1451Gower. How now Captaine Fluellen, come you from

1452the Bridge?

1453Flu. I assure you, there is very excellent Seruices com-

1454mitted at the Bridge.

1455Gower. Is the Duke of Exeter safe?

1456Flu. The Duke of Exeter is as magnanimous as Aga-

1457memnon, and a man that I loue and honour with my soule,

1458and my heart, and my dutie, and my liue, and my liuing,

1459and my vttermost power. He is not, God be praysed and

1460blessed, any hurt in the World, but keepes the Bridge

1461most valiantly, with excellent discipline. There is an aun-

1462chient Lieutenant there at the Pridge, I thinke in my very

1463conscience hee is as valiant a man as Marke Anthony, and

1464hee is a man of no estimation in the World, but I did see

1465him doe as gallant seruice.

1466Gower. What doe you call him?

1467Flu. Hee is call'd aunchient Pistoll.

1468Gower. I know him not.

1470Flu. Here is the man.

1471Pist. Captaine, I thee beseech to doe me fauours: the

1472Duke of Exeter doth loue thee well.

1473Flu. I, I prayse God, and I haue merited some loue at

1474his hands.

1475Pist. Bardolph, a Souldier firme and sound of heart,

1476and of buxome valour, hath by cruell Fate, and giddie

1477Fortunes furious fickle Wheele, that Goddesse blind, that

1478stands vpon the rolling restlesse Stone.

1479Flu. By your patience, aunchient Pistoll: Fortune is

1480painted blinde, with a Muffler afore his eyes, to signifie

1481to you, that Fortune is blinde; and shee is painted also

1482with a Wheele, to signifie to you, which is the Morall of

1483it, that shee is turning and inconstant, and mutabilitie,

1484and variation: and her foot, looke you, is fixed vpon a

1485Sphericall Stone, which rowles, and rowles, and rowles:

1486in good truth, the Poet makes a most excellent descripti-

1487on of it: Fortune is an excellent Morall.

1488Pist. Fortune is Bardolphs foe, and frownes on him:

1489for he hath stolne a Pax, and hanged must a be: a damned

1490death: let Gallowes gape for Dogge, let Man goe free,

1491and let not Hempe his Wind-pipe suffocate: but Exeter

1492hath giuen the doome of death, for Pax of little price.

1493Therefore goe speake, the Duke will heare thy voyce;

1494and let not Bardolphs vitall thred bee cut with edge of

1495Penny-Cord, and vile reproach. Speake Captaine for

1496his Life, and I will thee requite.

1497Flu. Aunchient Pistoll, I doe partly vnderstand your

1498meaning.

1499Pist. Why then reioyce therefore.

1500Flu. Certainly Aunchient, it is not a thing to reioyce

1501at: for if, looke you, he were my Brother, I would desire

1502the Duke to vse his good pleasure, and put him to execu-

1503tion; for discipline ought to be vsed.

1504Pist. Dye, and be dam'd, and Figo for thy friendship.

1505Flu. It is well.

1506Pist. The Figge of Spaine. Exit.

1507Flu. Very good.

1508Gower. Why, this is an arrant counterfeit Rascall, I

1509remember him now: a Bawd, a Cut-purse.

1510Flu. Ile assure you, a vtt'red as praue words at the

1511Pridge, as you shall see in a Summers day: but it is very

1512well: what he ha's spoke to me, that is well I warrant you,

1513when time is serue.

1514Gower. Why 'tis a Gull, a Foole, a Rogue, that now and

1515then goes to the Warres, to grace himselfe at his returne

1516into London, vnder the forme of a Souldier: and such

1517fellowes are perfit in the Great Commanders Names, and

1518they will learne you by rote where Seruices were done;

1519at such and such a Sconce, at such a Breach, at such a Con-

1520uoy: who came off brauely, who was shot, who dis-

1521grac'd, what termes the Enemy stood on: and this they

1522conne perfitly in the phrase of Warre; which they tricke

1523vp with new-tuned Oathes: and what a Beard of the Ge-

1524neralls Cut, and a horride Sute of the Campe, will doe a-

1525mong foming Bottles, and Ale-washt Wits, is wonder-

1526full to be thought on: but you must learne to know such

1527slanders of the age, or else you may be maruellously mi-

1528stooke.

1529Flu. I tell you what, Captaine Gower: I doe perceiue

1530hee is not the man that hee would gladly make shew to

1531the World hee is: if I finde a hole in his Coat, I will tell

1532him my minde: hearke you, the King is comming, and I

1533must speake with him from the Pridge.

1536Flu. God plesse your Maiestie.

1537King. How now Fluellen, cam'st thou from the Bridge?

1538Flu. I, so please your Maiestie: The Duke of Exeter

1539ha's very gallantly maintain'd the Pridge; the French is

1540gone off, looke you, and there is gallant and most praue

1541passages: marry, th'athuersarie was haue possession of

1542the Pridge, but he is enforced to retyre, and the Duke of

1543Exeter is Master of the Pridge: I can tell your Maiestie,

1544the Duke is a praue man.

1545King. What men haue you lost, Fluellen?

1546Flu. The perdition of th'athuersarie hath beene very

1547great, reasonnable great: marry for my part, I thinke the

1548Duke hath lost neuer a man, but one that is like to be exe-

1549cuted for robbing a Church, one Bardolph, if your Maie-

1550stie know the man: his face is all bubukles and whelkes,

1551and knobs, and flames a fire, and his lippes blowes at his

1552nose, and it is like a coale of fire, sometimes plew, and

1553sometimes red, but his nose is executed, and his fire's

1554out.

1555King. Wee would haue all such offendors so cut off:

1556and we giue expresse charge, that in our Marches through

1557the Countrey, there be nothing compell'd from the Vil-

1558lages; nothing taken, but pay'd for: none of the French

1559vpbrayded or abused in disdainefull Language; for when

1560Leuitie and Crueltie play for a Kingdome, the gentler

1561Gamester is the soonest winner.

1563Mountioy. You know me by my habit.

1564King. Well then, I know thee: what shall I know of

1565thee?

1566Mountioy. My Masters mind.

1567King. Vnfold it.

1568Mountioy. Thus sayes my King: Say thou to Harry

1569of England, Though we seem'd dead, we did but sleepe:

1570Aduantage is a better Souldier then rashnesse. Tell him,

1571wee could haue rebuk'd him at Harflewe, but that wee

1572thought not good to bruise an iniurie, till it were full

1573ripe. Now wee speake vpon our Q. and our voyce is im-

1574periall: England shall repent his folly, see his weake-

1575nesse, and admire our sufferance. Bid him therefore con-

1576sider of his ransome, which must proportion the losses we

1577haue borne, the subiects we haue lost, the disgrace we

1578haue digested; which in weight to re-answer, his petti-

1579nesse would bow vnder. For our losses, his Exchequer is

1580too poore; for th'effusion of our bloud, the Muster of his

1581Kingdome too faint a number; and for our disgrace, his

1582owne person kneeling at our feet, but a weake and worth-

1583lesse satisfaction. To this adde defiance: and tell him for

1584conclusion, he hath betrayed his followers, whose con-

1585demnation is pronounc't: So farre my King and Master;

1586so much my Office.

1587King. What is thy name? I know thy qualitie.

1588Mount. Mountioy.

1589King. Thou doo'st thy Office fairely. Turne thee backe,

1590And tell thy King, I doe not seeke him now,

1591But could be willing to march on to Callice,

1592Without impeachment: for to say the sooth,

1593Though 'tis no wisdome to confesse so much

1594Vnto an enemie of Craft and Vantage,

1595My people are with sicknesse much enfeebled,

1596My numbers lessen'd: and those few I haue,

1597Almost no better then so many French;

1598Who when they were in health, I tell thee Herald,

1599I thought, vpon one payre of English Legges

1600Did march three Frenchmen. Yet forgiue me God,

1601That I doe bragge thus; this your ayre of France

1602Hath blowne that vice in me. I must repent:

1603Goe therefore tell thy Master, heere I am;

1604My Ransome, is this frayle and worthlesse Trunke;

1605My Army, but a weake and sickly Guard:

1606Yet God before, tell him we will come on,

1607Though France himselfe, and such another Neighbor

1608Stand in our way. There's for thy labour Mountioy.

1609Goe bid thy Master well aduise himselfe.

1610If we may passe, we will: if we be hindred,

1611We shall your tawnie ground with your red blood

1612Discolour: and so Mountioy, fare you well.

1613The summe of all our Answer is but this:

1614We would not seeke a Battaile as we are,

1615Nor as we are, we say we will not shun it:

1616So tell your Master.

1617Mount. I shall deliuer so: Thankes to your High-

1618nesse.

1619Glouc. I hope they will not come vpon vs now.

1620King. We are in Gods hand, Brother, not in theirs:

1621March to the Bridge, it now drawes toward night,

1622Beyond the Riuer wee'le encampe our selues,

1623And on to morrow bid them march away. Exeunt.