K. HEN. The princess is the better English woman. I' faith, Kate, my wooing is fit for thy understanding: I am glad thou canst speak no better English; for, if thou couldst, thou wouldst find me such a plain king that thou wouldst think I had sold my farm to buy my crown. I know no ways to mince it in love, but directly to say "I love you:" then if you urge me farther than to say "Do you in faith?" I wear out my suit. Give me your answer; i' faith, do: and so clap hands and a bargain: how say you, lady?

KATH. Sauf Votre honneur, me understand vell.

K. HEN. Marry, if you would put me to verses or to dance for your sake, Kate, why you undid me: for the one, I have neither words nor measure, and for the other, I have no strength in measure, yet a reasonable measure in strength. If I could win a lady at leap-frog, or by vaulting into my saddle with my armour on my back, under the correction of bragging be it spoken, I should quickly leap into a wife. Or if I might buffet for my love, or bound my horse for her favours, I could lay on like a butcher and sit like a jack-an-apes, never off. But, before God, Kate, I cannot look greenly nor gasp

124 plain] unaffected, straightforward.

128 I wear out my suit] I waste my time in wooing.

133 you undid me] you would ruin me, would defeat me.

...

134-135 measure . . . measure . . . measure] metre . . . slow dignified dance . . amount.

138 under the correction

.

spoken] subject to allowance being made

for the boastfulness of the speaker.

139 buffet] get to blows.

141 sit like a Jack-an-apes] sit tight like a monkey.

142 look greenly] look like a nervous young lover.

130

out my eloquence, nor I have no cunning in protestation; only downright oaths, which I never use till urged, nor never break for urging. If thou canst love a fellow of this temper, Kate, whose face is not worth sun-burning, that never looks in his glass for love of any thing he sees there, let thine eye be thy cook. I speak to thee plain soldier: if thou canst love me for this, take me; if not, to say to thee that I shall die, is true; but for thy love, by the Lord, no; yet I love thee too. And while thou livest, dear Kate, take a fellow of plain and uncoined constancy; for he perforce must do thee right, because he hath not the gift to woo in other places: for these fellows of infinite tongue, that can rhyme themselves into ladies' favours, they do always reason themselves out again. What! a speaker is but a prater; a rhyme is but a ballad. A good leg will fall; a straight back will stoop; a black beard will turn white; a curled pate will grow bald; a fair face will wither; a full eye will wax hollow: but a good heart, Kate, is the sun and the moon; or, rather, the sun, and not the moon; for it shines bright and never changes, but keeps his course truly. If thou would have such a one, take me; and take me, take a soldier; take a soldier, take a king. And what sayest thou then to my love? speak, my fair, and fairly, I pray thee.

148 let thine eye . cook] let thy gaze fashion me to thy fancy.

...

148-149 I speak . . . plain soldier] Cf. for the construction, K. John, II, i, 462, "He speaks plain cannon fire."

152-153 of plain and uncoined constancy] as of plain sterling metal, which has not yet been stamped or manipulated for circulation as coinage. 158 fall fall away, shrink.

167

KATH. Is it possible dat I sould love de enemy of France?

K. HEN. No; it is not possible you should love the enemy of France, Kate: but, in loving me, you should love the friend of France; for I love France so well that I will not part with a village of it; I will have it all mine: and, Kate, when France is mine and I am yours, then yours is France and you are mine.

KATH. I cannot tell vat is dat.

K. HEN. No, Kate? I will tell thee in French; which I am sure will hang upon my tongue like a new-married wife about her husband's neck, hardly to be shook off. Je quand sur le possession de France, et quand vous avez le possession de moi, let me see, what then? Saint Denis be my speed! - donc votre est France et vous êtes mienne. It is as easy for me, Kate, to conquer the kingdom as to speak so much more French: I shall never move thee in French, unless it be to laugh at me. KATH. Sauf votre honneur, le François que vous parlez, il est meilleur que l'Anglois lequel je parle.

K. HEN. No, faith, is 't not, Kate: but thy speaking of my tongue, and I thine, most truly-falsely, must needs be granted to be much at one. But, Kate, dost thou understand thus much English, canst thou love me?

KATH. I cannot tell.

K. HEN. Can any of your neighbours tell, Kate? I'll ask them. Come, I know thou lovest me: and at night, when you come into your closet, you'll question this gentlewoman about me; and I know, Kate, you

191 much at one] much alike.

175

188

will to her dispraise those parts in me that you love with your heart: but, good Kate, mock me mercifully; the rather, gentle princess, because I love thee cruelly. If ever thou beest mine, Kate, as I have a saving faith within me tells me thou shalt, I get thee with scambling, and thou must therefore needs prove a good soldierbreeder: shall not thou and I, between Saint Denis and Saint George, compound a boy, half French, half English, that shall go to Constantinople and take the Turk by the beard? shall we not? what sayest thou, my fair flower-de-luce?

KATH. I do not know dat.

K. HEN. No; 't is hereafter to know, but now to promise: do but now promise, Kate, you will endeavour for your French part of such a boy; and for my English moiety take the word of a king and a bachelor. How answer you, la plus belle Katharine du monde, mon très cher et devin déesse ?

KATH. Your majestee ave fausse French enough to deceive de most sage demoiselle dat is en France.

K. HEN. Now, fie upon my false French! By mine honour, in true English, I love thee, Kate: by which honour I dare not swear thou lovest me; yet my blood begins to flatter me that thou dost, notwithstanding the poor and untempering effect of my visage. Now, be

202 scambling] struggling, fighting, cf. I, i, 4, supra. 206-7 go to Constantinople . . . beard] an anachronism.

The Turks

did not occupy Constantinople till 1453, thirty-one years after Henry's death.

208 flower-de-luce] lily, fleur-de-lys, the emblem of the French monarchy. 215 cher et devin déesse] a specimen of the King's" fausse French" (line 216).

209

217

shrew my father's ambition! he was thinking of civil wars when he got me: therefore was I created with a stubborn outside, with an aspect of iron, that, when I come to woo ladies, I fright them. But, in faith, Kate, the elder I wax, the better I shall appear: my comfort is, that old age, that ill layer up of beauty, can do no more spoil upon my face: thou hast me, if thou hast me, at the worst; and thou shalt wear me, if thou wear me, better and better: and therefore tell me, most fair Katharine, will you have me? Put off your maiden blushes; avouch the thoughts of your heart with the looks of an empress; take me by the hand, and say Harry of England, I am thine:" which word thou shalt no sooner bless mine ear withal, but I will tell thee aloud "England is thine, Ireland is thine, France is thine, and Henry Plantagenet is thine;" who, though I speak it before his face, if he be not fellow with the best king, thou shalt find the best king of good fellows. Come, your answer in broken music; for thy voice is music and thy English broken; therefore, queen of all, Katharine, break thy mind to me in broken English, wilt thou have me?

66

222 untempering effect] unsoftening, unconciliatory quality. 228 ill layer up] bad preservative, with an allusion to the wrinkling power of age. Cf. 2 Hen. IV, V, i, 82, a wet cloak ill laid up (i. e., badly folded).”

66

241 broken music] a quibble on a technical musical term, which was used in contrast with "consort." Certain musical instruments, like viols, violins, and flutes, were played in sets of four or quartettes, thereby constituting what was known as a "consort." If one or more of the four instruments in a set were replaced by another instrument, the result was described as "broken music."

243