William Shakespeare - Henry V Act 4 Scene 7 lyrics

SCENE VII. Another part of the field. Enter FLUELLEN and GOWER FLUELLEN k** 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: 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 Ay, he was p**n 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 born. 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, k** his best friend, Cleitus. GOWER Our king is not like him in that: he never k**ed any of his friends. FLUELLEN It is not well done, mark you now 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 k**ed 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 p**n 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 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 skirr away, as swift as stones Enforced from the old Assyrian slings: Besides, we'll cut the throats of those we have, And not a man of them that we shall take Shall 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 not That 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 field To 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 limbs In blood of princes; and their wounded steeds Fret fetlock deep in gore and with wild rage Yerk out their armed heels at their dead masters, k**ing them twice. O, give us leave, great king, To view the field in safety and dispose Of 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 peer And 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 Crispian*s. 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. Exeunt