The well-appointed king at Hampton pier Holding due course to Harfleur. Follow, follow: siege; Behold the ordnance on their carriages, With fatal mouths gaping on girded Harfleur. back; Tells Harry that the king doth offer him 4. Hampton. Theobald's correction. Ff (through an oversight) read Dover.' 5. brave, gaily decked. 6. the young Phœbus fanning, fluttering in the morning sun. 14. rivage, shore. 17. Harfleur. Qq Ff give the popular form of the name Harflew (Holinshed, Harflue'). 18. to sternage of, astern of. 28. Suppose, etc. This embassy actually met Henry at Winchester. The offer likes not: and the nimble gunner [Exit. SCENE I. France. Before Harfleur. Alarum. Enter KING HENRY, EXETER, BEDFORD, GLOUCESTER, and Soldiers, with scalingladders. K. Hen. Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; Or close the wall up with our English dead. But when the blast of war blows in our ears, O'erhang and jutty his confounded base, Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide, 33. linstock, the stick to which the gunner's match was attached. 33. chambers, small cannon, loaded by a movable 'chamber' at the breech. 8. hard-favour'd, grim-looking. ΤΟ 10. portage, 'port-holes,' i. e. eye-sockets. 13. jutty, jet or project over. ib. confounded, destroyed, swallowed up. 16. bend up; as in stringing a bow. To his full height. On, on, you noblest English, Have in these parts from morn till even fought yeomen, And you, good Whose limbs were made in England, show us here For there is none of you so mean and base, 20 30 SCENE II. The same. Enter NYM, BARDOLPH, PISTOL, and Boy. Bard. On, on, on, on, on! to the breach, to the breach! Nym. Pray thee, corporal, stay: the knocks are too hot; and, for mine own part, I have not 18. fet, fetched, derived. 21. argument, matter. The parallel to Alexander makes it probable that lack of enemies to conquer rather than of cause to fight for' is meant; none 32. Straining. Rowe's correction for Ff 'straying.' a case of lives: the humour of it is too hot, that is the very plain-song of it. Pist. The plain-song is most just; for humours do abound: Knocks go and come; God's vassals drop and die; In bloody field, Doth win immortal fame. Boy. Would I were in an alehouse in London! I would give all my fame for a pot of ale and safety. Pist. And I: If wishes would prevail with me, My purpose should not fail with me, Boy. As duly, but not as truly, As bird doth sing on bough. Enter FLUELLEN. Flu. Up to the breach, you dogs! avaunt, you cullions! [Driving them forward. Pist. Be merciful, great duke, to men of mould. Abate thy rage, abate thy manly rage, Abate thy rage, great duke! Good bawcock, bate thy rage; use lenity, sweet chuck! Nym. These be good wins bad humours. Boy. As young as I am, 5. case of lives, a set of lives. Nym's further allusion to 'plainsong' makes it likely that the allusion is to the 'case of four musical instruments making up the consort' of four parts, not to the case of (two) pistols. humours! your honour [Exeunt all but Boy. have observed these I 6. plain-song, simple melody without variations. 22. cullions, noodles, dolts. 23. duke, general. 26. bawcock (Fr. ‘beau coq '), a term of endearment. 28. wins, prevails over. 30 three swashers. I am boy to them all three: but all they three, though they would serve me, could not be man to me; for indeed three such antics do not amount to a man. For Bardolph, he is white-livered and red-faced; by the means whereof a' faces it out, but fights not. For Pistol, he hath a killing tongue and a quiet sword; by the means whereof a' breaks words, and keeps whole weapons. For Nym, he hath heard that men of few words are the best men; and therefore he scorns to say his prayers, lest a' should be thought 40 a coward: but his few bad words are matched with as few good deeds; for a' never broke any man's head but his own, and that was against a post when he was drunk. They will steal any thing, and call it purchase. Bardolph stole a lute-case, bore it twelve leagues, and sold it for three half-pence. Nym and Bardolph are sworn brothers in filching, and in Calais they stole a fire-shovel I knew by that piece of service the men would carry coals. They would have me as 50 familiar with men's pockets as their gloves or their handkerchers: which makes much against my manhood, if I should take from another's pocket to put into mine; for it is plain pocketing up of wrongs. I must leave them, and seek some better service: their villany goes against my weak stomach, and therefore I must cast it up. [Exit. Re-enter FLUELLEN, GOWER following. Gow. Captain Fluellen, you must come presently to the mines; the Duke of Gloucester would speak with you. 32. antics, buffoons. 45. purchase, acquisition. 50. carry coals, do any degrad ing service, submit to insults. 60 55. wrongs (a play upon the two senses injuries received, and injuries done). |