William Shakespeare - The Complete Works

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HENRY THE FIFTH Act 1 Scene 2 (Enter King Harry, the Dukes of Gloucester, Clarence, and Exeter, and the Earls of Warwick and Westmorland) l1l King Harry Where is my gracious lord of Canterbury? l2l Exeter Not here in presence. King Harry Send for him, good uncle. l3l Westmorland Shall we call in thÆ ambassador, my liege? l4l King Harry Not yet, my cousin. We would be resolved, l5l Before we hear him, of some things of weight l6l That task our thoughts, concerning us and France. (Enter the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Ely) l7l Canterbury God and his angels guard your sacred throne, l8l And make you long become it. King Harry Sure we thank you. l9l My learnΦd lord, we pray you to proceed, l10l And justly and religiously unfold l11l Why the law Salic that they have in France l12l Or should or should not bar us in our claim. l13l And God forbid, my dear and faithful lord, l14l That you should fashion, wrest, or bow your reading, l15l Or nicely charge your understanding soul l16l With opening titles miscreate, whose right l17l Suits not in native colours with the truth; l18l For God doth know how many now in health l19l Shall drop their blood in approbation l20l Of what your reverence shall incite us to. l21l Therefore take heed how you impawn our person, l22l How you awake our sleeping sword of war; l23l We charge you in the name of God take heed. l24l For never two such kingdoms did contend l25l Without much fall of blood, whose guiltless drops l26l Are every one a woe, a sore complaint l27l ÆGainst him whose wrongs gives edge unto the swords l28l That makes such waste in brief mortality. l29l Under this conjuration speak, my lord, l30l For we will hear, note, and believe in heart l31l That what you speak is in your conscience washed l32l As pure as sin with baptism. l33l Canterbury Then hear me, gracious sovereign, and you peers l34l That owe your selves, your lives, and services l35l To this imperial throne. There is no bar l36l To make against your highnessÆ claim to France l37l But this, which they produce from Pharamond: l38l ôIn terram Salicam mulieres ne succedantöù l39l ôNo woman shall succeed in Salic landöù l40l Which ôSalic landö the French unjustly gloss l41l To be the realm of France, and Pharamond l42l The founder of this law and female bar. l43l Yet their own authors faithfully affirm l44l That the land Salic is in Germany, l45l Between the floods of Saale and of Elbe, l46l Where, Charles the Great having subdued the Saxons, l47l There left behind and settled certain French l48l Who, holding in disdain the German women l49l For some dishonest manners of their life, l50l Established there this law: to wit, no female l51l Should be inheritrix in Salic landù l52l Which Salic, as I said, Ætwixt Elbe and Saale, l53l Is at this day in Germany called Meissen. l54l Then doth it well appear the Salic Law l55l Was not devisΦd for the realm of France. l56l Nor did the French possess the Salic land l57l Until four hundred one-and-twenty years l58l After defunction of King Pharamond, l59l Idly supposed the founder of this law, l60l Who died within the year of our redemption l61l Four hundred twenty-six; and Charles the Great l62l Subdued the Saxons, and did seat the French l63l Beyond the river Saale, in the year l64l Eight hundred five. Besides, their writers say, l65l King Pepin, which deposΦd Childeric, l66l Did, as heir generalùbeing descended l67l Of Blithild, which was daughter to King Clotaireù l68l Make claim and title to the crown of France. l69l Hugh Capet alsoùwho usurped the crown l70l Of Charles the Duke of Lorraine, sole heir male l71l Of the true line and stock of Charles the Greatù l72l To fine his title with some shows of truth, l73l Though in pure truth it was corrupt and naught, l74l Conveyed himself as heir to thÆ Lady Lingard, l75l Daughter to Charlemain, who was the son l76l To Louis the Emperor, and Louis the son l77l Of Charles the Great. Also, King Louis the Ninth, l78l Who was sole heir to the usurper Capet, l79l Could not keep quiet in his conscience, l80l Wearing the crown of France, till satisfied l81l That fair Queen Isabel, his grandmother, l82l Was lineal of the Lady Ermengarde, l83l Daughter to Charles, the foresaid Duke of Lorraine; l84l By the which marriage, the line of Charles the Great l85l Was reunited to the crown of France. l86l So that, as clear as is the summerÆs sun, l87l King PepinÆs title and Hugh CapetÆs claim, l88l King Louis his satisfaction, all appear l89l To hold in right and title of the female; l90l So do the kings of France unto this day, l91l Howbeit they would hold up this Salic Law l92l To bar your highness claiming from the female, l93l And rather choose to hide them in a net l94l Than amply to embar their crookΦd titles, l95l Usurped from you and your progenitors. l96l King Harry May I with right and conscience make this claim? l97l Canterbury The sin upon my head, dread sovereign. l98l For in the Book of Numbers is it writ, l99l ôWhen the son dies, let the inheritance l100l Descend unto the daughter.ö Gracious lord, l101l Stand for your own; unwind your bloody flag; l102l Look back into your mighty ancestors. l103l Go, my dread lord, to your great-grandsireÆs tomb, l104l From whom you claim; invoke his warlike spirit, l105l And your great-uncleÆs, Edward the Black Prince, l106l Who on the French ground played a tragedy, l107l Making defeat on the full power of France, l108l Whiles his most mighty father on a hill l109l Stood smiling to behold his lionÆs whelp l110l Forage in blood of French nobility. l111l O noble English, that could entertain l112l With half their forces the full pride of France, l113l And let another half stand laughing by, l114l All out of work, and cold for action. l115l Ely Awake remembrance of those valiant dead, l116l And with your puissant arm renew their feats. l117l You are their heir, you sit upon their throne, l118l The blood and courage that renownΦd them l119l Runs in your veinsùand my thrice-puissant liege l120l Is in the very May-morn of his youth, l121l Ripe for exploits and mighty enterprises. l122l Exeter Your brother kings and monarchs of the earth l123l Do all expect that you should rouse yourself l124l As did the former lions of your blood. l125l Westmorland They know your grace hath cause; and means and might, l126l So hath your highness. Never king of England l127l Had nobles richer and more loyal subjects, l128l Whose hearts have left their bodies here in England l129l And lie pavilioned in the fields of France. l130l Canterbury O let their bodies follow, my dear liege, l131l With blood and sword and fire, to win your right. l132l In aid whereof, we of the spiritualty l133l Will raise your highness such a mighty sum l134l As never did the clergy at one time l135l Bring in to any of your ancestors. l136l King Harry We must not only arm tÆ invade the French, l137l But lay down our proportions to defend l138l Against the Scot, who will make raid upon us l139l With all advantages. l140l Canterbury They of those marches, gracious sovereign, l141l Shall be a wall sufficient to defend l142l Our inland from the pilfering borderers. l143l King Harry We do not mean the coursing snatchers only, l144l But fear the main intendment of the Scot, l145l Who hath been still a giddy neighbour to us. l146l For you shall read that my great-grandfather l147l Never unmasked his power unto France l148l But that the Scot on his unfurnished kingdom l149l Came pouring like the tide into a breach l150l With ample and brim fullness of his force l151l Galling the gleanΦd land with hot assays, l152l Girding with grievous siege castles and towns, l153l That England, being empty of defence, l154l Hath shook and trembled at the bruit thereof. l155l Canterbury She hath been then more feared than harmed, my liege. l156l For hear her but exampled by herself: l157l When all her chivalry hath been in France l158l And she a mourning widow of her nobles, l159l She hath herself not only well defended l160l But taken and impounded as a stray l161l The King of Scots, whom she did send to France l162l To fill King EdwardÆs fame with prisoner kings l163l And make your chronicle as rich with praise l164l As is the ooze and bottom of the sea l165l With sunken wrack and sumless treasuries. l166l [A Lord] But thereÆs a saying very old and true: l167l ôIf that you will France win, l168l Then with Scotland first begin.ö l169l For once the eagle England being in prey, l170l To her unguarded nest the weasel Scot l171l Comes sneaking, and so sucks her princely eggs, l172l Playing the mouse in absence of the cat, l173l To Ætame and havoc more than she can eat. l174l Exeter It follows then the cat must stay at home. l175l Yet that is but a crushed necessity, l176l Since we have locks to safeguard necessaries l177l And pretty traps to catch the petty thieves. l178l While that the armΦd hand doth fight abroad, l179l ThÆ advisΦd head defends itself at home. l180l For government, though high and low and lower, l181l Put into parts, doth keep in one consent, l182l Congreeing in a full and natural close, l183l Like music. Canterbury True. Therefore doth heaven divide l184l The state of man in divers functions, l185l Setting endeavour in continual motion; l186l To which is fixΦd, as an aim or butt, l187l Obedience. For so work the honey-bees, l188l Creatures that by a rule in nature teach l189l The act of order to a peopled kingdom. l190l They have a king, and officers of sorts, l191l Where some like magistrates correct at home; l192l Others like merchants venture trade abroad; l193l Others like soldiers, armΦd in their stings, l194l Make boot upon the summerÆs velvet buds, l195l Which pillage they with merry march bring home l196l To the tent royal of their emperor, l197l Who busied in his majesty surveys l198l The singing masons building roofs of gold, l199l The civil citizens lading up the honey, l200l The poor mechanic porters crowding in l201l Their heavy burdens at his narrow gate, l202l The sad-eyed justice with his surly hum l203l Delivering oÆer to executors pale l204l The lazy yawning drone. I this infer: l205l That many things, having full reference l206l To one consent, may work contrariously. l207l As many arrows, loosΦd several ways, l208l Fly to one mark, as many ways meet in one town, l209l As many fresh streams meet in one salt sea, l210l As many lines close in the dialÆs centre, l211l So may a thousand actions once afoot l212l End in one purpose, and be all well borne l213l Without defect. Therefore to France, my liege. l214l Divide your happy England into four, l215l Whereof take you one quarter into France, l216l And you withal shall make all Gallia shake. l217l If we with thrice such powers left at home l218l Cannot defend our own doors from the dog, l219l Let us be worried, and our nation lose l220l The name of hardiness and policy. l221l King Harry Call in the messengers sent from the Dauphin. (Exit one or more) l222l Now are we well resolved, and by GodÆs help l223l And yours, the noble sinews of our power, l224l France being ours weÆll bend it to our awe, l225l Or break it all to pieces. Or there weÆll sit, l226l Ruling in large and ample empery l227l OÆer France and all her almost kingly dukedoms, l228l Or lay these bones in an unworthy urn, l229l Tombless, with no remembrance over them. l230l Either our history shall with full mouth l231l Speak freely of our acts, or else our grave, l232l Like Turkish mute, shall have a tongueless mouth, l233l Not worshipped with a waxen epitaph. (Enter Ambassadors of France, with a tun) l234l Now are we well prepared to know the pleasure l235l Of our fair cousin Dauphin, for we hear l236l Your greeting is from him, not from the King. l237l Ambassador May Æt please your majesty to give us leave l238l Freely to render what we have in charge, l239l Or shall we sparingly show you far off l240l The DauphinÆs meaning and our embassy? l241l King Harry We are no tyrant, but a Christian king, l242l Unto whose grace our passion is as subject l243l As is our wretches fettered in our prisons. l244l Therefore with frank and with uncurbΦd plainness l245l Tell us the DauphinÆs mind. Ambassador Thus then in few: l246l Your highness lately sending into France l247l Did claim some certain dukedoms, in the right l248l Of your great predecessor, King Edward the Third. l249l In answer of which claim, the Prince our master l250l Says that you savour too much of your youth, l251l And bids you be advised, thereÆs naught in France l252l That can be with a nimble galliard won: l253l You cannot revel into dukedoms there. l254l He therefore sends you, meeter for your spirit, l255l This tun of treasure, and in lieu of this l256l Desires you let the dukedoms that you claim l257l Hear no more of you. This the Dauphin speaks. l258l King Harry What treasure, uncle? Exeter (opening the tun) Tennis balls, my liege. l259l King Harry We are glad the Dauphin is so pleasant with us. l260l His present and your pains we thank you for. l261l When we have matched our rackets to these balls, l262l We will in France, by GodÆs grace, play a set l263l Shall strike his fatherÆs crown into the hazard. l264l Tell him he hath made a match with such a wrangler l265l That all the courts of France will be disturbed l266l With chases. And we understand him well, l267l How he comes oÆer us with our wilder days, l268l Not measuring what use we made of them. l269l We never valued this poor seat of England, l270l And therefore, living hence, did give ourself l271l To barbarous licenceùas Ætis ever common l272l That men are merriest when they are from home. l273l But tell the Dauphin I will keep my state, l274l Be like a king, and show my sail of greatness l275l When I do rouse me in my throne of France. l276l For that have I laid by my majesty l277l And plodded like a man for working days, l278l But I will rise there with so full a glory l279l That I will dazzle all the eyes of France, l280l Yea strike the Dauphin blind to look on us. l281l And tell the pleasant Prince this mock of his l282l Hath turned his balls to gunstones, and his soul l283l Shall stand sore chargΦd for the wasteful vengeance l284l That shall fly from themùfor many a thousand widows l285l Shall this his mock mock out of their dear husbands, l286l Mock mothers from their sons, mock castles down; l287l Ay, some are yet ungotten and unborn l288l That shall have cause to curse the DauphinÆs scorn. l289l But this lies all within the will of God, l290l To whom I do appeal, and in whose name l291l Tell you the Dauphin I am coming on l292l To venge me as I may, and to put forth l293l My rightful hand in a well-hallowed cause. l294l So get you hence in peace. And tell the Dauphin l295l His jest will savour but of shallow wit l296l When thousands weep more than did laugh at it.ù l297l Convey them with safe conduct.ùFare you well. (Exeunt Ambassadors) l298l Exeter This was a merry message. l299l King Harry We hope to make the sender blush at it. l300l Therefore, my lords, omit no happy hour l301l That may give furthÆrance to our expedition; l302l For we have now no thought in us but France, l303l Save those to God, that run before our business. l304l Therefore let our proportions for these wars l305l Be soon collected, and all things thought upon l306l That may with reasonable swiftness add l307l More feathers to our wings; for, God before, l308l WeÆll chide this Dauphin at his fatherÆs door. l309l Therefore let every man now task his thought, l310l That this fair action may on foot be brought. (Flourish. Exeunt)