Printable version of this page

King Henry V: Act 4 Scene 8

Scene VIII Before KING HENRY'S pavilion.

[Enter GOWER and WILLIAMS]

WILLIAMS

I warrant it is to knight you, captain.

[Enter FLUELLEN]

FLUELLEN

God's will and his pleasure, captain, I beseech you

now, come apace to the king: there is more good

toward you peradventure than is in your knowledge to dream of.

WILLIAMS

Sir, know you this glove?

FLUELLEN

Know the glove! I know the glove is glove.

WILLIAMS

I know this; and thus I challenge it.

[Strikes him]

FLUELLEN

'Sblood! an arrant traitor as any is in the

universal world, or in France, or in England!

GOWER

How now, sir! you villain!

WILLIAMS

Do you think I'll be forsworn?

FLUELLEN

Stand away, Captain Gower; I will give treason his

payment into ploughs, I warrant you.

WILLIAMS

I am no traitor.

FLUELLEN

That's a lie in thy throat. I charge you in his

majesty's name, apprehend him: he's a friend of the

Duke Alencon's.

[Enter WARWICK and GLOUCESTER]

WARWICK

How now, how now! what's the matter?

FLUELLEN

My Lord of Warwick, here is--praised be God for it!

--a most contagious treason come to light, look

you, as you shall desire in a summer's day. Here is

his majesty.

[Enter KING HENRY and EXETER]

KING HENRY V

How now! what's the matter?

FLUELLEN

My liege, here is a villain and a traitor, that,

look your grace, has struck the glove which your

majesty is take out of the helmet of Alencon.

WILLIAMS

My liege, this was my glove; here is the fellow of

it; and he that I gave it to in change promised to

wear it in his cap: I promised to strike him, if he

did: I met this man with my glove in his cap, and I

have been as good as my word.

FLUELLEN

Your majesty hear now, saving your majesty's

manhood, what an arrant, rascally, beggarly, lousy

knave it is: I hope your majesty is pear me

testimony and witness, and will avouchment, that

this is the glove of Alencon, that your majesty is

give me; in your conscience, now?

KING HENRY V

Give me thy glove, soldier: look, here is the

fellow of it.

'Twas I, indeed, thou promised'st to strike;

And thou hast given me most bitter terms.

FLUELLEN

An please your majesty, let his neck answer for it,

if there is any martial law in the world.

KING HENRY V

How canst thou make me satisfaction?

WILLIAMS

All offences, my lord, come from the heart: never

came any from mine that might offend your majesty.

KING HENRY V

It was ourself thou didst abuse.

WILLIAMS

Your majesty came not like yourself: you appeared to

me but as a common man; witness the night, your

garments, your lowliness; and what your highness

suffered under that shape, I beseech you take it for

your own fault and not mine: for had you been as I

took you for, I made no offence; therefore, I

beseech your highness, pardon me.

KING HENRY V

Here, uncle Exeter, fill this glove with crowns,

And give it to this fellow. Keep it, fellow;

And wear it for an honour in thy cap

Till I do challenge it. Give him the crowns:

And, captain, you must needs be friends with him.

FLUELLEN

By this day and this light, the fellow has mettle

enough in his belly. Hold, there is twelve pence

for you; and I pray you to serve Got, and keep you

out of prawls, and prabbles' and quarrels, and

dissensions, and, I warrant you, it is the better for you.

WILLIAMS

I will none of your money.

FLUELLEN

It is with a good will; I can tell you, it will

serve you to mend your shoes: come, wherefore should

you be so pashful? your shoes is not so good: 'tis

a good silling, I warrant you, or I will change it.

[Enter an English Herald]

KING HENRY V

Now, herald, are the dead number'd?

HERALD

Here is the number of the slaughter'd French.

KING HENRY V

What prisoners of good sort are taken, uncle?

EXETER

Charles Duke of Orleans, nephew to the king;

John Duke of Bourbon, and Lord Bouciqualt:

Of other lords and barons, knights and squires,

Full fifteen hundred, besides common men.

KING HENRY V

This note doth tell me of ten thousand French

That in the field lie slain: of princes, in this number,

And nobles bearing banners, there lie dead

One hundred twenty six: added to these,

Of knights, esquires, and gallant gentlemen,

Eight thousand and four hundred; of the which,

Five hundred were but yesterday dubb'd knights:

So that, in these ten thousand they have lost,

There are but sixteen hundred mercenaries;

The rest are princes, barons, lords, knights, squires,

And gentlemen of blood and quality.

The names of those their nobles that lie dead:

Charles Delabreth, high constable of France;

Jaques of Chatillon, admiral of France;

The master of the cross-bows, Lord Rambures;

Great Master of France, the brave Sir Guichard Dolphin,

John Duke of Alencon, Anthony Duke of Brabant,

The brother of the Duke of Burgundy,

And Edward Duke of Bar: of lusty earls,

Grandpre and Roussi, Fauconberg and Foix,

Beaumont and Marle, Vaudemont and Lestrale.

Here was a royal fellowship of death!

Where is the number of our English dead?

[Herald shews him another paper]

Edward the Duke of York, the Earl of Suffolk,

Sir Richard Ketly, Davy Gam, esquire:

None else of name; and of all other men

But five and twenty. O God, thy arm was here;

And not to us, but to thy arm alone,

Ascribe we all! When, without stratagem,

But in plain shock and even play of battle,

Was ever known so great and little loss

On one part and on the other? Take it, God,

For it is none but thine!

EXETER

'Tis wonderful!

KING HENRY V

Come, go we in procession to the village.

And be it death proclaimed through our host

To boast of this or take the praise from God

Which is his only.

FLUELLEN

Is it not lawful, an please your majesty, to tell

how many is killed?

KING HENRY V

Yes, captain; but with this acknowledgement,

That God fought for us.

FLUELLEN

Yes, my conscience, he did us great good.

KING HENRY V

Do we all holy rites;

Let there be sung 'Non nobis' and 'Te Deum;'

The dead with charity enclosed in clay:

And then to Calais; and to England then:

Where ne'er from France arrived more happy men.

[Exeunt]