Act IV, Scene 7

Another part of the field.

[Enter FLUELLEN and GOWER]

• Fluellen. Kill the poys and the luggage! 'tis expressly
  against the law of arms: 'tis as arrant a piece of 2520
  knavery, mark you now, as can be offer't; in your
  conscience, now, is it not?

• Gower. 'Tis certain there's not a boy left alive; and the
  cowardly rascals that ran from the battle ha' done
  this slaughter: besides, they have burned and 2525
  carried away all that was in the king's tent;
  wherefore the king, most worthily, hath caused every
  soldier to cut his prisoner's throat. O, 'tis a
  gallant king!

• Fluellen. Ay, he was porn at Monmouth, Captain Gower. What 2530
  call you the town's name where Alexander the Pig was born!

• Gower. Alexander the Great.

• Fluellen. Why, I pray you, is not pig great? the pig, or the
  great, or the mighty, or the huge, or the
  magnanimous, are all one reckonings, save the phrase 2535
  is a little variations.

• Gower. I think Alexander the Great was born in Macedon; his
  father was called Philip of Macedon, as I take it.

• Fluellen. I think it is in Macedon where Alexander is porn. I
  tell you, captain, if you look in the maps of the 2540
  'orld, I warrant you sall find, in the comparisons
  between Macedon and Monmouth, that the situations,
  look you, is both alike. There is a river in
  Macedon; and there is also moreover a river at
  Monmouth: it is called Wye at Monmouth; but it is 2545
  out of my prains what is the name of the other
  river; but 'tis all one, 'tis alike as my fingers is
  to my fingers, and there is salmons in both. If you
  mark Alexander's life well, Harry of Monmouth's life
  is come after it indifferent well; for there is 2550
  figures in all things. Alexander, God knows, and
  you know, in his rages, and his furies, and his
  wraths, and his cholers, and his moods, and his
  displeasures, and his indignations, and also being a
  little intoxicates in his prains, did, in his ales and 2555
  his angers, look you, kill his best friend, Cleitus.

• Gower. Our king is not like him in that: he never killed
  any of his friends.

• Fluellen. It is not well done, mark you now take the tales out
  of my mouth, ere it is made and finished. I speak 2560
  but in the figures and comparisons of it: as
  Alexander killed his friend Cleitus, being in his
  ales and his cups; so also Harry Monmouth, being in
  his right wits and his good judgments, turned away
  the fat knight with the great belly-doublet: he 2565
  was full of jests, and gipes, and knaveries, and
  mocks; I have forgot his name.

• Gower. Sir John Falstaff.

• Fluellen. That is he: I'll tell you there is good men porn at Monmouth.

• Gower. Here comes his majesty. 2570
  [Alarum. Enter KING HENRY, and forces; WARWICK,]
  GLOUCESTER, EXETER, and others]

• Henry V. I was not angry since I came to France
  Until this instant. Take a trumpet, herald;
  Ride thou unto the horsemen on yon hill: 2575
  If they will fight with us, bid them come down,
  Or void the field; they do offend our sight:
  If they'll do neither, we will come to them,
  And make them skirr away, as swift as stones
  Enforced from the old Assyrian slings: 2580
  Besides, we'll cut the throats of those we have,
  And not a man of them that we shall take
  Shall taste our mercy. Go and tell them so.

[Enter MONTJOY]

• Duke of Exeter. Here comes the herald of the French, my liege. 2585

• Duke of Gloucester. His eyes are humbler than they used to be.

• Henry V. How now! what means this, herald? know'st thou not
  That I have fined these bones of mine for ransom?
  Comest thou again for ransom?

• Montjoy. No, great king: 2590
  I come to thee for charitable licence,
  That we may wander o'er this bloody field
  To look our dead, and then to bury them;
  To sort our nobles from our common men.
  For many of our princes—woe the while!— 2595
  Lie drown'd and soak'd in mercenary blood;
  So do our vulgar drench their peasant limbs
  In blood of princes; and their wounded steeds
  Fret fetlock deep in gore and with wild rage
  Yerk out their armed heels at their dead masters, 2600
  Killing them twice. O, give us leave, great king,
  To view the field in safety and dispose
  Of their dead bodies!

• Henry V. I tell thee truly, herald,
  I know not if the day be ours or no; 2605
  For yet a many of your horsemen peer
  And gallop o'er the field.

• Montjoy. The day is yours.

• Henry V. Praised be God, and not our strength, for it!
  What is this castle call'd that stands hard by? 2610

• Montjoy. They call it Agincourt.

• Henry V. Then call we this the field of Agincourt,
  Fought on the day of Crispin Crispianus.

• Fluellen. Your grandfather of famous memory, an't please your
  majesty, and your great-uncle Edward the Plack 2615
  Prince of Wales, as I have read in the chronicles,
  fought a most prave pattle here in France.

• Henry V. They did, Fluellen.

• Fluellen. Your majesty says very true: if your majesties is
  remembered of it, the Welshmen did good service in a 2620
  garden where leeks did grow, wearing leeks in their
  Monmouth caps; which, your majesty know, to this
  hour is an honourable badge of the service; and I do
  believe your majesty takes no scorn to wear the leek
  upon Saint Tavy's day. 2625

• Henry V. I wear it for a memorable honour;
  For I am Welsh, you know, good countryman.

• Fluellen. All the water in Wye cannot wash your majesty's
  Welsh plood out of your pody, I can tell you that:
  God pless it and preserve it, as long as it pleases 2630
  his grace, and his majesty too!

• Henry V. Thanks, good my countryman.

• Fluellen. By Jeshu, I am your majesty's countryman, I care not
  who know it; I will confess it to all the 'orld: I
  need not to be ashamed of your majesty, praised be 2635
  God, so long as your majesty is an honest man.

• Henry V. God keep me so! Our heralds go with him:
  Bring me just notice of the numbers dead
  On both our parts. Call yonder fellow hither.

[Points to WILLIAMS. Exeunt Heralds with Montjoy]

• Duke of Exeter. Soldier, you must come to the king.

• Henry V. Soldier, why wearest thou that glove in thy cap?

• Williams. An't please your majesty, 'tis the gage of one that
  I should fight withal, if he be alive.

• Henry V. An Englishman? 2645

• Williams. An't please your majesty, a rascal that swaggered
  with me last night; who, if alive and ever dare to
  challenge this glove, I have sworn to take him a box
  o' th' ear: or if I can see my glove in his cap,
  which he swore, as he was a soldier, he would wear 2650
  if alive, I will strike it out soundly.

• Henry V. What think you, Captain Fluellen? is it fit this
  soldier keep his oath?

• Fluellen. He is a craven and a villain else, an't please your
  majesty, in my conscience. 2655

• Henry V. It may be his enemy is a gentleman of great sort,
  quite from the answer of his degree.

• Fluellen. Though he be as good a gentleman as the devil is, as
  Lucifer and Belzebub himself, it is necessary, look
  your grace, that he keep his vow and his oath: if 2660
  he be perjured, see you now, his reputation is as
  arrant a villain and a Jacksauce, as ever his black
  shoe trod upon God's ground and his earth, in my
  conscience, la!

• Henry V. Then keep thy vow, sirrah, when thou meetest the fellow. 2665

• Williams. So I will, my liege, as I live.

• Henry V. Who servest thou under?

• Williams. Under Captain Gower, my liege.

• Fluellen. Gower is a good captain, and is good knowledge and
  literatured in the wars. 2670

• Henry V. Call him hither to me, soldier.

• Williams. I will, my liege.

[Exit]

• Henry V. Here, Fluellen; wear thou this favour for me and
  stick it in thy cap: when Alencon and myself were 2675
  down together, I plucked this glove from his helm:
  if any man challenge this, he is a friend to
  Alencon, and an enemy to our person; if thou
  encounter any such, apprehend him, an thou dost me love.

• Fluellen. Your grace doo's me as great honours as can be 2680
  desired in the hearts of his subjects: I would fain
  see the man, that has but two legs, that shall find
  himself aggrieved at this glove; that is all; but I
  would fain see it once, an please God of his grace
  that I might see. 2685

• Henry V. Knowest thou Gower?

• Fluellen. He is my dear friend, an please you.

• Henry V. Pray thee, go seek him, and bring him to my tent.

• Fluellen. I will fetch him.

[Exit]

• Henry V. My Lord of Warwick, and my brother Gloucester,
  Follow Fluellen closely at the heels:
  The glove which I have given him for a favour
  May haply purchase him a box o' th' ear;
  It is the soldier's; I by bargain should 2695
  Wear it myself. Follow, good cousin Warwick:
  If that the soldier strike him, as I judge
  By his blunt bearing he will keep his word,
  Some sudden mischief may arise of it;
  For I do know Fluellen valiant 2700
  And, touched with choler, hot as gunpowder,
  And quickly will return an injury:
  Follow and see there be no harm between them.
  Go you with me, uncle of Exeter.

[Exeunt]