Ram. Who will go to hazard with me for twenty English prisoners? Con. You must first go yourself to hazard, ere you have them. Dau. 'Tis midnight, I'll go arm myself. [Exit. Orl. By the white hand of my lady, he's a gallant prince. Con. Swear by her foot, that she may tread out the oath. Orl. He is, simply, the most active gentleman of France. Con. Doing is activity: and he will still be doing. Orl. He never did harm, that I heard of. Con. Nor will do none to-morrow; he will keep that good name still. Orl. I know him to be valiant. Con. I was told that, by one that knows him better than you. Orl. What's he? Con. Marry, he told me so himself; and he said, he cared not who knew it. Orl. He needs not, it is no hidden virtue in him. Con. By my faith, sir, but it is; never any body saw it, but his lackey: 'tis a hooded valour; and, when it appears, it will bate." Orl. Ill-will never said well. Con. I will cap that proverb with -There is flattery in friendship. Orl. And I will take up that with Give the devil his due. Con. Well placed; there stands your friend for the devil. 9 An equivoque in terms in falconry: he means, his valour is hid from every body but his lackey, and when it appears it will fall off. Orl. You are the better at proverbs, by how much-A fool's bolt is soon shot. Con. You have shot over. Orl. 'Tis not the first time you were overshot. Enter a Messenger. Mess. My lord high constable, the English lie within fifteen hundred paces of your tent. Con. Who hath measured the ground? Mess. The lord Grandpré. Con. A valiant and most expert gentleman. Would it were day! Alas, poor Harry of England! he longs not for the dawning, as we do. 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. 1 Foolish. they have Now is it Con. Then we shall find to-morrow only stomachs to eat, and none to fight. 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. [Exeunt. ACT THE FOURTH. Enter CHORus. Chor. Now entertam conjecture of a time, When creeping murmur, and the poring dark, Fills the wide vessel of the universe. 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 other's watch: The country cocks do crow, the clocks do toll Gently, lowly. 3 Discoloured by the gleam of the fires. 4 Over-saucy. And chide the cripple tardy-gaited night, 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, Bids them good-morrow, with a modest smile; men. Upon his royal face there is no note, His liberal eye doth give to every one, A little touch of Harry in the night: 5 Calling to remembrance. [Exit. SCENE I. The English Camp at Agincourt. Enter King HENRY, BEDFORD, and GLOSTER. K. Hen. Gloster, 'tis 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: And, when the mind is quicken'd, out of doubt, 6 6 Slough is the skin which serpents annually throw off. 7 Lightness, nimbleness. |