Actus Quartus.
[Act 4, Scene 7]
Enter Fluellen and Gower.
Flu.
Kill the poyes and the luggage, 'Tis expressely
against the Law of Armes, tis as arrant a peece of knaue-
ry marke you now, as can bee offert in your Conscience
now, is it not?
Gow.
[2435]
Tis certaine, there's not a boy left aliue, and the
Cowardly Rascalls that ranne from the battaile ha' done
this slaughter: besides they haue burned and carried a-
way all that was in the Kings Tent, wherefore the King
most worthily hath caus'd euery soldiour to cut his pri-
[2440]
soners throat. O 'tis a gallant King.
Flu.
I, hee was porne at
Monmouth Captaine
Gower:
What call you the Townes name where
Alexander the
pig was borne?
Gow.
Alexander the Great.
Flu.
[2445]
Why I pray you, is not pig, great? The pig, or
the
grear
great
, or the mighty, or the huge, or the magnani-
mous, are all one reckonings, saue the phrase is a litle va-
riations.
Gower.
I thinke
Alexander the Great was borne in
[2450]
Macedon, his Father was called
Phillip of
Macedon as I
take it.
Flu.
I thinke it is in
Macedon where
Alexander is
porne: I tell you Captaine, if you looke in the Maps of
the Orld, I warrant you sall finde in the comparisons be-
[2455]
tweene
Macedon &
Monmouth, that the situations looke
you, is both alike. There is a Riuer in
Macedon, & there
is also moreouer a Riuer at
Monmouth, it is call'd Wye at
Monmouth: but it is out of my praines, what is the name
of the other Riuer: but 'tis all one, tis alike as my fingers
[2460]
is to my fingers, and there is Salmons in both. If you
marke
Alexanders life well,
Harry of Monmouthes life is
come after it indifferent well, for there is figures in all
things.
Alexander God knowes, and you know, in his
rages, and his furies, and his wraths, and his chollers, and
[2465]
his moodes, and his displeasures, and his indignations,
and also being a little intoxicates in his praines, did in
his Ales and his angers (looke you) kill his best friend
Clytus.
Gow.
Our King is not like him in that, he neuer kill'd
[2470]
any of his friends.
Flu.
It is not well done (marke you now) to take the
tales out of my mouth, ere it is made and finished. I speak
but in the figures, and comparisons of it: as
Alexander
kild his friend
Clytus, being in his Ales and his Cuppes; so
[2475]
also
Harry Monmouth being in his right wittes, and his
good iudgements, turn'd away the fat Knight with the
great belly doublet: he was full of iests, and gypes, and
knaueries, and mockes, I haue forgot his name.
Gow.
Sir
Iohn Falstaffe.
Flu.
[2480]
That is he: Ile tell you, there is good men porne
at
Monmonth
Monmouth
.
Gow.
Heere comes his Maiesty.
Alarum.
Enter King Harry and Burbon
with prisoners. Flourish.
King.
I was not angry since I came to France,
Vntill this instant. Take a Trumpet Herald,
[2485]
Ride thou vnto the Horsemen on yond hill:
If they will fight with vs, bid them come downe,
Or voyde the field: they do offend our sight.
If they'l do neither, we will come to them,
And make them sker away, as swift as stones
[2490]
Enforced from the old Assyrian slings:
Besides, wee'l cut the throats of those we haue,
And not a man of them that we shall take,
Shall taste our mercy. Go and tell them so.
Enter Montioy.
Exe.
Here comes the Herald of the French, my Liege
Glou.
[2495]
His eyes are humbler then they vs'd to be.
King.
How now, what meanes this Herald? Knowst
thou not,
That I haue fin'd these bones of mine for ransome?
Com'st thou againe for ransome?
Her.
No great King:
[2500]
I come to thee for charitable License,
That we may wander ore this bloody field,
To booke our dead, and then to bury them,
To sort our Nobles from our common men.
For many of our Princes (woe the while)
[2505]
Lye drown'd and soak'd in mercenary blood:
So do our vulgar drench their peasant limbes
In blood of Princes, and with wounded steeds
Fret fet-locke deepe in gore, and with wilde rage
Yerke out their armed heeles at their dead masters,
[2510]
Killing them twice. O giue vs leaue great King,
To view the field in safety, and dispose
Of their dead bodies.
Kin.
I tell thee truly Herald,
I know not if the day be ours or no,
[2515]
For yet a many of your horsemen peere,
And gallop ore the field.
Her.
The day is yours.
Kin.
Praised be God, and not our strength for it:
What is this Castle call'd that stands hard by.
Her.
[2520]
They call it
Agincourt.
King.
Then call we this the field of
Agincourt,
Fought on the day of
Crispin Crispianus.
Flu.
Your Grandfather of famous memory (an't please
your Maiesty) and your great Vncle
Edward the Placke
[2525]
Prince of Wales, as I haue read in the Chronicles, fought
a most praue pattle here in France.
Kin.
They did
Fluellen.
Flu.
Your Maiesty sayes very true: If your Maiesties
is remembred of it, the Welchmen did good seruice in a
[2530]
Garden where Leekes did grow, wearing Leekes in their
Monmouth caps, which your Maiesty know to this houre
is an honourable badge of the seruice: And I do beleeue
your Maiesty takes no scorne to weare the Leeke vppon
S.Tauies day.
King.
[2535]
I weare it for a memorable honor:
For I am Welch you know good Countriman.
Flu.
All the water in Wye, cannot wash your Maie-
sties Welsh plood out of your pody, I can tell you that:
God plesse it, and preserue it, as long as it pleases his
[2540]
Grace, and his Maiesty too.
Kin.
Thankes good my Countrymen.
Flu.
By Ieshu, I am your Maiesties Countreyman, I
care not who know it: I will confesse it to all the Orld, I
need not to be ashamed of your Maiesty, praised be God
[2545]
so long as your Maiesty is an honest man.
King.
Good keepe me so.
Enter Williams.
Our Heralds go with him,
Bring me iust notice of the numbers dead
On both our parts. Call yonder fellow hither.
Exe.
[2550]
Souldier, you must come to the King.
Kin.
Souldier, why wear'st thou that Gloue in thy
Cappe?
Will.
And't please your Maiesty, tis the gage of one
that I should fight withall, if he be aliue.
Kin.
An Englishman?
Wil.
[2555]
And't please your Maiesty, a Rascall that swag-
ger'd with me last night: who if aliue, and euer dare to
challenge this Gloue, I haue sworne to take him a boxe
a'th ere: or if I can see my Gloue in his cappe, which he
swore as he was a Souldier he would weare (if aliue) I wil
[2560]
strike it out soundly.
Kin.
What thinke you Captaine
Fluellen, is it
fit this
souldier keepe his oath.
Flu.
Hee is a Crauen and a Villaine else, and't please
your Maiesty in my conscience.
King.
[2565]
It may bee, his enemy is a Gentleman of great
sort quite from the answer of his degree.
Flu.
Though he be as good a Ientleman as the diuel is,
as Lucifer and Belzebub himselfe, it is necessary (looke
your Grace) that he keepe his vow and his oath: If hee
[2570]
bee periur'd (see you now) his reputation is as arrant a
villaine and a Iacke sawce, as euer his blacke shoo trodd
vpon Gods ground, and his earth, in my conscience law
King.
Then keepe thy vow sirrah, when thou meet'st
the fellow.
Wil.
[2575]
So, I wil my Liege, as I liue.
King.
Who seru'st thou vnder?
Will.
Vnder Captaine
Gower, my Liege.
Flu.
Gower is a good Captaine, and is good know-
ledge and literatured in the Warres.
King.
[2580]
Call him hither to me, Souldier.
Will.
I will my Liege.
Exit.
King.
Here
Fluellen, weare thou this fauour for me, and
sticke it in thy Cappe: when
Alanson and my selfe were
downe together, I pluckt this Gloue from his Helme: If
[2585]
any man challenge this, hee is a friend to
Alanson, and an
enemy to our Person; if thou encounter any such, appre-
hend him, and thou do'st me loue.
Flu.
Your Grace doo's me as great Honors as can be
desir'd in the hearts of his Subiects: I would faine see
[2590]
the man, that ha's but two legges, that shall find himselfe
agreefd at this Gloue; that is all: but I would faine see
it once, and please God of his grace that I might see.
King.
Know'st thou
Gower?
Flu.
He is my deare friend, and please you.
King.
[2595]
Pray thee goe seeke him, and bring him to my
Tent.
Flu.
I will fetch him.
Exit.
King.
My Lord of
Warwick, and my Brother
Gloster,
Follow
Fluellen closely at the heeles.
[2600]
The Gloue which I haue giuen him for a fauour,
May haply purchase him a box a'th'eare.
It is the Souldiers: I by bargaine should
Weare it my selfe. Follow good Cousin
Warwick:
If that the Souldier strike him, as I iudge
[2605]
By his blunt bearing, he will keepe his word;
Some sodaine mischiefe may arise of it:
For I doe know
Fluellen valiant,
And toucht with Choler, hot as Gunpowder,
And quickly will returne an iniurie.
[2610]
Follow, and see there be no harme betweene them.
Goe you with me, Vnckle of Exeter.
Exeunt.