With pennons painted in the blood of Harfleur: Bring him our prisoner. Con. This becomes the great. Sorry am I his numbers are so few, His soldiers sick and famish'd in their march, He'll drop his heart into the sink of fear, And for achievement offer us his ransom. Fr. King. Therefore, lord constable, haste on Montjoy, And let him say to England that we send To know what willing ransom he will give. Prince Dauphin, you shall stay with us in Roan. 65 Fr. King. Be patient, for you shall remain with us. Now forth, lord constable and princes all, And quickly bring us word of England's fall. Scene Six [The English Camp in Picardy] 68 Exeunt. Enter Captains, English and Welch, Gower and Fluellen. Gow. How now, Captain Fluellen! come you from the bridge? Flu. I assure you, there is very excellent services committed at the pridge. 52 void his rheum: discharge his mucus 60 for: instead of 4 54 Roan: Rouen Scene Six S. d. English and Welch; cf. n. Gow. Is the Duke of Exeter safe? Flu. The Duke of Exeter is as magnanimous as Agamemnon; and a man that I love and honour with my soul, and my heart, and my duty, and my life, and my living, and my uttermost power: he is not-God be praised and plessed any hurt in the world; but keeps the 11 pridge most valiantly, with excellent discipline. There is an aunchient lieutenant there at the pridge, I think, in my very conscience, he is as valiant a man as Mark Antony; and he is a man of no estimation in the world; but I did see him do as gallant service. Gow. What do you call him? Flu. He is called Aunchient Pistol. Gow. I know him not. Enter Pistol. Flu. Here is the man. Pist. Captain, I thee beseech to do me favours: The Duke of Exeter doth love thee well. Flu. Ay, I praise God; and I have merited some love at his hands. 17 20 20 25 Pist. Bardolph, a soldier firm and sound of heart, And of buxom valour, hath, by cruel fate And giddy Fortune's furious fickle wheel, That goddess blind, That stands upon the rolling restless stone,— 28 Flu. By your patience, Aunchient Pistol. Fortune is painted plind, with a muffler afore her eyes, to signify to you that Fortune is plind: and she is painted also with a wheel, to signify to 34 you, which is the moral of it, that she is turning, 13 aunchient lieutenant; cf. n. 27 buxom: brisk and inconstant, and mutability, and variation: and her foot, look you, is fixed upon a spherical stone, which rolls, and rolls, and rolls: in good truth, the poet makes a most excellent description of it: Fortune is an excellent moral. 40 Pist. Fortune is Bardolph's foe, and frowns on him; For he hath stol'n a pax, and hanged must a' be, Let gallows gape for dog, let man go free And let not hemp his wind-pipe suffocate. 44 Therefore, go speak; the duke will hear thy voice; 48 And let not Bardolph's vital thread be cut With edge of penny cord and vile reproach: Speak, captain, for his life, and I will thee requite. Flu. Aunchient Pistol, I do partly understand your meaning. Pist. Why then, rejoice therefore. Flu. Certainly, aunchient, it is not a thing to rejoice at; for, if, look you, he were my brother, I would desire the duke to use his good pleasure and put him to execution; for discipline ought to be used. 1 53 Pist. Die and be damn'd; and figo for thy friendship! Flu. It is well. Pist. The fig of Spain! Flu. Very good. 60 Exit. Gow. Why, this is an arrant counterfeit rascal: I remember him now; a bawd, a cut purse. 66 42 pax; cf. n. 60 figo: a fig 62 The fig of Spain; cf. n. Flu. I'll assure you a' uttered as prave words at the pridge as you shall see in a summer's day. But it is very well; what he has spoke to me, that is well, I warrant you, when time is serve. 71 Gow. Why, 'tis a gull, a fool, a rogue, that now and then goes to the wars to grace himself at his return into London under the form of a soldier. And such fellows are perfect in the 75 great commanders' names, and they will learn you by rote where services were done; at such and such a sconce, at such a breach, at such a convoy; who came off bravely, who was shot, who disgraced, what terms the enemy stood on; 80 and this they con perfectly in the phrase of war, which they trick up with new-tuned oaths: and what a beard of the general's cut and a horrid suit of the camp will do among foaming bottles 84 and ale-washed wits, is wonderful to be thought on. But you must learn to know such slanders of the age, or else you may be marvellously mistook. Flu. I tell you what, Captain Gower; I do perceive, he is not the man that he would gladly make show to the world he is: if I find a hole in his coat I will tell him my mind. [Drum heard.] Hark you, the king is coming; and I must speak with him from the pridge. 88 Drum and Colours. Enter the King, [Gloucester,] and his poor Soldiers. Flu. God pless your majesty! 72 gull: cheat 80 stood on: insisted on 78 sconce: small fort 94 from: with news from K. Hen. How now, Fluellen! cam'st thou from the bridge? 96 Flu. Ay, so please your majesty. The Duke of Exeter hath very gallantly maintained the pridge: the French is gone off, look you, and there is gallant and most prave passages. Marry, th' 100 athversary was have possession of the pridge, but he is enforced to retire, and the Duke of Exeter is master of the pridge. I can tell your majesty the duke is a prave man. 104 K. Hen. What men have you lost, Fluellen? Flu. The perdition of th' athversary hath been very great, reasonable great: marry, for my part, I think the duke hath lost never a man but one that is like to be executed for robbing a 109 church; one Bardolph, if your majesty know the man: his face is all bubukles, and whelks, and knobs, and flames o' fire; and his lips blows at his nose, and it is like a coal of fire, sometimes plue and sometimes red; but his nose is executed, and his fire's out. K. Hen. We would have all such offenders so cut off: and we give express charge that in our marches through the country there be nothing compelled from the villages, nothing taken but paid for, none of the French upbraided or abused in disdainful language; for when lenity and cruelty play for a kingdom, the gentler gamester is the soonest winner. Tucket. Enter Montjoy. Mont. You know me by my habit. 115 124 106 perdition: losses 124 habit: herald's coat |