Author: William ShakespeareEditor: James D. MardockPeer Reviewed
Henry V (Folio 1, 1623)
82The Life of Henry the Fift.
1651Const. Indeed my Lord, it is a mo
st ab
solute and ex
- 1653Dolph. It is the Prince of Palfrayes, his Neigh is like
1654the bidding of a Monarch, and his countenance enforces
1656Orleance. No more Cou
sin.
1657Dolph. Nay, the man hath no wit, that cannot from
1658the ri
sing of the Larke to the lodging of the Lambe,
1659varie de
serued pray
se on my Palfray: it is a Theame as
1660fluent as the Sea: Turne the Sands into eloquent tongues,
1661and my Hor
se is argument for them all: 'tis a
subie
ct 1662for a Soueraigne to rea
son on, and for a Soueraignes So
- 1663ueraigne to ride on: And for the World, familiar to vs,
1664and vnknowne, to lay apart their particular Fun
ctions,
1665and wonder at him, I once writ a Sonnet in his pray
se,
1666and began thus,
Wonder of Nature.
1667Orleance. I haue heard a Sonnet begin
so to ones Mi
- 1669Dolph. Then did they imitate that which I compos'd
1670to my Cour
ser, for my Hor
se is my Mi
stre
sse.
1671Orleance. Your Mi
stre
sse beares well.
1672Dolph. Me well, which is the pre
script pray
se and per
- 1673fe
ction of a good and particular Mi
stre
sse.
1674Const. Nay, for me thought ye
sterday your Mi
stre
sse
1675shrewdly
shooke your back.
1676Dolph. So perhaps did yours.
1677Const. Mine was not bridled.
1678Dolph. O then belike
she was old and gentle, and you
1679rode like a Kerne of Ireland, your French Ho
se o
ff, and in
1680your
strait Stro
ssers.
1681Const. You haue good iudgement in Hor
seman
- 1683Dolph. Be warn'd by me then: they that ride
so, and
1684ride not warily, fall into foule Boggs: I had rather haue
1685my Hor
se to my Mi
stre
sse
. 1686Const. I had as liue haue my Mi
stre
sse a Iade.
1687Dolph. I tell thee Con
stable, my Mi
stre
sse weares his
1689Const. I could make as true a boa
st as that, if I had a
1691Dolph. Le chien est retourne a son propre vemissement est 1692la leuye lauee au bourbier: thou mak'
st v
se of any thing.
1693Const. Yet doe I not v
se my Hor
se for my Mi
stre
sse,
1694or any
such Prouerbe,
so little kin to the purpo
se.
1695Ramb. My Lord Con
stable, the Armour that I
saw in
1696your Tent to night, are tho
se Starres or Sunnes vpon it
? 1697Const. Starres my Lord.
1698Dolph. Some of them will fall to morrow, I hope.
1699Const. And yet my Sky
shall not want.
1700Dolph. That may be, for you beare a many
super
flu
- 1701ou
sly, and 'twere more honor
some were away.
1702Const. Eu'n as your Hor
se beares your pray
ses, who
1703would trot as well, were
some of your bragges di
smoun
- 1705Dolph. Would I were able to loade him with his de
- 1706sert. Will it neuer be day? I will trot to morrow a mile,
1707and my way
shall be paued with Engli
sh Faces.
1708Const. I will not
say
so, for feare I
should be fac't out
1709of my way: but I would it were morning, for I would
1710faine be about the eares of the Engli
sh.
1711Ramb. Who will goe to Hazard with me for twentie
1713Const. You mu
st fir
st goe your
selfe to hazard, ere you
1715Dolph. 'Tis Mid-night, Ile goe arme my
selfe.
Exit. 1716Orleance. The Dolphin longs for morning.
1717Ramb. He longs to eate the Engli
sh.
1718Const. I thinke he will eate all he kills.
1719Orleance. By the white Hand of my Lady, hee's a gal
- 1721Const. Sweare by her Foot, that
she may tread out the
1723Orleance. He is
simply the mo
st a
ctiue Gentleman of
1725Const. Doing is a
ctiuitie, and he will
still be doing.
1726Orleance. He neuer did harme, that I heard of.
1727Const. Nor will doe none to morrow: hee will keepe
1728that good name
still.
1729Orleance. I know him to be valiant.
1730Const. I was told that, by one that knowes him better
1732Orleance. What's hee?
1733Const. Marry hee told me
so him
selfe, and hee
sayd hee
1734car'd not who knew it.
1735Orleance. Hee needes not, it is no hidden vertue in
1737Const. By my faith Sir, but it is: neuer any body
saw
1738it, but his Lacquey: 'tis a hooded valour, and when it
1739appeares, it will bate.
1740Orleance. Ill will neuer
sayd well.
1741Const. I will cap that Prouerbe with, There is
flatterie
1743Orleance. And I will take vp that with, Giue the Deuill
1745Const. Well plac't: there
stands your friend for the
1746Deuill: haue at the very eye of that Prouerbe with, A
1748Orleance. You are the better at Prouerbs, by how much
1749a Fooles Bolt is
soone
shot.
1750Const. You haue
shot ouer
. 1751Orleance. 'Tis not the
fir
st time you were ouer-
shot.
1753Mess. My Lord high Con
stable, the Engli
sh lye within
1754fifteene hundred paces of your Tents.
1755Const. Who hath mea
sur'd the ground?
1756 Mess. The Lord
Grandpree.
1757Const. A valiant and mo
st expert Gentleman. Would
1758it were day? Alas poore
Harry of England: hee longs
1759not for the Dawning, as wee doe.
1760Orleance. What a wretched and peeui
sh fellow is this
1761King of England, to mope with his fat-brain'd followers
1762so farre out of his knowledge.
1763Const. If the Engli
sh had any apprehen
sion, they
1765Orleance. That they lack: for if their heads had any in
- 1766telle
ctuall Armour, they could neuer weare
such heauie
1768Ramb. That Iland of England breedes very valiant
1769Creatures; their Ma
sti
ffes are of vnmatchable cou
- 1771Orleance. Fooli
sh Curres, that runne winking into
1772the mouth of a Ru
ssian Beare, and haue their heads cru
sht
1773like rotten Apples: you may as well
say, that's a valiant
1774Flea, that dare eate his breakefa
st on the Lippe of a
1776Const. Iu
st, iu
st: and the men doe
sympathize with
1777the Ma
sti
ffes, in robu
stious and rough comming on,
1778leauing their Wits with their Wiues: and then giue
1779them great Meales of Beefe, and Iron and Steele; they
1780will eate like Wolues, and
fight like Deuils.
Orleance. I,