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 offer’t; 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
ha’ done this slaughter. 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 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:
[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 What means this, herald?
Comest thou again for ransom?
MONTJOY No, great king:
I come to thee for charitable licence,
That we may wander o’er this bloody field
To look our dead, and then to bury them;
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.
[no soundfile for this part, sorry]
FLUELLEN 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.
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 honourable 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 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’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 heralds go with him:
Bring me just notice 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 wearest thou that glove in thy cap?
WILLIAMS An’t please your majesty,
’tis the gage of one that I should fight withal,
if he be alive.
KING HENRY V An Englishman?
WILLIAMS An’t 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 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 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,
an’t 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, 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 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 favour
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 doo’s me as great honours 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 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 favour
May haply purchase him a box o’ th’ ear;
It is the soldier’s; I by bargain should
Wear it myself. Follow, good cousin Warwick:
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, 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.
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