The Life Of King Henry The Fifth

1 Enter Nym, Bardolph, Pistol and Boy.
2 BARDOLPH.
3 On, on, on, on, on! To the breach, to the breach!
4 NYM.
5 Pray thee, corporal, stay. The knocks are too hot; and, for mine own
6 part, I have not a case of lives. The humour of it is too hot; that is
7 the very plain-song of it.
8 PISTOL.
9 The plain-song is most just, for humours do abound.
10 Knocks go and come; God’s vassals drop and die;
11 And sword and shield,
12 In bloody field,
13 Doth win immortal fame.
14 BOY.
15 Would I were in an alehouse in London! I would give all my fame for a
16 pot of ale and safety.
17 PISTOL.
18 And I.
19 If wishes would prevail with me,
20 My purpose should not fail with me,
21 But thither would I hie.
22 BOY.
23 As duly,
24 But not as truly,
25 As bird doth sing on bough.
26 Enter Fluellen.
27 FLUELLEN.
28 Up to the breach, you dogs! Avaunt, you cullions!
29 [_Driving them forward._]
30 PISTOL.
31 Be merciful, great Duke, to men of mould.
32 Abate thy rage, abate thy manly rage,
33 Abate thy rage, great Duke!
34 Good bawcock, bate thy rage; use lenity, sweet chuck!
35 NYM.
36 These be good humours! Your honour wins bad humours.
37 [_Exeunt all but Boy._]
38 BOY.
39 As young as I am, I have observ’d these three swashers. I am boy to
40 them all three; but all they three, though they would serve me, could
41 not be man to me; for indeed three such antics do not amount to a man.
42 For Bardolph, he is white-liver’d and red-fac’d; by the means whereof
43 ’a faces it out, but fights not. For Pistol, he hath a killing tongue
44 and a quiet sword; by the means whereof ’a breaks words, and keeps
45 whole weapons. For Nym, he hath heard that men of few words are the
46 best men; and therefore he scorns to say his prayers, lest ’a should be
47 thought a coward. But his few bad words are match’d with as few good
48 deeds; for ’a never broke any man’s head but his own, and that was
49 against a post when he was drunk. They will steal anything, and call it
50 purchase. Bardolph stole a lute-case, bore it twelve leagues, and sold
51 it for three half-pence. Nym and Bardolph are sworn brothers in
52 filching, and in Calais they stole a fire-shovel. I knew by that piece
53 of service the men would carry coals. They would have me as familiar
54 with men’s pockets as their gloves or their handkerchers; which makes
55 much against my manhood, if I should take from another’s pocket to put
56 into mine; for it is plain pocketing up of wrongs. I must leave them,
57 and seek some better service. Their villainy goes against my weak
58 stomach, and therefore I must cast it up.
59 [_Exit._]
60 Enter Gower and Fluellen.
61 GOWER.
62 Captain Fluellen, you must come presently to the mines.
63 The Duke of Gloucester would speak with you.
64 FLUELLEN.
65 To the mines! Tell you the Duke, it is not so good to come to the
66 mines; for, look you, the mines is not according to the disciplines of
67 the war. The concavities of it is not sufficient; for, look you, the
68 athversary, you may discuss unto the Duke, look you, is digt himself
69 four yard under the countermines. By Cheshu, I think ’a will plow up
70 all, if there is not better directions.
71 GOWER.
72 The Duke of Gloucester, to whom the order of the siege is given, is
73 altogether directed by an Irishman, a very valiant gentleman, i’ faith.
74 FLUELLEN.
75 It is Captain Macmorris, is it not?
76 GOWER.
77 I think it be.
78 FLUELLEN.
79 By Cheshu, he is an ass, as in the world. I will verify as much in his
80 beard. He has no more directions in the true disciplines of the wars,
81 look you, of the Roman disciplines, than is a puppy-dog.
82 Enter Macmorris and Captain Jamy.
83 GOWER.
84 Here ’a comes; and the Scots captain, Captain Jamy, with him.
85 FLUELLEN.
86 Captain Jamy is a marvellous falorous gentleman, that is certain; and
87 of great expedition and knowledge in the anchient wars, upon my
88 particular knowledge of his directions. By Cheshu, he will maintain his
89 argument as well as any military man in the world, in the disciplines
90 of the pristine wars of the Romans.
91 JAMY.
92 I say gud-day, Captain Fluellen.
93 FLUELLEN.
94 God-den to your worship, good Captain James.
95 GOWER.
96 How now, Captain Macmorris! have you quit the mines?
97 Have the pioneers given o’er?
98 MACMORRIS.
99 By Chrish, la! ’tish ill done! The work ish give over, the trompet
100 sound the retreat. By my hand I swear, and my father’s soul, the work
101 ish ill done; it ish give over. I would have blowed up the town, so
102 Chrish save me, la! in an hour. O, ’tish ill done, ’tish ill done; by
103 my hand, ’tish ill done!
104 FLUELLEN.
105 Captain Macmorris, I beseech you now, will you voutsafe me, look you, a
106 few disputations with you, as partly touching or concerning the
107 disciplines of the war, the Roman wars, in the way of argument, look
108 you, and friendly communication; partly to satisfy my opinion, and
109 partly for the satisfaction, look you, of my mind, as touching the
110 direction of the military discipline; that is the point.
111 JAMY.
112 It sall be vary gud, gud feith, gud captains bath: and I sall quit you
113 with gud leve, as I may pick occasion; that sall I, marry.
114 MACMORRIS.
115 It is no time to discourse, so Chrish save me. The day is hot, and the
116 weather, and the wars, and the King, and the Dukes. It is no time to
117 discourse. The town is beseech’d, and the trumpet call us to the
118 breach, and we talk, and, be Chrish, do nothing. ’Tis shame for us all.
119 So God sa’ me, ’tis shame to stand still; it is shame, by my hand; and
120 there is throats to be cut, and works to be done; and there ish nothing
121 done, so Chrish sa’ me, la!
122 JAMY.
123 By the mess, ere theise eyes of mine take themselves to slomber, I’ll
124 de gud service, or I’ll lig i’ the grund for it; ay, or go to death;
125 and I’ll pay’t as valorously as I may, that sall I suerly do, that is
126 the breff and the long. Marry, I wad full fain heard some question
127 ’tween you tway.
128 FLUELLEN.
129 Captain Macmorris, I think, look you, under your correction, there is
130 not many of your nation—
131 MACMORRIS.
132 Of my nation! What ish my nation? Ish a villain, and a bastard, and a
133 knave, and a rascal? What ish my nation? Who talks of my nation?
134 FLUELLEN.
135 Look you, if you take the matter otherwise than is meant, Captain
136 Macmorris, peradventure I shall think you do not use me with that
137 affability as in discretion you ought to use me, look you, being as
138 good a man as yourself, both in the disciplines of war, and in the
139 derivation of my birth, and in other particularities.
140 MACMORRIS.
141 I do not know you so good a man as myself. So Chrish save me,
142 I will cut off your head.
143 GOWER.
144 Gentlemen both, you will mistake each other.
145 JAMY.
146 Ah! that’s a foul fault.
147 [_A parley sounded._]
148 GOWER.
149 The town sounds a parley.
150 FLUELLEN.
151 Captain Macmorris, when there is more better opportunity to be
152 required, look you, I will be so bold as to tell you I know the
153 disciplines of war; and there is an end.
154 [_Exeunt._]