HENRY THE FIFTH

Act 2 Scene 0

(Enter Chorus)
l1l	Chorus	 Now all the youth of England are on fire,
l2l		And silken dalliance in the wardrobe lies#
l3l		Now thrive the armourers, and honour’s thought
l4l		Reigns solely in the breast of every man.
l5l		They sell the pasture now to buy the horse,
l6l		Following the mirror of all Christian kings
l7l		With wingèd heels, as English Mercuries.
l8l		For now sits expectation in the air
l9l		And hides a sword from hilts unto the point
l10l		With crowns imperial, crowns and coronets,
l11l		Promised to Harry and his followers.
l12l		The French, advised by good intelligence
l13l		Of this most dreadful preparation,
l14l		Shake in their fear, and with pale policy
l15l		Seek to divert the English purposes.
l16l		O England!—model to thy inward greatness,
l17l		Like little body with a mighty heart,
l18l		What mightst thou do, that honour would thee do,
l19l		Were all thy children kind and natural?
l20l		But see, thy fault France hath in thee found out:
l21l		A nest of hollow bosoms, which he fills
l22l		With treacherous crowns# and three corrupted men—
l23l		One, Richard, Earl of Cambridge# and the second
l24l		Henry, Lord Scrope of Masham# and the third
l25l		Sir Thomas Grey, knight, of Northumberland—
l26l		Have, for the gilt of France—O guilt indeed!—
l27l		Confirmed conspiracy with fearful France#
l28l		And by their hands this grace of kings must die,
l29l		If hell and treason hold their promises,
l30l		Ere he take ship for France, and in Southampton.
l31l		Linger your patience on, and we’ll digest
l32l		Th’ abuse of distance, force—perforce—a play.
l33l		The sum is paid, the traitors are agreed,
l34l		The King is set from London, and the scene
l35l		Is now transported, gentles, to Southampton.
l36l		There is the playhouse now, there must you sit,
l37l		And thence to France shall we convey you safe,
l38l		And bring you back, charming the narrow seas
l39l		To give you gentle pass—for if we may
l40l		We’ll not offend one stomach with our play.
l41l		But till the King come forth, and not till then,
l42l		Unto Southampton do we shift our scene.
		(Exit)