Fluellen

Kill the poys and the luggage! 'tis expressly against the law of arms: 'tis as arrant a piece of knavery, mark you now, as can be offert; in your conscience, now, is it not?

Gower

'Tis certain there's not a boy left alive; and the cowardly rascals that ran from the battle ha' done this slaughter: besides, they have burned and carried away all that was in the king's tent; wherefore the king, most worthily, hath caused every soldier to cut his prisoner's throat. O, 'tis a gallant king!

Fluellen

Ay, he was porn at Monmouth, Captain Gower. What call you the town's name where Alexander the Pig was born!

Gower

Alexander the Great.

Fluellen

Why, I pray you, is not pig great? the pig, or the great, or the mighty, or the huge, or the magnanimous, are all one reckonings, save the phrase is a little variations.

Gower

I think Alexander the Great was born in Macedon: his father was called Philip of Macedon, as I take it.

Fluellen

I think it is in Macedon where Alexander is porn. I tell you, captain, if you look in the maps of the 'orld, I warrant you sall find, in the comparisons between Macedon and Monmouth, that the situations, look you, is both alike. There is a river in Macedon; and there is also moreover a river at Monmouth: it is called Wye at Monmouth; but it is out of my prains what is the name of the other river; but 'tis all one, 'tis alike as my fingers is to my fingers, and there is salmons in both. If you mark Alexander's life well, Harry of Monmouth's life is come after it indifferent well; for there is figures in all things. Alexander, God knows, and you know, in his rages, and his furies, and his wraths, and his cholers, and his moods, and his displeasures, and his indignations, and also being a little intoxicates in his prains, did, in his ales and his angers, look you, kill his best friend, Cleitus.

Gower

Our king is not like him in that: he never killed any of his friends.

Fluellen

It is not well done, mark you now, to take the tales out of my mouth, ere it is made and finished. I speak but in the figures and comparisons of it: as Alexander killed his friend Cleitus, being in his ales and his cups; so also Harry Monmouth, being in his right wits and his good judgements, turned away the fat knight with the great belly doublet: he was full of jests, and gipes, and knaveries, and mocks; I have forgot his name.

Gower

Sir John Falstaff.

Fluellen

That is he: I'll tell you there is good men porn at Monmouth.

Gower

Here comes his majesty.

King Henry

I was not angry since I came to France

Until this instant. Take a trumpet, herald;

Ride thou unto the horsemen on yon hill:

If they will fight with us, bid them come down,

Or void the field; they do offend our sight:

If they'll do neither, we will come to them,

And make them skirr away, as swift as stones

Enforced from the old Assyrian slings:

Besides, we'll cut the throats of those we have,

And not a man of them that we shall take

Shall taste our mercy. Go and tell them so. Enter MONTJOY.

Exeter

Here comes the herald of the French, my liege.

Gloucester

His eyes are humbler than they used to be.

King Henry

How now! what means this, herald? know'st thou not

That I have fined these bones of mine for ransom?

Comest thou again for ransom?

Montjoy

No, great king:

I come to thee for charitable license,

That we may wander o'er this bloody field

To book our dead, and then to bury them;

To sort our nobles from our common men.

For many of our princes — woe the while! —

Lie drowned and soaked in mercenary blood;

So do our vulgar drench their peasant limbs

In blood of princes; and their wounded steeds

Fret fetlock deep in gore and with wild rage

Yerk out their armed heels at their dead masters,

Killing them twice. O, give us leave, great king,

To view the field in safety and dispose

Of their dead bodies!

King Henry

I tell thee truly, herald,

I know not if the day be ours or no;

For yet a many of your horsemen peer

And gallop o'er the field.

Montjoy

The day is yours.

King Henry

Praised be God, and not our strength, for it!

What is this castle called that stands hard by?

Montjoy

They call it Agincourt.

King Henry

Then call we this the field of Agincourt,

Fought on the day of Crispin Crispianus.

Fluellen

Your grandfather of famous memory, an't please your majesty, and your great-uncle Edward the Plack Prince of Wales, as I have read in the chronicles, fought a most prave pattle here in France.

King Henry

They did, Fluellen.

Fluellen

Your majesty says very true: if your majesties is remembered of it, the Welshmen did good service in a garden where leeks did grow, wearing leeks in their Monmouth caps; which, your majesty know, to this hour is an honourable badge of the service; and I do believe your majesty takes no scorn to wear the leek upon Saint Tavy's day.

King Henry

I wear it for a memorable honour;

For I am Welsh, you know, good countryman.

Fluellen

All the water in Wye cannot wash your majesty's Welsh plood out of your pody, I can tell you that: God pless it and preserve it, as long as it pleases his grace, and his majesty too!

King Henry

Thanks, good my countryman.

Fluellen

By Jeshu, I am your majesty's countryman, I care not who know it; I will confess it to all the 'orld: I need not to be ashamed of your majesty, praised be God, so long as your majesty is an honest man.

King Henry

God keep me so! Our heralds go with him:

Bring me just notice of the numbers dead

On both our parts. Call yonder fellow hither. Points to Williams. Exeunt Heralds with Montjoy.

Exeter

Soldier, you must come to the king.

King Henry

Soldier, why wear'st thou that glove in thy cap?

Williams

An't please your majesty, 'tis the gage of one that I should fight withal, if he be alive.

King Henry

An Englishman?

Williams

An't please your majesty, a rascal that swaggered with me last night; who, if alive and ever dare to challenge this glove, I have sworn to take him a box o' th' ear: or if I can see my glove in his cap, which he swore, as he was a soldier, he would wear if alive, I will strike it out soundly.

King Henry

What think you, Captain Fluellen? is it fit this soldier keep his oath?

Fluellen

He is a craven and a villain else, an't please your majesty, in my conscience.

King Henry

It may be his enemy is a gentleman of great sort, quite from the answer of his degree.

Fluellen

Though he be as good a gentleman as the devil is, as Lucifer and Beelzebub himself, it is necessary, look your grace, that he keep his vow and his oath: if he be perjured, see you now, his reputation is as arrant a villain and a Jack sauce, as ever his black shoe trod upon God's ground and his earth, in my conscience, la!

King Henry

Then keep thy vow, sirrah, when thou meetest the fellow.

Williams

So I will, my liege, as I live.

King Henry

Who servest thou under?

Williams

Under Captain Gower, my liege.

Fluellen

Gower is a good captain, and is good knowledge and literatured in the wars.

King Henry

Call him hither to me, soldier.

Williams

I will, my liege.

King Henry

Here, Fluellen; wear thou this favour for me and stick it in thy cap: when Alencon and myself were down together, I plucked this glove from his helm: if any man challenge this, he is a friend to Alencon, and an enemy to our person; if thou encounter any such, apprehend him, and thou dost me love.

Fluellen

Your grace doo's me as great honours as can be desired in the hearts of his subjects: I would fain see the man, that has but two legs, that shall find himself aggriefed at this glove; that is all; but I would fain see it once, an please God of his grace that I might see.

King Henry

Knowest thou Gower?

Fluellen

He is my dear friend, an please you.

King Henry

Pray thee, go seek him, and bring him to my tent.

Fluellen

I will fetch him.

King Henry

My lord of Warwick, and my brother Gloucester,

Follow Fluellen closely at the heels:

The glove which I have given him for a favour

May haply purchase him a box o' th' ear;

It is the soldier's; I by bargain should

Wear it myself. Follow, good cousin Warwick:

If that the soldier strike him, as I judge

By his blunt bearing he will keep his word,

Some sudden mischief may arise of it;

For I do know Fluellen valiant

And, touched with choler, hot as gunpowder,

And quickly will return an injury:

Follow, and see there be no harm between them.

Go you with me, uncle of Exeter. Exeunt.