Peer Reviewed
- Edition: Famous Victories of Henry V
Famous Victories of Henry V (Modern)
- Introduction
- Texts of this edition
- Contextual materials
9.0.2Enter the Thief [Cutbert Cutter].
Ah God, I am now much like to a bird 770which hath escaped out of the cage, 771for so soon as my Lord Chief Justice heard 772that the old king was dead, he was glad to let me go, 773for fear of my lord the young prince. 774But here comes some of his companions. 775I will see an I can get anything of them, 776for old acquaintance.
Gog's wounds, the king is dead!
Dead! Then Gog's blood, we shall be all kings!
Gog's wounds, I shall be lord chief justice 781of England.
[To Cutbert Cutter] Why, how are you broken out of prison?
Gog's wounds, how the villain stinks!
Why, what will become of thee now? 785Fie upon him, how the rascal stinks.
Marry, I will go and serve my master again.
Gog's blood, dost think that he will have any such 788scabbed knave as thou art? What, man, he is a king now.
Hold thee, here's a couple of angels for thee, 790and get thee gone, for the king will not be long 791before he come this way. 792And hereafter I will tell the king of thee.
Oh, how it did me good to see the king 795when he was crowned! 796Methought his seat was like the figure of heaven 797and his person like unto a god.
But who would have thought 799that the king would have changed his countenance so?
Did you not see with what grace 801he sent his embassage into France to tell the French king 802that Harry of England hath sent for the crown 803and Harry of England will have it?
But 'twas but a little to make the people believe 805that he was sorry for his father's death.
Gog's wounds, the king comes. 808Let's all stand aside.
How do you, my lord?
How now, Harry? 813Tut, my lord, put away these dumps. 814You are a king, and all the realm is yours. 815What, man, do you not remember the old sayings? 816You know I must be lord chief justice of England. 817Trust me, my lord, methinks you are very much changed, 818and 'tis but with a little sorrowing to make folks believe 819the death of your father grieves you, 820and 'tis nothing so.
I prithee, Ned, mend thy manners 822and be more modester in thy terms, 823for my unfeigned grief is not to be ruled by thy flattering 824and dissembling talk. Thou say'st I am changed. 825So I am indeed, and so must thou be, and that quickly, 826or else I must cause thee to be changed.
Gog's wounds! How like you this? 828Zounds, 'tis not so sweet as music.
I trust we have not offended your grace no way.
Ah, Tom, your former life grieves me 831and makes me to abandon and abolish your company forever, 832and therefore not upon pain of death to approach my presence 833by ten miles' space. Then, if I hear well of you, 834it may be I will do somewhat for you; 835otherwise, look for no more favor at my hands 836than at any other man's. And therefore be gone. 837We have other matters to talk on.838
9.21.1Exeunt Knights [Tom, Ned, and Jockey].
Your right to the French crown of France 842came by your great-grandmother Isabel, 843wife to King Edward the Third 844and sister to Charles the French king. 845Now, if the French king deny it, as likely enough he will, 846then must you take your sword in hand 847and conquer the right. 848Let the usurped Frenchman know
, 849although your predecessors have let it pass, you will not, 850for your countrymen are willing with purse and men 851to aid you. 852Then, my good lord, as it hath been always known 853that Scotland hath been in league with France 854by a sort of pensions which yearly come from thence, 855I think it therefore best to conquer Scotland, 856and then I think that you may go more easily into France. 857And this is all that I can say, my good lord.
I thank you, my good lord archbishop of Canterbury. 859What say you, my good lord of Oxford?
An please your majesty, 861I agree to my lord archbishop, saving in this: 862he that will Scotland win must first with France begin, 863according to the old saying. 864Therefore, my good lord, I think it best first to invade France, 865for in conquering Scotland you conquer but one; 866an conquer France and conquer both.
An please your majesty, 869my lord ambassador is come out of France.
Now trust me, my lord, 871he was the last man that we talked of. 872I am glad that he is come to resolve us of our answer. 873Commit him to our presence.
God save the life of my sovereign lord the king.
Now, my good lord the duke of York, 877what news from our brother the French king?
An please your majesty, 879I delivered him my embassage, 880whereof I took some deliberation. 881But for the answer, he hath sent 882my lord ambassador of Bruges, the duke of Burgundy, 883Monsieur le Cole, with two hundred and fifty horsemen, 884to bring the embassage.
Commit my lord archbishop of Bruges 886into our presence.
9.32888Now, my lord archbishop of Bruges, 889we do learn by our lord ambassador 890that you have our message to do 891from our brother the French king. 892Here, my good lord, according to our accustomed order, 893we give you free liberty and licence to speak 894with good audience.
God save the mighty king of England. 896My lord and master, the most Christian king, 897Charles the Sixth, the great and mighty king of France, 898as a most noble and Christian king, 899not minding to shed innocent blood, is rather content 900to yield somewhat to your unreasonable demands, 901that if fifty thousand crowns a year with his daughter, 902the said Lady Katherine, in marriage, 903and some crowns which he may well spare, 904not hurting of his kingdom, 905he is content to yield so far to your unreasonable desire.
Why, then, belike your lord and master 907thinks to puff me up with fifty thousand crowns a year. 908No, tell thy lord and master 909that all the crowns in France shall not serve me, 910except the crown and kingdom itself -- 911and perchance hereafter I will have his daughter.
What, a gilded tun? 918I pray you, my lord of York, look what is in it.
An please your grace, 920here is a carpet and a tun of tennis balls.
A tun of tennis balls? 922I pray you, good my lord archbishop, 923what might the meaning thereof be?
An it please you, my lord, 925a messenger, you know, ought to keep close his message, 926and specially an ambassador.
But I know that you may declare your message 928to a king. The law of arms allows no less.
My lord, hearing of your wildness before your 930father's death, sent you this, my good lord, 931meaning that you are more fitter for a tennis court 932than a field and more fitter for a carpet than the camp.
My lord Prince Dauphin is very pleasant with me. 934But tell him that instead of balls of leather 935we will toss him balls of brass and iron, 936yea, such balls as never were tossed in France. 937The proudest tennis court shall rue it; 938ay, and thou, prince of Bruges, shall rue it. 939Therefore get thee hence and tell him thy message quickly, 940lest I be there before thee. Away, priest, be gone.
I beseech your grace to deliver me your safe 942conduct under your broad seal manual.
Priest of Bruges, know 944that the hand and seal of a king, and his word is all one, 945and instead of my hand and seal 946I will bring him my hand and sword. 947And tell thy lord and master that I, Harry of England, said it 948and I, Harry of England, will perform it. 949My lord of York, deliver him our safe conduct 950under our broad seal manual.
9.45952 Now, my lords, to arms, to arms, 953for I vow by heaven and earth that the proudest 954Frenchman in all France shall rue the time that ever 955these tennis balls were sent into England. 956[To Exeter] My lord, I will that there be provided a great navy of ships 957with all speed at Southampton, 958for there I mean to ship my men, 959for I would be there before him, if it were possible. 960Therefore come -- but stay, 961I had almost forgot the chiefest thing of all, with chafing 962with this French ambassador. 963Call in my Lord Chief Justice of England.
Here is the king, my lord.
God preserve your majesty.
Why, how now, my lord, what is the matter?
I would it were unknown to your majesty.
Why, what ails you?
Your majesty knoweth my grief well.
Oh, my lord, you remember you sent me to the 972Fleet, did you not?
I trust your grace have forgotten that.
Ay, truly my lord, and for revengement 975I have chosen you to be my protector over my realm 976until it shall please God to give me speedy return 977out of France.
An if it please your majesty, I am far unworthy 979of so high a dignity.