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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)

    of Henry the fifth.
    I thinke thou hast bene robbing the French men.
    Iohn. I faith Dericke, I haue gotten some reparrell
    To carry home to my wife.
    Der. And I haue got some shooes,
    1595 For ile tel thee what I did, when they were dead,
    I would go take off all their shooes.
    Iohn. I but Dericke, how shall we get home?
    Der. Nay sownds, and they take thee,
    They wil hang thee,
    1600 O Iohn, neuer do so, if it be thy fortune to be hangd,
    Be hangd in thy owne language whatsoeuer thou doest.
    Iohn. Why Dericke the warres is done,
    We may go home now.
    Der. I but you may not go before you aske the king leaue,
    1605But I know a way to go home, and aske the king no leaue.
    Iohn. How is that Dericke?
    Der. Why Iohn, thou knowest the Duke of Yorkes
    Funerall must be carried into England, doest thou not?
    Iohn. I that I do.
    1610Der. Why then thou knowest weele go with it.
    Iohn. I but Dericke how shall we do for to meet them?
    Der. Sowndes if I make not shift to meet them, hang me.
    Sirra, thou knowst that in euery Towne there wil
    Be ringing, and there wil be cakes and drinke,
    1615Now I wil go to the Clarke and Sexton
    And keepe a talking, and say, O this fellow rings well,
    And thou shalt go and take a peece of cake, then ile ring,
    And thou shalt say, oh this fellow keepes a good stint,
    And then I will go drinke to thee all the way:
    1620But I maruel what my dame wil say when we come home,
    Because we haue not a French word to cast at a Dog
    By the way?
    Iohn. Why what shall we do Dericke?
    Der. Why Iohn, ile go before and call my dame whore,
    1625And thou shalt come after and set fire on the house,
    G We