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  • 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 the king of England and his Lords.
    1255Hen.5. Come my Lords and fellowes of armes,
    What company is there of the French men?
    Oxf. And it please your Maiestie,
    Our Captaines haue numbred them,
    And so neare as they can iudge,
    1260They are about threescore thousand horsemen,
    And fortie thousand footemen.
    Hen.5. They threescore thousand,
    And we but two thousand.
    They threescore thousand footemen,
    1265And we twelue thousand.
    They are a hundred thousand,
    And we fortie thousand, ten to one:
    My Lords and louing Countrymen,
    Though we be fewe and they many,
    1270Feare not, your quarrel is good, and God wil defend you:
    Plucke vp your hearts, for this day we shall either haue
    A valiant victory, or a honourable death.
    Now my Lords, I wil that my vncle the Duke of Yorke,
    Haue the auantgard in the battell.
    1275The Earle of Darby, the Earle of Oxford,
    The Earle of Kent, the Earle of Nottingham,
    The
    The famous victories
    The Earle of Huntington, I wil haue beside the army,
    That they may come fresh vpon them.
    And I my selfe with the Duke of Bedford,
    1280The Duke of Clarence and the Duke of Gloster,
    Wil be in the midst of the battell.
    Furthermore, I wil that my Lord of Willowby,
    And the Earle of Northumberland,
    With their troupes of horsmen, be cõtinually running like
    1285Wings on both sides of the army:
    My Lord of Northumberland, on the left wing.
    Then I wil, that euery archer prouide him a stake of
    A tree, and sharpe it at both endes,
    And at the first encounter of the horsemen,
    1290To pitch their stakes downe into the ground before them,
    That they may gore themselues upon them,
    And then to recoyle backe, and shoote wholly altogither,
    And so discomfit them.
    Oxf. And it please your Maiestie,
    1295I wil take that in charge, if your grace be therwith cõtent.
    Hen. With all my heart, my good Lord of Oxford:
    And go and prouide quickly.
    Oxf. I thanke your highnesse.
    Exit.
    1300Hen.5. Well my Lords, our battels are ordeined,
    And the French making of bonfires, and at their bankets,
    But let them looke, for I mean to set vpon them.
    The Trumpet soundes.
    Soft, heres comes some other French message.
    1305Enters Herauld.
    Herald. King of England, my Lord high Constable,
    And other of my Lords, considering the poore estate of thee
    And thy poore Countrey men,
    Sends me to know what thou wilt giue for thy ransome?
    1310Perhaps thou maist agree better cheape now,
    Then when thou art conquered.
    Hen. 5.
    of Henry the fifth.
    Hen. Why then belike your high Constable,
    Sends to know what I wil giue for my ransome?
    Now trust me Herald, not so much as a tun of tennis bals,
    1315No not so much as one poore tennis ball,
    Rather shall my bodie lie dead in the field, to feed crowes,
    Then euer England shall pay one penny ransome
    For my bodie.
    Herald. A kingly resolution.
    1320Hen. 5. No Herald, tis a kingly resolution,
    And the resolution of a king:
    Here take this for thy paines.
    Exit Herald.
    But stay my Lords, what time is it?
    1325All. Prime my Lord.
    Hen. 5. Then is it good time no doubt,
    For all England praieth for vs:
    What my Lords, me thinks you looke cheerfully vpon me?
    Why then with one voice, and like true English hearts,
    1330With me throw vp your caps, and for England,
    Cry S. George, and God and S. George helpe vs.
    Strike Drummer. Exeunt omnes.