Henry V, Modern text based on the Quarto

¶Pistol Ke ve la?

¶King Henry A friend.

1885Pistol Discuss unto me: art thou gentleman, or art thou ¶common, base, and popular?

¶King Henry No sir, I am a gentleman of a company.

¶Pistol Trail'st thou the puissant pike?

¶King Henry Even so, sir. What are you?

1890Pistol As good a gentleman as the emperor.

¶King Henry Oh, then thou art better than the king?

¶Pistol The king's a bago, and a heart of gold, a ¶lad of life, an imp of fame, of parents good, of fist ¶most valiant. I kiss his dirty shoe, and from 1895my heartstrings I love the lovely bully. What is thy name?

¶King Henry Harry le Roy.

¶Pistol Leroy: a Cornishman. Art thou of Cornish crew?

¶King Henry No sir, I am a Welshman.

¶Pistol A Welshman. Know'st thou Flewellen?

1900King Henry Ay, sir, ¶he is my kinsman.

1905Pistol Art thou his friend?

1905.1King Henry Ay, sir.

¶Pistol Figa for thee, then. My name is Pistol.

1910King Henry It sorts well with your fierceness.

¶Pistol Pistol is my name.

¶Gower Captain Flewellen.

¶Flewellen In the name of Jesu, speak lower. It 1915is the greatest folly in the worell, when the auncient prerogatives of the ¶wars be not kept. I warrant you, if you ¶look into the wars of the Romans, you shall find ¶no tittle-tattle, nor bible-bable there, 1920but you shall find ¶the cares, and the fears, ¶and the ceremonies, to be otherwise.

¶Gower Why the enemy is loud; you heard him all night.

¶Flewellen God-so! Loud! If the enemy be an ass, and a fool, and a ¶prating coxcomb, is it meet that we be also a fool, and a prating ¶coxcomb, in your conscience now?

1930Gower I'll speak lower.

¶Flewellen I beseech you do, good Captain Gower.

¶King Henry Though it appear a little out of fashion, ¶yet there's much care in this.

¶1 Soldier Is not that the morning ¶yonder?

19402 Soldier Ay, we see the beginning; ¶God knows whether we shall see the end or no.

¶3 Soldier Well, I think the king could wish himself 1965up to the neck in the middle of the Thames, and so I would he were, 1965.1at all adventures, and I with him.

1941.1King Henry Now, masters, good morrow. What cheer?

¶3 Soldier I'faith, small cheer some of us is like to have ¶ere this day end.

¶King Henry Why, fear nothing, man. The king is frolic.

.52 Soldier Ay, he may be, for he hath no such cause as we.

¶King Henry Nay, say not so. He is a man as we are. ¶The violet smells to him as to us, ¶therefore if he see ¶reasons, he fears 1960as we do.

¶2 Soldier But the king ¶hath a heavy reckoning to make if his cause be not good, when all those souls ¶whose bodies shall be slaughtered here 1985shall join together at the latter day, and say "I ¶died at such a place," some swearing, ¶some, their wives rawly left, ¶some leaving their children poor behind them. ¶Now if his cause be bad, ¶I think it will be a grievous matter to him.

¶King Henry Why, so you may say if a man send his servant 1998.1as factor into another country, ¶and he by any means miscarry, ¶you may say the business of the master was ¶the author of his servant's misfortune. 1995Or if a son be employed by his father, ¶and he fall into any lewd action, ¶you may say the father was the author of his son's damnation. ¶But the master is not to answer for his servants, ¶the father for his son, nor the king for his subjects, 2005for they purpose not their deaths when ¶they crave their services. ¶Some there are that have the guilt of 2010premeditated murder on them; others ¶the broken seal of forgery, in beguiling maidens. ¶Now if these outstrip the law, ¶yet they cannot escape God's punishment. War is ¶God's beadle; war is God's vengeance. ¶Every man's service is the king's, but 2025every man's soul is his own. Therefore I would have ¶every soldier examine himself ¶and wash every mote out of his conscience, ¶that in so doing he may be the readier for death, or not dying, ¶why the time was well spent wherein such preparation was 2030made.

¶3 Soldier I'faith, he says true: every man's fault on 2035his own head. ¶I would not have the king answer for me, ¶yet I intend to fight lustily for him.

¶King Henry Well, I heard the king. He would not be ransomed.

20402 Soldier Ay, he said so, to make us fight, ¶but when our throats be cut, he may be ransomed and we never the wiser.

¶King Henry If I live to see that, I'll never trust his word ¶again.

20452 Soldier Mass, you'll pay him then. 'Tis a great displeasure ¶that an elder-gun can do against a cannon, ¶or a subject against a monarch. ¶You'll ne'er take his word again! You're an ass. Go.

¶King Henry Your reproof is somewhat too bitter. ¶Were it not at this time, I could be angry.

¶2 Soldier Why let it be a quarrel if thou ¶wilt.

¶King Henry How shall I know thee?

20602 Soldier Here is my glove, ¶which if ever I see in thy hat, 2065I'll challenge thee, and strike thee.

¶King Henry Here is likewise another of mine, 2062.1and assure thee I'll wear it.

¶2 Soldier Thou dar'st as well be hanged.

¶3 Soldier Be friends, you fools. We have French quarrels enough 2071.1in hand; ¶we have no need of English broils.

¶King Henry 'Tis no treason to cut ¶French crowns, for tomorrow the King himself will ¶be a clipper. --

¶

2160Gloucester My lord.

¶King Henry My brother Gloucester's voice.