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About this text

  • Title: Famous Victories of Henry V (Modern)
  • Textual editor: Mathew Martin
  • Performance editor: Peter Cockett
  • Coordinating editor: Janelle Jenstad

  • Copyright Queen's Men Editions. This text may be freely used for educational, non-profit purposes; for all other uses contact the Editor.
    Author: Anonymous
    Peer Reviewed

    Famous Victories of Henry V (Modern)

    [Scene 13] [Video Sc.13]
    Enter French Soldiers.
    11901 Soldier
    Come away, Jack Drummer, come away all, and me will tell you what me will do. Me will tro one chance on the dice, who shall have the king of England and his lords.
    2 Soldier
    Come away, Jack Drummer, 1195and tro your chance, and lay down your drum.
    Enter Drummer.
    Drummer
    Oh, the brave apparel that the Englishmans hay broth over! I will tell you what me ha' done, me ha' provided a hundreth trunks, 1200and all to put the fine 'parel of the Englishmans in.
    1 Soldier
    What do thou mean by "trunk," eh?
    2 Soldier
    A shest, man, a hundred shests.
    1 Soldier
    Awee, awee, awee. Me will tell you what, me ha' put five shildren out of my house, 1205and all too little to put the fine apparel of the Englishmans in.
    Drummer
    Oh, the brave, the brave apparel that we shall have anon. But come, and you shall see what me will tro at the king's Drummer and Fife.
    [He throws dice.]
    1210Ha, me ha' no good luck! Tro you.
    3 Soldier
    Faith, me will tro at the earl of Northumberland and my lord of Willoughby, with his great horse, snorting, farting â€"- oh, brave horse!
    [He throws dice.]
    1 Soldier
    Ha, by'r Lady you ha' reasonable good luck. 1215Now I will tro at the king himself.
    [He throws dice.]
    Ha, me have no good luck.
    Enter a Captain.
    Captain
    How now, what make you here, so far from the camp?
    12202 Soldier
    Shall me tell our captain what we have done here?
    Drummer
    Awee, awee.
    Exeunt Drum[mer], and one Soldier.
    2 Soldier
    I will tell you what we have done. We have been troing our shance on the dice, 1225but none can win the king.
    Captain
    I think so. Why, he is left behind for me, and I have set three or four chair-makers a-work to make a new disguised chair to set that womanly king of England in, that all the people may laugh 1230and scoff at him.
    2 Soldier
    O brave captain!
    Captain
    I am glad, and yet with a kind of pity, to see the poor king. Why, whoever saw a more flourishing army in France 1235in one day than here is? Are not here all the peers of France? Are not here the Normans with their fiery handguns and slaunching curtle-axes? Are not here the Barbarians with their bard horses and launching spears? 1240Are not here Pickards with their cross-bows and piercing darts? The Hainuyers with their cutting glaives and sharp carbuncles? Are not here the lance-knights of Burgundy? 1245And on the other side, a sight of poor English scabs? Why, take an Englishman out of his warm bed and his stale drink but one month and, alas, what will become of him? But give the Frenchman a radish root 1250and he will live with it all the days of his life.
    Exit [Captain].
    2 Soldier
    Oh, the brave apparel that we shall have of the Englishmans!
    Exit [2 Soldier].