HENRY THE FIFTH

Act 3 Scene 3

(Enter Captain Gower and Captain Fluellen, meeting)
l1l	Gower	 Captain Fluellen, you must come presently to the
l2l		mines. The Duke of Gloucester would speak with you.
l3l	Fluellen	To the mines? Tell you the Duke it is not so
l4l		good to come to the mines. For look you, the mines is
l5l		not according to the disciplines of the war. The concavities
l6l		of it is not sufficient. For look you, th’ athversary,
l7l		you may discuss unto the Duke, look you, is digt
l8l		himself, four yard under, the countermines. By Cheshu,
l9l		I think a will plow up all, if there is not better directions.
l10l	Gower	The Duke of Gloucester, to whom the order of the
l11l		siege is given, is altogether directed by an Irishman, a
l12l		very valiant gentleman, i’ faith.
l13l	Fluellen	It is Captain MacMorris, is it not?
l14l	Gower	I think it be.
l15l	Fluellen	By Cheshu, he is an ass, as in the world. I will
l16l		verify as much in his beard. He has no more directions
l17l		in the true disciplines of the wars, look you—of the
l18l		Roman disciplines—than is a puppy dog.
		(Enter Captain MacMorris and Captain Jamy)
l19l	Gower	 Here a comes, and the Scots captain, Captain
l20l		Jamy, with him.
l21l	Fluellen	Captain Jamy is a marvellous falorous gentleman,
l22l		that is certain, and of great expedition and
l23l		knowledge in th’ anciant wars, upon my particular
l24l		knowledge of his directions. By Cheshu, he will
l25l		maintain his argument as well as any military man in
l26l		the world, in the disciplines of the pristine wars of the
l27l		Romans.
l28l	Jamy	I say gud day, Captain Fluellen.
l29l	Fluellen	Good e’en to your worship, good Captain James.
l30l	Gower	How now, Captain MacMorris, have you quit the
l31l		mines? Have the pioneers given o’er?
l32l	Macmorris	By Chrish law, ’tish ill done. The work ish
l33l		give over, the trumpet sound the retreat. By my hand
l34l		I swear, and my father’s soul, the work ish ill done, it
l35l		ish give over. I would have blowed up the town, so
l36l		Chrish save me law, in an hour. O ’tish ill done, ’tish
l37l		ill done, by my hand ’tish ill done.
l38l	Fluellen	Captain MacMorris, I beseech you now, will
l39l		you vouchsafe me, look you, a few disputations with
l40l		you, as partly touching or concerning the disciplines
l41l		of the war, the Roman wars, in the way of argument,
l42l		look you, and friendly communication? Partly to satisfy
l43l		my opinion and partly for the satisfaction, look you, of
l44l		my mind. As touching the direction of the military
l45l		discipline, that is the point.
l46l	Jamy	It sall be vary gud, gud feith, gud captains bath,
l47l		and I sall quite you with gud leve, as I may pick
l48l		occasion. That sall I, marry.
l49l	Macmorris	It is no time to discourse, so Chrish save me.
l50l		The day is hot, and the weather and the wars and the
l51l		King and the dukes. It is no time to discourse. The
l52l		town is besieched. An the trumpet call us to the breach,
l53l		and we talk and, be Chrish, do nothing, ’tis shame for
l54l		us all. So God sa’ me, ’tis shame to stand still, it is
l55l		shame by my hand. And there is throats to be cut, and
l56l		works to be done, and there ish nothing done, so Christ
l57l		sa’ me law.
l58l	Jamy	By the mess, ere these eyes of mine take themselves
l59l		to slumber, ay’ll de gud service, or I’ll lig i’ th’ grund
l60l		for it. Ay owe Got a death, and I’ll pay ’t as valorously
l61l		as I may, that sall I suirely do, that is the brief and
l62l		the long. Marry, I wad full fain heard some question
l63l		’tween you twae.
l64l	Fluellen	Captain MacMorris, I think, look you, under
l65l		your correction, there is not many of your nation—
l66l	Macmorris	Of my nation? What ish my nation? Ish a
l67l		villain and a bastard and a knave and a rascal? What
l68l		ish my nation? Who talks of my nation?
l69l	Fluellen	Look you, if you take the matter otherwise than
l70l		is meant, Captain MacMorris, peradventure I shall think
l71l		you do not use me with that affability as in discretion
l72l		you ought to use me, look you, being as good a man
l73l		as yourself, both in the disciplines of war and in the
l74l		derivation of my birth, and in other particularities.
l75l	Macmorris	I do not know you so good a man as myself.
l76l		So Chrish save me, I will cut off your head.
l77l	Gower	Gentlemen both, you will mistake each other.
l78l	Jamy	Ah, that’s a foul fault.
		(A parley is sounded)
l79l	Gower	 The town sounds a parley.
l80l	Fluellen	Captain MacMorris, when there is more better
l81l		opportunity to be required, look you, I will be so bold
l82l		as to tell you I know the disciplines of war. And there
l83l		is an end.
		(Exit)
l84l		(Flourish. Enter King Harry and all his train before the gates)
		King Harry	 How yet resolves the Governor of the town?
l85l		This is the latest parle we will admit.
l86l		Therefore to our best mercy give yourselves,
l87l		Or like to men proud of destruction
l88l		Defy us to our worst. For as I am a soldier,
l89l		A name that in my thoughts becomes me best,
l90l		If I begin the batt’ry once again
l91l		I will not leave the half-achievèd Harfleur
l92l		Till in her ashes she lie burièd.
l93l		The gates of mercy shall be all shut up,
l94l		And the fleshed soldier, rough and hard of heart,
l95l		In liberty of bloody hand shall range
l96l		With conscience wide as hell, mowing like grass
l97l		Your fresh fair virgins and your flow’ring infants.
l98l		What is it then to me if impious war
l99l		Arrayed in flames like to the prince of fiends
l100l		Do with his smirched complexion all fell feats
l101l		Enlinked to waste and desolation?
l102l		What is ’t to me, when you yourselves are cause,
l103l		If your pure maidens fall into the hand
l104l		Of hot and forcing violation?
l105l		What rein can hold licentious wickedness
l106l		When down the hill he holds his fierce career?
l107l		We may as bootless spend our vain command
l108l		Upon th’ enragèd soldiers in their spoil
l109l		As send precepts to the leviathan
l110l		To come ashore. Therefore, you men of Harfleur,
l111l		Take pity of your town and of your people
l112l		Whiles yet my soldiers are in my command,
l113l		Whiles yet the cool and temperate wind of grace
l114l		O’erblows the filthy and contagious clouds
l115l		Of heady murder, spoil, and villainy.
l116l		If not—why, in a moment look to see
l117l		The blind and bloody soldier with foul hand
l118l		Defile the locks of your shrill-shrieking daughters#
l119l		Your fathers taken by the silver beards,
l120l		And their most reverend heads dashed to the walls#
l121l		Your naked infants spitted upon pikes,
l122l		Whiles the mad mothers with their howls confused
l123l		Do break the clouds, as did the wives of Jewry
l124l		At Herod’s bloody-hunting slaughtermen.
l125l		What say you? Will you yield, and this avoid?
l126l		Or, guilty in defence, be thus destroyed?
		(Enter Governor on the wall)
l127l	Governor	 Our expectation hath this day an end.
l128l		The Dauphin, whom of succours we entreated,
l129l		Returns us that his powers are yet not ready
l130l		To raise so great a siege. Therefore, dread King,
l131l		We yield our town and lives to thy soft mercy.
l132l		Enter our gates, dispose of us and ours,
l133l		For we no longer are defensible.
l134l	King Harry	Open your gates.
		(Exit Governor)
		 Come, Uncle Exeter,
l135l		Go you and enter Harfleur. There remain,
l136l		And fortify it strongly ’gainst the French.
l137l		Use mercy to them all. For us, dear uncle,
l138l		The winter coming on, and sickness growing
l139l		Upon our soldiers, we will retire to Calais.
l140l		Tonight in Harfleur will we be your guest#
l141l		Tomorrow for the march are we addressed.
		(The gates are opened. Flourish, and they enter the town)