in discretion you ought to use me, look you; being And fortify it strongly 'gainst the French: as goot a man as yourself, both in the disciplines Use mercy to them all. For us, dear uncle,— of wars, and in the derivation of my birth, and in The winter coming on, and sickness growing other particularities. Upon our soldiers,-we'll retire to Calais.

Mac. I do not know you so good a man as my-To-night in Harfleur will we be your guest; self: 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.
Gow. The town sounds a parley.

To-morrow for the march are we addrest.'

[Flourish. The King, &c. enter the town. SCENE IV.-Rouen. A room in the palace. Enter Katharine and Alice.

Kath. Alice, tu as esté en Angleterre, et tu parles

Flu. Captain Macmorris, when there is more better opportunity to be required, look you, I will bien le language. be so bold as to tell you, I know the disciplines of war; and there is an end.

[Exeunt.

[blocks in formation]

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;

(1) Requite, answer. (2) Soiled. (3) Cruel.

Alice. Un peu, madame.

Kath. Je te prie, m'enseignez; il faut que j'apen Anglois? prenne à parler. Comment appellez vous la main,

Alice. Le main? elle est appellée, 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 appellé de fingres; ouy, de fingres.

Kath. Le main, de hand; les doigts, de fingres. Je pense, que je suis le bon escolier. J'ay gagné deux mots d'Anglois vistement. Comment appellez 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 Anglois.

[blocks in formation]

Kath. Dites moy en Anglois, le bras.
Alice. De arm, madame.
Kath. Et le coude.
Alice. De eibow.

Kath. De elbow. Je m'en faitz la repetition de tous les mots, que vous m'avez appris dès a present. Alice. Il est trop difficile, madame, comme je pense.

Kath. Excusez moy, Alice; escoutez: De hand, de fingre, de nails, de arm, de bilbow. Alice. De elbow, madame.

Decoct their cold blood to such valiant heat?
And shall our quick blood, spirited with wine,
Seem frosty? O, for honour of our land,
Let us not hang like roping icicles
Upon our houses' thatch, whiles a more frosty
people

Sweat drops of gallant youth in our rich fields;
Poor-we may call them, in their native lords.
Dau. By faith and honour,

Our madams mock at us; and plainly say,
Our mettle is bred out; and they will give

Kath. O Seigneur Dieu ! je m'en oublie; De el- Their bodies to the lust of English youth,

bow. Comment appellez vous le col ?

Alice. De neck, madame.

Kath. De neck: Et le menton?

Alice. De chin.

Kath. De sin. Le col, de neck: le menton, de sin.

Alice. Ouy.

Sauf vostre honneur; en verité vous prononces les mots aussi droict que les natifs d'Angleterre.

Kath. Je ne doute point d'apprendre par la grace de Dieu; et en peu de temps.

Alice. N'avez vous pas deja oublié ce que je vous ay enseignée ?

Kath. Non, je reciteray à vous promptement. De hand, de fingre, de mails.

Alice. De nails, madame.

Kath. De nails, de arme, 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.

To new-store France with bastard warriors.
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 runaways.

Fr. King. Where is Montjoy, the herald? speed
him hence;

Let him greet England with our sharp defiance.-
Up, princes; and, with spirit of honour edg'd,
More sharper than your swords, hie to the field:
Charles De-la-bret, high constable of France;
You dukes of Orleans, Bourbon, and of Berry,
Alençon, Brabant, Bar, and Burgundy;
Jaques, Chatillon, Rambures, Vaudemont,
Beaumont, Grandpré, Roussi, and Fauconberg,
Foix, Lestrale, Bouciqualt, and Charolois;
High dukes, great princes, barons, lords, and
knights,

For your great seats, now quit you of great shames. Bar Harry England, that sweeps through our land Kath. De foot, et de con? O Seigneur Dieu !With penons' painted in the blood of Harfleur: ces sont mots de son mauvais, corruptible, grosse, Rush on his host, as doth the melted snow et impudique, et non pour les dames d'honneur Upon the valleys; whose low vassal seat d'user: Je ne voudrois prononcer ces mots devant The Alps doth spit and void his rheum upon : les seigneurs de France, pour tout le monde. I Go down upon him,-you have power enough,faut de foot, et de con, néant-moins. Je reciterai And in a captive chariot, into Rouen une autre fois ma leçon ensemble: De hand, de fingre, de nails, de arm, de elbow, de neck, de sin, de foot, de con.

Alice. Excellent, madame! Kath. C'est assez pour une fois; disner.

allons nous a [Exeunt. SCENE V.-The same. Another room in the same. Enter the French King, the Dauphin, Duke of Bourbon, the Constable of France, and

others.

Fr. 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 of us,—
The emptying of our fathers' luxury,1
Our scions, put in wild and savage stock,
Spirt up so suddenly into the clouds,
And overlook their grafters ?

Bour. Normans, but bastard Normans, Norman
bastards!

Mort de ma vie ! if they march along
Unfought withal, but I will sell my dukedom,

To buy a slobbery and a dirty farm

In that nook-shotten2 isle of Albion.

Bring him our prisoner.
Con.

This becomes the great.
Sorry am I, his numbers are so few,
His soldiers sick, and famish'd in their march;
For, I am sure, when he shall see our army,
He'll drop his heart into the sink of fear,
And, for achievement, offer us his ransom.

Fr. King. Therefore, lord constable, haste on
Montjoy:

And let him say to England, that we send
To know what willing ransom he will give.-
Prince dauphin, you shall stay with us in Rouen.
Dau. Not so, I do beseech your majesty.

Fr. 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

Con. Dieu de battailes! where have they this Agamemnon; and a man that I love and honour

mettle?

Is not their climate foggy, raw, and dull?
On whom, as in despite, the sun looks pale,
Killing their fruit with frowns? Can sodden water,
A drench for sur-rein'd' jades, their barley broth,
(1) Lust. (2) Projected. (3) Over-strained.

with my soul, and my heart, and my duty, and my life, and my livings, and my uttermost powers: he is not (Got be praised, and plessed!) any hurt in the 'orld; but keeps the pridge most valiantly, with excellent discipline. There is an ensign there at

[blocks in formation]
« PředchozíPokračovat »