Act 4, Scene 8: Before KING HENRY'S pavilion

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

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