Henry V (Modern, Folio)

Introduction
Texts of this edition
1. Henry V (1623 Folio version)
3. Modern
5. Old-spelling transcription
6. Henry V (1600 Quarto version)
8. Modern
10. Old-spelling transcription
Contextual materials
Facsimiles
1[1.2]
2.0.1143Enter the King, Humphrey [Duke of Gloucester], Bedford, Clarence, 144Warwick, Westmorland, and Exeter[, with attendants].
2.1145King Henry
 Where is my gracious lord of Canterbury?
2.2146Exeter
 Not here in presence.
 147King Henry
 Not here in presence.  Send for him, good uncle.
 [Exit attendant.]
2.3148Westmorland
 Shall we call in th'ambassador, my liege?
2.4149King Henry
 Not yet, my cousin. We would be resolved,
2.5150Before we hear him, of some things of weight
2.6151That task our thoughts concerning us and France.
 152Enter [the] two Bishops[, Canterbury and Ely].
2.7153Canterbury
 God and his angels guard your sacred throne
2.8154And make you long become it.
 155King Henry
 And make you long become it.  Sure we thank you.
2.9156My learnèd lord, we pray you to proceed,
2.10157And justly and religiously unfold
2.11158Why the law Salic, that they have in France,
2.12159Or should or should not bar us in our claim.
2.13160And God forbid, my dear and faithful lord,
2.14161That you should fashion, wrest, or bow your reading,
2.15162Or nicely charge your understanding soul
2.16163With opening titles miscreate, whose right
2.17164Suits not in native colors with the truth.
2.18165For God doth know how many now in health
2.19166Shall drop their blood in approbation
2.20167Of what your reverence shall incite us to.
2.21168Therefore take heed how you impawn our person,
2.22169How you awake our sleeping sword of war;
2.23170We charge you in the name of God, take heed.
2.24171For never two such kingdoms did contend
2.25172Without much fall of blood, whose guiltless drops
2.26173Are every one a woe, a sore complaint
2.27174'Gainst him whose wrongs gives edge unto the swords
2.28175That makes such waste in brief mortality.
2.29176Under this conjuration speak, my lord,
2.30177For we will hear, note, and believe in heart
2.31178That what you speak is in your conscience washed
2.32179As pure as sin with baptism.
2.33180Canterbury
 Then hear me, gracious sovereign, and you peers
2.34181That owe your selves, your lives and services
2.35182To this imperial throne. There is no bar
2.36183To make against your highness' claim to France
2.37184But this, which they produce from Pharamond:
2.38185"In terram Salicam mulieres ne succedant" --
2.39186"No woman shall succeed in Salic land" --
2.40187Which Salic land the French unjustly gloss
2.41188To be the realm of France, and Pharamond
2.42189The founder of this law and female bar.
2.43190Yet their own authors faithfully affirm
2.44191That the land Salic is in Germany,
2.45192Between the floods of Saale and of Elbe,
2.46193Where Charles the Great, having subdued the Saxons,
2.47194There left behind and settled certain French
2.48195Who, holding in disdain the German women
2.49196For some dishonest manners of their life,
2.50197Established then this law: to wit, no female
2.51198Should be inheritrix in Salic land,
2.52199Which Salic, as I said, 'twixt Elbe and Saale,
2.53200Is at this day in Germany, called Meissen.
2.54201Then doth it well appear the Salic law
2.55202Was not devisèd for the realm of France,
2.56203Nor did the French possess the Salic land
2.57204Until four hundred one-and-twenty years
2.58205After defunction of King Pharamond,
2.59206Idly supposed the founder of this law,
2.60207Who died within the year of our redemption
2.61208Four hundred twenty-six; and Charles the Great
2.62209Subdued the Saxons and did seat the French
2.63210Beyond the river Saale in the year
2.64211Eight hundred five. Besides, their writers say
2.65212King Pepin, which deposèd Childeric,
2.66213Did as heir general, being descended
2.67214Of Blithild, which was daughter to King Chlothar,
2.68215Make claim and title to the crown of France.
2.69216Hugh Capet also, who usurped the crown
2.70217Of Charles the Duke of Lorraine, sole heir male
2.71218Of the true line and stock of Charles the Great,
2.72219To find his title with some shows of truth --
2.73220Though in pure truth it was corrupt and naught --
2.74221Conveyed himself as th'heir to th'lady Lingare,
2.75222Daughter to Charlemagne, who was the son
2.76223To Louis the emperor, and Louis the son
2.77224Of Charles the Great. Also King Louis the Tenth,
2.78225Who was sole heir to the usurper Capet,
2.79226Could not keep quiet in his conscience
2.80227Wearing the crown of France till satisfied
2.81228That fair Queen Isabelle, his grandmother,
2.82229Was lineal of the lady Ermengarde,
2.83230Daughter to Charles the foresaid Duke of Lorraine,
2.84231By the which marriage the line of Charles the Great
2.85232Was reunited to the crown of France.
2.86233So that, as clear as is the summer's sun,
2.87234King Pepin's title and Hugh Capet's claim,
2.88235King Louis his satisfaction, all appear
2.89236To hold in right and title of the female;
2.90237So do the kings of France unto this day,
2.91238Howbeit they would hold up this Salic law
2.92239To bar your highness claiming from the female,
2.93240And rather choose to hide them in a net
2.94241Than amply to embar their crooked titles
2.95242Usurped from you and your progenitors.
2.96243King Henry
 May I with right and conscience make this claim?
2.97244Canterbury
 The sin upon my head, dread sovereign.
2.98245For in the book of Numbers is it writ:
2.99246"When the man dies, let the inheritance
2.100247Descend unto the daughter." Gracious lord,
2.101248Stand for your own. Unwind your bloody flag,
2.102249Look back into your mighty ancestors.
2.103250Go, my dread lord, to your great-grandsire's tomb,
2.104251From whom you claim; invoke his warlike spirit,
2.105252And your great-uncle's, Edward the Black Prince,
2.106253Who on the French ground played a tragedy,
2.107254Making defeat on the full power of France
2.108255Whiles his most mighty father on a hill
2.109256Stood smiling to behold his lion's whelp
2.110257Forage in blood of French nobility.
2.111258Oh, noble English, that could entertain
2.112259With half their forces the full pride of France
2.113260And let another half stand laughing by,
2.114261All out of work and cold for action!
2.115262Ely
 Awake remembrance of these valiant dead,
2.116263And with your puissant arm renew their feats.
2.117264You are their heir, you sit upon their throne,
2.118265The blood and courage that renownèd them
2.119266Runs in your veins, and my thrice-puissant liege
2.120267Is in the very May-morn of his youth,
2.121268Ripe for exploits and mighty enterprises.
2.122269Exeter
 Your brother kings and monarchs of the earth
2.123270Do all expect that you should rouse yourself
2.124271As did the former lions of your blood.
2.125272Westmorland
 They know your grace hath cause, and means, and might;
2.126273So hath your highness. Never king of England
2.127274Had nobles richer and more loyal subjects,
2.128275Whose hearts have left their bodies here in England
2.129276And lie pavilioned in the fields of France.
2.130277Canterbury
 Oh, let their bodies follow, my dear liege,
2.131278With bloods and sword and fire to win your right.
2.132279In aid whereof, we of the spiritualty
2.133280Will raise your highness such a mighty sum
2.134281As never did the clergy at one time
2.135282Bring in to any of your ancestors.
2.136283King Henry
 We must not only arm t'invade the French,
2.137284But lay down our proportions to defend
2.138285Against the Scot, who will make road upon us
2.139286With all advantages.
2.140287Canterbury
 They of those marches, gracious sovereign,
2.141288Shall be a wall sufficient to defend
2.142289Our inland from the pilfering borderers.
2.143290King Henry
 We do not mean the coursing snatchers only,
2.144291But fear the main intendment of the Scot,
2.145292Who hath been still a giddy neighbor to us.
2.146293For you shall read that my great-grandfather
2.147294Never went with his forces into France
2.148295But that the Scot on his unfurnished kingdom
2.149296Came pouring like the tide into a breach
2.150297With ample and brim fullness of his force,
2.151298Galling the gleanèd land with hot assays,
2.152299Girding with grievous siege castles and towns,
2.153300That England, being empty of defense,
2.154301Hath shook and trembled at th'ill neighborhood.
2.155302Canterbury
 She hath been then more feared than harmed, my liege.
2.156303For hear her but exampled by herself:
2.157304When all her chivalry hath been in France
2.158305And she a mourning widow of her nobles,
2.159306She hath herself not only well defended,
2.160307But taken and impounded as a stray
2.161308The king of Scots, whom she did send to France
2.162309To fill King Edward's fame with prisoner kings
2.163310And make their chronicle as rich with praise
2.164311As is the ooze and bottom of the sea
2.165312With sunken wreck and sumless treasuries.
2.166313Ely
 But there's a saying very old and true:
2.167314"If that you will France win,
2.168Then with Scotland first begin."
2.169315For once the eagle England being in prey,
2.170316To her unguarded nest the weasel Scot
2.171317Comes sneaking, and so sucks her princely eggs,
2.172318Playing the mouse in absence of the cat,
2.173319To 'tame and havoc more than she can eat.
2.174320Exeter
 It follows then the cat must stay at home,
2.175321Yet that is but a crushed necessity,
2.176322Since we have locks to safeguard necessaries
2.177323And pretty traps to catch the petty thieves.
2.178324While that the armèd hand doth fight abroad,
2.179325Th'advisèd head defends itself at home.
2.180326For government, though high and low and lower
2.181327Put into parts, doth keep in one consent,
2.182328Congreeing in a full and natural close
2.183329Like music.
 330Canterbury
 Like music.  Therefore doth heaven divide
2.184331The state of man in divers functions,
2.185332Setting endeavor in continual motion,
2.186333To which is fixèd, as an aim or butt,
2.187334Obedience. For so work the honeybees,
2.188335Creatures that by a rule in nature teach
2.189336The act of order to a peopled kingdom.
2.190337They have a king, and officers of sorts,
2.191338Where some like magistrates correct at home;
2.192339Others like merchants venture trade abroad;
2.193340Others, like soldiers armèd in their stings,
2.194341Make boot upon the summer's velvet buds,
2.195342Which pillage they with merry march bring home
2.196343To the tent-royal of their emperor,
2.197344Who, busied in his majesties, surveys
2.198345The singing masons building roofs of gold,
2.199346The civil citizens kneading up the honey,
2.200347The poor mechanic porters crowding in
2.201348Their heavy burdens at his narrow gate,
2.202349The sad-eyed justice with his surly hum
2.203350Delivering o'er to executors pale
2.204351The lazy yawning drone. I this infer:
2.205352That many things, having full reference
2.206353To one consent, may work contrariously.
2.207354As many arrows loosèd several ways
2.208355Come to one mark, as many ways meet in one town,
2.209356As many fresh streams meet in one salt sea,
2.210357As many lines close in the dial's center,
2.211358So may a thousand actions once afoot
2.212359End in one purpose, and be all well borne
2.213360Without defeat. Therefore to France, my liege.
2.214361Divide your happy England into four,
2.215362Whereof take you one quarter into France,
2.216363And you withal shall make all Gallia shake.
2.217364If we, with thrice such powers left at home,
2.218365Cannot defend our own doors from the dog,
2.219366Let us be worried, and our nation lose
2.220367The name of hardiness and policy.
2.221368King Henry
 Call in the messengers sent from the dauphin.
2.221.1[Exit attendant.]
2.222369Now are we well resolved, and by God's help
2.223370And yours, the noble sinews of our power,
2.224371France being ours, we'll bend it to our awe,
2.225372Or break it all to pieces. Or there we'll sit,
2.226373Ruling in large and ample empery
2.227374O'er France and all her almost kingly dukedoms,
2.228375Or lay these bones in an unworthy urn,
2.229376Tombless, with no remembrance over them.
2.230377Either our history shall with full mouth
2.231378Speak freely of our acts, or else our grave,
2.232379Like Turkish mute, shall have a tongueless mouth,
2.233380Not worshipped with a waxen epitaph. --
2.233.1381Enter Ambassadors of France.
2.234382Now are we well prepared to know the pleasure
2.235383Of our fair cousin dauphin, for we hear
2.236384Your greeting is from him, not from the king.
2.237385Ambassador
 May't please your majesty to give us leave
2.238386Freely to render what we have in charge,
2.239387Or shall we sparingly show you far off
2.240388The dauphin's meaning and our embassy?
2.241389King Henry
 We are no tyrant, but a Christian king,
2.242390Unto whose grace our passion is as subject
2.243391As is our wretches fettered in our prisons.
2.244392Therefore with frank and with uncurbèd plainness
2.245393Tell us the dauphin's mind.
 394Ambassador
 Tell us the dauphin's mind.  Thus, then, in few:
2.246395Your highness, lately sending into France,
2.247396Did claim some certain dukedoms in the right
2.248397Of your great predecessor, King Edward the Third.
2.249398In answer of which claim, the prince our master
2.250399Says that you savor too much of your youth,
2.251400And bids you be advised, there's naught in France
2.252401That can be with a nimble galliard won;
2.253402You cannot revel into dukedoms there.
2.254403He therefore sends you, meeter for your spirit,
2.255404This tun of treasure, and in lieu of this,
2.256405Desires you let the dukedoms that you claim
2.257406Hear no more of you. This the dauphin speaks.
2.258407King Henry
 What treasure, uncle?
 408Exeter
 What treasure, uncle?  Tennis balls, my liege.
2.259409King Henry
 We are glad the dauphin is so pleasant with us.
2.260410His present and your pains we thank you for.
2.261411When we have matched our rackets to these balls,
2.262412We will in France, by God's grace, play a set
2.263413Shall strike his father's crown into the hazard.
2.264414Tell him he hath made a match with such a wrangler
2.265415That all the courts of France will be disturbed
2.266416With chases. And we understand him well,
2.267417How he comes o'er us with our wilder days,
2.268418Not measuring what use we made of them.
2.269419We never valued this poor seat of England,
2.270420And therefore living hence, did give ourself
2.271421To barbarous license, as 'tis ever common
2.272422That men are merriest when they are from home.
2.273423But tell the dauphin I will keep my state,
2.274424Be like a king, and show my sail of greatness
2.275425When I do rouse me in my throne of France.
2.276426For that I have laid by my majesty
2.277427And plodded like a man for working days,
2.278428But I will rise there with so full a glory
2.279429That I will dazzle all the eyes of France,
2.280430Yea, strike the dauphin blind to look on us.
2.281431And tell the pleasant prince this mock of his
2.282432Hath turned his balls to gunstones, and his soul
2.283433Shall stand sore chargèd for the wasteful vengeance
2.284434That shall fly with them: for many a thousand widows
2.285435Shall this, his mock, mock out of their dear husbands,
2.286436Mock mothers from their sons, mock castles down,
2.287437And some are yet ungotten and unborn
2.288438That shall have cause to curse the dauphin's scorn.
2.289439But this lies all within the will of God,
2.290440To whom I do appeal, and in whose name
2.291441Tell you the dauphin I am coming on
2.292442To venge me as I may, and to put forth
2.293443My rightful hand in a well-hallowed cause.
2.294444So get you hence in peace, and tell the dauphin
2.295445His jest will savor but of shallow wit
2.296446When thousands weep more than did laugh at it. --
2.297447Convey them with safe conduct. -- Fare you well.
 448Exeunt Ambassadors.
2.298449Exeter
 This was a merry message.
2.299450King Henry
 We hope to make the sender blush at it.
2.300451Therefore, my lords, omit no happy hour
2.301452That may give furtherance to our expedition,
2.302453For we have now no thought in us but France,
2.303454Save those to God, that run before our business.
2.304455Therefore let our proportions for these wars
2.305456Be soon collected, and all things thought upon
2.306457That may with reasonable swiftness add
2.307458More feathers to our wings, for, God before,
2.308459We'll chide this dauphin at his father's door.
2.309460Therefore let every man now task his thought
2.310461That this fair action may on foot be brought.
 Exeunt.
Internet Shakespeare Editions

Reading Room

Toolbox

About this text

Henry V (Modern, Folio)
