Orl. By the white hand of my lady, he's a gallant prince. Con. Swear by her foot, that she may tread out the oath. Orl. He is simply the most active gentleman of France. 101 Con. Doing is activity; and he will still be doing. Orl. He never did harm, that I heard of. Con. Nor will do none to-morrow: he will keep that good name still. Orl. I know him to be valiant. Con. I was told that by one that knows him better than you. Orl. What's he? Con. Marry, he told me so himself; and he said he car'd not who knew it. Orl. He needs not; it is no hidden virtue in him. Con. By my faith, sir, but it is; never any body saw it but his lackey; 't is a hooded valour; and when it appears, it will bate. Orl. Ill will never said well. 113 Con. I will cap that proverb with "There is flattery in friendship." Orl. And I will take up that with "Give the Devil his due." Con. Well plac'd; there stands your friend for the Devil: have at the very eye of that proverb with "A pox of the Devil." 121 Orl. You are the better at proverbs, by how much "A fool's bolt is soon shot." Con. You have shot over. Orl. 'Tis not the first time you were overshot. 112. hooded.. bate: terms of falconry of obvious meaning. W. Enter a Messenger. Mess. My Lord High Constable, the English lie within fifteen hundred paces of your tents. Con. Who hath measur'd the ground? Con. A valiant and most expert gentleman. Would it were day! Alas, poor Harry of England! he longs not for the dawning as we do. 132 Orl. What a wretched and peevish fellow is this King of England, to mope with his fat-brain'd followers so far out of his knowledge! Con. If the English had any apprehension, they would run away. Orl. That they lack; for if their heads had any intellectual armour, they could never wear such heavy head-pieces. 140 Ram. That island of England breeds very valiant creatures; their mastiffs are of unmatchable courage. Orl. Foolish curs, that run winking into the mouth of a Russian bear and have their heads crush'd like rotten apples! You may as well say, that's a valiant flea that dare eat his breakfast on the lip of a lion. Con. Just, just; and the men do sympathize with the mastiffs in robustious and rough coming on, leaving their wits with their wives: and then give them great meals of beef and iron and steel, they will eat like wolves and fight like devils. 151 Orl. Ay, but these English are shrewdly out of beef. Con. Then shall we find to-morrow they have only stomachs to eat and none to fight. Now is it time to arm: come, shall we about it? 143. Shakespeare's audiences were quite familiar with bearbaiting. Orl. It is now two o'clock: but, let me see, by ten We shall have each a hundred Englishmen. [Exeunt. ACT IV PROLOGUE Enter Chorus. Chor. Now entertain conjecture of a time When creeping murmur and the poring dark Fills the wide vessel of the universe. From camp to camp through the foul womb of night The hum of either army stilly sounds, That the fix'd sentinels almost receive The secret whispers of each other's watch : Steed threatens steed, in high and boastful neighs 10 The country cocks do crow, the clocks do toll, 20 Prologue. Here again we have description, rhetoric, poetry, to make up for the lack of scenic realism. 9. battle = an army drawn up for battle as in IV, iii, 2, 69, and often in earlier use. Cf. embattled, IV, ii, 14. 12. accomplishing = giving them all they needed. 19. low-rated, i. e. by the French. So tediously away. The poor condemned English, Sit patiently and inly ruminate The morning's danger, and their gesture sad So many horrid ghosts. O now, who will behold Walking from watch to watch, from tent to tent, 30 Let him cry, Praise and glory on his head! For forth he goes and visits all his host, How dread an army hath enrounded him; His liberal eye doth give to every one, The name of Agincourt. Yet sit and see, Minding true things by what their mockeries be. 25. gesture= bearing. 40 50 [Exit. SCENE I. The English camp at Agincourt. Enter KING HENRY, BEDFORD, and GLOUCESTER. K. Hen. Glou'ster, 't is true that we are in great danger; The greater therefore should our courage be. For our bad neighbour makes us early stirrers, Good morrow, old Sir Thomas Erpingham: 10 Erp. Not so, my liege: this lodging likes me better, Since I may say, Now lie I like a king. K. Hen. 'Tis good for men to love their present pains Upon example; so the spirit is eas'd : And when the mind is quicken'd, out of doubt, = 7. good husbandry thrift. W. 10. dress us = order ourselves. 12. moral, so Fluellen, III, vi, 33. 19. spirit: one syllable; pronounced spreet. W. 20 lightness; one of the common Gallicisms in |