 | King Henry V. Or The Conquest of France |  |
SCENE VII.
Another Part of the Field. Alarm continued.Enter Fluellen and Gower.
Flu.
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 desired in your
conscience now; is it not?
Gower.
'Tis certain, there's not a boy left alive;
and the cowardly rascals that ran away from the battle
ha' done this slaughter: besides they have burn'd or
carried away all that was in the King's tent, wherefore
the King most worthily hath caus'd ev'ry soldier to cut
his prisoner's throat. O 'tis a gallant King!
Flu.
I, he was porn at Monmouth, Captain Gower;
what call you the town's name where Alexander the Pig
was born?
Gow.
Alexander the Great.
Flu.
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.
Gow.
I think Alexander the Great was born in Macedon;
his father was called Philip of Macedon, as I
take it.
Flu.
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 that you sal find in the comparisons
between Macedon and Monmouth, that the
situations, look you, is both alike. There is a river
in Macedon, there is also 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 it is all one,
'tis as like as my fingers 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,
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 Clytus.
Gow.
Our King is not like him in that, he never
kill'd any of his friends.
Flu.
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 figures and comparisons of it; as Alexander
kill'd his friend Clytus, being in his ales and his
cups; so also Harry Monmouth, being in his right
wits and his good judgements, turn'd away the fat
Knight with the great belly doublet; he was full of
jests and gypes, and knaveries, and mocks: I have
forgot his name.
Gow.
Sir John Falstaff.
Flu.
That is he: I tell you there is good men porn
at Monmouth.
[Trumpets sound.
Gow.
Here comes his Majesty.
Flourish. Enter King Henry, Lords, and Attendants.
K. Henry.
I was not angry since I came to France,
Until this instant. Take a trumpet, herald,
Ride thou unto the horsemen on yon hill:
If they will fight with us, bid them come down,
Or void the field: they do offend our sight.
If they'll do neither, we will come to them,
And make them sker away, as swift as stones
Enforced from the old Assyrian slings:
Go and tell them so.
[Exit Herald.
Enter Mountjoy.
Exe.
Here comes the herald of the French, my Liege.
Glou.
His eyes are humbler than they us'd to be.
How now, what means their herald? know'st thou not,
That I have fin'd these bones of mine for ransom?
Com'st thou again for ransom?
Mount.
No, great King:
I come to thee for charitable licence
That we may wander o'er this bloody field,
To book our dead, and then to bury them:
To sort our nobles from our common men;
For many of our Princes (woe the while)
Lie drown'd and soak'd in mercenary blood:
So do our vulgar drench their peasant limbs
In blood of Princes, while their wounded steeds
Fret fet-lock deep in gore, and with wild rage
Yerk out their armed heels at their dead masters.
O give us leave, great King,
To view the field in safety, and dispose
Of their dead bodies.
K. Henry.
I tell thee truly, herald,
I know not if the day be ours or no,
For yet a many of your horsemen peer
And gallop o'er the field.
Mount.
The day is yours.
K. Henry.
Praised be God and not our strength for it:
What is this castle call'd that stands hard by?
Mount.
They call it Agincourt.
K. Henry.
Then call we this the field of Agincourt,
Fought on the day of Crispin Crispianus.
Flu.
Your grandfather of famous memory, an't
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.
K. Henry.
They did, Fluellen.
Flu.
Your Majesty says very true: if your Majesties
is remember'd of it, the Welshmen did good
service in a garden where leeks did grow, wearing
leeks in their Monmouth caps, which your Majesty
service; and I do believe your Majesty takes no scorn
to wear the leek upon St. Tavie's day.
K. Henry.
I wear it for a memorable honour:
For I am Welsh you know, good countryman.
Flu.
All the water in the Wye cannot wash you Majesty's
Welsh plood out of your pody, I can tell you
that: Heav'n pless and preserve it as long as it pleases
his grace and Majesty too.
K. Henry.
Thanks, good my countryman.
Flu.
I am your Majesty's countryman, I care not
who know it: I confess it to all the orld, I need not
to be asham'd of your Majesty, praised be Heav'n, so
long as your Majesty is an honest man.
K. Henry.
Heav'n keep me so.
Our herald go with him;
Bring me just notice of the numbers dead,
On both our parts.
[Exeunt Mountjoy, with Herald.
Call yonder fellow hither.
Exe.
Soldier, you must come to the King.
Enter Williams.
K. Henry.
Soldier, why wear'st thou thy glove in thy cap?
Will.
An't please your Majesty, 'tis the gage of one
that I should fight withal, if he be alive.
K. Henry.
An Englishman?
Will.
An't please your Majesty, a rascal that swagger'd
with me, last night, who, if alive, and if ever
he dare to challenge this glove, I have sworn to take
him a box o'th' 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 would strike it out soundly.
K. Henry.
What think you, Captain Fluellen, is it
fit the soldier keep his oath?
Flu.
He is a craven and a villain else, a'nt please
your Majesty, in my conscience.
It may be his enemy is a gentleman of
great sort, quite from the answer of his degree.
Flu.
Though he be as good a gentleman as the devil,
or Lucifer and Belzebub himself, it is necessary,
look your grace, that he keep his vow and his oath.
K. Henry.
Then keep thy vow, sirrah, when thou
meet'st the fellow.
Will.
So I will, my Liege, as I live.
K. Henry.
Who serv'st thou under?
Will.
Under Captain Gower, my Liege.
Flu.
Gower is a good captain, and is good knowledge
and literature in the wars.
K. Henry.
Call him hither to me, soldier.
Will.
I will, my Liege.
[Exit.
K. Henry.
Here Fluellen, wear thou this favour for
me, and stick it in thy cap; when Alençon and myself
were down together, I pluck'd this glove from his
helm, if any man challenge this, he is a friend to
Alençon and an enemy to our persons; if thou encounter
any such, apprehend him if thou dost love
me.
Flu.
Your grace does me as great honours as can be
desir'd in the heart of his subjects: I would fain see
the man that has but two legs that shall find himself
aggriev'd at this glove; that is all: but I would fain
see it once, and please God of his grace that I might
see.
K. Henry.
Know'st thou Gower?
Flu.
He is my dear friend, and please you.
K. Henry.
Pray thee go seek him and bring him to my tent.
Flu.
I will fetch him.
[Exit.
K. Henry.
Brother Glo'ster,
Follow Fluellen closely at the heels,
The glove which I have given him for a favour
May haply purchase him a box o'th' ear.
[Exit Glo'ster
It is the soldier's; I by bargain should
If that the soldier strike him, as I judge
By his blunt bearing he will keep his word,
Some sudden mischief may arise of it:
For I do know Fluellen valiant,
And touch'd with choler hot as gunpowder,
And quickly he'll return an injury.
Follow and see there be not harm between them.
[Exit Westmorland.
Come you with me, uncle of Exeter.
[Exeunt.
| King Henry V. Or The Conquest of France | |