Flu. Yes, my conscience, He did us great good.
K. Hen. Do we all holy rites.
Let there be sung Non nobis and Te Deum,
The dead with charity enclos'd in clay,
And then to Calais; and to England then,
Where ne'er from France arriv'd more happy
Chor. Vouchsafe to those that have not read the story, That I may prompt them; and of such as have, I humbly pray them to admit the excuse
Of time, of numbers, and due course of things,
Which cannot in their huge and proper life
Be here presented. Now we bear the King
Toward Calais; grant him there; there seen,
Heave him away upon your winged thoughts
Athwart the sea. Behold, the English beach
Pales in the flood with men, with wives and boys, 10
Whose shouts and claps out-voice the deep-mouth'd
Which like a mighty whiffler 'fore the King
Seems to prepare his way. So let him land,
And solemnly see him set on to London.
So swift a pace hath thought that even now
You may imagine him upon Blackheath,
Where that his lords desire him to have borne
His bruised helmet and his bended sword
Before him through the city. He forbids it,
Being free from vainness and self-glorious pride; 20
Giving full trophy, signal, and ostent
Quite from himself to God. But now behold,
In the quick forge and working-house of thought,
How London doth pour out her citizens !
The mayor and all his brethren in best sort,
Like to the senators of the antique Rome,
With the plebeians swarming at their heels,
Go forth and fetch their conquering Cæsar in;
As, by a lower but loving likelihood,
Were now the general of our gracious empress, 30
As in good time he may, from Ireland coming,
Bringing rebellion broached on his sword,
How many would the peaceful city quit,
To welcome him! Much more, and much more
Did they this Harry. Now in London place
As yet the lamentation of the French
Invites the King of England's stay at home,
The Emperor's coming in behalf of France,
To order peace between them; and omit
All the occurrences, whatever chanc'd,
Till Harry's back-return again to France.
There must we bring him; and myself have play'd
The interim, by rememb'ring you 'tis past.
Then brook abridgement, and your eyes advance
After your thoughts, straight back again to France.
[France. The English camp.]
Enter Fluellen and Gower.
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 where
fore in all things. I will tell you asse my
friend, Captain Gower. The rascally, scald,
beggarly, lousy, pragging knave, Pistol, which
you and yourself and all the world know to be
no petter than a fellow, look you now,
merits, he is come to me and prings me pread
and salt yesterday, look you, and bid me eat
my leek. It was in a place where I could not
breed no contention with him; but I will be so
bold 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.
Gow. Why, here he comes, swelling like a turkey- 15 cock.
Flu. "Tis no matter for his swellings nor his turkey
cocks. God pless you, Aunchient Pistol! you
scurfy, lousy knave, God pless you!
Pist. Ha! art thou bedlam? Dost thou thirst, base
To have me fold up Parca's fatal web?
Hence! I am qualmish at the smell of leek. Flu. I peseech you heartily, scurfy, lousy knave,
at my desires, and my requests, and my petitions, to eat, look you, this leek. Because, 25 look you, you do not love it, nor your affections and your appetites and your disgestions doo's not agree with it, I would desire you to eat it. Pist. Not for Cadwallader and all his goats. Flu. There is one goat for you. [Strikes him.] Will you be so good, scald knave, as eat it?
Pist. Base Troyan, thou shalt die.
Flu. You say very true, scald knave, when God's
will is. I will desire you to live in the mean
time, and eat your victuals. Come, there is 35
sauce for it. [Strikes him.] You call'd 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 astonish'd him.
Flu. I say, I will make him eat some part of my
leek, or I will peat his pate four days. Bite,
I pray you; it is good for your green wound
and your ploody coxcomb.
|