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Henry V (Folio 1, 1623)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: James D. Mardock
Peer Reviewed
94
The Life of Henry the Fift.
that shall goe to Constantinople, and take the Turke by
the Beard. Shall wee not? what say'st thou, my faire
Flower-de-Luce.
Kate. I doe not know dat.
3200King. No: 'tis hereafter to know, but now to promise:
doe but now promise Kate, you will endeauour for your
French part of such a Boy; and for my English moytie,
take the Word of a King, and a Batcheler. How answer
you, La plus belle Katherine du monde mon trescher & deuin
3205deesse
.
Kath. Your Maiestee aue fause Frenche enough to
deceiue de most sage Damoiseil dat is en Fraunce.
King. Now fye vpon my false French: by mine Honor
in true English, I loue thee Kate; by which Honor, I dare
3210not sweare thou louest me, yet my blood begins to flat-
ter me, that thou doo'st; notwithstanding the poore and
vntempering effect of my Visage. Now beshrew my
Fathers Ambition, hee was thinking of Ciuill Warres
when hee got me, therefore was I created with a stub-
3215borne out-side, with an aspect of Iron, that when I come
to wooe Ladyes, I fright them: but in faith Kate, the el-
der I wax, the better I shall appeare. My comfort is, that
Old Age, that ill layer vp of Beautie, can doe no more
spoyle vpon my Face. Thou hast me, if thou hast me, at
3220the worst; and thou shalt weare me, if thou weare me,
better and better: and therefore tell me, most faire Ka-
therine, will you haue me? Put off your Maiden Blushes,
auouch the Thoughts of your Heart with the Lookes of
an Empresse, take me by the Hand, and say, Harry of
3225England, I am thine: which Word thou shalt no sooner
blesse mine Eare withall, but I will tell thee alowd, Eng-
land is thine, Ireland is thine, France is thine, and Henry
Plantaginet is thine; who, though I speake it before his
Face, if he be not Fellow with the best King, thou shalt
3230finde the best King of Good-fellowes. Come your An-
swer in broken Musick; for thy Voyce is Musick, and
thy English broken: Therefore Queene of all, Katherine,
breake thy minde to me in broken English; wilt thou
haue me?
3235Kath. Dat is as it shall please de Roy mon pere.
King. Nay, it will please him well, Kate; it shall please
him, Kate.
Kath. Den it sall also content me.
King. Vpon that I kisse your Hand, and I call you my
3240Queene.
Kath. Laisse mon Seigneur, laisse, laisse, may foy: Ie ne
veus point que vous abbaisse vostre grandeus, en baisant le
main d'une nostre Seigneur indignie seruiteur excuse moy. Ie
vous supplie mon tres-puissant Seigneur
.
3245King. Then I will kisse your Lippes, Kate.
Kath. Les Dames & Damoisels pour estre baisee deuant
leur nopcese il net pas le costume de Fraunce
.
King. Madame, my Interpreter, what sayes shee?
Lady. Dat it is not be de fashon pour le Ladies of
3250Fraunce; I cannot tell wat is buisse en Anglish.
King. To kisse.
Lady. Your Maiestee entendre bettre que moy.
King. It is not a fashion for the Maids in Fraunce to
kisse before they are marryed, would she say?
3255Lady. Ouy verayment.
King. O Kate, nice Customes cursie to great Kings.
Deare Kate, you and I cannot bee confin'd within the
weake Lyst of a Countreyes fashion: wee are the ma-
kers of Manners, Kate; and the libertie that followes
3260our Places, stoppes the mouth of all finde-faults, as I
will doe yours, for vpholding the nice fashion of your

Countrey, in denying me a Kisse: therefore patiently,
and yeelding. You haue Witch-craft in your Lippes,
Kate: there is more eloquence in a Sugar touch of
3265them, then in the Tongues of the French Councell; and
they should sooner perswade Harry of England, then a
generall Petition of Monarchs. Heere comes your
Father.

Enter the French Power, and the English
3270
Lords.

Burg. God saue your Maiestie, my Royall Cousin,
teach you our Princesse English?
King. I would haue her learne, my faire Cousin, how
perfectly I loue her, and that is good English.
3275Burg. Is shee not apt?
King. Our Tongue is rough, Coze, and my Conditi-
on is not smooth: so that hauing neyther the Voyce nor
the Heart of Flatterie about me, I cannot so coniure vp
the Spirit of Loue in her, that hee will appeare in his true
3280likenesse.
Burg. Pardon the franknesse of my mirth, if I answer
you for that. If you would coniure in her, you must
make a Circle: if coniure vp Loue in her in his true
likenesse, hee must appeare naked, and blinde. Can you
3285blame her then, being a Maid, yet ros'd ouer with the
Virgin Crimson of Modestie, if shee deny the apparance
of a naked blinde Boy in her naked seeing selfe? It were
(my Lord) a hard Condition for a Maid to consigne
to.
3290King. Yet they doe winke and yeeld, as Loue is blind
and enforces.
Burg. They are then excus'd, my Lord, when they see
not what they doe.
King. Then good my Lord, teach your Cousin to
3295consent winking.
Burg. I will winke on her to consent, my Lord, if you
will teach her to know my meaning: for Maides well
Summer'd, and warme kept, are like Flyes at Bartholo-
mew-tyde, blinde, though they haue their eyes, and then
3300they will endure handling, which before would not abide
looking on.
King. This Morall tyes me ouer to Time, and a hot
Summer; and so I shall catch the Flye, your Cousin, in
the latter end, and she must be blinde to.
3305Burg. As Loue is my Lord, before it loues.
King. It is so: and you may, some of you, thanke
Loue for my blindnesse, who cannot see many a faire
French Citie for one faire French Maid that stands in my
way.
3310French King. Yes my Lord, you see them perspec-
tiuely: the Cities turn'd into a Maid; for they are
all gyrdled with Maiden Walls, that Warre hath en-
tred.
England. Shall Kate be my Wife?
3315France. So please you.
England. I am content, so the Maiden Cities you
talke of, may wait on her: so the Maid that stood in
the way for my Wish, shall shew me the way to my
Will.
3320France. Wee haue consented to all tearmes of rea-
son.
England. Is't so, my Lords of England?
West. The King hath graunted euery Article:
His Daughter first; and in sequele, all,
3325According to their firme proposed natures.
Exet. Onely