1255Hen.5. Come my Lords and fellowes of armes,

1256What company is there of the French men?

1257Oxf. And it please your Maiestie,

1258Our Captaines haue numbred them,

And so neare as they can iudge,

1260They are about threescore thousand horsemen,

1261And fortie thousand footemen.

1262Hen.5. They threescore thousand,

1263And we but two thousand.

1264They threescore thousand footemen,

1265And we twelue thousand.

1266They are a hundred thousand,

1267And we fortie thousand, ten to one:

1268My Lords and louing Countrymen,

1269Though we be fewe and they many,

1270Feare not, your quarrel is good, and God wil defend you:

1271Plucke vp your hearts, for this day we shall either haue

1272A valiant victory, or a honourable death.

1273Now my Lords, I wil that my vncle the Duke of Yorke,

1274Haue the auantgard in the battell.

1275The Earle of Darby, the Earle of Oxford,

1276The Earle of Kent, the Earle of Nottingham,

1277The Earle of Huntington, I wil haue beside the army,

1278That they may come fresh vpon them.

1279And I my selfe with the Duke of Bedford,

1280The Duke of Clarence and the Duke of Gloster,

1281Wil be in the midst of the battell.

1282Furthermore, I wil that my Lord of Willowby,

1283And the Earle of Northumberland,

1284With their troupes of horsmen, be cõtinually running like

1285Wings on both sides of the army:

1286My Lord of Northumberland, on the left wing.

1287Then I wil, that euery archer prouide him a stake of

1288 A tree, and sharpe it at both endes,

1289And at the first encounter of the horsemen,

1290To pitch their stakes downe into the ground before them,

1291That they may gore themselues upon them,

1292And then to recoyle backe, and shoote wholly altogither,

1293And so discomfit them.

1294Oxf. And it please your Maiestie,

1295I wil take that in charge, if your grace be therwith cõtent.

1296Hen. With all my heart, my good Lord of Oxford:

1297And go and prouide quickly.

1298Oxf. I thanke your highnesse.

1300Hen.5. Well my Lords, our battels are ordeined,

1301And the French making of bonfires, and at their bankets,

1302But let them looke, for I mean to set vpon them.

1304Soft, heres comes some other French message.

1306Herald. King of England, my Lord high Constable,

1307And other of my Lords, considering the poore estate of thee

1308And thy poore Countrey men,

1309Sends me to know what thou wilt giue for thy ransome?

1310Perhaps thou maist agree better cheape now,

1311Then when thou art conquered.

1312Hen. Why then belike your high Constable,

1313Sends to know what I wil giue for my ransome?

1314Now trust me Herald, not so much as a tun of tennis bals,

1315No not so much as one poore tennis ball,

1316Rather shall my bodie lie dead in the field, to feed crowes,

1317Then euer England shall pay one penny ransome

1318For my bodie.

1319Herald. A kingly resolution.

1320Hen. 5. No Herald, tis a kingly resolution,

1321And the resolution of a king:

1322Here take this for thy paines.

1324But stay my Lords, what time is it?

1325All. Prime my Lord.

1326Hen. 5. Then is it good time no doubt,

1327For all England praieth for vs:

1328What my Lords, me thinks you looke cheerfully vpon me?

1329Why then with one voice, and like true English hearts,

1330With me throw vp your caps, and for England,

1331Cry S. George, and God and S. George helpe vs.