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About this text

  • Title: The Famous Victories of Henry the Fifth (Quarto, 1598)
  • Editors: Karen Sawyer Marsalek, Mathew Martin
  • 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
    Editors: Karen Sawyer Marsalek, Mathew Martin
    Peer Reviewed

    The Famous Victories of Henry the Fifth (Quarto, 1598)

    The famous victories
    Der. Shall I not Iohn?
    Iohn. No Dericke.
    Der. Why then take you that till more come,
    Sownes shall I not haue him?
    445Iohn. Well I am content to take this at your hand,
    But I pray you, who am I?
    Der. Who art thou, Sownds, doost not know thy self?
    Iohn. No.
    Der. Now away simple fellow,
    450Why man, thou art Iohn the Cobler.
    Iohn. No, I am my Lord chiefe Iustice of England.
    Der. Oh Iohn, Masse thou saist true, thou art indeed.
    Iohn. Why then to teach you what prerogatiues mean
    I commit you to the Fleete.
    455Der. Wel I will go, but yfaith you gray beard knaue, (Ile course you.
    Exit. And straight enters again.
    Oh Iohn, Come, come out of thy chair, why what a clown
    weart thou, to let me hit thee a box on the eare, and now
    thou seest they will not take me to the Fleete, I thinke that
    460thou art one of these Worenday Clownes.
    Iohn. But I maruell what will become of thee?
    Der. Faith ile be no more a Carrier.
    Iohn. What wilt thou doo then?
    Der. Ile dwell with thee and be a Cobler.
    465Iohn. With me, alasse I am not able to keepe thee,
    Why thou wilt eate me out of doores.
    Der. Oh Iohn, no Iohn, I am none of these great slou-
    ching fellowes, that deuoure these great peeces of beefe and
    brewes, alasse a trifle serues me, a Woodcocke, a Chicken,
    470or a Capons legge, or any such little thing serues me.
    Iohn. a Capon, why man, I cannot get a Capon once a
    yeare, except it be at Christmas, at some other mans house,
    for we Coblers be glad of a dish of rootes.
    Der. Rootes, why are you so good at rooting?
    475Nay Cobler, weele haue you ringde.
    Iohn.