Act IV · Scene VII
Another part of the field.
Hover a speech to translate it — or press play to hear it performed.
Enter FLUELLEN and GOWER
FLUELLEN
Kill the poys and the luggage! 'tis expresslyagainst the law of arms: 'tis as arrant a piece ofknavery, mark you now, as can be offer't; in yourconscience, now, is it not?
GOWER
'Tis certain there's not a boy left alive; and thecowardly rascals that ran from the battle ha' donethis slaughter: besides, they have burned andcarried away all that was in the king's tent;wherefore the king, most worthily, hath caused everysoldier to cut his prisoner's throat. O, 'tis agallant king!
FLUELLEN
Ay, he was porn at Monmouth, Captain Gower. Whatcall 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 thegreat, or the mighty, or the huge, or themagnanimous, are all one reckonings, save the phraseis a little variations.
GOWER
I think Alexander the Great was born in Macedon; hisfather was called Philip of Macedon, as I take it.
FLUELLEN
I think it is in Macedon where Alexander is porn. Itell you, captain, if you look in the maps of the'orld, I warrant you sall find, in the comparisonsbetween Macedon and Monmouth, that the situations,look you, is both alike. There is a river inMacedon; and there is also moreover a river atMonmouth: it is called Wye at Monmouth; but it isout of my prains what is the name of the otherriver; but 'tis all one, 'tis alike as my fingers isto my fingers, and there is salmons in both. If youmark Alexander's life well, Harry of Monmouth's lifeis come after it indifferent well; for there isfigures in all things. Alexander, God knows, andyou know, in his rages, and his furies, and hiswraths, and his cholers, and his moods, and hisdispleasures, and his indignations, and also being alittle intoxicates in his prains, did, in his ales andhis angers, look you, kill his best friend, Cleitus.
GOWER
Our king is not like him in that: he never killedany of his friends.
FLUELLEN
It is not well done, mark you now take the tales outof my mouth, ere it is made and finished. I speakbut in the figures and comparisons of it: asAlexander killed his friend Cleitus, being in hisales and his cups; so also Harry Monmouth, being inhis right wits and his good judgments, turned awaythe fat knight with the great belly-doublet: hewas full of jests, and gipes, and knaveries, andmocks; 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 angry since I came to FranceUntil 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 skirr away, as swift as stonesEnforced from the old Assyrian slings:Besides, we'll cut the throats of those we have,And not a man of them that we shall takeShall taste our mercy. Go and tell them so.
Enter MONTJOY
EXETER
Here comes the herald of the French, my liege.
GLOUCESTER
His eyes are humbler than they used to be.
KING HENRY V
How now! what means this, herald? know'st thou notThat I have fined these bones of mine for ransom?Comest thou again for ransom?
MONTJOY
No, great king:I come to thee for charitable licence,That we may wander o'er this bloody fieldTo look 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 limbsIn blood of princes; and their wounded steedsFret fetlock deep in gore and with wild rageYerk out their armed heels at their dead masters,Killing them twice. O, give us leave, great king,To view the field in safety and disposeOf their dead bodies!
KING HENRY V
I tell thee truly, herald,I know not if the day be ours or no;For yet a many of your horsemen peerAnd gallop o'er the field.
MONTJOY
The day is yours.
KING HENRY V
Praised be God, and not our strength, for it!What is this castle call'd that stands hard by?
MONTJOY
They call it Agincourt.
KING HENRY V
Then call we this the field of Agincourt,Fought on the day of Crispin Crispianus.
FLUELLEN
Your grandfather of famous memory, an't please yourmajesty, and your great-uncle Edward the PlackPrince 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 isremembered of it, the Welshmen did good service in agarden where leeks did grow, wearing leeks in theirMonmouth caps; which, your majesty know, to thishour is an honourable badge of the service; and I dobelieve your majesty takes no scorn to wear the leekupon Saint Tavy's day.
KING HENRY V
I wear it for a memorable honour;For I am Welsh, you know, good countryman.
FLUELLEN
All the water in Wye cannot wash your majesty'sWelsh plood out of your pody, I can tell you that:God pless it and preserve it, as long as it pleaseshis grace, and his majesty too!
KING HENRY V
Thanks, good my countryman.
FLUELLEN
By Jeshu, I am your majesty's countryman, I care notwho know it; I will confess it to all the 'orld: Ineed not to be ashamed of your majesty, praised beGod, so long as your majesty is an honest man.
KING HENRY V
God keep me so! Our heralds go with him:Bring me just notice of the numbers deadOn 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 wearest thou that glove in thy cap?
WILLIAMS
An't please your majesty, 'tis the gage of one thatI should fight withal, if he be alive.
KING HENRY V
An Englishman?
WILLIAMS
An't please your majesty, a rascal that swaggeredwith me last night; who, if alive and ever dare tochallenge this glove, I have sworn to take him a boxo' th' ear: or if I can see my glove in his cap,which he swore, as he was a soldier, he would wearif alive, I will strike it out soundly.
KING HENRY V
What think you, Captain Fluellen? is it fit thissoldier keep his oath?
FLUELLEN
He is a craven and a villain else, an't please yourmajesty, 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, asLucifer and Belzebub himself, it is necessary, lookyour grace, that he keep his vow and his oath: ifhe be perjured, see you now, his reputation is asarrant a villain and a Jacksauce, as ever his blackshoe trod upon God's ground and his earth, in myconscience, la!
KING HENRY V
Then keep thy vow, sirrah, when thou meetest the fellow.
WILLIAMS
So I will, my liege, as I live.
KING HENRY V
Who servest thou under?
WILLIAMS
Under Captain Gower, my liege.
FLUELLEN
Gower is a good captain, and is good knowledge andliteratured 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 favour for me andstick it in thy cap: when Alencon and myself weredown together, I plucked this glove from his helm:if any man challenge this, he is a friend toAlencon, and an enemy to our person; if thouencounter any such, apprehend him, an thou dost me love.
FLUELLEN
Your grace doo's me as great honours as can bedesired in the hearts of his subjects: I would fainsee the man, that has but two legs, that shall findhimself aggrieved at this glove; that is all; but Iwould fain see it once, an please God of his gracethat I might see.
KING HENRY V
Knowest thou Gower?
FLUELLEN
He is my dear friend, an 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 Warwick, and my brother Gloucester,Follow Fluellen closely at the heels:The glove which I have given him for a favourMay haply purchase him a box o' th' ear;It is the soldier's; I by bargain shouldWear it myself. Follow, good cousin Warwick:If that the soldier strike him, as I judgeBy his blunt bearing he will keep his word,Some sudden mischief may arise of it;For I do know Fluellen valiantAnd, touched with choler, hot as gunpowder,And quickly will return an injury:Follow and see there be no harm between them.Go you with me, uncle of Exeter.
Exeunt