How now, Captain Fluellen, come you from 1452the bridge?

I assure you, there is very excellent services 1454committed at the bridge.

Is the Duke of Exeter safe?

The Duke of Exeter is as magnanimous as 1457Agamemnon, and a man that I love and honor with my soul, 1458and my heart, and my duty, and my live, and my living, 1459and my uttermost power. He is not, God be praised and 1460blessed, any hurt in the world, but keeps the bridge 1461most valiantly, with excellent discipline. There is an 1462aunchient lieutenant there at the pridge. I think in my very 1463conscience he is as valiant a man as Mark Antony, and 1464he is a man of no estimation in the world, but I did see 1465him do as gallant service.

What do you call him?

He is called Aunchient Pistol.

I know him not.

Here is the man.

Captain, I thee beseech to do me favors; the 1472Duke of Exeter doth love thee well.

Ay, I praise God, and I have merited some love at 1474his hands.

Bardolph, a soldier firm and sound of heart, 1476and of buxom valor, hath, by cruel fate and giddy 1477Fortune's furious fickle wheel, that goddess blind that 1478stands upon the rolling restless stone --

By your patience, Aunchient Pistol, Fortune is 1480painted blind, with a muffler afore his eyes, to signify 1481to you that fortune is blind; and she is painted also 1482with a wheel, to signify to you, which is the moral of 1483it, that she is turning and inconstant, and mutability, 1484and variation; and her foot, look you, is fixed upon a 1485spherical stone, which rowls and rowls and rowls. 1486In good truth, the poet makes a most excellent 1487description of it. Fortune is an excellent moral.

Fortune is Bardolph's foe and frowns on him, 1489for he hath stolen a pax, and hanged must a be, a damned 1490death. Let gallows gape for dog; let man go free, 1491and let not hemp his windpipe suffocate. But Exeter 1492hath given the doom of death for pax of little price. 1493Therefore go speak -- the duke will hear thy voice 1494-- and let not Bardolph's vital thread be cut with edge of 1495penny-cord and vile reproach. Speak, captain, for 1496his life, and I will thee requite.

Aunchient Pistol, I do partly understand your 1498meaning.

Why then, rejoice therefore!

Certainly, aunchient, it is not a thing to rejoice 1501at. For if, look you, he were my brother, I would desire 1502the duke to use his good pleasure and put him to 1503execution; for discipline ought to be used.

Die and be damned, and fico for thy friendship!

It is well.

The fig of Spain!

Very good.

Why, this is an arrant counterfeit rascal. I 1509remember him now: a bawd, a cutpurse.

I'll assure you, a uttered as prave words at the 1511pridge as you shall see in a summer's day. But it is very 1512well; what he has spoke to me, that is well, I warrant you, 1513when time is serve.

Why 'tis a gull, a fool, a rogue that now and 1515then goes to the wars to grace himself at his return 1516into London under the form of a soldier. And such 1517fellows are perfect in the great commanders' names, and 1518they will learn you by rote where services were done: 1519at such and such a sconce, at such a breach, at such a 1520convoy; who came off bravely, who was shot, who 1521disgraced; what terms the enemy stood on. And this they 1522con perfectly in the phrase of war, which they 1523trick up with new-tuned oaths. And what a beard of the 1524general's cut and a horrid suit of the camp will do 1525among foaming bottles and ale-washed wits is 1526wonderful to be thought on. But you must learn to know such 1527slanders of the age, or else you may be marvelously 1528mistook.

I tell you what, Captain Gower: I do perceive 1530he is not the man that he would gladly make show to 1531the world he is. If I find a hole in his coat, I will tell 1532him my mind. [Drum within] Hark you, the king is coming, and I 1533must speak with him from the pridge.

God pless your majesty.

How now, Fluellen, cam'st thou from the bridge?

Ay, so please your majesty. The Duke of Exeter 1539has very gallantly maintained the pridge. The French is 1540gone off, look you, and there is gallant and most 1541prave passages. Marry, th'athversary was have possession of 1542the pridge, but he is enforced to retire, and the Duke of 1543Exeter is master of the pridge. I can tell your majesty, 1544the duke is a prave man.

What men have you lost, Fluellen?

The perdition of th'athversary hath been very 1547great, reasonable great. Marry, for my part I think the 1548duke hath lost never a man, but one that is like to be executed 1549for robbing a church: one Bardolph, 1550if your majesty know the man. His face is all bubuckles, and whelks, 1551and knobs, and flames afire, and his lips blows at his 1552nose, and it is like a coal of fire, sometimes plue and 1553sometimes red. But his nose is executed, and his fire's 1554out.

We would have all such offenders so cut off, 1556and we give express charge that in our marches through 1557the country there be nothing compelled from the 1558villages, nothing taken but paid for, none of the French 1559upbraided or abused in disdainful language. For when 1560levity and cruelty play for a kingdom, the gentler 1561gamester is the soonest winner.

You know me by my habit.

Well then, I know thee. What shall I know 1565of thee?

My master's mind.

Unfold it.

Thus says my king: "Say thou to Harry 1569of England, though we seemed dead, we did but sleep. 1570Advantage is a better soldier than rashness. Tell him 1571we could have rebuked him at Harfleur, but that we 1572thought not good to bruise an injury till it were full 1573ripe. Now we speak upon our cue, and our voice is 1574imperial: England shall repent his folly, see his 1575weakness, and admire our sufferance. Bid him therefore 1576consider of his ransom, which must proportion the losses we 1577have borne, the subjects we have lost, the disgrace we 1578have digested, which in weight to re-answer his 1579pettiness would bow under. For our losses, his exchequer is 1580too poor; for th'effusion of our blood, the muster of his kingdom 1581too faint a number; and for our disgrace, his 1582own person kneeling at our feet but a weak and 1583worthless satisfaction. To this add defiance, and tell him for 1584conclusion he hath betrayed his followers, whose 1585condemnation is pronounced." So far my king and master; 1586so much my office.

What is thy name? I know thy quality.

Montjoy.

Thou dost thy office fairly. Turn thee back

3.6.391590And tell thy king I do not seek him now,

3.6.401591But could be willing to march on to Calais

3.6.411592Without impeachment; for to say the sooth,

3.6.421593Though 'tis no wisdom to confess so much

3.6.431594Unto an enemy of craft and vantage,

3.6.441595My people are with sickness much enfeebled,

3.6.451596My numbers lessened, and those few I have

3.6.461597Almost no better than so many French,

3.6.471598Who when they were in health, I tell thee, herald,

3.6.481599I thought upon one pair of English legs

3.6.491600Did march three Frenchmen. Yet forgive me, God,

3.6.501601That I do brag thus; this your air of France

3.6.511602Hath blown that vice in me. I must repent.

3.6.521603Go therefore, tell thy master here I am.

3.6.531604My ransom is this frail and worthless trunk,

3.6.541605My army but a weak and sickly guard.

3.6.551606Yet, God before, tell him we will come on,

3.6.561607Though France himself and such another neighbor

3.6.571608Stand in our way.

Stand in our way. There's for thy labor, Montjoy.

3.6.581609Go bid thy master well advise himself.

3.6.591610If we may pass, we will. If we be hindered,

3.6.601611We shall your tawny ground with your red blood

3.6.611612Discolor. And so, Montjoy, fare you well.

3.6.621613The sum of all our answer is but this:

3.6.631614We would not seek a battle as we are,

3.6.641615Nor as we are, we say, we will not shun it.

3.6.651616So tell your master.

I shall deliver so. Thanks to your 1618highness.

I hope they will not come upon us now.

We are in God's hand, brother, not in theirs. --

3.6.691621March to the bridge. -- It now draws toward night.

3.6.701622Beyond the river we'll encamp ourselves,

3.6.711623And on tomorrow bid them march away.