READ STUDY GUIDE: Act IV, Prologue and scenes i–ii |
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Act IV, Scene ii:
The French camp.
The French camp.
| [Enter the Dauphin, Orleans, Rambures, and others.] |
| ORLEANS: |
| The sun doth gild our armour; up, my lords! |
| DAUPHIN: |
| Montez a cheval! My horse, varlet! lackey! ha! |
| ORLEANS: |
| O brave spirit! |
| DAUPHIN: |
| Via! les eaux et la terre. |
| ORLEANS: |
| Rien puis? L'air et le feu. |
| DAUPHIN: |
| Ciel, cousin Orleans. |
| [Enter Constable.] |
| Now, my Lord Constable! |
| CONSTABLE: |
| Hark, how our steeds for present service neigh! |
| DAUPHIN: |
| Mount them, and make incision in their hides, |
| That their hot blood may spin in English eyes, |
| And dout them with superfluous courage, ha! |
| RAMBURES: |
| What, will you have them weep our horses' blood? |
| How shall we, then, behold their natural tears? |
| [Enter a Messenger.] |
| MESSENGER: |
| The English are embattl'd, you French peers. |
| CONSTABLE: |
| To horse, you gallant princes! straight to horse! |
| Do but behold yon poor and starved band, |
| And your fair show shall suck away their souls, |
| Leaving them but the shales and husks of men. |
| There is not work enough for all our hands; |
| Scarce blood enough in all their sickly veins |
| To give each naked curtle-axe a stain, |
| That our French gallants shall to-day draw out, |
| And sheathe for lack of sport. Let us but blow on them, |
| The vapour of our valour will o'erturn them. |
| 'Tis positive 'gainst all exceptions, lords, |
| That our superfluous lackeys and our peasants, |
| Who in unnecessary action swarm |
| About our squares of battle, were enow |
| To purge this field of such a hilding foe, |
| Though we upon this mountain's basis by |
| Took stand for idle speculation, |
| But that our honours must not. What's to say? |
| A very little little let us do, |
| And all is done. Then let the trumpets sound |
| The tucket sonance and the note to mount; |
| For our approach shall so much dare the field |
| That England shall crouch down in fear and yield. |
| [Enter Grandpre.] |
| GRANDPRE: |
| Why do you stay so long, my lords of France? |
| Yond island carrions, desperate of their bones, |
| Ill-favouredly become the morning field. |
| Their ragged curtains poorly are let loose, |
| And our air shakes them passing scornfully. |
| Big Mars seems bankrupt in their beggar'd host, |
| And faintly through a rusty beaver peeps; |
| The horsemen sit like fixed candlesticks |
| With torch-staves in their hand; and their poor jades |
| Lob down their heads, drooping the hides and hips, |
| The gum down-roping from their pale-dead eyes, |
| And in their pale dull mouths the gimmal bit |
| Lies foul with chew'd grass, still, and motionless; |
| And their executors, the knavish crows, |
| Fly o'er them, all impatient for their hour. |
| Description cannot suit itself in words |
| To demonstrate the life of such a battle, |
| In life so lifeless as it shows itself. |
| CONSTABLE: |
| They have said their prayers, and they stay for death. |
| DAUPHIN: |
| Shall we go send them dinners and fresh suits |
| And give their fasting horses provender, |
| And after fight with them? |
| CONSTABLE: |
| I stay but for my guard; on to the field! |
| I will the banner from a trumpet take, |
| And use it for my haste. Come, come, away! |
| The sun is high, and we outwear the day. |
| [Exeunt.] |
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