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Henry V

Act IV, Scene 7

Another part of the field.
 
[Enter FLUELLEN and GOWER]
 
FLUELLEN
Kill the poys and the luggage, 'tis expressly against the law of arms, 'tis as arrant a piece of knavery mark you now, as can be offered in your conscience now, is it not?
 
GOWER
'Tis certain, there's not a boy left alive, and the cowardly rascals that ran from the battle have done this slaughter: besides they have burned and carried away all that was in the king's tent, wherefore the king most worthily hath caused every soldier to cut his prisoner's throat. O 'tis a gallant king!
 
FLUELLEN
Aye, he was porn at Monmouth Captain Gower: What call you the town's name where Alexander the Pig was born?
 
GOWER
Alexander the Great.
 
FLUELLEN
Why I pray you, is not pig, great? the pig, or the great, or the mighty, or the huge, or the magnanimous, are all one reckonings, save the phrase is a little variations.
 
GOWER
I think Alexander the Great was born in Macedon, his father was called Philip of Macedon, as I take it.
 
FLUELLEN
I think it is in Macedon where Alexander is porn: I tell you captain, if you look in the maps of the 'orld, I warrant you sall find in the comparisons between Macedon and Monmouth, that the situations look you, is both alike. There is a river in Macedon, and there is also moreover a river at Monmouth, it is called Wye at Monmouth: but it is out of my prains, what is the name of the other river: but 'tis all one, 'tis alike as my fingers is to my fingers, and there is salmons in both. If you mark Alexander's life well, Harry of Monmouth's life is come after it indifferent well, for there is figures in all things. Alexander God knows, and you know, in his rages, and his furies, and his wraths, and his cholers, and his moods, and his displeasures, and his indignations, and also being a little intoxicates in his prains, did in his ales and his angers (look you) kill his best friend Cleitus.
 
GOWER
Our king is not like him in that, he never killed any of his friends.
 
FLUELLEN
It is not well done (mark you now) to take the tales out of my mouth, ere it is made and finished. I speak but in the figures, and comparisons of it: as Alexander killed his friend Cleitus, being in his ales and his cups; so also Harry Monmouth being in his right wits, and his good judgments, turned away the fat knight with the great belly-doublet: he was full of jests, and gipes, and knaveries, and mocks, I have forgot his name.
 
GOWER
Sir John Falstaff.
 
FLUELLEN
That is he: I'll tell you, there is good men porn at Monmouth.
 
GOWER
Here comes his majesty.
 
[Alarum. Enter KING HENRY, and forces; WARWICK, GLOUCESTER, EXETER, and others]
 
KING HENRY V
               ,   ,       ,         ,          ,
      I was / not ang|ry since | I came | to France,
         ,          ,          ,        ,       ,      ->
      Until | this ins|tant. Take | a trump|et her||ald,
        ,        2   ,         ,              ,    ,
      Ride | thou unto | the horse|men on / yond hill:
           ,           ,           ,    ,                ,
      If they | will fight | with us,| bid them | come^down,
           ,          ,           ,       ,          ,
      Or void | the field:| they do | offend | our sight.
            ,          ,         ,          ,         ,
      If they'll | do neith|er, we | will come | to them,
            ,           ,       ,         ,           ,
      And make | them skirr | away,| as swift | as stones
          ,       ,         ,       ,   2     ,
      Enforc|ed from | the old | Assy|rian slings:
          ,            ,           ,           ,          ,
      Besides,| we'll cut | the throats | of those | we have,
           ,       ,         ,          ,           ,
      And not | a man | of them | that we | shall take,
              ,          ,       ,         ,          ,
      Shall taste | our mer|cy. Go | and tell | them so.
 
[Enter MONTJOY]
 
EXETER
             ,          ,       ,          ,          ,
      Here comes | the her|ald of | the French,| my liege.
 
GLOUCESTER
            ,         ,         ,           ,        ,
      His eyes | are hum|bler than | they used | to be.
 
KING HENRY V
           ,           ,           ,          ,           ,
      How now,| what means | this her|ald? Knowst | thou not,
           ,          ,             ,          ,           x
      That I | have fined | these bones | of mine | for ransom?
        ,             ,            x
      Comst thou | again | for ransom?
 
MONTJOY
                                         T   T     T
                                        No great king:
          ,         ,         ,     ,      ,       ->
      I come | to thee | for char|itab|le lic||ense,
        ,      2     ,       ,           ,       ,
      That | we may wand|er ore | this bloo|dy field,
           ,          ,          ,        ,      ,
      To look | our dead,| and then | to bu|ry them,
           ,         ,        ,         ,       ,
      To sort | our nob|les from | our com|mon men.
           ,     ,         ,        ,          ,
      For ma|ny of | our prin|ces (woe | the while)
              ,             ,         ,     ,      ,
      Lie* drowned | and soaked | in mer|cena|ry blood:
       ,           ,         ,            ,         ,
      So do | our vul|gar drench | their peas|ant limbs
           ,          ,        ,            ,         ,
      In blood | of prin|ces, and | their wound|ed steeds
            ,    T    T   .   T                 ,    ,
      Fret^fet|lock deep in gore,| and with / wild rage   ??
            ,            ,       ,                ,     ,
      Yerk^out | their armed | heels at | their dead | masters,
       ,     2         ,          ,         T     T     T
      Killing them | twice. O | give us | leave great king,
           ,          ,          ,       ,        ,
      To view | the field | in safe|ty, and | dispose
        2        ,     ,
      Of their dead | bodies.
 
KING HENRY V
                                 ,          ,      ,      ->
                             I tell | thee tru|ly her||ald,
      ,         ,      2     ,         ,        ,
      I | know not | if the day | be ours | or no,
           ,       ,           ,    ,         ,
      For yet | a ma|ny of / your horse|men peer,
           ,       ,          ,
      And gal|lop ore | the field.
 
MONTJOY
                                       ,         ,
                                  The day | is yours.
 
KING HENRY V
         T     T  T         ,           ,            ,
      Praised be God,| and not | our strength | for it:
        ,    2        ,          ,             T     T   T
      What is this | castle | called that | stands hard by.
 
MONTJOY
             ,        ,     ,
      They call | it Ag|incourt.  \\
 
KING HENRY V
             ,         ,          ,         ,     ,
      Then call | we this | the field | of Ag|incourt,
         ,     2       ,         ,         ,    ,
      Fought on the | day of | Crispin | Crispi|anus.
 
FLUELLEN
Your grandfather of famous memory (and it please your majesty) and your great-uncle Edward the Plack Prince of Wales, as I have read in the chronicles, fought a most prave pattle here in France.
 
KING HENRY V
They did Fluellen.
 
FLUELLEN
Your majesty says very true: if your majesties is remembered of it, the Welshmen did good service in a garden where leeks did grow, wearing leeks in their Monmouth caps, which, your majesty know to this hour is an honorable badge of the service: and I do believe your majesty takes no scorn to wear the leek upon Saint Tavy's day.
 
KING HENRY V
      ,   ,          2     ,    ,       ,
      I wear / it for a | memo|rable | honor:
          ,        ,           ,           ,      ,
      For I | am Welsh | you know | good count|ryman.
 
FLUELLEN
All the water in Wye, cannot wash your majesty's Welsh plood out of your pody, I can tell you that: God pless it, and preserve it, as long as it pleases his grace, and his majesty too.
 
KING HENRY V
Thanks good my countryman.
 
FLUELLEN
By Jeshu, 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 God so long as your majesty is an honest man.
 
KING HENRY V
             ,        ,        ,        ,         ,
      God* keep | me so.| Our her|alds go | with him,
        ,          ,   ,        2       ,          ,
      Bring me | just not/ice of the | numbers | dead
      <-        ,          ,           ,        ,        ,
        On || both our | parts. Call^|yonder | fellow | hither.
 
[Points to WILLIAMS. Exeunt Heralds with Montjoy]
 
EXETER
Soldier, you must come to the king.
 
KING HENRY V
Soldier, why wearst thou that glove in thy cap?
 
WILLIAMS
And it please your majesty, 'tis the gage of one that I should fight withal, if he be alive.
 
KING HENRY V
An Englishman?
 
WILLIAMS
And it please your majesty, a rascal that swaggered with me last night: who if alive, and ever dare to challenge this glove, I have sworn to take him a box of the ear: or if I can see my glove in his cap, which he swore as he was a soldier he would wear (if alive) I will strike it out soundly.
 
KING HENRY V
What think you Captain Fluellen, is it fit this soldier keep his oath.
 
FLUELLEN
He is a craven and a villain else, and it please your majesty in my conscience.
 
KING HENRY V
It may be, his enemy is a gentleman of great sort quite from the answer of his degree.
 
FLUELLEN
Though he be as good a gentleman as the devil 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 Jacksauce, as ever his black shoe trod upon God's ground, and his earth, in my conscience law.
 
KING HENRY V
Then keep thy vow sirrah, when thou meetst the fellow.
 
WILLIAMS
So I will my liege, as I live.
 
KING HENRY V
Who servst thou under?
 
WILLIAMS
Under Captain Gower, my liege.
 
FLUELLEN
Gower is a good captain, and is good knowledge and literatured in the wars.
 
KING HENRY V
Call him hither to me, soldier.
 
WILLIAMS
I will my liege.
 
[Exit]
 
KING HENRY V
Here Fluellen, wear thou this favor for me, and stick it in thy cap: when Alencon and myself were down together, I plucked this glove from his helm: if any man challenge this, he is a friend to Alencon, and an enemy to our person; if thou encounter any such, apprehend him, an thou dost me love.
 
FLUELLEN
Your grace does me as great honors as can be desired in the hearts of his subjects: I would fain see the man, that has but two legs, that shall find himself aggrieved at this glove; that is all: but I would fain see it once, an please God of his grace that I might see.
 
KING HENRY V
Knowst thou Gower?
 
FLUELLEN
He is my dear friend, and please you.
 
KING HENRY V
Pray thee go seek him, and bring him to my tent.
 
FLUELLEN
I will fetch him.
 
[Exit]
 
KING HENRY V
           ,        ,         ,        ,          ,        ->
      My Lord | of War|wick, and | my broth|er Glouce||ster,
       ,     2    ,       ,       ,         ,
      Fol|low Fluel|len close|ly at | the heels:
            ,           ,          x      ,     2     ,
      The glove | which I | have given | him for a | favor,
           ,      ,         ,       ,      2     ,
      May hap|ly purch|ase him | a box | of the ear.
          ,        ,          ,       ,          ,
      It is | the sol|dier's: I | by bar|gain should
        ,    2     ,    ,              ,        ,
      Wear it my|self. Fol/low good | cousin | Warwick:
           ,         ,          ,           ,       ,
      If that | the sol|dier strike | him, as | I judge
                 ,    ,         ,          ,          ,
      By his / blunt bear|ing, he | will keep | his word;
            ,       ,         ,       ,        ,
      Some sud|den mis|chief may | arise | of it:
          ,        ,       ,       ,    ,
      For I | do know | Fluel|len val|iant,
             ,             ,       ,        ,   ,
      And touched | with chol|er, hot | as gun|powder,
            ,        ,        ,        ,    ,
      And quick|ly will | return | an in|jury.
       ,     2       ,           ,        ,       ,
      Follow, and | see there | be no | harm be|tween them.  ??
          ,          ,    ,          ,   ,
      Go you | with me,| uncle | of Ex|eter.
 
[Exeunt]

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