Will. An't please your majesty, a rascal, that swaggered with me last night: who, if 'a live, 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. K. Hen. What think you, captain Fluellen? is it fit this soldier keep his oath? Flu. He is a craven and a villain else, an't please your majesty, in my conscience. K. Hen. It may be, his enemy is a gentleman of great sort, quite from the answer of his degree. Flu. Though he be as goot a gentleman as the tevil is, as Lucifer and Belzebub himself, it is necessary, look your grace, that he keep his vow and his oath: if he be perjured, see you now, his reputation is as arrant a villain, and a Jack-sauce, as ever his plack shoe trod upon Got's ground and his earth, in my conscience, la. K.Hen. Then keep thy vow, sirrah, when thou meet'st the fellow. Will. So I will, my liege, as I live. K. Hen. Who servest thou under? Will. Under captain Gower, my liege. Flu. Gower is a goot captain; and is good knowledge and literature in the wars. K. Hen. Call him hither to me, soldier. Will. I will, my liege. [Exit. K. Hen. Here, Fluellen; wear thou this favour for me, and stick it in thy cap: When Alençon and myself were down together, I plucked this glove from his helm: if any man challenge this, he is a friend to Alençon and an enemy to our person; if thou encounter any such, apprehend him, an thou dost love me. Flu. Your grace does me as great honours, as can be desired in the hearts of his subjects: I would fain see the man, that has but two legs, that shall find himself aggriefed at this glove, that is all; but I would fain see it once; an please Got of his grace, that I might see it. K. Hen. Knowest thou Gower? Flu. He is my dear friend, an please you. K. Hen. Pray thee, go seek him, and bring him to my tent. Flu. I will fetch him. [Exit. K. Hen. My lord of Warwick,-and my brother Gloster, Follow Fluellen closely at the heels: The glove, which I have given him for a favour, And, touch'd with choler, hot as gunpowder, [Exeunt. SCENE VIII.—Before KING HENRY'S Pavilion. Enter GOWER and WILLIAMS. Will. I warrant, it is to knight you, captain. Enter FLUELLEN. Flu. Got's will and his pleasure, captain, I peseech you now, come apace to the king: there is more goot toward you, peradventure, than is in your knowledge to dream of. Will. Sir, know you this glove? Flu. Know the glove? I know, the glove is a glove. [Strikes him. Flu. 'Sblud, an arrant traitor, as any's in the universal 'orld, or in France, or in England. Gow. How now, Sir? you villain ! Will. Do you think I'll be forsworn? Flu. Stand away, captain Gower; I will give treason his payment into plows, I warrant you. Will. I am no traitor. Flu. That's a lie in thy throat.-I charge you in his majesty's name, apprehend him; he's a friend of the duke Alençon's. Enter WARWICK and GLOSTER. War. How now, how now! what's the matter? Flu. My lord of Warwick, here is (praised be Got 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. K. Hen. How now! what's the matter? Flu. 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 Alençon. Will. 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. Flu. Your majesty hear now (saving your majesty's manhood), what an arrant, rascally, beggarly, lowsy knave it is: I hope, your majesty is pear me testimony, and witness, and avouchments, that this is the glove of Alençon, that your majesty gave me, in your conscience now. K. Hen. 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. Flu. An please your majesty, let his neck answer for it, if there is any martial law in the 'orld. K. Hen. How canst thou make me satisfaction? Will. All offences, my liege, come from the heart: never came any from mine, that might offend your majesty K. Hen. It was ourself thou didst abuse. Will. 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. K. Hen. Here, uncle Exeter, fill this glove with crowns, Till I do challenge it.-Give him the crowns:- Flu. By this day and this light, the fellow has mettle enough in his pelly:-Hold, there is twelvepence for you, and I pray you to serve Got, and keep out of prawls, and prabbles, and quarrels, and dissensions, and, I warrant you, it is the petter for you. Will. I will none of your money. Flu. It is with a goot 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 goot: 'tis a goot silling, I warrant you, or I will change it. Enter an English HERALD. K. Hen. Now, herald, are the dead number'd? [Delivers a paper. K. Hen. What prisoners of good sort are taken, uncle? K. Hen. This note doth tell me of ten thousand French, The rest are-princes, barons, lords, knights, 'squires, The names of those their nobles that lie dead,- The master of the cross-bows, lord Rambures; Here was a royal fellowship of death!- Edward the duke of York, the earl of Suffolk, Exe. 'Tis wonderful! K. Hen. Come, go we in procession to the village: Flu. Is it not lawful, an please your majesty, to tell how many is killed? K. Hen. Yes, captain; but with this acknowledgment, That God fought for us. Flu. Yes, my conscience, he did us great goot. K. Hen. Do we all holy rites; Let there be sung Non nobis, and Te Deum. [Exeunt. ACT V. Enter CHORUS. Chor. Vouchsafe to those that have not read the story, * Fifer. Where that his lords desire him, to have borne [Exit. SCENE I-France. An English Court of Guard. Gow. Nay, that's right; but why wear you your leek today? Saint Davy's day is past. Flu. There is occasions and causes why and wherefore in all things: I will tell you, as my friend, captain Gower; The rascally, scald, beggarly, lowsy, pragging knave, Pistol,-which you and yourself, and all the 'orld, know to be no petter than a fellow, look you now, of no merits, he is come to me, and prings me pread and salt yesterday, look you, and bid me eat my leek: it was in a place where I could not breed no contentions with him; but I will be so polu as to wear it in my cap till I see him once again, and then I will tell him a little piece of my desires. Enter PISTOL. Gow. Why, here he comes, swelling like a turkey-cock. Flu. 'Tis no matter for his swellings, nor his turkey-cocks.Got pless you, ancient Pistol, you scurvy, lowsy knave, Got pless you! Pist. Ha! art thou Bedlam? dost thou thirst, base Trojan, * Similitude. †The earl of Essex. |