ORL. What a wretched and peevish fellow is this King of England, to mope with his fat-brained followers so far out of his knowledge! CON. If the English had any apprehension, they would run away. ORL. That they lack; for if their heads had any intellectual armour, they could never wear such heavy head-pieces. RAM. That island of England breeds very valiant creatures; their mastiffs are of unmatchable courage. ORL. Foolish curs, that run winking into the mouth of a Russian bear and have their heads crushed like rotten apples! You may as well say, that's a valiant flea that dare eat his breakfast on the lip of a lion. CON. Just, just; and the men do sympathize with the mastiffs in robustious and rough coming on, leaving their wits with their wives: and then give them great meals of beef, and iron and steel, they will eat like wolves, and fight like devils. ORL. Ay, but these English are shrewdly out of beef. CON. Then shall we find to-morrow they have only stomachs to eat and none to fight. Now is it time to arm: come, shall we about it? ORL. It is now two o'clock: but, let me see, by ten We shall have each a hundred Englishmen. 132 apprehension] sense, intelligence. [Exeunt. 144 robustious] boisterous. Shakespeare only uses the word again in Hamlet, III, ii, 9. 131 142 151 Enter Chorus OW ENTERTAIN CON jecture of a time When creeping murmur and the poring dark Fills the wide vessel of the uni verse. From camp to camp through the foul womb of night The hum of either army stilly sounds, That the fix'd sentinels almost receive The secret whispers of each Fire answers fire, and through their paly flames 2 poring dark] darkness in which the eye looks intently or gropes. 10 Piercing the night's dull ear; and from the tents The country cocks do crow, the clocks do toll, So tediously away. The poor condemned English, Sit patiently and inly ruminate The morning's danger, and their gesture sad So many horrid ghosts. O now, who will behold Walking from watch to watch, from tent to tent, 12 accomplishing] equipping. 17 secure in soul] confident at heart. 18-19 The confident . . . dice] This detail is borrowed direct from Holinshed who writes that "the (French) souldiers the night before had plaid the Englishmen at dice." In their game at dice the Frenchmen had likened their despised adversaries to the stake for which they were playing. 25-26 their gesture sad... coats] the sadness of their gesture, which communicates itself to their lank-lean cheeks and to their ragged coats. 20 30 For forth he goes and visits all his host, Bids them good morrow with a modest smile, How dread an army hath enrounded him; His liberal eye doth give to every one, A little touch of Harry in the night. And so our scene must to the battle fly; Where O for pity! - we shall much disgrace With four or five most vile and ragged foils, 40 50 The name of Agincourt. Yet sit and see, Minding true things by what their mockeries be. [Exit. 39 over-bears attaint] conquers or represses the taint (of weariness). 46 as may unworthiness define] as far as their unworthy natures may descry it. SCENE I-THE ENGLISH CAMP AT AGINCOURT Enter KING HENRY, BEDFORD, and GLOUCESTER K. HEN. Gloucester, 't is true that we are in great danger; The greater therefore should our courage be. Enter ERPINGHAM Good morrow, old Sir Thomas Erpingham: ERP. Not so, my liege: this lodging likes me better, Since I may say "Now lie I like a king." K. HEN. 'Tis good for men to love their present pains Upon example; so the spirit is eased: 3 brother Bedford] The Duke of Bedford was not present at the battle of Agincourt. 10 dress us] address, prepare ourselves. Cf. III, iii, 58, supra. 10 |