_Enter_ FLUELLEN _and_ GOWER.[5217]
_Flu._ 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?[5218]
_Gow._ 'Tis certain there's not a boy left alive; and the
cowardly rascals that ran from the battle ha' done this 5
slaughter: besides, they have burned and carried away all[5219]
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!
_Flu._ Ay, he was porn at Monmouth, Captain Gower. 10
What call you the town's name where Alexander the Pig
was born?
_Gow._ Alexander the Great.
_Flu._ Why, I pray you, is not pig great? the pig, or
the great, or the mighty, or the huge, or the magnanimous, 15
are all one reckonings, save the phrase is a little
variations.
_Gow._ I think Alexander the Great was born in Macedon:
his father was called Philip of Macedon, as I take it.
_Flu._ I think it is in Macedon where Alexander is porn. 20
I tell you, captain, if you look in the maps of the 'orld, I
warrant you sall find, in the comparisons between Macedon[5220]
and Monmouth, that the situations, look you, is both
alike. There is a river in Macedon; and there is also moreover[5221]
a river at Monmouth: it is called Wye at Monmouth; 25
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,[5222]
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, 30
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, kill his best friend, Cleitus.[5223] 35
_Gow._ Our king is not like him in that: he never killed
any of his friends.
_Flu._ It is not well done, mark you now, to take the
tales out of my mouth, ere it is made and finished. I[5224]
speak but in the figures and comparisons of it: as Alexander[5225] 40
killed his friend Cleitus, being in his ales and his[5223]
cups; so also Harry Monmouth, being in his right wits and
his good judgements, turned away the fat knight with the[5226]
great belly-doublet: he was full of jests, and gipes, and
knaveries, and mocks; I have forgot his name.[5227] 45
_Gow._ Sir John Falstaff.
_Flu._ That is he: I'll tell you there is good men porn
at Monmouth.
_Gow._ Here comes his majesty.
_Alarum. Enter_ KING HENRY, _and forces_; WARWICK, GLOUCESTER,
EXETER, _and others_.[5228]
_K. Hen._ I was not angry since I came to France[5229][5230] 50
Until this instant. Take a trumpet, herald;[5230]
Ride thou unto the horsemen on yon hill:[5230]
If they will fight with us, bid them come down,[5230]
Or void the field; they do offend our sight:[5230]
If they'll do neither, we will come to them,[5230] 55
And make them skirr away, as swift as stones[5230][5231]
Enforced from the old Assyrian slings:[5230]
Besides, we'll cut the throats of those we have,[5230]
And not a man of them that we shall take[5230]
Shall taste our mercy. Go and tell them so.[5230] 60
_Enter_ MONTJOY.
_Exe._ Here comes the herald of the French, my liege.
_Glo._ His eyes are humbler than they used to be.
_K. Hen._ How now! what means this, herald? know'st thou not[5232]
That I have fined these bones of mine for ransom?
Comest thou again for ransom?
_Mont._ No, great king: 65
I come to thee for charitable license,
That we may wander o'er this bloody field
To look our dead, and then to bury them;[5233]
To sort our nobles from our common men.
For many of our princes--woe the while!-- 70
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[5234]
Fret fetlock deep in gore and with wild rage
Yerk out their armed heels at their dead masters, 75
Killing them twice. O, give us leave, great king,
To view the field in safety and dispose
Of their dead bodies!
_K. Hen._ I tell thee truly, herald,
I know not if the day be ours or no;
For yet a many of your horsemen peer[5235] 80
And gallop o'er the field.
_Mont._ The day is yours.
_K. Hen._ Praised be God, and not our strength, for it!
What is this castle call'd that stands hard by?
_Mont._ They call it Agincourt.
_K. Hen._ Then call we this the field of Agincourt, 85
Fought on the day of Crispin Crispianus.
_Flu._ 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. 90
_K. Hen._ They did, Fluellen.
_Flu._ Your majesty says very true: if your majesties[5236]
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[5237] 95
honourable badge of the service; and I do believe your majesty
takes no scorn to wear the leek upon Saint Tavy's day.
_K. Hen._ I wear it for a memorable honour;
For I am Welsh, you know, good countryman.
_Flu._ All the water in Wye cannot wash your majesty's 100
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[5238]
his majesty too!
_K. Hen._ Thanks, good my countryman.[5239]
_Flu._ By Jeshu, I am your majesty's countryman, I 105
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.
_K. Hen._ God keep me so! Our heralds go with him:[5240]
Bring me just notice of the numbers dead 110
On both our parts. Call yonder fellow hither.
[_Points to Williams. Exeunt Heralds with Montjoy._[5241]
_Exe._ Soldier, you must come to the king.[5242]
_K. Hen._ Soldier, why wearest thou that glove in thy cap?
_Will._ An't please your majesty, 'tis the gage of one[5243]
that I should fight withal, if he be alive. 115
_K. Hen._ An Englishman?
_Will._ An't please your majesty, a rascal that swaggered[5243]
with me last night; who, if alive and ever dare to challenge[5244]
this glove, I have sworn to take him a box o' th' ear: or if I[5245]
can see my glove in his cap, which he swore, as he was a 120
soldier, he would wear if alive, I will strike it out soundly.
_K. Hen._ What think you, Captain Fluellen? is it fit
this soldier keep his oath?
_Flu._ He is a craven and a villain else, an't please your[5246]
majesty, in my conscience. 125
_K. Hen._ It may be his enemy is a gentleman of great
sort, quite from the answer of his degree.
_Flu._ 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, 130
see you now, his reputation is as arrant a villain and a
Jacksauce, as ever his black shoe trod upon God's ground[5247]
and his earth, in my conscience, la!
_K. Hen._ Then keep thy vow, sirrah, when thou meetest
the fellow. 135
_Will._ So I will, my liege, as I live.
_K. Hen._ Who servest thou under?
_Will._ Under Captain Gower, my liege.
_Flu._ Gower is a good captain, and is good knowledge
and literatured in the wars.[5248] 140
_K. Hen._ Call him hither to me, soldier.
_Will._ I will, my liege. [_Exit._
_K. Hen._ Here, Fluellen; wear thou this favour for me
and stick it in thy cap: when Alençon and myself were
down together, I plucked this glove from his helm: if any 145
man challenge this, he is a friend to Alençon, and an enemy
to our person; if thou encounter any such, apprehend him,
an thou dost me love.[5249]
_Flu._ Your grace doo's me as great honours as can be[5250]
desired in the hearts of his subjects: I would fain see the 150
man, that has but two legs, that shall find himself aggriefed[5251]
at this glove; that is all; but I would fain see it once,[5252]
an please God of his grace that I might see.[5253]
_K. Hen._ Knowest thou Gower?
_Flu._ He is my dear friend, an please you.[5254] 155
_K. Hen._ Pray thee, go seek him, and bring him to my
tent.
_Flu._ I will fetch him. [_Exit._
_K. Hen._ My Lord of Warwick, and my brother Gloucester,
Follow Fluellen closely at the heels: 160
The glove which I have given him for a favour
May haply purchase him a box o' th' ear;[5245]
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 165
By his blunt bearing he will keep his word,[5255]
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:[5256] 170
Follow, and see there be no harm between them.[5257]
Go you with me, uncle of Exeter.[5258] [_Exeunt._