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Henry V (Folio 1, 1623)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: James D. Mardock
Peer Reviewed
92
The Life of Henry the Fift.
you to day a squire of low degree. I pray you fall too, if
2935you can mocke a Leeke, you can eate a Leeke.
Gour. Enough Captaine, you haue astonisht him.
Flu. I say, I will make him eate some part of my leeke,
or I will peate his pate foure dayes: bite I pray you, it is
good for your greene wound, and your ploodie Coxe-
2940combe.
Pist. Must I bite.
Flu. Yes certainly, and out of doubt and out of que-
stion too, and ambiguities.
Pist. By this Leeke, I will most horribly reuenge I
2945eate and eate I sweare.
Flu. Eate I pray you, will you haue some more sauce
to your Leeke: there is not enough Leeke to sweare by.
Pist. Quiet thy Cudgell, thou dost see I eate.
Flu. Much good do you scald knaue, heartily. Nay,
2950pray you throw none away, the skinne is good for your
broken Coxcombe; when you take occasions to see
Leekes heereafter, I pray you mocke at 'em, that is all.
Pist. Good.
Flu. I, Leekes is good: hold you, there is a groat to
2955heale your pate.
Pist. Me a groat?
Flu. Yes verily, and in truth you shall take it, or I haue
another Leeke in my pocket, which you shall eate.
Pist. I take thy groat in earnest of reuenge.
2960Flu. If I owe you any thing, I will pay you in Cud-
gels, you shall be a Woodmonger, and buy nothing of
me but cudgels: God bu'y you, and keepe you, & heale
your pate.
Exit
Pist. All hell shall stirre for this.
2965Gow. Go, go, you are a counterfeit cowardly Knaue,
will you mocke at an ancient Tradition began vppon an
honourable respect, and worne as a memorable Trophee
of predeceased valor, and dare not auouch in your deeds
any of your words. I haue seene you gleeking & galling
2970at this Gentleman twice or thrice. You thought, because
he could not speake English in the natiue garb, he could
not therefore handle an English Cudgell: you finde it o-
therwise, and henceforth let a Welsh correction, teach
you a good English condition, fare ye well.
Exit
2975Pist. Doeth fortune play the huswife with me now?
Newes haue I that my Doll is dead i'th Spittle of a mala-
dy of France, and there my rendeuous is quite cut off:
Old I do waxe, and from my wearie limbes honour is
Cudgeld. Well, Baud Ile turne, and something leane to
2980Cut-purse of quicke hand: To England will I steale, and
there Ile steale:
And patches will I get vnto these cudgeld scarres,
And swore I got them in the Gallia warres.
Exit.
Enter at one doore, King Henry, Exeter, Bedford, Warwicke,
2985
and other Lords. At another, Queene Isabel,
the King, the Duke of Bourgongne, and
other French.
King. Peace to this meeting, wherefore we are met;
Vnto our brother France, and to our Sister
2990Health and faire time of day: Ioy and good wishes
To our most faire and Princely Cosine Katherine:
And as a branch and member of this Royalty,
By whom this great assembly is contriu'd,
We do salute you Duke of Burgogne,
2995And Princes French and Peeres health to you all.
Fra. Right ioyous are we to behold your face,
Most worthy brother England, fairely met,
So are you Princes (English) euery one.

Quee. So happy be the Issue brother Ireland
3000Of this good day, and of this gracious meeting,
As we are now glad to behold your eyes,
Your eyes which hitherto haue borne
In them against the French that met them in their bent,
The fatall Balls of murthering Basiliskes:
3005The venome of such Lookes we fairely hope
Haue lost their qualitie, and that this day
Shall change all griefes and quarrels into loue.
Eng. To cry Amen to that, thus we appeare.
Quee. You English Princes all, I doe salute you.
3010Burg. My dutie to you both, on equall loue.
Great Kings of France and England: that I haue labour'd
With all my wits, my paines, and strong endeuors,
To bring your most Imperiall Maiesties
Vnto this Barre, and Royall enterview;
3015Your Mightinesse on both parts best can witnesse.
Since then my Office hath so farre preuayl'd,
That Face to Face, and Royall Eye to Eye,
You haue congreeted: let it not disgrace me,
If I demand before this Royall view,
3020What Rub, or what Impediment there is,
Why that the naked, poore, and mangled Peace,
Deare Nourse of Arts, Plentyes, and ioyfull Births,
Should not in this best Garden of the World,
Our fertile France, put vp her louely Visage?
3025Alas, shee hath from France too long been chas'd,
And all her Husbandry doth lye on heapes,
Corrupting in it owne fertilitie.
Her Vine, the merry chearer of the heart,
Vnpruned, dyes: her Hedges euen pleach'd,
3030Like Prisoners wildly ouer-growne with hayre,
Put forth disorder'd Twigs: her fallow Leas,
The Darnell, Hemlock, and ranke Femetary,
Doth root vpon; while that the Culter rusts,
That should deracinate such Sauagery:
3035The euen Meade, that erst brought sweetly forth
The freckled Cowslip, Burnet, and greene Clouer,
Wanting the Sythe, withall vncorrected, ranke;
Conceiues by idlenesse, and nothing teemes,
But hatefull Docks, rough Thistles, Keksyes, Burres,
3040Loosing both beautie and vtilitie;
And all our Vineyards, Fallowes, Meades, and Hedges,
Defectiue in their natures, grow to wildnesse.
Euen so our Houses, and our selues, and Children,
Haue lost, or doe not learne, for want of time,
3045The Sciences that should become our Countrey;
But grow like Sauages, as Souldiers will,
That nothing doe, but meditate on Blood,
To Swearing, and sterne Lookes, defus'd Attyre,
And euery thing that seemes vnnaturall.
3050Which to reduce into our former fauour,
You are assembled: and my speech entreats,
That I may know the Let, why gentle Peace
Should not expell these inconueniences,
And blesse vs with her former qualities.
3055Eng. If Duke of Burgonie, you would the Peace,
Whose want giues growth to th'imperfections
Which you haue cited; you must buy that Peace
With full accord to all our iust demands,
Whose Tenures and particular effects
3060You haue enschedul'd briefely in your hands.
Burg. The King hath heard them: to the which, as yet
There is no Answer made.
Eng. Well then: the Peace which you before so vrg'd,
Lyes in his Answer.
France. I