ACT III PROLOGUE Enter Chorus. Chor. Thus with imagin'd wing our swift scene flies In motion of no less celerity Than that of thought. Suppose that you have seen Holding due course to Harfleur. Follow, follow: 10 Prologue. This prologue gives us a fine description of what could not have been presented on Shakespeare's stage, — the embarkation of the King and his army, and the state of England left behind. We have a good example of Elizabethan poetry in place of what in a modern play might easily be spectacular realism. 9. whistle of the boatswain. 14. rivage = bank. (Fr.) W. 18. sternage possibly we should read steerage, but more probably there is a suggestion of the general notion of following the fleet, in thought. W. Guarded with grandsires, babies and old women, 20 With fatal mouths gaping on girded Harfleur. The offer likes not: and the nimble gunner 30 [Alarum, and chambers go off. And down goes all before them. Still be kind, SCENE I. France. Before Harfleur. Alarum. Enter KING HENRY, EXETER, BEDFORD, GLOUCESTER, and Soldiers, with scaling-ladders. K. Hen. Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; Or close the wall up with our English dead. In peace there's nothing so becomes a man But when the blast of war blows in our ears, 20. It appears that there were more. Then lend the eye a terrible aspect; Let it pry through the portage of the head Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it O'erhang and jutty his confounded base, That those whom you call'd fathers did beget you. Be 10 20 And teach them how to war. And you, good yeomen, Whose limbs were made in England, show us here The mettle of your pasture; let us swear 30 That you are worth your breeding; which I doubt not; Cry "God for Harry, England, and Saint George!" [Exeunt. Alarum, and chambers go off. 9. aspect: accented on the last syllable. W. 10. portage = carriage. SCENE II. The same. Enter NYM, BARDOLPH, PISTOL, and Boy. Bard. 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 humour of it is too hot, that is the very plain-song of it. Pist. The plain-song is most just; for humours do abound: Knocks go and come; God's vassals droop 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. Pist. And I: If wishes would prevail with me, My purpose should not fail with me, Boy. As duly, but not as truly, As bird doth sing on bough. Enter FLUELLEN. 19 Flu. Up to the preach, you dogs! avaunt, you cullions! [Driving them forward. 4. case a box, half a dozen, referring to cases in which knives, spoons, etc., were kept. W. 5. plain-song = a simple melody or theme. 8. Knocks go and come, etc. Pistol's rhymes are quoted from some lost ballad or ballads. The Boy's speech, line 18, may be so likewise; but more probably it is the fruit of his own ready, saucy wit. W. 20. preach. Fluellen's dialect is worth study. It will be observed that it consists almost entirely in substituting voiceless consonants for voiced at the beginning of a word, as p for b, as here, f for v, etc. Pist. Be merciful, great Duke, to men of mould. Abate thy rage, abate thy manly rage, Abate thy rage, great Duke! Good bawcock, bate thy rage; use lenity, sweet chuck! 25 Nym. These be good humours! your honour wins bad humours. [Exeunt all but Boy. Boy. As young as I am, I have observ'd 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-liver'd and redfac'd; by the means whereof a' faces it out, but 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 match'd 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 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 22. mould = earth: to ordinary men. 47. carry coals beau cocq, IV, i, 44. |