The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 171

Alarum. Enter the KING and his train, with prisoners; EXETER, and others

KING HENRY. Well have we done, thrice-valiant countrymen; But all's not done- yet keep the French the field.

EXETER. The Duke of York commends him to your Majesty.

KING HENRY. Lives he, good uncle? Thrice within this hour I saw him down; thrice up again, and fighting; From helmet to the spur all blood he was.

EXETER. In which array, brave soldier, doth he lie Larding the plain; and by his b.l.o.o.d.y side, Yoke-fellow to his honour-owing wounds, The n.o.ble Earl of Suffolk also lies.

Suffolk first died; and York, all haggled over, Comes to him, where in gore he lay insteeped, And takes him by the beard, kisses the gashes That bloodily did yawn upon his face, He cries aloud 'Tarry, my cousin Suffolk.

My soul shall thine keep company to heaven; Tarry, sweet soul, for mine, then fly abreast; As in this glorious and well-foughten field We kept together in our chivalry.'

Upon these words I came and cheer'd him up; He smil'd me in the face, raught me his hand, And, with a feeble grip, says 'Dear my lord, Commend my service to my sovereign.'

So did he turn, and over Suffolk's neck He threw his wounded arm and kiss'd his lips; And so, espous'd to death, with blood he seal'd A testament of n.o.ble-ending love.

The pretty and sweet manner of it forc'd Those waters from me which I would have stopp'd; But I had not so much of man in me, And all my mother came into mine eyes And gave me up to tears.

KING HENRY. I blame you not; For, hearing this, I must perforce compound With mistful eyes, or they will issue too. [Alarum]

But hark! what new alarum is this same?

The French have reinforc'd their scatter'd men.

Then every soldier kill his prisoners; Give the word through. Exeunt

SCENE VII.

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 offert; 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 caus'd every soldier to cut his prisoner's throat. O, 'tis a gallant King!

FLUELLEN. Ay, he was p.o.r.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 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 p.o.r.n. 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 call'd 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- G.o.d 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.

GOWER. Our king is not like him in that: he never kill'd any of his friends.

FLUELLEN. It is not well done, mark you now, to 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 kill'd his friend Cleitus, being in his ales and his cups, so also Harry Monmouth, being in his right wits and his good judgments, turn'd 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.o.r.n at Monmouth.

GOWER. Here comes his Majesty.

Alarum. Enter the KING, WARWICK, GLOUCESTER, EXETER, and others, with prisoners. Flourish

KING HENRY. I was not angry since I came to France Until this instant. Take a trumpet, herald, Ride thou unto the hors.e.m.e.n on yond 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 a.s.syrian 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 us'd to be.

KING HENRY. How now! What means this, herald? know'st thou not That I have fin'd these bones of mine for ransom?

Com'st thou again for ransom?

MONTJOY. No, great King; I come to thee for charitable licence, That we may wander o'er this b.l.o.o.d.y field To book our dead, and then to bury them; To sort our n.o.bles 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, Killing them twice. O, give us leave, great King, To view the field in safety, and dispose Of their dead bodies!

KING HENRY. I tell thee truly, herald, I know not if the day be ours or no; For yet a many of your hors.e.m.e.n peer And gallop o'er the field.

MONTJOY. The day is yours.

KING HENRY. Praised be G.o.d, and not our strength, for it!

What is this castle call'd that stands hard by?

MONTJOY. They call it Agincourt.

KING HENRY. Then call we this the field of Agincourt, Fought on the day of Crispin Crispia.n.u.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. They did, Fluellen.

FLUELLEN. Your Majesty says very true; if your Majesties is rememb'red of it, the Welshmen did good service in 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. 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. Got pless it and preserve it as long as it pleases his Grace and his Majesty too!

KING HENRY. Thanks, good my countryman.

FLUELLEN. By Jeshu, I am your Majesty's countryman, care not who know it; I will confess it to all the 'orld: I need not be asham'd of your Majesty, praised be Got, so long as your Majesty is an honest man.

Enter WILLIAMS

KING HENRY. G.o.d keep me so! Our heralds go with him: Bring me just notice of the numbers dead On both our parts. Call yonder fellow hither.

Exeunt heralds with MONTJOY EXETER. Soldier, you must come to the King.

KING HENRY. Soldier, why wear'st 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. An Englishman?

WILLIAMS. An't please your Majesty, a rascal that swagger'd with me last night; who, if 'a live 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. 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. It may be his enemy is a gentlemen of great sort, quite from the answer of his degree.

FLUELLEN. Though he be as good a gentleman as the Devil is, as Lucifier and Belzebub himself, it is necessary, look your Grace, that he keep his vow and his oath; if he be perjur'd, see you now, his reputation is as arrant a villain and a Jacksauce as ever his black shoe trod upon G.o.d's ground and his earth, in my conscience, la.

KING HENRY. Then keep thy vow, sirrah, when thou meet'st the fellow.

WILLIAMS. So I Will, my liege, as I live.

KING HENRY. Who serv'st 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. Call him hither to me, soldier.

WILLIAMS. I will, my liege. Exit KING HENRY. Here, Fluellen; wear thou this favour for me, and stick it in thy cap; when Alencon and myself were down together, I pluck'd 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 does me as great honours as can be desir'd in the hearts of his subjects. I would fain see the man that has but two legs that shall find himself aggrief'd at this glove, that is all; but I would fain see it once, an please G.o.d of his grace that I might see.

KING HENRY. Know'st thou Gower?

FLUELLEN. He is my dear friend, an please you.

KING HENRY. Pray thee, go seek him, and bring him to my tent.

FLUELLEN. I will fetch him. Exit KING HENRY. 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 touch'd 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

SCENE VIII.

Before KING HENRY'S PAVILION

Enter GOWER and WILLIAMS