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- $Unique_ID{SSP00761}
- $Title{King Henry V: Act III, Scene II}
- $Author{Shakespeare, William}
- $Subject{}
- $Log{Dramatis Personae*00750.txt}
-
- Portions copyright (c) CMC ReSearch, Inc., 1989
-
- The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
-
- KING HENRY V
-
-
- ACT III
- ................................................................................
-
-
- SCENE II: The same.
- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
-
- {Enter NYM, BARDOLPH, PISTOL, and Boy.}
-
- BARDOLPH: On, on, on, on, on! to the breach, to the breach!
-
- NYM: Pray thee, corporal, stay: the knocks are too hot;
- and, for mine own part, I have not a case of lives:
- the humor of it is too hot, that is the very
- plain-song of it.
-
- PISTOL: The plain-song is most just: for humors do abound:
- Knocks go and come; God's vassals drop and die;
- And sword and shield,
- In bloody field,
- Doth win immortal fame. 10
-
- Boy: Would I were in an alehouse in London! I would give
- all my fame for a pot of ale and safety.
-
- PISTOL: And I:
- If wishes would prevail with me,
- My purpose should not fail with me,
- But thither would I hie.
-
- Boy: As duly, but not as truly,
- As bird doth sing on bough.
-
- {Enter FLUELLEN.}
-
- FLUELLEN: Up to the breach, you dogs! avaunt, you cullions!
-
- [Driving them forward.]
-
- PISTOL: Be merciful, great duke, to men of mould. 20
- Abate thy rage, abate thy manly rage,
- Abate thy rage, great duke!
- Good bawcock, bate thy rage; use lenity, sweet chuck!
-
- NYM: These be good humors! your honor wins bad humors.
-
- [Exeunt all but Boy.]
-
- Boy: As young as I am, I have observed these three
- swashers. I am boy to them all three: but all they
- three, though they would serve me, could not be man
- to me; for indeed three such antics do not amount to
- a man. For Bardolph, he is white-livered and
- red-faced; by the means whereof a' faces it out, but 30
- fights not. For Pistol, he hath a killing tongue
- and a quiet sword; by the means whereof a' breaks
- words. and keeps whole weapons. For Nym, he hath
- heard that men of few words are the best men; and
- therefore he scorns to say his prayers, lest a'
- should be thought a coward: but his few bad words
- are matched with as few good deeds; for a' never
- broke any man's head but his own, and that was
- against a post when he was drunk. They will steal
- any thing, and call it purchase. Bardolph stole a 40
- lute-case, bore it twelve leagues, and sold it for
- three half pence. Nym and Bardolph are sworn
- brothers in filching, and in Calais they stole a
- fire-shovel: I knew by that piece of service the
- men would carry coals. They would have me as
- familiar with men's pockets as their gloves or their
- handkerchers: which makes much against my manhood,
- if I should take from another's pocket to put into
- mine; for it is plain pocketing up of wrongs. I
- must leave them, and seek some better service: 50
- their villany goes against my weak stomach, and
- therefore I must cast it up.
-
- [Exit.]
-
- {Re-enter FLUELLEN, GOWER following.}
-
- GOWER: Captain Fluellen, you must come presently to the
- mines; the Duke of Gloucester would speak with you.
-
- FLUELLEN: To the mines! tell you the duke, it is not so good
- to come to the mines; for, look you, the mines is
- not according to the disciplines of the war: the
- concavities of it is not sufficient; for, look you,
- the athversary, you may discuss unto the duke, look
- you, is digt himself four yard under the 60
- countermines: by Cheshu, I think a' will plow up
- all, if there is not better directions.
-
- GOWER: The Duke of Gloucester, to whom the order of the
- siege is given, is altogether directed by an
- Irishman, a very valiant gentleman, i' faith.
-
- FLUELLEN: It is Captain Macmorris, is it not?
-
- GOWER: I think it be.
-
- FLUELLEN: By Cheshu, he is an ass, as in the world: I will
- verify as much in his beard: be has no more
- directions in the true disciplines of the wars, look 70
- you, of the Roman disciplines, than is a puppy-dog.
-
- {Enter MACMORRIS and Captain JAMY.}
-
- GOWER: Here a' comes; and the Scots captain, Captain Jamy,
- with him.
-
- FLUELLEN: Captain Jamy is a marvellous falorous gentleman,
- that is certain; and of great expedition and
- knowledge in th' aunchient wars, upon my particular
- knowledge of his directions: by Cheshu, he will
- maintain his argument as well as any military man in
- the world, in the disciplines of the pristine wars
- of the Romans. 80
-
- JAMY: I say gud-day, Captain Fluellen.
-
- FLUELLEN: God-den to your worship, good Captain James.
-
- GOWER: How now, Captain Macmorris! have you quit the
- mines? have the pioneers given o'er?
-
- MACMORRIS: By Chrish, la! tish ill done: the work ish give
- over, the trompet sound the retreat. By my hand, I
- swear, and my father's soul, the work ish ill done;
- it ish give over: I would have blowed up the town, so
- Chrish save me, la! in an hour: O, tish ill done,
- tish ill done; by my hand, tish ill done! 90
-
- FLUELLEN: Captain Macmorris, I beseech you now, will you
- voutsafe me, look you, a few disputations with you,
- as partly touching or concerning the disciplines of
- the war, the Roman wars, in the way of argument,
- look you, and friendly communication; partly to
- satisfy my opinion, and partly for the satisfaction,
- look you, of my mind, as touching the direction of
- the military discipline; that is the point.
-
- JAMY: It sall be vary gud, gud feith, gud captains bath:
- and I sall quit you with gud leve, as I may pick 100
- occasion; that sall I, marry.
-
- MACMORRIS: It is no time to discourse, so Chrish save me: the
- day is hot, and the weather, and the wars, and the
- king, and the dukes: it is no time to discourse. The
- town is beseeched, and the trumpet call us to the
- breach; and we talk, and, be Chrish, do nothing:
- 'tis shame for us all: so God sa' me, 'tis shame to
- stand still; it is shame, by my hand: and there is
- throats to be cut, and works to be done; and there
- ish nothing done, so Chrish sa' me, la! 110
-
- JAMY: By the mess, ere theise eyes of mine take themselves
- to slomber, ay'll de gud service, or ay'll lig i'
- the grund for it; ay, or go to death; and ay'll pay
- 't as valorously as I may, that sall I suerly do,
- that is the breff and the long. Marry, I wad full
- fain hear some question 'tween you tway.
-
- FLUELLEN: Captain Macmorris, I think, look you, under your
- correction, there is not many of your nation--
-
- MACMORRIS: Of my nation! What ish my nation? Ish a villain,
- and a bastard, and a knave, and a rascal. What ish 120
- my nation? Who talks of my nation?
-
- FLUELLEN: Look you, if you take the matter otherwise than is
- meant, Captain Macmorris, peradventure I shall think
- you do not use me with that affability as in
- discretion you ought to use me, look you: being as
- good a man as yourself, both in the disciplines of
- war, and in the derivation of my birth, and in
- other particularities.
-
- MACMORRIS: I do not know you so good a man as myself: so
- Chrish save me, I will cut off your head. 130
-
- GOWER: Gentlemen both, you will mistake each other.
-
- JAMY: A! that's a foul fault.
-
- [A parley sounded.]
-
- GOWER: The town sounds a parley.
-
- FLUELLEN: Captain Macmorris, when there is more better
- opportunity to be required, look you, I will be so
- bold as to tell you I know the disciplines of war;
- and there is an end.
-
- [Exeunt.]
-