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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)

    The Life of Henry the Fift. 93
    3065France. I haue but with a curselarie eye
    O're-glanc't the Articles: Pleaseth your Grace
    To appoint some of your Councell presently
    To sit with vs once more, with better heed
    To re-suruey them; we will suddenly
    3070Passe our accept and peremptorie Answer.
    England. Brother we shall. Goe Vnckle Exeter,
    And Brother Clarence, and you Brother Gloucester,
    Warwick, and Huntington, goe with the King,
    And take with you free power, to ratifie,
    3075Augment, or alter, as your Wisdomes best
    Shall see aduantageable for our Dignitie,
    Any thing in or out of our Demands,
    And wee'le consigne thereto. Will you, faire Sister,
    Goe with the Princes, or stay here with vs?
    3080Quee. Our gracious Brother, I will goe with them:
    Happily a Womans Voyce may doe some good,
    When Articles too nicely vrg'd, be stood on.
    England. Yet leaue our Cousin Katherine here with vs,
    She is our capitall Demand, compris'd
    3085Within the fore-ranke of our Articles.
    Quee. She hath good leaue. Exeunt omnes.

    Manet King and Katherine.
    King. Faire Katherine, and most faire,
    Will you vouchsafe to teach a Souldier tearmes,
    3090Such as will enter at a Ladyes eare,
    And pleade his Loue-suit to her gentle heart.
    Kath. Your Maiestie shall mock at me, I cannot speake
    your England.
    King. O faire Katherine, if you will loue me soundly
    3095with your French heart, I will be glad to heare you con-
    fesse it brokenly with your English Tongue. Doe you
    like me, Kate?
    Kath. Pardonne moy, I cannot tell wat is like me.
    King. An Angell is like you Kate, and you are like an
    3100Angell.
    Kath. Que dit il que Ie suis semblable a les Anges?
    Lady. Ouy verayment (sauf vostre Grace) ainsi dit il.
    King. I said so, deare Katherine, and I must not blush
    to affirme it.
    3105Kath. O bon Dieu, les langues des hommes sont plein de
    tromperies.
    King. What sayes she, faire one? that the tongues of
    men are full of deceits?
    Lady. Ouy, dat de tongeus of de mans is be full of de-
    3110ceits: dat is de Princesse.
    King. The Princesse is the better English-woman:
    yfaith Kate, my wooing is fit for thy vnderstanding, I am
    glad thou canst speake no better English, for if thou
    could'st, thou would'st finde me such a plaine King, that
    3115thou wouldst thinke, I had sold my Farme to buy my
    Crowne. I know no wayes to mince it in loue, but di-
    rectly to say, I loue you; then if you vrge me farther,
    then to say, Doe you in faith? I weare out my suite: Giue
    me your answer, yfaith doe, and so clap hands, and a bar-
    3120gaine: how say you, Lady?
    Kath. Sauf vostre honeur, me vnderstand well.
    King. Marry, if you would put me to Verses, or to
    Dance for your sake, Kate, why you vndid me: for the one
    I haue neither words nor measure; and for the other, I
    3125haue no strength in measure, yet a reasonable measure in
    strength. If I could winne a Lady at Leape-frogge, or by
    vawting into my Saddle, with my Armour on my backe;
    vnder the correction of bragging be it spoken. I should
    quickly leape into a Wife: Or if I might buffet for my

    3130Loue, or bound my Horse for her fauours, I could lay on
    like a Butcher, and sit like a Iack an Apes, neuer off. But
    before God Kate, I cannot looke greenely, nor gaspe out
    my eloquence, nor I haue no cunning in protestation;
    onely downe-right Oathes, which I neuer vse till vrg'd,
    3135nor neuer breake for vrging. If thou canst loue a fellow
    of this temper, Kate, whose face is not worth Sunne-bur-
    ning? that neuer lookes in his Glasse, for loue of any
    thing he sees there? let thine Eye be thy Cooke. I speake
    to thee plaine Souldier: If thou canst loue me for this,
    3140take me? if not? to say to thee that I shall dye, is true; but
    for thy loue, by the L. No: yet I loue thee too. And
    while thou liu'st, deare Kate, take a fellow of plaine and
    vncoyned Constancie, for he perforce must do thee right,
    because he hath not the gift to wooe in other places: for
    3145these fellowes of infinit tongue, that can ryme themselues
    into Ladyes fauours, they doe alwayes reason themselues
    out againe. What? a speaker is but a prater, a Ryme is
    but a Ballad; a good Legge will fall, a strait Backe will
    stoope, a blacke Beard will turne white, a curl'd Pate will
    3150grow bald, a faire Face will wither, a full Eye will wax
    hollow: but a good Heart, Kate, is the Sunne and the
    Moone, or rather the Sunne, and not the Moone; for it
    shines bright, and neuer changes, but keepes his course
    truly. If thou would haue such a one, take me? and
    3155take me; take a Souldier: take a Souldier; take a King.
    And what say'st thou then to my Loue? speake my faire,
    and fairely, I pray thee.
    Kath. Is it possible dat I sould loue de ennemie of
    Fraunce?
    3160King. No, it is not possible you should loue the Ene-
    mie of France, Kate; but in louing me, you should loue
    the Friend of France: for I loue France so well, that I
    will not part with a Village of it; I will haue it all mine:
    and Kate, when France is mine, and I am yours; then yours
    3165is France, and you are mine.
    Kath. I cannot tell wat is dat.
    King. No, Kate? I will tell thee in French, which I am
    sure will hang vpon my tongue, like a new-married Wife
    about her Husbands Necke, hardly to be shooke off; Ie
    3170quand sur le possession de Fraunce, & quand vous aues le pos-
    session de moy. (Let mee see, what then? Saint Dennis bee
    my speede) Donc vostre est Fraunce, & vous estes mienne.
    It is as easie for me, Kate, to conquer the Kingdome, as to
    speake so much more French: I shall neuer moue thee in
    3175French, vnlesse it be to laugh at me.
    Kath. Sauf vostre honeur, le Francois ques vous parleis, il
    & melieus que l'Anglois le quel Ie parle.
    King. No faith is't not, Kate: but thy speaking of
    my Tongue, and I thine, most truely falsely, must
    3180needes be graunted to be much at one. But Kate, doo'st
    thou vnderstand thus much English? Canst thou loue
    mee?
    Kath. I cannot tell.
    King. Can any of your Neighbours tell, Kate? Ile
    3185aske them. Come, I know thou louest me: and at night,
    when you come into your Closet, you'le question this
    Gentlewoman about me; and I know, Kate, you will to
    her disprayse those parts in me, that you loue with your
    heart: but good Kate, mocke me mercifully, the rather
    3190gentle Princesse, because I loue thee cruelly. If euer thou
    beest mine, Kate, as I haue a sauing Faith within me tells
    me thou shalt; I get thee with skambling, and thou
    must therefore needes proue a good Souldier-breeder:
    Shall not thou and I, betweene Saint Dennis and Saint
    3195George, compound a Boy, halfe French halfe English,
    k that
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