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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)

    Enters Henry the fifth, with his Lords.
    Hen.5. Come my Lords of England,
    1135No doubt this good lucke of winning this Towne,
    Is a signe of an honourable victorie to come.
    E2 But
    The famous victories
    But good my Lord, go and speake to the Captaines
    With all speed, to number the hoast of the French men,
    And by that meanes we may the better know
    1140How to appoint the battell.
    Yorke. And it please your Maiestie,
    There are many of your men sicke and diseased,
    And many of them die for want of victuals.
    Hen.5. And why did you not tell me of it before?
    1145If we cannot haue it for money,
    We will haue it by dint of sword,
    The lawe of Armes allow no lesse.
    Oxf. I beseeche your grace, to graunt me a boone.
    Hen.5. What is that my good Lord?
    1150Oxf. That your grace would giue me the
    Euantgard in the battell.
    Hen.5. Trust me my Lord of Oxford. I cannot:
    For I haue alreadie giuẽ it to my vncke y^e Duke of York,
    Yet I thanke you for your good will.
    1155A Trumpet soundes.
    How now, what is that?
    Yorke. I thinke it be some Herald of Armes.
    Enters a Herald.
    Herald. King of England, my Lord high Constable,
    1160And others of the Noble men of France,
    Sends me to defie thee, as open enemy to God,
    Our Countrey, and vs, and hereupon,
    They presently bid thee battell.
    Hen.5. Herald tell them, that I defie them,
    1165As open enemies to God, my Countrey, and me,
    And as wronfull vsurpers of my right:
    And whereas thou saist they presently bid me battell,
    Tell them that I thinke they know how to please me:
    But I pray thee what place hath my lord Prince Dolphin
    1170Here in battell.
    Herald. And it please your grace,
    My
    of Henry the fifth.
    My Lord and King his father,
    Will not let him come into the field.
    Hen.5. Why then he doth me great iniurie,
    1175I thought that he & I shuld haue plaid at tennis togither,
    Therefore I haue brought tennis balles for him,
    But other maner of ones then he sent me.
    And Herald, tell my Lord Prince Dolphin,
    That I haue inured my hãds with other kind of weapons
    1180Then tennis balles, ere this time a day,
    And that he shall finde it ere it be long,
    And so adue my friend:
    And tell my Lord, that I am readie when he will.
    Exit Herald.
    1185Come my Lords, I care not and I go to our Captaines,
    And ile see the number of the French army my selfe.
    Strike vp the Drumme.
    Exeunt omnes.