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  • Title: Henry V (Folio 1, 1623)
  • Editor: James D. Mardock

    • ISBN: 978-1-55058-409-7

    Copyright James D. Mardock. This text may be freely used for educational, non-profit purposes; for all other uses contact the Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Editor: James D. Mardock
    Peer Reviewed

    Henry V (Folio 1, 1623)

    78The Life of Henry the Fift.
    Pist. And I: If wishes would preuayle with me, my
    purpose should not fayle with me; but thither would I
    high.
    Boy. As duly, but not as truly, as Bird doth sing on
    1135bough.
    Enter Fluellen.
    Flu. Vp to the breach, you Dogges; auaunt you
    Cullions.
    Pist. Be mercifull great Duke to men of Mould: a-
    1140bate thy Rage, abate thy manly Rage; abate thy Rage,
    great Duke. Good Bawcock bate thy Rage: vse lenitie
    sweet Chuck.
    Nim. These be good humors: your Honor wins bad
    humors. Exit.
    1145Boy. As young as I am, I haue obseru'd these three
    Swashers: I am Boy to them all three, but all they three,
    though they would serue me, could not be Man to me;
    for indeed three such Antiques doe not amount to a man:
    for Bardolph, hee is white-liuer'd, and red-fac'd; by the
    1150meanes whereof, a faces it out, but fights not: for Pistoll,
    hee hath a killing Tongue, and a quiet Sword; by the
    meanes whereof, a breakes Words, and keepes whole
    Weapons: for Nim, hee hath heard, that men of few
    Words are the best men, and therefore hee scornes to say
    1155his Prayers, lest a should be thought a Coward: but his
    few bad Words are matcht with as few good Deeds; for
    a neuer broke any mans Head but his owne, and that was
    against a Post, when he was drunke. They will steale any
    thing, and call it Purchase. Bardolph stole a Lute-case,
    1160bore it twelue Leagues, and sold it for three halfepence.
    Nim and Bardolph are sworne Brothers in filching: and
    in Callice they stole a fire-shouell. I knew by that peece
    of Seruice, the men would carry Coales. They would
    haue me as familiar with mens Pockets, as their Gloues
    1165or their Hand-kerchers: which makes much against my
    Manhood, if I should take from anothers Pocket, to put
    into mine; for it is plaine pocketting vp of Wrongs.
    I must leaue them, and seeke some better Seruice: their
    Villany goes against my weake stomacke, and therefore
    1170I must cast it vp. Exit.
    Enter Gower.
    Gower. Captaine Fluellen, you must come presently to
    the Mynes; the Duke of Gloucester would speake with
    you.
    1175Flu. To the Mynes? Tell you the Duke, it is not so
    good to come to the Mynes: for looke you, the Mynes
    is not according to the disciplines of the Warre; the con-
    cauities of it is not sufficient: for looke you, th'athuer-
    sarie, you may discusse vnto the Duke, looke you, is digt
    1180himselfe foure yard vnder the Countermines: by Cheshu,
    I thinke a will plowe vp all, if there is not better directi-
    ons.
    Gower. The Duke of Gloucester, to whom the Order
    of the Siege is giuen, is altogether directed by an Irish
    1185man, a very valiant Gentleman yfaith.
    Welch. It is Captaine Makmorrice, is it not?
    Gower. I thinke it be.
    Welch. By Cheshu he is an Asse, as in the World, I will
    verifie as much in his Beard: he ha's no more directions
    1190in the true disciplines of the Warres, looke you, of the
    Roman disciplines, then is a Puppy-dog.
    Enter Makmorrice, and Captaine Iamy.
    Gower. Here a comes, and the Scots Captaine, Captaine
    Iamy, with him.
    1195Welch. Captaine Iamy is a maruellous falorous Gen-
    tleman, that is certain, and of great expedition and know-

    ledge in th' aunchiant Warres, vpon my particular know-
    ledge of his directions: by Cheshu he will maintaine his
    Argument as well as any Militarie man in the World, in
    1200the disciplines of the Pristine Warres of the Romans.
    Scot. I say gudday, Captaine Fluellen.
    Welch. Godden to your Worship, good Captaine
    Iames.
    Gower. How now Captaine Mackmorrice, haue you
    1205quit the Mynes? haue the Pioners giuen o're?
    Irish. By Chrish Law tish ill done: the Worke ish
    giue ouer, the Trompet sound the Retreat. By my Hand
    I sweare, and my fathers Soule, the Worke ish ill done:
    it ish giue ouer: I would haue blowed vp the Towne,
    1210so Chrish saue me law, in an houre. O tish ill done, tish ill
    done: by my Hand tish ill done.
    Welch. Captaine Mackmorrice, I beseech you now,
    will you voutsafe me, looke you, a few disputations with
    you, as partly touching or concerning the disciplines of
    1215the Warre, the Roman Warres, in the way of Argument,
    looke you, and friendly communication: partly to satisfie
    my Opinion, and partly for the satisfaction, looke you, of
    my Mind: as touching the direction of the Militarie dis-
    cipline, that is the Point.
    1220Scot. It sall be vary gud, gud feith, gud Captens bath,
    and I sall quit you with gud leue, as I may pick occasion:
    that sall I mary.
    Irish. It is no time to discourse, so Chrish saue me:
    the day is hot, and the Weather, and the Warres, and the
    1225King, and the Dukes: it is no time to discourse, the Town
    is beseech'd: and the Trumpet call vs to the breech, and
    we talke, and be Chrish do nothing, tis shame for vs all:
    so God sa'me tis shame to stand still, it is shame by my
    hand: and there is Throats to be cut, and Workes to be
    1230done, and there ish nothing done, so Christ sa'me law.
    Scot. By the Mes, ere theise eyes of mine take them-
    selues to slomber, ayle de gud seruice, or Ile ligge i'th'
    grund for it; ay, or goe to death: and Ile pay't as valo-
    rously as I may, that sal I suerly do, that is the breff and
    1235the long: mary, I wad full faine heard some question
    tween you tway.
    Welch. Captaine Mackmorrice, I thinke, looke you,
    vnder your correction, there is not many of your Na-
    tion.
    1240Irish. Of my Nation? What ish my Nation? Ish a
    Villaine, and a Basterd, and a Knaue, and a Rascall. What
    ish my Nation? Who talkes of my Nation?
    Welch. Looke you, if you take the matter otherwise
    then is meant, Captaine Mackmorrice, peraduenture I
    1245shall thinke you doe not vse me with that affabilitie, as in
    discretion you ought to vse me, looke you, being as good
    a man as your selfe, both in the disciplines of Warre, and
    in the deriuation of my Birth, and in other particula-
    rities.
    1250Irish. I doe not know you so good a man as my selfe:
    so Chrish saue me, I will cut off your Head.
    Gower. Gentlemen both, you will mistake each other.
    Scot. A, that's a foule fault. A Parley.
    Gower. The Towne sounds a Parley.
    1255Welch. Captaine Mackmorrice, when there is more
    better oportunitie to be required, looke you, I will be
    so bold as to tell you, I know the disciplines of Warre:
    and there is an end. Exit.

    Enter the King and all his Traine before the Gates.
    1260King. How yet resolues the Gouernour of the Towne?
    This is the latest Parle we will admit:
    There-
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