That England, being empty of defence, Hath shook, and trembled at the ill neighbourhood. Cant. She hath been then more fear'd* than harm'd, my liege For hear her but exampled by herself, When all her chivalry hath been in France, The king of Scots; whom she did send to France, With sunken wreck and sumless treasuries. West. But there's a saying, very old and true, If that you will France win, For once the eagle England being in prey, Exe. It follows then, the cat must stay at home: Yet that is but a cursed necessity; For government, though high, and low, and lower, Cant. True: therefore doth heaven divide * Frightened. + Companies. + Harmony. Sober, grave The sad-eyed justice, with his surly hum, The lazy yawning drone. I this infer,- As many several ways meet in one town; K. Hen. Call in the messengers sent from the Dauphin. [Exit an Attendant. The KING ascends his Throne. Now are we well resolved: and, by God's help; O'er France, and all her almost kingly dukedoms; Enter AMBASSADORS of France. Now are we well prepared to know the pleasure Freely to render what we have in charge; K. Hen. We are no tyrant, but a Christian king Unto whose grace our passion is as subject Amb. Thus, then in few. Your highness, lately sending into France, Did claim some certain dukedoms, in the right Of your great predecessor, king Edward the third. He therefore sends you, meeter for your spirit, Exe. Tennis-balls, my liege. K. Hen. We are glad, the Dauphin is so pleasant with us; His present, and your pains, we thank you for: When we have match'd our rackets to these balls, We will, in France, by God's grace, play a set, Shall strike his father's crown into the hazard:† Tell him, he hath made a match with such a wrangler, That all the courts of France will be disturb'd With chaces. And we understand him well, How he comes o'er us with our wilder days, Not measuring what use we made of them. We never valued this poor seat of England; And therefore, living hence, did give ourself To barbarous licence; As 'tís ever common, That men are merriest when they are from home. But tell the Dauphin, I will keep my state; Be like a king, and show my sail of greatness, When I do rouse me in my throne of France: For that I have laid by my majesty, And plodded like a man for working days; But I will rise there with so full a glory, That I will dazzle all the eyes of France, Yea, strike the Dauphin blind to look on us. And tell the pleasant prince, this mock of his Hath turn'd his balls to gun-stones; and his soul Shall stand sore charged for the wasteful vengeance That shall fly with them: for many a thousand widows Shall this his mock mock out of their dear husbands; Mock mothers from their sons, mock castles down; And some are yet ungotten, and unborn, That shall have cause to curse the Dauphin's scorn. But this lies all within the will of God, To whom I do appeal; And in whose name, Tell you the Dauphin, I am coming on, To venge me as I may, and to put forth My rightful hand in a well-hallow'd cause. So, get you hence in peace; and tell the Dauphin, * A dance. + A place in the tennis-court into which the ball is sometimes struck. : At tennis, the spot where a ball falls, beyond which the adversary must strike his ball to gain a point. His jest will savour but of shallow wit, Eze. This was a merry message. [Exeunt AMBASSADORS. K. Hen. We hope to make the sender blush at it. [Descends from his Throne. Therefore, my lords, omit no happy hour, [Exeunt. ACT II. Chor. Now all the youth of England are on fire, • Gelt, money. Confirm'd conspiracy with fearful France; SCENE I-The same. Eastcheap. Enter NYM and BARDOLPH. Bard. Well met, corporal Nym. Nym. Good morrow, lieutenant Bardolph. Bard. What, are ancient Pistol and you frienas yet? [Exit. Nym. For my part, I care not: I say little: but when time shall serve, there shall be smiles; -but that shall be as it may. I dare not fight; but I will wink, and hold out mine iron: It is a simple one: but what though? it will toast cheese; and it will endure cold as another man's sword will: and there's the humour of it. Bard. I will bestow a breakfast, to make you friends; and we'll be all three sworn brothers to France; let it be so, good corporal Nym. Nym. 'Faith, I will live so long as I may, that's the certain of it; and when I cannot live any longer, I will do as I may: that is my rest,† that is the rendezvous of it. Bard. It is certain, corporal, that he is married to Nell Quickly: and, certainly, she did you wrong; for you were troth-plight to her. Nym. I cannot tell; things must be as they may: men may sleep, and they may have their throats about them at that time; and some say, knives have edges. It must be as it may: though patience be a tired mare, yet she will plod. There must be conclusions. Well, I cannot tell. Enter PISTOL and Mrs. QUICKLY. Bard. Here comes ancient Pistol, and his wife:-good corporal, be patient here.-How now, mine host Pistol? Pist. Base tike,‡ call'st thou me-host? Now, by this hand I swear, I scorn the term; Nor shall my Nell keep lodgers. * I. e. by compressing events. + Resointion. ‡ Clown. |