You may imagine him upon Blackheath: To welcome him? much more, and much more) cause, Did they this Harry. Now in London place him; SCENE I-France. An English court of guard. Gow. Nay, that's right; but why wear you your leek to-day Saint Davy's day is past. Flu. There is occasions and causes why and wherefore in all things: I will tell you, as my friend, captain Gower; The rascally, scald, beggarly, lousy, pragging knave, Pistol,-which you and yourself, and all the 'orld, know to be no petter than a fellow, look you now, of no merits,-he is come to me, and prings me pread and salt yester day, look you, and pid me cat my leck: it was in a place where I could not breed no contentions with him; but I will be so pold as to wear it in my cap till I see him once again, and then I will tell him a little piece of my desires. Enter Pistol. Pist. Not for Cadwallader, and all his goats. Flu. You say very true, scald knave, when Got's will is: I will desire you to live in the mean time, and eat your victuals; come, there is sauce for it. [Striking him again. You called me yesterday, mountain-squire; but I will make you to-day a squire of low degree. I pray you, fall to; if you can mock a leek, you can eat a leek. Gow. Enough, captain; you have astonished him. Flu. I say, I will make him cat some part of my leek, or I will peat his pate four days:-Pite, I pray you; it is goot for your green wound, and your ploody coxcomb. Pist. Must I bite? Flu. Yes, certainly; and out of doubt, and out of questions too, and ambiguities. Pist. By this leek, I will most horribly revenge; I cat, and cke I swear Flu. Eat, I pray you: Will you have some more sauce to your leck? there is not enough leek to swear by. Pist. Quiet thy cudgel; thou dost see, I eat. Flu. Much goot do you, scald knave, heartily. Nay, 'pray you, throw none away; the skin is goot for your proken coxcomb. When you take occasions to see leeks hereafter, I pray you, mock at them; that is all. Pist. Good. Pist. All hell shall stir for this. Gow. Go, go; you are a counterfeit cowardly knave. Will you mock at an ancient tradition,begun upon an nonourable respect, and worn as memorable trophy of predeceased valour,-and dare not avouch in your deeds any of your words? have seen you gleeking and galling at this gentleman twice or thrice. You thought, because he could not speak English in the native garb, he I Gow. Why, here he comes, swelling like a tur-could not therefore handle an English cudgel: you key-cock. find it otherwise; and, henceforth, let a Welsh corhis rection teach you a good English condition." Fare ye well. [Exit. Flu. 'Tis no matter for his swellings, nor turkey-cocks.-Got pless you, ancient Pistol! you scurvy, lousy knave, Got pless you! Pist. Ha! art thou Bedlam? dost thou thirst, basc Trojan, To have me fold up Parca's fatal web ?" Hence! I am qualinish at the smell of leek. Flu. I peseech you heartily, scurvy, lousy knave, at my desires, and my requests, and my petitions, to eat, look you, this feek because, look you, you do not love it, nor your affections, and your appe tites, and your digestions, does not agree with it, would desire you to eat it. (1) i. e. To order it to be borne. I (2) Transferring all the honours of conquest from himself to God. Pist. Doth fortune play the huswife with me And there my rendezvous is quite cut off. (5) Spitted, transfixed. [Exil. (6)Dost thou desire to have me put thee to death?' (7) Stunned. (8) Scoffing, sneering. (10) For silt,(11) Hospital, SCENE II.-Troyes in Champagne. An apart- To swearing, and stern looks, diffus'd' attire, ment in the French King's palace. Enter, at And every thing that seems unnatural. one door, King Henry, Bedford, Gloster, Exeter, Which to reduce into our former favour,' Warwick, Westmoreland, and other lords; at You are assembled and my speech entreats, another, the French king, queen Isabel, the prin- That I may know the let, why gentle peace cess Katharine, lords, ladies, &c. the duke of Should not expel these inconveniences, Burgundy, and his train. And bless us with her former qualities. K. Hen. Peace to this meeting, wherefore we are met! Unto our brother France,-and to our sister, Most worthy brother England; fairly met :- Q. Isa. So happy be the issue, brother England, With all my wits, my pains, and strong endeavours, Your mightiness on both parts best can witness. Her vine, the merry cheerer of the heart, And as our vineyards, fallows, meads, and hedges, (1) Barrier. (3) To deracinate is to force up the roots, K. Hen. If, duke of Burgundy, you would the peace, Whose want gives growth to the imperfections There is no answer made. K. Hen. Well then, the peace, K. Hen. Brother, we shall.-Go, uncle Exeter,→ Haply, a woman's voice may do some good, She is our capital demand, compris'd K. Hen. O fair Katharine, if you will love me soundly with your French heart, I will be glad to hear you confess it brokenly with your English tongue. Do you like me, Kate? Kath. Pardonnez moy, I cannot tell vat is-like me. K. Hen. An angel is like you, Kate; and you are like an angel. Kath. Que dit-il? que je suis semblable à les anges? Alice. Ouy, vrayment (sauf vostre grace) ainsi dit il. K. Hen. I said so, dear Katharine; and I must not blush to affirm it. Kath. O bon Dieu! les langues des hommes sont pleines des tromperies. K. Hen. What says she, fair one? that the tongues of men are full of deceits? Alice. Ouy; dat de tongues of de mans is be full of deceits: dat is de princess. K. Hen. The princess is the better English woman. I'faith, Kate, my wooing is fit for thy un-shall never move thee in French, unless it be to derstanding: I am glad, thou canst speak no bet- laugh at me. ter English; for, if thou couldst, thou wouldst find Kath. Sauf vostre honneur, le François que vous ne such a plain king, that thou wouldst think, I parlez, est meilleur, que l'Anglois lequel je parle. had sold my farm to buy my crown. I know no K. Hen. No, 'faith, 'tis not, Kate; but thy speakways to mince it in love, but directly to say-I love ing of my tongue, and I thine, most truly falsely, you: then, if you urge me further than to say- must needs be granted to be much at one. But, Do you in faith? I wear out my suit. Give me Kate, dost thou understand thus much English? your answer; i'faith, do; and so clap hands and a Canst thou love me? Kath. I cannot tell. bargain: How say you, lady? Kath. Sauf vostre honneur, me understand well. K. Hen. Can any of your neighbours tell, Kate? K. Hen. Marry, if you would put me to verses, I'll ask them. Come, I know, thou lovest me: and or to dance for your sake, Kate, why you undid me: at night when you come into your closet, you'll for the one, I have neither words nor measure; and question this gentlewoman about me; and I know, for the other, I have no strength in measure, yet a Kate, you will, to her, dispraise those parts in me, reasonable measure in strength. If I could win a that you love with your heart: but, good Kate, mock lady at leap-frog, or by vaulting into my saddle me mercifully; the rather, gentle princess, because with my armour on my back, under the correction I love thee cruelly. If ever thou be'st mine, Kate, of bragging be it spoken, I should quickly leap into (as I have a saving faith within me, tells me,-thou a wife. Or, if I night buffet for my love, or bound shalt,) I get thee with scambling, and thou must my horse for her favours, I could lay on like a therefore needs prove a good soldier-breeder: Shall butcher, and sit like a jack-an-apes, never off: but, not thou and I, between Saint Dennis and Saint before God, I cannot look greenly, nor gasp out George, compound a boy, half French, half English, my cloquence, nor I have no cunning in protesta- that shall go to Constantinople, and take the Turk tion; only downright oaths, which I never use till by the beard? shall we not? what sayest thou, urged, nor never break for urging. If thou canst flower-de-luce? love a fellow of this temper, Kate, whose face is not Kath. I do not know dat. worth sun-burning, that never looks in his glass for K. Hen. No; 'tis hereafter to know, but now to love of any thing he sees there, let thine eye be thy promise: do but now promise, Kate, you will endescook. I speak to thee plain soldier: If thou canst your for your French part of such a boy; and, for love me for this, take me: if not, to say to thee-that my English moiety, take the word of a king, and a I shall die, is true; but-for thy love, by the Lord, bachelor. How answer you, la plus belle Kathano; yet I love thee too. And while thou livest, dear rine du monde, mon tres chere et dirine deesse ? Kate, take a fellow of plain and uncoined con- Kath. Your majesté 'ave fausse French enough stancy; for he perforce must do thee right, because to deceive the most sage demoiselle dat is en France. he hath not the gift to woo in other places; for these, K. Hen. Now, fie upon my false French! By mine fellows of infinite tongue, that can rhyme themselves honour, in true English, I love thee, Kate: by into ladies' favours,-they do always reason them-which honour I dare not swear, thou lovest me; yet selves out again. What! a speaker is bat a prater; my blood begins to flatter me that thou dost, nota rhyme is but a ballad. A good leg will fall; a withstanding the poor and untempering effect of my straight back will stoop; a black beard will turn visage. Now beshrew my father's ambition! he white; a curled pate will grow bald; a fair face was thinking of civil wars when he got me; therewill wither; a full eye will wax hollow; but a good fore was I created with a stubborn outside, with an heart, Kate, is the sun and moon; or, rather, the aspect of iron, that, when I come to woo ladies, I sun, and not the moon; for it shines bright, and right them. But, in faith, Kate, the elder I wax, never changes, but keeps his course truly. If thou the better I shall appear: my comfort is, that old would have such a one, take me: And take me, age, that ill-layer up of beauty, can do no more take a soldier; take a soldier, take a king: And spoil upon my face: thou hast me, if thou hast me, what savest thou then to my love? speak, my fair, at the worst; and thou shalt wear me, if thou wear and fairly, I pray thee. me, better and better; And therefore tell me, most Kath. Is it possible dat I should love de enemy fair Katharine, will you have me? Put off your of France? maiden blushes; avouch the thoughts of your heart K. Hen. No; it is not possible, you should love with the looks of an empress; take me by the hand, the enemy of France, Kate: but, in loving me, you and say-Harry of England, I am thine: which should love the friend of France; for I love France word thou shalt no sooner bless mine ear, withal, so well, that I will not part with a village of it; but I will tell thee aloud-England is thine, Ire will have it all mine: and, Kite, when France is land is thire, France is thine, and Henry Plantage mine, and I am yours, then yours is France, and net is thine; who, though I speak it before his face, you are mine. if he be not fellow with the best king, thou shalt Kath. cannot tell vat is dat. find the best king of good fellows. Come, your K. Hen. No, Kate? I will tell thee in French; answer in broken music; for thy voice is music. which, I am sure, will hang upon my tongue likeland thy English broken; therefore, queen of all, a new-married wife about her husband's neck, Katharine, break thy mind to me in broken English, hardly to be shook off. Quand j'ay la possession Wilt thou have me? de France, el quand vous avez la possessien de moi, (let me see, what then? Saint Denn's be m speed!)-donc vostre est France, et vous estes-hall please him, Kate. mienne. It is as casy for me, Kate, to conquer the kingdom, as to speak so much more French: Kath. Dat is, as it shall please de roy mon pere. Kath. Den it shall also content me. K. Hen. Upon that I will kiss your hand, and I call you-my queen, Kath. Laissez, mon seigneur, laissez, laissez: a fair French city, for one fair French maid that ma foy, je ne veux point que vous abbaissez vostre stands in my way. grandeur, en baisant la main d'une vostre indigne Fr. King. Yes, my lord, you see them perspecserviteure; excusez moy, je vous supplie, mon tres tively, the cities turned into a maid; for they are puissant seigneur. all girdled with maiden walls, that war hath never entered. K. Hen. Then I will kiss your lips, Kate. Kath. Les dames, et damoiselles, pour estre baisées devant leur nopces, il n'est past le coutume de France.. K. Hen. Shall Kate be my wife? K. Hen. I am content; so the maiden cities you K. Hen. Madam, my interpreter, what says she? talk of, may wait on her: so the maid, that stood Alice. Dat it is not be de fashion pour les ladies in the way of my wish, shall show me the way to of France,-I cannot tell what is baiser, en English. K. Hen. To kiss. Alice. Your majesty entendre bettre que moy. Alice. Ouy, vrayment. my will. Fr. King. We have consented to all terms of reason. K. Hen. Is't so, my lords of England? West. The king hath granted every article: His daughter, first; and then, in sequel, all, According to their firm proposed natures. K. Hen, O, Kate, nice customs curt'sy to great Exe. Only, he hath not yet subscribed this:kings. Dear Kate, you and I cannot be confined Where your majesty demands-That the king of within the weak list of a country's fashion: we are France, having any occasion to write for matter of the makers of manners, Kate; and the liberty that grant, shall name your highness in this form, and follows our places, stops the mouths of all find- with this addition, in French,-Notre tres cher faults; as I will do yours, for upholding the nice filz Henry, roy d'Angleterre, heretier de France; fashion of your country, in denying me a kiss and thus in Latin,-Præclarissimus filius noster therefore, patiently, and yielding. [Kissing her.] Henricus, rex Angliæ, et hæres Francia. You have witchcraft in your lips, Kate: there is more eloquence in a sugar touch of them, than in the tongues of the French council; and they should sooner persuade Harry of England, than a general petition of monarchs. Here comes your father. Enter the French King and Queen, Burgundy, Bedford, Gloster, Exeter, Westmoreland, and other French and English Lords. Bur. God save your majesty! my royal cousin, teach you our princess English? K. Hen. I would have her learn, my fair cousin, now perfectly I love her; and that is good English. Bur. Is she not apt? K. Hen. Our tongue is rough, coz; and my condition is not smooth: so that, having neither the voice nor the heart of flattery about me, I cannot so conjure up the spirit of love in her, that he will appear in his true likeness. Fr. King. Nor this I have not, brother, so denied Let that one article rank with the rest: Issue to me: that the contending kingdoms May cease their hatred; and this dear conjunction K. Hen. Now welcome, Kate:-and bear me That here I kiss her as my sovereign queen. Bur. Pardon the frankness of my mirth, if I answer you for that. If you would conjure in her, [Flourish. you must make a circle: if conjure up love in her, Q. Isa. God, the best maker of all marriages, in his true likeness, he must appear naked, and Combine your hearts in one, your realms in one! blind: Can you blame her then, being a maid yet As man and wife, being two, are one in love, rosed over with the virgin crimson of modesty, if So be there 'twixt your kingdoms such a spousal, she deny the appearance of a naked blind boy in That never may ill office, or fell jealousy, her naked seeing self? It were, my lord, a hard Which troubles oft the bed of blessed marriage, condition for a maid to consign to. K. Hen. Yet they do wink, and yield; as love is blind, and enforces. Bur. They are then excused, my lord, when they see not what they do. K. Hen. Then, good my lord, teach your cousin to consent to winking. Thrust in between the paction of these kingdoms, K. Hen. Prepare we for our marriage:-on Bur. I will wink on her to consent, my lord, if My lord of Burgundy, we'll take your oath, you will teach her to know my meaning: for maids, And all the peers', for surety of our leagues.well summered and warm kept, are like flies at Bar-Then shall I swear to Kate, and you to me; tholomew-tide, blind, though they have their eyes; And may our oaths well kept and prosp'rous be! and then they will endure handling, which before would not abide looking on. K. Hen. This moral ties me over to time, and a hot summer; and so I will catch the fly, your cousin, in the latter end, and she must be blind too. Bur. As love is, my lord, before it loves. K. Hen. It is so: and you may, some of you, nk love for my blindness; who cannot see many (2) Temper. (1) Slight barrier. Enter Chorus. [Exeunt. Thus far, with rough, and all unable pen, (3) Application. (4) i. e. Unequal to the weight of the subject. SN L 406 KING HENRY V. Small time, but, in that smail, most greatly liv'd, Which oft our stage hath shown; and, for their sake, This play has many scenes of high dignity, and many of easy merriment. The character of the (1) France. Act V. king is well supported, except in his courtship, where he has neither the vivacity of Hal, nor the grandeur of Henry. The humour of Pistol is very happily continued: his character has perhaps been the model of all the bullies that have yet appeared on the English stage. The lines given to the Chorus have many admirers; but the truth is, that in them a little may be praised, and much must be forgiven; nor can it be easily discovered, why the intelligence given by the Chorus is more necessary in this play, than in many others where it is omitted. The great defect of this play is, the emptiness and narrowness of the last act, which a very little diligence might have easily avoided. JOHNSON. |