! a man as Mark Antony, and he is a man of no estima. tion in the world, but I did see him do gallant services. Gower. What do you call him ? Enter Pistol. Pift. Captain, I thee beseech to do me favours : The Duke of Exeter doth love thee well. Flu. I, I praise God, and I have merited some love at his hands. Pift. Bardolph, a soldier firm and found of heart, And buxom valour, hath by cruel fate. And giddy fortune's furious fickle wheel, That Goddess blind that stands upon the rolling restless stone Flu. By your patience, Ancient Pistol: Fortune is painted with a muffler before her eyes, to signify to you that fortune is plind; and the is painted also with a wheel, to signify to you, which is the moral of it that she is turning and inconstant, and mutabilities and variations ; and her foot, look you, is fixed upon a spherical stone, which rowles, and rowles, and Towles; in good truth, the Poet makes a moft excellent defcription of it.: fortune is an excellent moral. Pift. Fortune is Bardolph's foe, and frowns on him; * for he bath ftolen a Pax, and hanged muft a' be; damned death! Let gallows gape for dog, let man go free, And let not hemp his wind-pipe suffocate; But Exeter hath given the doom of death, For Pax of little price. Therefore, go speak, The Duke will hear thy voice;' And let not Bardolph's vital thread be cut * for he hath foln a Pax.) This is conformable to History. A Soldier (Hall tells us, Henry V. year 3. fol. 14. ) being hanged at this Time for such a Fad, Nr. Pope. With edge of penny-cord, and vile reproach. Flu. Ancient Pistol, I do partly understand your meaning Pift. Why then rejoice therefore. Flu. Certainly, Ancient, it is not a thing to rejoice at; forif, look you, he were my brother, I would defire the Duke to use his good 'pleasure, and put him to executions; for disciplines ought to be used. Pis. Die and be damn'd, and Figo for thy friendship! [Exit Pift. Flu, Very good. Gower. Why, this is an arrant counterfeit rascal, I remember him now; a bawd, a cut-purse. Flu. I'll assure you, he utter'd 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, Gower. 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. Such fellows are perfect in the 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 disgrac'd, what terms the enerny stood on; this they con perfe&tly in the phrase of war, which they trick up with new-turned oaths: And what a beard of the general's cut, and a horrid suit of the camp, will do among foaming bottles and ale-wash'd wits, is wonderful to be thought on! But you must learn to know such flanders of the age, or else you may be marvelously mistook. Flu. I tell you what, captain Gower ; I do perceive, he is not the man that he would gladly make shew to the world he is; if I find a hole in his coat, I will tell him my mind; hear you, the King is coming, and I must speak with him from the pridge. Flu. G S CE N E VIII. Drum and Colours. Enter the King, and his poor soldiers. OD pless your Majesty. K. Henry. How now, Fluellen, cam'ft thou from the bridge? Flu. I, so please your Majesty: the Duke of Exeter has very gallantly inaintain'd ihe pridge; the French is gone off , look you, and there is gallant and most prave paffages ; marry, th' athversary was have pofsession 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. K. Henry. What men have you loft, Fluellen? Flu. The perdition of th' athversary hath been very great, very 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 church, one Bardolph, if your Majesty know the man: his face is all bubukles, and whelks, and knobs, and flames of 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 Henry. We would have such offenders so cutoff; Tucket founds. Enter Mountjoy. Mount. Mount. My master's mind. England, Bid him therefore to consider, What must the ransom be, which must proportion The losses we have borne, the subjects we Have loft, and the disgrace we have digefted; To answer which, his pettiness would bow under. First for our loss, too poor is his Exchequer; : For the effufion of our blood, his army Too faint a number; and for our disgrace, Ey'n his own person kneeling at our feet A weak and worthless fatisfa&tion. To this, defiance add; and for conclusion, Tell him he hath betray'd his followers, Whose condemnation is pronounc'd. So far My King and master; and so much my office. K. Henry. What is thy name? I know thy quality, Mount. Mountjoy. K. Henry. Thou dost thy office fairly. Turn thee And tell thy King, I do not seek him now; But could be willing to march on to Calais Without impeachment; for to say the footh, (Though 'tis no wisdom to consess so much Unto an enemy of craft and vantage) My people are with fickness much enfeebled, My numbers lessen'd; and those few I have, Almost no better than fo many French; Who, when they were in health, I tell thee, herald, I back, I thought, upon one pair of English legs Exit. theirs : March to the bridge; it now draws toward night; Beyond the river we'll encamp ourselves; And on to-morrow bid them march away. [Exeunt, SCENE IX. The French Camp near Agincourt. Enter the Constable of France, the Lord Rambures, Or leans, Dauphin, with others. UT, I have the best armour of the world. Would it were day! Orl. You have an excellent armour; but let my horse have his due. Con. It is the best horfe of Europe. Dau. Con. T°W |