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Henry V

Act II, Scene 4

France. The KING'S palace.
 
[Flourish. Enter the FRENCH KING, the DAUPHIN, the DUKES of BERRI and BRETAGNE, the Constable, and others]
 
KING OF FRANCE
        T    T    .   T                ,    x         x
      Thus comes the^Eng|lish with / full power | upon us,
            ,           ,      ,       ,        ,
      And more | than care|fully | it us | concerns,
          ,       ,     ,    ,    2    ,
      To ans|wer roy|ally | in our de|fenses.
        ,               ,         ,      ,      2     ,
      Therefore | the Dukes | of Ber|ri and | of Bretagne,
          ,    ,     2      ,    ,                  ,
      Of Bra|bant and of | Orle|ans, shall | make^forth,
           ,             ,               ,    ,          ,
      And you | Prince Dauph|in, with / all swift | dispatch
           ,         ,        ,          ,         ,
      To line | and new | repair | our towns | of war
            ,        ,         ,           ,         ,       ->
      With men | of cour|age, and | with means | defend||ant:
       ,     ,           2    ,         ,           ,
      For | England | his approach|es makes | as fierce,
          ,       ,         ,       ,       ,
      As wat|ers to | the suck|ing of | a gulf.
           ,         ,        ,       ,      ,
      It fits | us then | to be | as prov|ident,
           ,          ,      ,     2       ,      ,
      As fear | may teach | us, out of | late ex|amples
        ,    2       ,       ,       ,        ,
      Left by the | fatal | and ne|glected | English,
       x            ,
      Upon our | fields.
 
DAUPHIN
                                ,       ,        ,
                         My | most re|doubted | father,
                ,    ,        ,      2    ,          ,
      It is / most meet | we arm | us against | the foe:
            ,         ,            ,         ,        ,      o
      For peace | itself | should not | so dull | a king|dom,
               ,         ,     ,     ,                  ,     ,
      (Though war | nor no | known quar/rel were | in ques|tion)   (hex with prev)
       ,      2    ,        ,         ,     ,
      But that de|fenses,| musters,| prepa|rations,
         ,     2        ,        ,         ,       ,
      Should be main|tained, as|sembled,| and col|lected,
       ,           ,        ,     ,    ,
      As were | a war | in ex|pecta|tion.
        ,            ,           ,        ,          ,
      Therefore | I say,| 'tis meet | we all | go* forth,
           ,          ,         ,        ,           ,
      To view | the sick | and feeb|le parts | of France:
           ,        ,              ,   ,         ,
      And let | us do | it with / no show | of fear,
       ,              ,          ,        ,           ,       2->
      No, with | no more,| than if | we heard | that Eng||land
            ,        ,        ,       ,        ,
      Were bus|ied with | a Whit|sun mor|ris-dance:
       ,                ,      ,           ,       ,
      For, my | good* liege,| she is | so id|ly kinged,
            ,       ,       ,     ,       ,
      Her scep|ter so | fantas|tical|ly borne,
               ,   ,       ,       ,   2      ,
      By a / vain gid|dy shal|low hum|orous youth,
             ,        ,          ,
      That fear | attends | her not.
 
CONSTABLE
      T   T       T      ,
      O peace, Prince | Dauphin,  (tri with prev)
       ,              ,       ,       ,          ,
      You are | too much | mistak|en in | this king:
        ,               ,           ,       ,      ,
      Question | your grace | the late | ambas|sadors,
             ,      T     T    .   T            ,     ,
      With what | great state he heard | their em|bassy,
            ,         ,           ,       ,       ,
      How well | supplied | with nob|le couns|ellors,
           ,       ,      ,         ,        ,
      How mod|est in | excep|tion; and | withal,
           ,     ,        ,         ,    ,      ->
      How ter|rible | in const|ant re|solu||tion:
       ,       2        ,         ,     ,          ,
      And | you shall find,| his van|ities | forespent,
        ,             ,    ,    2       ,       ,
      Were but | the out|side of the | Roman | Brutus,
       ,  2          ,    ,      2      ,        ,
      Covering | discre|tion with a | coat of | folly;
          ,    2     ,         ,         ,            ,
      As gard|eners do | with ord|ure* hide | those^roots
        .    T     T      T          ,         ,     ,
      That shall first spring,| and be | most del|icate.
 
DAUPHIN
        ,           ,        .   T    T   T      ,
      Well, 'tis | not so,| my lord high con|stable.
             ,          ,         ,     2    ,    ,
      But though | we think | it so,| it is no | matter:
          ,      ,       ,            ,         ,
      In cas|es of | defense,| 'tis best | to weigh
          ,    ,          ,       ,         ,
      The en|emy | more migh|ty than | he seems,
       ,           ,         ,       ,            ,
      So the | propor|tions of | defense | are filled:
        ,     2      ,        ,       ,      ,
      Which of a | weak or | niggard|ly pro|jection,
             ,       ,       ,           ,           ,       2->
      Doth^like | a mis|er spoil | his coat,| with scant||ing
         ,        ,
      A lit|tle cloth.
 
KING OF FRANCE
                             ,         ,        ,
                      Think^we | King^Har|ry strong:
            ,         ,           ,       ,           x
      And prin|ces, look | you strong|ly arm | to meet him.
            ,       ,         ,            ,          x
      The kind|red of | him hath | been fleshed | upon us:
           ,        ,     ,              ,        ,
      And he | is bred | out of | that bloo|dy strain,
             ,       ,       ,       ,   2    ,
      That haunt|ed us | in our | famil|iar paths:
       ,             ,      ,   ,            ,
      Witness | our too | much mem/ora|ble shame,
             ,      ,       ,     ,          ,
      When Cres|sy bat|tle fat|ally | was struck,
           ,          ,       ,         ,         ,
      And all | our prin|ces cap|tived by | the hand
                  ,     ,     ,         T      T    .   T
      Of that / black name,| Edward,| Black Prince of Wales:
         ,       2        ,          ,          ,          ,
      Whiles that his | mountain | sire, on | mountain | standing
       ,           ,       ,                ,       ,
      Up in | the air,| crowned with | the gold|en sun,
       ,     2    ,  2      ,            ,         ,
      Saw his he|roical | seed, and | smiled to | see him
       ,             ,        ,        ,        ,
      Mangle | the work | of na|ture, and | deface
           ,           ,        ,       2      ,      ,
      The pat|terns, that | by God | and by French | fathers
            ,       ,            ,      ,           ,
      Had twen|ty years | been made.| This is | a stem
           ,        ,   2     ,          ,         ,
      Of that | victor|ious stock:| and let | us fear
           ,        ,      ,          ,        ,
      The nat|ive might|iness | and fate | of him.
 
[Enter a Messenger]
 
MESSENGER
         ,      ,          ,       ,        ,       ->
      Ambas|sadors | from Har|ry King | of Eng||land,
       ,     ,       ,           2      ,    ,
      Do | crave ad|mittance | to your maj|esty.
 
KING OF FRANCE
              ,          ,        ,     ,    oo
      We'll give | them pres|ent aud|ience.|
       ,          ,
      Go, and | bring them.  \\
           ,           ,         ,      ,            ,
      You see | this chase | is hot|ly fol|lowed, friends.
 
[Exeunt Messenger and certain Lords]
 
DAUPHIN
        T    T    .    T         ,         ,        ,
      Turn head, and stop | pursuit:| for cow|ard dogs
             ,              ,            ,           ,         ,       ->
      Most^spend | their mouths,| when what | they seem | to threat||en
        ,     ,       ,           ,        ,  2
      Runs | far be|fore them.| Good my | sovereign
            ,        ,         ,          ,           ,
      Take^up | the Eng|lish short,| and let | them know
           ,       ,     ,         ,          ,
      Of what | a mon|archy | you are | the head:
        T    T    .   T         ,         ,       ,
      Self-love, my liege,| is not | so vile | a sin,
           ,       ,      3
      As self-|neglec|ting.
 
[Enter Lords, with EXETER and train]
 
KING OF FRANCE
                                3     ,        ,    , 
                            From our broth|er of | England?
 
EXETER
            ,          ,          ,           ,    ,
      From him,| and thus | he greets | your maj|esty:
           ,      ,    2        ,        ,       ,
      He wills | you in the | name of | God Al|mighty,
            ,        ,          ,         ,       ,
      That you | divest | yourself,| and lay | apart
           ,          ,         ,         ,          x
      The bor|rowed glor|ies, that | by gift | of heaven,
          ,        ,        ,        ,          x
      By law | of na|ture, and | of na|tions, belongs
          ,     ,             ,       ,            ,
      To him | and to | his heirs,| namely,| the crown,
           ,      T      T      T         ,         ,
      And all | wide-stretched hon|ors, that | pertain
          ,        ,         ,     ,          ,
      By cust|om, and | the ord|inance | of times,
       ,           ,           ,           ,          ,
      Unto | the crown | of France:| That you | may know
            ,    ,     ,             ,         ,
      'Tis no | sini|ster, nor | no^awk|ward claim,
         ,                ,     ,          T     Tx      T
      Picked from | the worm-|holes of | long-vanished days,
       ,               ,        ,       ,   2    ,
      Nor from | the dust | of old | obliv|ion raked,
           ,                  ,   ,    ,       ,
      He sends | you this / most mem|ora|ble line,
          ,        ,      ,         ,        ,
      In eve|ry branch | truly | demon|strative;
       ,           ,      ,          ,     ,
      Willing | to ov|erlook | this ped|igree:
            ,          ,        ,     ,       ,
      And when | you find | him ev|enly | derived
                   ,    ,         ,       ,  ,
      From his / most famed,| of fam|ous an|cestors,
       ,             ,          ,          ,        ,
      Edward | the Third;| he bids | you then | resign
             ,           ,        ,     ,       ,
      Your crown | and king|dom, in|direct|ly held
            ,         ,              ,   ,       ,
      From him,| the nat|ive and / true chal|lenger.
 
KING OF FRANCE
           ,          ,
      Or else | what fol|lows?  \\
 
EXETER
        ,            ,           ,         ,          ,
      Bloody | constraint:| for if | you hide | the crown
        x               ,       ,               ,         ,
      Even in | your hearts,| there will | he rake | for it.
        ,               ,      ,         ,       ,
      Therefore | in fierce | tempest | is he | coming,
       ,   ,         2       T    T      T        ,
      In thund/er and in | earthquake, like | a Jove:
        ,          ,         ,         ,        ,
      That if | requir|ing fail,| he will | compel.
            ,     ,             ,       ,         ,
      And bids | you, in | the bow|els of | the Lord,
         ,      ,         ,        2     ,     ,
      Deliv|er up | the crown,| and to take | mercy
                 ,    ,           ,          ,       ,
      On the / poor souls,| for whom | this hun|gry war
      ,            ,       ,         ,          ,
      Opens | his vas|ty jaws:| and on | your head
        ,            ,         ,           ,         ,
      Turning | the wid|ows' tears,| the orph|ans' cries,
       .    T    T     T          ,      ,           ,
      The dead men's blood,| the pri|vy maid|ens' groans,
           ,          ,         ,         ,       ,
      For hus|bands, fath|ers, and | betrothed | lovers,
        ,       2       ,          ,         ,      ,
      That shall be | swallowed | in this | contro|versy.
        ,    2        ,            ,    2           ,    ,
      This is his | claim, his | threatening,| and my | message:
          ,          ,       ,        ,         ,
      Unless | the Dauph|in be | in pres|ence here;
           ,        ,      ,           ,        ,
      To whom | express|ly I | bring^greet|ing too.
 
KING OF FRANCE
           ,        ,        ,    2     ,     ,
      For us,| we will | consid|er of this | further:
         ,        ,           ,          ,        ,
      Tomor|row shall | you bear | our full | intent
        ,    2       ,     2      ,
      Back to our | brother of | England.
 
DAUPHIN
                                          ,         ,
                                         For the | Dauphin,
          ,       ,         ,           ,    2        ,
      I stand | here for | him: what | to him from | England?
 
EXETER
        ,            ,         ,          ,         ,
      Scorn and | defi|ance, slight | regard,| contempt,
           ,    ,           ,         ,      ,
      And an|ything | that may | not mis|become
            ,       ,        ,         ,          ,
      The migh|ty send|er, doth | he prize | you at.
             ,         ,     ,    2         ,          ,
      Thus says | my king:| and if your | father's | highness
          ,         ,         ,        ,          ,
      Do not,| in grant | of all | demands | at large,
        ,    2       ,         ,          ,         ,  2
      Sweeten the | bitter | mock you | sent his | majesty*;
              ,              ,  ,        ,        x
      He'll call | you to / so hot | an ans|wer of it,
             ,          ,       ,     ,          ,
      That caves | and wom|by vault|ages | of France
              ,            ,    ,             ,           ,
      Shall chide | your tres|pass, and | return | your mock
          ,       ,   ,            ,     ,
      In sec|ond ac|cent of | his ord|inance.
 
DAUPHIN
       ,            ,       ,        ,        ,
      Say: if | my fath|er rend|er fair | return,
       ,   2     T    T   T        ,       ,
      It is a|gainst my will:| for I | desire
       ,              ,          ,
      Nothing | but odds | with Eng|land.  \\
           ,   ,        ,               ,        ,   ,
      To that end, as matching to his youth and vanity,  ????
         ,         ,          ,         ,       ,
      I did | present | him with | the Par|is balls.
 
EXETER
              ,          ,       ,       ,          ,
      He'll make | your Par|is Louv|re shake | for it,
        ,    2       ,          ,          ,       ,
      Were it the | mistress-|court of | mighty | Europe:
           ,       ,              ,       ,      ,
      And be | assured,| you'll find | a dif|ference,
          ,        ,           ,        ,        ,
      As we | his sub|jects* have | in wond|er found,
          ,          ,        ,         ,        ,
      Between | the prom|ise of | his green|er days,
            ,         ,        ,     T   .    T     T
      And these | he mast|ers now:| now he weighs time
      ,   3  3       T  T    T           ,            ,
      Even to the | utmost grain:| that you | shall read
                 ,   ,        ,        ,          ,
      In your / own los|ses, if | he stay | in France.
 
KING OF FRANCE
         ,        ,           ,          ,         ,
      Tomor|row shall | you know | our mind | at full.
 
EXETER
           ,                ,    ,       ,               ,
      Dispatch | us with / all speed,| lest that | our king
             ,         ,         ,        ,       ,
      Come here | himself | to ques|tion our | delay;
       ,    2      ,        ,          ,      ,
      For he is | footed | in this | land al|ready.
 
KING OF FRANCE
       ,       2       ,         ,              ,       ,
      You shall be | soon dis|patched, with | fair con|ditions.
          ,                ,      ,          ,        ,
      A night | is but / small breath,| and lit|tle pause,
          ,       ,              ,   ,       ,
      To ans|wer mat|ters of / this cons|equence.
 
[Flourish. Exeunt]

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