King Henry V | Page 7

licence; as 'tis ever
common
That men are merriest when they are from home.
But tell
the Dauphin I will keep my state,
Be like a king, and show my sail of
greatness
When I do rouse me in my throne of France.
For that I
have laid by my majesty
And plodded like a man for working days,

But I will rise there with so full a glory
That I will dazzle all the eyes

of France,
Yea, strike the Dauphin blind to look on us.
And tell the
pleasant prince this mock of his
Hath turn'd his balls to gun-stones,
and his soul
Shall stand sore charged for the wasteful vengeance

That shall fly with them; for many a thousand widows
Shall this his
mock mock out of their dear husbands,
Mock mothers from their sons,
mock castles down;
And some are yet ungotten and unborn
That
shall have cause to curse the Dauphin's scorn.
But this lies all within
the will of God,
To whom I do appeal; and in whose name
Tell you
the Dauphin I am coming on
To venge me as I may, and to put forth

My rightful hand in a well-hallow'd cause.
So get you hence in
peace; and tell the Dauphin
His jest will savour but of shallow wit,

When thousands weep more than did laugh at it.--
Convey them with
safe conduct.--Fare you well.
[Exeunt Ambassadors.]
EXETER.
This was a merry message.
KING HENRY.
We hope to make the sender blush at it.
Therefore,
my lords, omit no happy hour
That may give furtherance to our
expedition;
For we have now no thought in us but France,
Save
those to God, that run before our business.
Therefore, let our
proportions for these wars
Be soon collected, and all things thought
upon
That may with reasonable swiftness add
More feathers to our
wings; for, God before,
We'll chide this Dauphin at his father's door.

Therefore let every man now task his thought,
That this fair action
may on foot be brought.
[Exeunt.]
ACT II.
PROLOGUE.
[Flourish. Enter Chorus.]

CHORUS.
Now all the youth of England are on fire,
And silken
dalliance in the wardrobe lies.
Now thrive the armourers, and
honour's thought
Reigns solely in the breast of every man.
They sell
the pasture now to buy the horse,
Following the mirror of all
Christian kings,
With winged heels, as English Mercuries.
For now
sits Expectation in the air,
And hides a sword from hilts unto the
point
With crowns imperial, crowns, and coronets,
Promis'd to
Harry and his followers.
The French, advis'd by good intelligence

Of this most dreadful preparation,
Shake in their fear, and with pale
policy
Seek to divert the English purposes.
O England! model to
thy inward greatness,
Like little body with a mighty heart,
What
mightst thou do, that honour would thee do,
Were all thy children
kind and natural!
But see thy fault! France hath in thee found out
A
nest of hollow bosoms, which he fills
With treacherous crowns; and
three corrupted men,
One, Richard Earl of Cambridge, and the second,

Henry Lord Scroop of Masham, and the third,
Sir Thomas Grey,
knight of Northumberland,
Have, for the gilt of France,--O guilt
indeed!--
Confirm'd conspiracy with fearful France;
And by their
hands this grace of kings must die,
If hell and treason hold their
promises,
Ere he take ship for France, and in Southampton.
Linger
your patience on, and we'll digest
The abuse of distance, force a play.

The sum is paid; the traitors are agreed;
The King is set from
London; and the scene
Is now transported, gentles, to Southampton.

There is the playhouse now, there must you sit;
And thence to
France shall we convey you safe,
And bring you back, charming the
narrow seas
To give you gentle pass; for, if we may,

We'll not
offend one stomach with our play.
But, till the King come forth, and
not till then,
Unto Southampton do we shift our scene.
[Exit.]
SCENE I. London. A street.
[Enter Corporal Nym and Lieutenant Bardolph.]

BARDOLPH.
Well met, Corporal Nym.
NYM.
Good morrow, Lieutenant Bardolph.
BARDOLPH.
What, are Ancient Pistol and you friends yet?
NYM.
For my part, I care not. I say little; but when time shall
serve,
there shall be smiles; but that shall be as it may. I dare not fight, but I
will wink and hold out mine iron. It is a simple one, but what though?
It will toast cheese, and it will endure cold as another man's sword will;
and there's an end.
BARDOLPH.
I will bestow a breakfast to make you friends; and
we'll
be all three sworn brothers to France. Let it be so, good

Corporal Nym.
NYM.
Faith, I will live so long as I may, that's the certain of it; and
when I cannot live any longer, I will do as I may. That is my rest, that
is the rendezvous of it.
BARDOLPH.
It is certain, corporal, that he is married to Nell
Quickly; and certainly she did you wrong, for you were troth-plight to
her.
NYM.
I cannot tell. Things must be as they may. Men may sleep, and
they may have their throats about them at that time; and some say
knives have edges. It must be as it may. Though patience be a tired
mare, yet she