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Henry V (Folio 1, 1623)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: James D. Mardock
Peer Reviewed
The Life of Henry the Fift.
93
3065France. I haue but with a curselarie eye
O're-glanc't the Articles: Pleaseth your Grace
To appoint some of your Councell presently
To sit with vs once more, with better heed
To re-suruey them; we will suddenly
3070Passe our accept and peremptorie Answer.
England. Brother we shall. Goe Vnckle Exeter,
And Brother Clarence, and you Brother Gloucester,
Warwick, and Huntington, goe with the King,
And take with you free power, to ratifie,
3075Augment, or alter, as your Wisdomes best
Shall see aduantageable for our Dignitie,
Any thing in or out of our Demands,
And wee'le consigne thereto. Will you, faire Sister,
Goe with the Princes, or stay here with vs?
3080Quee. Our gracious Brother, I will goe with them:
Happily a Womans Voyce may doe some good,
When Articles too nicely vrg'd, be stood on.
England. Yet leaue our Cousin Katherine here with vs,
She is our capitall Demand, compris'd
3085Within the fore-ranke of our Articles.
Quee. She hath good leaue.
Exeunt omnes.

Manet King and Katherine.
King. Faire Katherine, and most faire,
Will you vouchsafe to teach a Souldier tearmes,
3090Such as will enter at a Ladyes eare,
And pleade his Loue-suit to her gentle heart.
Kath. Your Maiestie shall mock at me, I cannot speake
your England.
King. O faire Katherine, if you will loue me soundly
3095with your French heart, I will be glad to heare you con-
fesse it brokenly with your English Tongue. Doe you
like me, Kate?
Kath. Pardonne moy, I cannot tell wat is like me.
King. An Angell is like you Kate, and you are like an
3100Angell.
Kath. Que dit il que Ie suis semblable a les Anges?
Lady. Ouy verayment (sauf vostre Grace) ainsi dit il.
King. I said so, deare Katherine, and I must not blush
to affirme it.
3105Kath. O bon Dieu, les langues des hommes sont plein de
tromperies
.
King. What sayes she, faire one? that the tongues of
men are full of deceits?
Lady. Ouy, dat de tongeus of de mans is be full of de-
3110ceits: dat is de Princesse.
King. The Princesse is the better English-woman:
yfaith Kate, my wooing is fit for thy vnderstanding, I am
glad thou canst speake no better English, for if thou
could'st, thou would'st finde me such a plaine King, that
3115thou wouldst thinke, I had sold my Farme to buy my
Crowne. I know no wayes to mince it in loue, but di-
rectly to say, I loue you; then if you vrge me farther,
then to say, Doe you in faith? I weare out my suite: Giue
me your answer, yfaith doe, and so clap hands, and a bar-
3120gaine: how say you, Lady?
Kath. Sauf vostre honeur, me vnderstand well.
King. Marry, if you would put me to Verses, or to
Dance for your sake, Kate, why you vndid me: for the one
I haue neither words nor measure; and for the other, I
3125haue no strength in measure, yet a reasonable measure in
strength. If I could winne a Lady at Leape-frogge, or by
vawting into my Saddle, with my Armour on my backe;
vnder the correction of bragging be it spoken. I should
quickly leape into a Wife: Or if I might buffet for my

3130Loue, or bound my Horse for her fauours, I could lay on
like a Butcher, and sit like a Iack an Apes, neuer off. But
before God Kate, I cannot looke greenely, nor gaspe out
my eloquence, nor I haue no cunning in protestation;
onely downe-right Oathes, which I neuer vse till vrg'd,
3135nor neuer breake for vrging. If thou canst loue a fellow
of this temper, Kate, whose face is not worth Sunne-bur-
ning? that neuer lookes in his Glasse, for loue of any
thing he sees there? let thine Eye be thy Cooke. I speake
to thee plaine Souldier: If thou canst loue me for this,
3140take me? if not? to say to thee that I shall dye, is true; but
for thy loue, by the L. No: yet I loue thee too. And
while thou liu'st, deare Kate, take a fellow of plaine and
vncoyned Constancie, for he perforce must do thee right,
because he hath not the gift to wooe in other places: for
3145these fellowes of infinit tongue, that can ryme themselues
into Ladyes fauours, they doe alwayes reason themselues
out againe. What? a speaker is but a prater, a Ryme is
but a Ballad; a good Legge will fall, a strait Backe will
stoope, a blacke Beard will turne white, a curl'd Pate will
3150grow bald, a faire Face will wither, a full Eye will wax
hollow: but a good Heart, Kate, is the Sunne and the
Moone, or rather the Sunne, and not the Moone; for it
shines bright, and neuer changes, but keepes his course
truly. If thou would haue such a one, take me? and
3155take me; take a Souldier: take a Souldier; take a King.
And what say'st thou then to my Loue? speake my faire,
and fairely, I pray thee.
Kath. Is it possible dat I sould loue de ennemie of
Fraunce?
3160King. No, it is not possible you should loue the Ene-
mie of France, Kate; but in louing me, you should loue
the Friend of France: for I loue France so well, that I
will not part with a Village of it; I will haue it all mine:
and Kate, when France is mine, and I am yours; then yours
3165is France, and you are mine.
Kath. I cannot tell wat is dat.
King. No, Kate? I will tell thee in French, which I am
sure will hang vpon my tongue, like a new-married Wife
about her Husbands Necke, hardly to be shooke off; Ie
3170quand sur le possession de Fraunce, & quand vous aues le pos-
session de moy
. (Let mee see, what then? Saint Dennis bee
my speede) Donc vostre est Fraunce, & vous estes mienne.
It is as easie for me, Kate, to conquer the Kingdome, as to
speake so much more French: I shall neuer moue thee in
3175French, vnlesse it be to laugh at me.
Kath. Sauf vostre honeur, le Francois ques vous parleis, il
& melieus que l'Anglois le quel Ie parle
.
King. No faith is't not, Kate: but thy speaking of
my Tongue, and I thine, most truely falsely, must
3180needes be graunted to be much at one. But Kate, doo'st
thou vnderstand thus much English? Canst thou loue
mee?
Kath. I cannot tell.
King. Can any of your Neighbours tell, Kate? Ile
3185aske them. Come, I know thou louest me: and at night,
when you come into your Closet, you'le question this
Gentlewoman about me; and I know, Kate, you will to
her disprayse those parts in me, that you loue with your
heart: but good Kate, mocke me mercifully, the rather
3190gentle Princesse, because I loue thee cruelly. If euer thou
beest mine, Kate, as I haue a sauing Faith within me tells
me thou shalt; I get thee with skambling, and thou
must therefore needes proue a good Souldier-breeder:
Shall not thou and I, betweene Saint Dennis and Saint
3195George, compound a Boy, halfe French halfe English,
k
that