HENRY THE FIFTH

Act 3 Scene 0

(Enter Chorus)
l1l	Chorus	 Thus with imagined wing our swift scene flies
l2l		In motion of no less celerity
l3l		Than that of thought. Suppose that you have seen
l4l		The well-appointed king at Dover pier
l5l		Embark his royalty, and his brave fleet
l6l		With silken streamers the young Phoebus fanning.
l7l		Play with your fancies, and in them behold
l8l		Upon the hempen tackle ship-boys climbing#
l9l		Hear the shrill whistle, which doth order give
l10l		To sounds confused# behold the threaden sails,
l11l		Borne with th’ invisible and creeping wind,
l12l		Draw the huge bottoms through the furrowed sea,
l13l		Breasting the lofty surge. O do but think
l14l		You stand upon the rivage and behold
l15l		A city on th’ inconstant billows dancing—
l16l		For so appears this fleet majestical,
l17l		Holding due course to Harfleur. Follow, follow!
l18l		Grapple your minds to sternage of this navy,
l19l		And leave your England, as dead midnight still,
l20l		Guarded with grandsires, babies, and old women,
l21l		Either past or not arrived to pith and puissance.
l22l		For who is he, whose chin is but enriched
l23l		With one appearing hair, that will not follow
l24l		These culled and choice-drawn cavaliers to France?
l25l		Work, work your thoughts, and therein see a siege.
l26l		Behold the ordnance on their carriages,
l27l		With fatal mouths gaping on girded Harfleur.
l28l		Suppose th’ ambassador from the French comes back,
l29l		Tells Harry that the King doth offer him
l30l		Catherine his daughter, and with her, to dowry,
l31l		Some petty and unprofitable dukedoms.
l32l		The offer likes not, and the nimble gunner
l33l		With linstock now the devilish cannon touches,
		(Alarum, and chambers go off)
l34l		And down goes all before them. Still be kind,
l35l		And eke out our performance with your mind.
		(Exit)