SparkNotes: Complete Text of Henry V: Act IV, Scene vii

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READ STUDY GUIDE: Act IV, scenes vi–viii

Act IV, Scene vii:
Another part of the field.

[Enter Fluellen and Gower.]

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 offer't; 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 caus'd 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

call'd 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 kill'd 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 kill'd his friend

Cleitus, being in his ales and his cups; so also Harry Monmouth,

being in his right wits and his good judgements, turn'd 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.

[Alarum. Enter King Henry and [forces; Warwick, Gloucester,Exeter, with prisoners. Flourish.]

KING HENRY:

I was not angry since I came to France

Until this instant. Take a trumpet, herald;

Ride thou unto the horsemen on yond 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 us'd to be.

KING HENRY:

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

That I have fin'd these bones of mine for ransom?

Com'st 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 drown'd and soak'd 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 call'd 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 rememb'red of

it, the Welshmen did good service in 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. Got 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 be asham'd of your

Majesty, praised be God, so long as your Majesty is an honest man.

KING HENRY:

God keep me so!

[Enter Williams.]

Our heralds go with him;

Bring me just notice of the numbers dead

On both our parts. Call yonder fellow hither.

[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 swagger'd with me

last night; who, if alive and ever dare to challenge this

glove, I have sworn to take him a box o' the 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? Iis 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 gentlemen of great sort, quite from

the answer of his degree.

FLUELLEN:

Though he be as good a gentleman as the devil is, as Lucifier

and Belzebub himself, it is necessary, look your Grace, that he

keep his vow and his oath. If he be perjur'd, see you now, his

reputation is as arrant a villain and a Jacksauce, 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 meet'st the fellow.

WILLIAMS:

So I will, my liege, as I live.

KING HENRY:

Who serv'st 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.

[Exit.]

KING HENRY:

Here, Fluellen; wear thou this favour for me and stick it in thy

cap. When Alencon and myself were down together, I pluck'd

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, an thou dost me love.

FLUELLEN:

Your Grace doo's me as great honours as can be desir'd in the

hearts of his subjects. I would fain see the man, that has but

two legs, that shall find himself aggrief'd 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:

Know'st 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.

[Exit.]

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' the 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, touch'd 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.]

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