Act IV, Scene 2

The French camp.

[Enter the DAUPHIN, ORLEANS, RAMBURES, and others]

• Duke of Orleans. The sun doth gild our armour; up, my lords!

• Lewis the Dauphin. Montez A cheval! My horse! varlet! laquais! ha!

• Duke of Orleans. O brave spirit! 2165

• Lewis the Dauphin. Via! les eaux et la terre.

• Duke of Orleans. Rien puis? L'air et la feu.

• Lewis the Dauphin. Ciel, cousin Orleans.
  [Enter Constable]
  Now, my lord constable! 2170

• Constable of France. Hark, how our steeds for present service neigh!

• Lewis the Dauphin. Mount them, and make incision in their hides,
  That their hot blood may spin in English eyes,
  And dout them with superfluous courage, ha!

• Rambures. What, will you have them weep our horses' blood? 2175
  How shall we, then, behold their natural tears?

[Enter Messenger]

• Messenger. The English are embattled, you French peers.

• Constable of France. To horse, you gallant princes! straight to horse!
  Do but behold yon poor and starved band, 2180
  And your fair show shall suck away their souls,
  Leaving them but the shales and husks of men.
  There is not work enough for all our hands;
  Scarce blood enough in all their sickly veins
  To give each naked curtle-axe a stain, 2185
  That our French gallants shall to-day draw out,
  And sheathe for lack of sport: let us but blow on them,
  The vapour of our valour will o'erturn them.
  'Tis positive 'gainst all exceptions, lords,
  That our superfluous lackeys and our peasants, 2190
  Who in unnecessary action swarm
  About our squares of battle, were enow
  To purge this field of such a hilding foe,
  Though we upon this mountain's basis by
  Took stand for idle speculation: 2195
  But that our honours must not. What's to say?
  A very little little let us do.
  And all is done. Then let the trumpets sound
  The tucket sonance and the note to mount;
  For our approach shall so much dare the field 2200
  That England shall couch down in fear and yield.

[Enter GRANDPRE]

• Grandpre. Why do you stay so long, my lords of France?
  Yon island carrions, desperate of their bones,
  Ill-favouredly become the morning field: 2205
  Their ragged curtains poorly are let loose,
  And our air shakes them passing scornfully:
  Big Mars seems bankrupt in their beggar'd host
  And faintly through a rusty beaver peeps:
  The horsemen sit like fixed candlesticks, 2210
  With torch-staves in their hand; and their poor jades
  Lob down their heads, dropping the hides and hips,
  The gum down-roping from their pale-dead eyes
  And in their pale dull mouths the gimmal bit
  Lies foul with chew'd grass, still and motionless; 2215
  And their executors, the knavish crows,
  Fly o'er them, all impatient for their hour.
  Description cannot suit itself in words
  To demonstrate the life of such a battle
  In life so lifeless as it shows itself. 2220

• Constable of France. They have said their prayers, and they stay for death.

• Lewis the Dauphin. Shall we go send them dinners and fresh suits
  And give their fasting horses provender,
  And after fight with them?

• Constable of France. I stay but for my guidon: to the field! 2225
  I will the banner from a trumpet take,
  And use it for my haste. Come, come, away!
  The sun is high, and we outwear the day.

[Exeunt]