Henry V | Act 4.4

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The field of battle.

[Alarum. Excursions. Enter PISTOL,
French Soldier, and Boy]

PISTOL     Yield, cur!

French Soldier      Je pense
que vous etes gentilhomme de bonne qualite.

PISTOL     Qualtitie calmie custure me!
Art thou a gentleman? what is thy name? discuss.

French Soldier      O Seigneur Dieu!

PISTOL      O, Signieur Dew should be a gentleman:
Perpend my words, O Signieur Dew, and mark;
O Signieur Dew, thou diest on point of fox,
Except, O signieur, thou do give to me
Egregious ransom.

French Soldier     O, prenez misericorde! ayez pitie de moi!

PISTOL       Moy shall not serve; I will have forty moys;
Or I will fetch thy rim out at thy throat
In drops of crimson blood.

French Soldier      Est-il impossible
d’echapper la force de ton bras?

PISTOL      Brass, cur!
Thou damned and luxurious mountain goat,
Offer’st me brass?

French Soldier      O pardonnez moi!

PISTOL      Say’st thou me so? is that a ton of moys?
Come hither, boy: ask me this slave in French
What is his name.

Boy       Ecoutez: comment etes-vous appele?

French Soldier      Monsieur le Fer.

Boy      He says his name is Master Fer.

PISTOL      Master Fer!
I’ll fer him, and firk him, and ferret him:
discuss the same in French unto him.

Boy       I do not know the French for fer, and ferret, and firk.

PISTOL       Bid him prepare; for I will cut his throat.

French Soldier       Que dit-il, monsieur?

Boy      Il me commande de vous dire que vous faites
vous pret; car ce soldat ici est dispose tout a cette
heure de couper votre gorge.

PISTOL       Owy, cuppele gorge, permafoy,
Peasant, unless thou give me crowns, brave crowns;
Or mangled shalt thou be by this my sword.

French Soldier      O, je vous supplie, pour l’amour de Dieu,
me pardonner! Je suis gentilhomme de bonne maison:
gardez ma vie, et je vous donnerai deux cents ecus.

PISTOL       What are his words?

Boy      He prays you to save his life: he is a gentleman of
a good house; and for his ransom he will give you
two hundred crowns.

PISTOL       Tell him my fury shall abate,
and I the crowns will take.

French Soldier      Petit monsieur, que dit-il?

Boy      Encore qu’il est contre son jurement de pardonner
aucun prisonnier, neanmoins, pour les ecus que vous
l’avez promis, il est content de vous donner la
liberte, le franchisement.

French Soldier      Sur mes genoux je vous donne mille
remercimens; et je m’estime heureux que je suis tombe
entre les mains d’un chevalier, je pense, le plus brave,
vaillant, et tres distingue seigneur d’Angleterre.

PISTOL       Expound unto me, boy.

Boy      He gives you, upon his knees, a thousand thanks;
and he esteems himself happy that he hath fallen into
the hands of one, as he thinks, the most brave,
valorous, and thrice-worthy signieur of England.

PISTOL       As I suck blood, I will some mercy show.
Follow me!

Boy       Suivez-vous le grand capitaine.

 [Exeunt PISTOL, and French Soldier]

 I did never know so full a voice issue from so
empty a heart: but the saying is true ‘The empty
vessel makes the greatest sound.’ Bardolph and Nym
had ten times more valour than this roaring devil i’
the old play, that every one may pare his nails with
a wooden dagger; and they are both hanged; and so
would this be, if he durst steal any thing
adventurously. I must stay with the lackeys, with
the luggage of our camp: the French might have a
good prey of us, if he knew of it; for there is
none to guard it but boys.

 

 [Exit] Act 4.3 | Act 4.5


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Updated: May 26, 2021 — 8:18 am