“King Hal: thou hast forgotten me, but not I thee. Thou wilt not relieve
me from my difficulty. Lo! I relieve thee of thine.
“Write back to the French fellow, thus:--
“‘These balls shall be struck back with such a _racket_ as shall force
open Paris gates.’
“The thought is thine, for I give it to thee. Pay me for it by
remembrance that I still live and can bear armour, or not, as thou
listest.
“John Falstaff.
“Note.--Observe well the clench upon _racket_***, which meaneth both
hurly-burly noise and tennis bat.
“At the Garter, Windsor,
“30 March, 1415, 3 H. V.”
* _Hollinshed. Vide_ also _White Kennet’s History_; and an
inedited MS. in the British Museum, first published in Sir
H. Nicolas’s _History of the Battle of Agincourt._
** In the Potter MSS.
*** Caxton has recorded this pun.
In the course of a few days Sir John learnt that his witticism
(unacknowledged) had been made use of as a rejoinder to the insolent
message of the dauphin. He accepted this as a recognition of renewed
friendly dispositions towards him on the king’s part. He hastily
raised such funds as his powers of persuasion could induce his Windsor
acquaintances to supply him with, and struck his tent. In defiance of
the royal edict he presented himself at the Court of Westminster in
the thick of the active preparations for the coming French campaign and
solicited a command.