Where's the Frenchman by whose cunning guide

7.31322We found the shallow of this River Somme,

7.41323And had direction how to pass the sea?

Here, my good lord.

How art thou called? Tell me thy name.

Gobin de Grace, if please your excellence.

Then, Gobin, for the service thou hast done,

7.91328We here enlarge and give thee liberty;

7.101329And, for recompense beside this good,

7.111330Thou shalt receive five hundred marks in gold. --

7.121331I know not how we should have met our son,

7.131332Whom now in heart I wish I might behold.

Good news, my lord: the prince is hard at hand,

7.161335And with him comes Lord Audley and the rest,

7.171336Whom since our landing we could never meet.

Welcome, fair prince; how hast thou sped, my son,

7.201339Since thy arrival on the coast of France?

Successfully, I thank the gracious heavens.

7.221341Some of their strongest cities we have won,

7.231342As Barfleur, Lô, Crotoy and Carentan,

7.241343And others wasted, leaving at our heels

7.251344A wide apparent field and beaten path

7.261345For solitariness to progress in.

7.271346Yet those that would submit we kindly pardoned,

7.281347For who in scorn refused our proffered peace

7.291348Endured the penalty of sharp revenge.

Ah France, why shouldst thou be this obstinate

7.311350Against the kind embracement of thy friends?

7.321351How gently had we thought to touch thy breast

7.331352And set our foot upon thy tender mould,

7.341353But that in froward and disdainful pride

7.351354Thou, like a skittish and untamèd colt,

7.361355Dost start aside and strike us with thy heels.

7.371356But tell me Ned, in all thy warlike course,

7.381357Hast thou not seen the usurping King of France?

Yes, my good lord, and not two hours ago,

7.401359With full a hundred thousand fighting men

7.411360Upon the one side of the river's bank,

7.421361And on the other, both his multitudes.

7.431362I feared he would have cropped our smaller power,

7.441363But happily, perceiving your approach,

7.451364He hath withdrawn himself to Crécy plains,

7.461365Where, as it seemeth by his good array,

7.471366He means to bid us battle presently.

He shall be welcome -- that's the thing we crave.

Edward, know that John, the true King of France,

7.511371Musing thou shouldst encroach upon his land

7.521372And in thy tyrannous proceeding slay

7.531373His faithful subjects and subvert his towns,

7.541374Spits in thy face, and in this manner following

7.551375Upbraids thee with thine arrogant intrusion.

7.561376First, I condemn thee for a fugitive,

7.571377A thievish pirate, and a needy mate --

7.581378One that hath either no abiding place,

7.591379Or else, inhabiting some barren soil

7.601380Where neither herb or fruitful grain is had,

7.611381Dost altogether live by pilfering.

7.621382Next, insomuch thou hast infringed thy faith,

7.631383Broke league and solemn covenant made with me,

7.641384I hold thee for a false pernicious wretch.

7.651385And last of all, although I scorn to cope

7.661386With one so much inferior to myself,

7.671387Yet in respect thy thirst is all for gold,

7.681388Thy labor rather to be feared than loved,

7.691389To satisfy thy lust in either part

7.701390Here am I come, and with me have I brought

7.711391Exceeding store of treasure, pearl and coin.

7.721392Leave therefore now to persecute the weak,

7.731393And armèd ent'ring conflict with the armed,

7.741394Let it be seen 'mongst other petty thefts

7.751395How thou canst win this pillage manfully.

If gall or wormwood have a pleasant taste,

7.771397Then is thy salutation honey-sweet;

7.781398But as the one hath no such property,

7.791399So is the other most satirical.

7.801400Yet wot how I regard thy worthless taunts:

7.811401If thou have uttered them to foil my fame

7.821402Or dim the reputation of my birth,

7.831403Know that thy wolvish barking cannot hurt;

7.841404If slyly to insinuate with the world,

7.851405And with a strumpet's artificial line

7.861406To paint thy vicious and deformèd cause,

7.871407Be well assured the counterfeit will fade,

7.881408And in the end thy foul defects be seen.

7.891409But if thou didst it to provoke me on,

7.901410As who should say I were but timorous

7.911411Or, coldly negligent, did need a spur,

7.921412Bethink thyself how slack I was at sea.

7.931413Now since my landing I have won no towns,

7.941414Entered no further but upon the coast,

7.951415And there have ever since securely slept;

7.961416But if I have been otherwise employed,

7.971417Imagine, Valois, whether I intend

7.981418To skirmish not for pillage, but for the crown

7.991419Which thou dost wear, and that I vow to have,

7.1001420Or one of us shall fall into his grave.

Look not for cross invectives at our hands

7.1021422Or railing execrations of despite.

7.1031423Let creeping serpents hid in hollow banks

7.1041424Sting with their tongues; we have remorseless swords,

7.1051425And they shall plead for us and our affairs.

7.1061426Yet, thus much briefly, by my father's leave:

7.1071427As all the immodest poison of thy throat

7.1081428Is scandalous and most notorious lies,

7.1091429And our pretended quarrel is truly just,

7.1101430So end the battle when we meet today --

7.1111431May either of us prosper and prevail,

7.1121432Or luckless cursed, receive eternal shame.

That needs no further question, and I know

7.1141434His conscience witnesseth it is my right.

7.1151435Therefore Valois, say, wilt thou yet resign

7.1161436Before the sickle's thrust into the corn,

7.1171437Or that enkindled fury turn to flame?

Edward, I know what right thou hast in France,

7.1191439And, ere I basely will resign my crown,

7.1201440This champion field shall be a pool of blood

7.1211441And all our prospect as a slaughterhouse.

Ay, that approves thee, tyrant, what thou art:

7.1231443No father, king, or shepherd of thy realm,

7.1241444But one that tears her entrails with thy hands,

7.1251445And like a thirsty tiger suckst her blood.

You peers of France, why do you follow him

7.1271447That is so prodigal to spend your lives?

Whom should they follow, agèd impotent,

7.1291449But he that is their true-born sovereign?

Upbraidst thou him, because within his face

7.1311451Time hath engraved deep characters of age?

7.1321452Know that these grave scholars of experience,

7.1331453Like stiff-grown oaks, will stand immovable

7.1341454When whirlwind quickly turns up younger trees.

Was ever any of thy father's house

7.136King, 1456but thyself, before this present time?

7.1371457Edward's great lineage, by the mother's side,

7.1381458Five hundred years hath held the sceptre up;

7.1391459Judge then, conspirators, by this descent

7.1401460Which is the true-born sovereign, this or that.

Father, range your battles, prate no more;

7.1421462These English fain would spend the time in words

7.1431463That, night approaching, they might escape unfought.

Lords and my loving subjects, now's the time

7.1451465That your intended force must bide the touch.

7.1461466Therefore, my friends, consider this in brief:

7.1471467He that you fight for is your natural king,

7.1481468He against whom you fight a foreigner;

7.1491469He that you fight for rules in clemency

7.1501470And reins you with a mild and gentle bit,

7.1511471He against whom you fight, if he prevail

7.1521472Will straight enthrone himself in tyranny,

7.1531473Make slaves of you, and with a heavy hand

7.1541474Curtail and curb your sweetest liberty.

7.1551475Then to protect your country and your king,

7.1561476Let but the haughty courage of your hearts

7.1571477Answer the number of your able hands,

7.1581478And we shall quickly chase these fugitives.

7.1591479For what's this Edward but a belly-god,

7.1601480A tender and lascivious wantonness,

7.1611481That th'other day was almost dead for love?

7.1621482And what, I pray you, is his goodly guard?

7.1631483Such as, but scant them of their chines of beef

7.1641484And take away their downy featherbeds,

7.1651485And presently they are as resty-stiff

7.1661486As 'twere a many overridden jades.

7.1671487Then, Frenchmen, scorn that such should be your lords,

7.1681488And rather bind ye them in captive bands.

Vive le roi! God save King John of France!

Now on this plain of Crécy spread yourselves,

7.1711491And, Edward, when thou dar'st, begin the fight.

We presently will meet thee, John of France.

7.1741493And, English lords, let us resolve the day,

7.1751494Either to clear us of that scandalous crime,

7.1761495Or be entombèd in our innocence.

7.1771496And, Ned, because this battle is the first

7.1781497That ever yet thou fought'st in pitchèd field,

7.1791498As ancient custom is of martialists

7.1801499To dub thee with the type of chivalry,

7.1811500In solemn manner we will give thee arms.

7.1821501Come therefore, heralds: orderly bring forth

7.1831502A strong attirement for the Prince, my son.

7.1851505Edward Plantagenet, in the name of God,

7.1861506As with this armor I impall thy breast,

7.1871507So be thy noble unrelenting heart

7.1881508Walled in with flint of matchless fortitude,

7.1891509That never base affections enter there.

7.1901510Fight and be valiant, conquer where thou com'st.

7.1911511Now follow, lords, and do him honor too.

Edward Plantagenet, Prince of Wales,

7.1931513As I do set this helmet on thy head,

7.1941514Wherewith the chamber of this brain is fenced,

7.1951515So may thy temples with Bellona's hand

7.1961516Be still adorned with laurel victory.

7.1971517Fight and be valiant, conquer where thou com'st.

Edward Plantagenet, Prince of Wales,

7.1991519Receive this lance into thy manly hand,

7.2001520Use it in fashion of a brazen pen

7.2011521To draw forth bloody stratagems in France

7.2021522And print thy valiant deeds in honor's book.

7.2031523Fight and be valiant, conquer where thou com'st.

Edward Plantagenet, Prince of Wales,

7.2051525Hold, take this target, wear it on thy arm

7.2061526And may the view thereof, like Perseus' shield,

7.2071527Astonish and transform thy gazing foes

7.2081528To senseless images of meager death.

7.2091529Fight and be valiant, conquer where thou com'st.

Now wants there naught but knighthood, which deferred

7.2111531We leave till thou hast won it in the field.

My gracious father and ye forward peers,

7.2131533This honor you have done me animates

7.2141534And cheers my green, yet scarce appearing, strength

7.2151535With comfortable good-presaging signs,

7.2161536No otherwise than did old Jacob's words,

7.2171537Whenas he breathed his blessings on his sons.

7.2181538These hallowed gifts of yours when I prophane,

7.2191539Or use them not to glory of my God,

7.2201540To patronage the fatherless and poor,

7.2211541Or for the benefit of England's peace,

7.2221542Be numb my joints, wax feeble both mine arms,

7.2231543Wither my heart that, like a sapless tree,

7.2241544I may remain the map of infamy.

Then thus our steelèd battles shall be ranged:

7.2261546The leading of the vaward, Ned, is thine,

7.2271547To dignify whose lusty spirit the more

7.2281548We temper it with Audley's gravity,

7.2291549That, courage and experience joined in one,

7.2301550Your manage may be second unto none.

7.2311551For the main battles, I will guide myself,

7.2321552And Derby in the rearward march behind.

7.2331553That orderly disposed and set in 'ray,

7.2341554Let us to horse and God grant us the day.