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About this text

  • Title: The Famous Victories of Henry the Fifth (Quarto, 1598)
  • Editors: Karen Sawyer Marsalek, Mathew Martin
  • Coordinating editor: Janelle Jenstad

  • Copyright Queen's Men Editions. This text may be freely used for educational, non-profit purposes; for all other uses contact the Editor.
    Author: Anonymous
    Editors: Karen Sawyer Marsalek, Mathew Martin
    Peer Reviewed

    The Famous Victories of Henry the Fifth (Quarto, 1598)

    The famous victories
    Enters Iohn Cobler rouing, with a packe full
    of apparell.
    Iohn. Whoope Dericke, how doest thou?
    Der. What Iohn, Comedeuales, aliue yet.
    1560Iohn. I promise thee Dericke, I scapte hardly,
    For I was within halfe a mile when one was kild.
    Der. Were you so?
    Iohn. I trust me, I had like bene slaine.
    Der. But once kild, why it tis nothing,
    1565 I was foure or fiue times slaine.
    Iohn. Foure or fiue times slaine.
    Why how couldst thou haue beene aliue now?
    Der. O Iohn, neuer say so,
    For I was cald the bloodie souldier amongst them all.
    1570Iohn. Why what didst thou?
    Der. Why I will tell thee Iohn,
    Euery day when I went into the field,
    I would take a straw and thrust it into my nose,
    And make my nose bleed, and then I wold go into the field,
    1575And when the Captaine saw me, he would say,
    Peace a bloodie souldier, and bid me stand aside,
    Whereof I was glad:
    But marke the chance Iohn.
    I went and stood behinde a tree, but marke then Iohn.
    1580I thought I had beene safe, but on a sodaine,
    There steps to me a lustie tall French man,
    Now he drew, and I drew,
    Now I lay here, and he lay there,
    Now I set this leg before, and turned this backward,
    1585And skipped quite ouer a hedge,
    And he saw me no more there that day,
    And was not this well done Iohn?
    Iohn. Masse Dericke, thou hast a wittie head.
    Der. I Iohn, thou maist see, if thou hadst takẽ my coũsel,
    1590But what hast thou there?
    I thinke