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. 120 K. Hen. We would have all such offenders so cut off: and we give express charge, that in our marches through the country, there be nothing compelled from the villages, nothing taken but paid for, none of the French upbraided or abused in disdainful language; for when lenity and cruelty play for a kingdom, the gentler gamester is the soonest winner.

Tucket. Enter Montjoy.

Mont. You know me by my habit.

K. Hen. Well then I know thee: what shall I

know of thee?

Mont. My master's mind.

K. Hen. Unfold it.

130

Mont. Thus says my king: Say thou to Harry of England: Though we seemed dead, we did but sleep: advantage is a better soldier than rashness. Tell him we could have rebuked him at Harfleur, but that we thought not good to bruise an injury till it were full 140

116–120. Fluellen's description of Bardolph forcibly recalls Chaucer's Sompnour in the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales (Qq, "whelkes, and knubs, and pumples" for "bubukles, and whelks, and knobs").-I. G.

127-129. These lines appear to convey a pointed allusion to Essex's campaign in Ireland, and are in any case significant of Shakespeare's judgment upon the harsh policy commonly pursued there.-C. H. H. "lenity," Rowe's emendation from Qq.; Ff., "Levity."-I. G. 130. "habit”; i. e. sleeveless coat, the herald's tabard.-I. G. 141. "upon our cue"; that is, in our turn.-H. N. H.

ripe: now we speak upon our cue, and our
voice is imperial: England shall repent his
folly, see his weakness, and admire our suf-
ferance. Bid him therefore consider of his
ransom; which must proportion the losses we
have borne, the subjects we have lost, the
disgrace we have digested; which in weight
to re-answer, his pettiness would bow under.
For our losses, his exchequer is too poor; for
the effusion of our blood, the muster of his 150
kingdom too faint a number; and for our
disgrace, his own person, kneeling at our
feet, but a weak and worthless satisfaction.
To this add defiance: and tell him, for con-
clusion, he hath betrayed his followers, whose
condemnation is pronounced. So far my
king and master; so much my office.

K. Hen. What is thy name? I know thy
quality.

Mont. Montjoy.

160

K. Hen. Thou dost thy office fairly. Turn thee

back,

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 sooth,
Though 'tis no wisdom to confess so much
Unto an enemy of craft and vantage,

My people are with sickness much enfeebled,
My numbers lessen'd, and those few I have

147. "in weight to re-answer"; to repay in full measure.-C. H. H. 166. "of craft and vantage"; who has both a natural superiority and the cunning to make the best of it.-C. H. H.

Almost no better than so many French;

Who when they were in health, I tell thee, herald,

170

I thought upon one pair of English legs
Did march three Frenchmen. Yet, forgive
me, God,

That I do brag thus! This your air of France
Hath blown that vice in me; I must repent.
Go therefore, tell thy master here I am;
My ransom is this frail and worthless trunk,
My army but a weak and sickly guard;
Yet, God before, tell him we will come on,
Though France himself and such another
neighbor

Stand in our way. There's for thy labor,
Montjoy.

Go, bid thy master well advise himself:

180

If we may pass, we will; if we be hinder'd,
We shall your tawny ground with your red

blood

Discolor: and so, Montjoy, fare you well.

The sum of all our answer is but this:

We would not seek a battle, as we are;

Nor, as we are, we say we will not shun it:
So tell your master.

178. "God before" was then used for God being my guide.H. N. H.

180. "There's for thy labor"; Shakespeare found in Holinshed that the king gave the herald "a princely reward."-C. H. H.

186, 187. The Poet here follows very close upon the chronicler: "And so Montjoy king at armes was sent to the king of England, to defie him as the enemie of France, and to tell him that he should shortlie have battell. King Henrie answered,-'mine intent is to doo as it pleaseth God: I will not seeke your master at this time;

Mont. I shall deliver so.

ness.

Thanks to your high

[Exit.

Glou. I hope they will not come upon us now. 190 K. Hen. We are in God's hand, brother, not in 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 VII

The French camp, near Agincourt.

Enter the Constable of France, the Lord Rambures, Orleans, Dauphin, with others.

Con. Tut! I have the best armor of the world.
Would it were day!

Orl. You have an excellent armor; but let my
horse have his due.

Con. It is the best horse of Europe.
Orl. Will it never be morning?

Dau. My Lord of Orleans, and my lord high
constable, you talk of horse and armor?

but if he or his seeke me, I will meet with them, God willing. If anie of your nation attempt once to stop me in my journie now towards Calis, at their jeopardie be it; and yet I wish not anie of you so unadvised, as to be the occasion that I die your tawnie ground with your red bloud!' When he had thus answered the herald, he gave him a princelie reward, and licence to depart." It was customary thus to reward heralds, whatever might be the nature of their message.-H. N. H.

Orl. You are as well provided of both as any

prince in the world.

Dau. What a long night is this! I will not
change my horse with any that treads but on
four pasterns. Ca, ha! he bounds from the
earth, as if his entrails were hairs; le cheval
volant, the Pegasus, chez les narines de feu!
When I bestride him, I soar, I am a hawk:
he trots the air; the earth sings when he
touches it; the basest horn of his hoof is
more musical than the pipe of Hermes.
Orl. He's of the color of the nutmeg.
Dau. And of the heat of the ginger. It is a
beast for Perseus: he is pure air and fire;
and the dull elements of earth and water
never appear in him, but only in patient still-
ness while his rider mounts him: he is indeed
a horse; and all other jades you may call
beasts.

Con. Indeed, my lord, it is a most absolute and
excellent horse.

10

20

Dau. It is the prince of palfreys; his neigh is 30 like the bidding of a monarch, and his countenance enforces homage.

Orl. No more, cousin.

Dau. Nay, the man hath no wit that cannot, from the rising of the lark to the lodging of the lamb, vary deserved praise on my palfrey: it is a theme as fluent as the sea: turn

14. "entrails were hairs"; alluding to the bounding of tennis balls, which were stuffed with hair.-H. N. H.

15. "chez les narines"; Capell, "qui a"; Ff., "ches"; Heath conj. "voyez," &c.—I. G.