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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)

    885Flourish.
    Enter the French King, the Dolphin, the Dukes
    of Berry and Britaine.
    King. Thus comes the English with full power vpon vs,
    And more then carefully it vs concernes,
    890To answer Royally in our defences.
    Therefore the Dukes of Berry and of Britaine,
    Of Brabant and of Orleance, shall make forth,
    And you Prince Dolphin, with all swift dispatch
    To lyne and new repayre our Townes of Warre
    895With men of courage, and with meanes defendant:
    For England his approaches makes as fierce,
    As Waters to the sucking of a Gulfe.
    It fits vs then to be as prouident,
    As feare may teach vs, out of late examples
    900Left by the fatall and neglected English,
    Vpon our fields.
    Dolphin. My most redoubted Father,
    It is most meet we arme vs 'gainst the Foe:
    For Peace it selfe should not so dull a Kingdome,
    905(Though War nor no knowne Quarrel were in question)
    But that Defences, Musters, Preparations,
    Should be maintain'd, assembled, and collected,
    As were a Warre in expectation.
    Therefore I say, 'tis meet we all goe forth,
    910To view the sick and feeble parts of France:
    And let vs doe it with no shew of feare,
    No, with no more, then if we heard that England
    Were busied with a Whitson Morris-dance:
    For, my good Liege, shee is so idly King'd,
    915Her Scepter so phantastically borne,
    By a vaine giddie shallow humorous Youth,
    That feare attends her not.
    Const. O peace, Prince Dolphin,
    You are too much mistaken in this King:
    920Question your Grace the late Embassadors,
    With what great State he heard their Embassie,
    How well supply'd with Noble Councellors,
    How modest in exception; and withall,
    How terrible in constant resolution:
    925And you shall find, his Vanities fore-spent,
    Were but the out-side of the Roman Brutus,
    Couering Discretion with a Coat of Folly;
    As Gardeners doe with Ordure hide those Roots
    That shall first spring, and be most delicate.
    930Dolphin. Well, 'tis not so, my Lord High Constable.
    But though we thinke it so, it is no matter:
    In cases of defence, 'tis best to weigh
    The Enemie more mightie then he seemes,
    So the proportions of defence are fill'd:
    935Which of a weake and niggardly proiection,
    Doth like a Miser spoyle his Coat, with scanting
    A little Cloth.
    King. Thinke we King Harry strong:
    And Princes, looke you strongly arme to meet him.
    940The Kindred of him hath beene flesht vpon vs:
    And he is bred out of that bloodie straine,
    That haunted vs in our familiar Pathes:
    Witnesse our too much memorable shame,
    When Cressy Battell fatally was strucke,
    945And all our Princes captiu'd, by the hand
    Of that black Name, Edward, black Prince of Wales:
    Whiles that his Mountaine Sire, on Mountaine standing
    Vp in the Ayre, crown'd with the Golden Sunne,
    Saw his Heroicall Seed, and smil'd to see him
    950Mangle the Worke of Nature, and deface
    The Patternes, that by God and by French Fathers
    Had twentie yeeres been made. This is a Stem
    Of that Victorious Stock: and let vs feare
    The Natiue mightinesse and fate of him.
    955Enter a Messenger.
    Mess. Embassadors from Harry King of England,
    Doe craue admittance to your Maiestie.
    King. Weele giue them present audience.
    Goe, and bring them.
    960You see this Chase is hotly followed, friends.
    Dolphin. Turne head, and stop pursuit: for coward Dogs
    Most spend their mouths, whē what they seem to threaten
    Runs farre before them. Good my Soueraigne
    Take vp the English short, and let them know
    965Of what a Monarchie you are the Head:
    Selfe-loue, my Liege, is not so vile a sinne,
    As selfe-neglecting.
    Enter Exeter.
    King. From our Brother of England?
    970Exe. From him, and thus he greets your Maiestie:
    He wills you in the Name of God Almightie,
    That you deuest your selfe, and lay apart
    The borrowed Glories, that by gift of Heauen,
    By Law of Nature, and of Nations, longs
    975To him and to his Heires, namely the Crowne,
    And all wide-stretched Honors, that pertaine
    By Custome, and the Ordinance of Times,
    Vnto the Crowne of France: that you may know
    'Tis no sinister, nor no awk-ward Clayme,
    980Pickt from the worme-holes of long-vanisht dayes,
    Nor from the dust of old Obliuion rakt,
    He sends you this most memorable Lyne,
    In euery Branch truly demonstratiue;
    Willing you ouer-looke this Pedigree:
    985And when you find him euenly deriu'd
    From his most fam'd, of famous Ancestors,
    Edward the third; he bids you then resigne
    Your Crowne and Kingdome, indirectly held
    From him, the Natiue and true Challenger.
    990King. Or else what followes?
    Exe. Bloody constraint: for if you hide the Crowne
    Euen in your hearts, there will he rake for it.
    Therefore in fierce Tempest is he comming,
    In Thunder and in Earth-quake, like a Ioue:
    995That if requiring faile, he will compell.
    And bids you, in the Bowels of the Lord,
    Deliuer vp the Crowne, and to take mercie
    On the poore Soules, for whom this hungry Warre
    Opens his vastie Iawes: and on your head
    1000Turning the Widdowes Teares, the Orphans Cryes,
    The dead-mens Blood, the priuy Maidens Groanes,
    For Husbands, Fathers, and betrothed Louers,
    That shall be swallowed in this Controuersie.
    This is his Clayme, his Threatning, and my Message:
    1005Vnlesse the Dolphin be in presence here;
    To whom expressely I bring greeting to.
    King. For
    The Life of Henry the Fift. 77
    King. For vs, we will consider of this further:
    To morrow shall you beare our full intent
    Back to our Brother of England.
    1010Dolph. For the Dolphin,
    I stand here for him: what to him from England?
    Exe. Scorne and defiance, sleight regard, contempt,
    And any thing that may not mis-become
    The mightie Sender, doth he prize you at.
    1015Thus sayes my King: and if your Fathers Highnesse
    Doe not, in graunt of all demands at large,
    Sweeten the bitter Mock you sent his Maiestie;
    Hee'le call you to so hot an Answer of it,
    That Caues and Wombie Vaultages of France
    1020Shall chide your Trespas, and returne your Mock
    In second Accent of his Ordinance.
    Dolph. Say: if my Father render faire returne,
    It is against my will: for I desire
    Nothing but Oddes with England.
    1025To that end, as matching to his Youth and Vanitie,
    I did present him with the Paris-Balls.
    Exe. Hee'le make your Paris Louer shake for it,
    Were it the Mistresse Court of mightie Europe:
    And be assur'd, you'le find a diff'rence,
    1030As we his Subiects haue in wonder found,
    Betweene the promise of his greener dayes,
    And these he masters now: now he weighes Time
    Euen to the vtmost Graine: that you shall reade
    In your owne Losses, if he stay in France.
    1035King. To morrow shall you know our mind at full.
    Flourish.
    Exe. Dispatch vs with all speed, least that our King
    Come here himselfe to question our delay;
    For he is footed in this Land already.
    1040King. You shalbe soone dispatcht, with faire conditions.
    A Night is but small breathe, and little pawse,
    To answer matters of this consequence. Exeunt.
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