230

Either our history shall with full mouth Speak freely of our acts, or else our grave, Like Turkish mute, shall have a tongueless mouth,

Not worshipp'd with a waxen epitaph.]

Enter Ambassadors of France, two Lords

carrying a chest, and Attendants.

Now are we well prepar'd to know the pleasure
Of our fair cousin Dauphin; for we hear
Your greeting is from him, not from the king.
First Amb. May't please your majesty to give
us leave

Freely to render what we have in charge;
Or shall we sparingly show you far off 239
The Dauphin's meaning and our embassy?

King. We are no tyrant, but a Christian king;
Unto whose grace our passion is as subject
As are our wretches fetter'd in our prisons:
Therefore with frank and with uncurbed plain-

In answer of which claim, the prince our master
Says that you savour too much of your youth,
And bids you be advis'd there's nought in France
That can be with a nimble galliard1 won;
You cannot revel into dukedoms there.
He therefore sends you, meeter for your spirit,
This tun of treasure; and, in lieu of this,
Desires you let the dukedoms that you claim
Hear no more of you. This the Dauphin speaks.
King. What treasure, uncle?

Exe. [Who has examined the chest] Tennis-
balls, my liege.

King. We're glad the Dauphin is so pleasant with us;

259

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 set2 Shall strike his father's crown into the hazard.3 Tell him he hath made a match with such a wrangler

That all the courts of France will be disturb'd
With chases. 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 valu'd this poor seat of England;
And therefore, living hence, did give ourself
To barbarous license; as 't is ever common 271
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 turned his balls to gun-stones; and his soul
Shall stand sore charged for the wasteful venge-

ance

279

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.

291

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
His jest will savour but of shallow wit,
When thousands weep more than did laugh at it.
Convey them with safe conduct. Fare you well.
[Exeunt Ambassadors.
Exe. This was a merry message.
King. We hope to make the sender blush at it.
[Descends from the throne.
Therefore, my lords, omit no happy hour 300
That may give furtherance to our expedition;
For we have now no thought in us but France,

Chases, a term in tennis. See note 75.
Sail of greatness, full majesty.

6 Rouse me, raise myself to my full height. 7 Happy, favourable.

Enter Chorus.

Ere he take ship for France, and in Southamp

Linger your patience on; and we'll digest
The abuse of distance; force a play:
The sum is paid; the traitors are agreed;
The king is set from London; and the scene
Is now transported, gentles," to Southampton;
There is the playhouse now, there must you sit:
And thence to France shall we convey you safe,
And bring you back, charming the narrow seas
To give you gentle pass; for, if we may,
We'll not offend one stomach with our play.
But, till the king come forth, and not till then,
Unto Southampton do we shift our scene.
[Exit.

39

SCENE I. London. Before the Boar's Head
Tavern in Eastcheap.

Enter CORPORAL NYM and LIEUTENANT
BARDOLPH.

Bard. Well met, Corporal Nym.

Nym. Good morrow, Lieutenant Bardolph. Bard. What, are Ancient Pistol and you friends yet?

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 an end.

11

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.

5 Gentles, gentlefolk.

6 Ancient, a corruption of ensign.

Bard. Good lieutenant! good corporal! offer nothing here. Nym. Pish!

Pist. Pish for thee, Iceland dog! thou prickear'd cur of Iceland!

Host. Good Corporal Nym, show thy valour, and put up your sword.

Nym. Will you shog2 off? I would have you solus. [Sheathing his sword. Pist. Solus,' egregious dog? O viper vile! The solus in thy most mervailous3 face; The solus in thy teeth, and in thy throat, And in thyhateful lungs, yea, in thy maw,perdy,

50

100

Pist. Base is the slave that pays. Nym. That now I will have: that's the humour of it. Pist. As manhood shall compound:6 push home. [Pistol and Nym draw their swords. Bard. By this sword, he that makes the first thrust, I'll kill him; by this sword, I will. [Draws his sword.

Pist. Sword is an oath, and oaths must have their course.

Bard. Corporal Nym, an thou wilt befriends, be friends: an thou wilt not, why, then, be enemies with me too. Prithee, put up.

Nym. I shall have my eight shillings I won of you at betting?

111

Pist. A noble shalt thou have, and present

Pist. Let us condole the knight; for, lambkins, we will live. [Exeunt into Tavern.

SCENE II. Southampton. A council chamber. Enter EXETER, BEDFORD, and WESTMORELAND.

Bed. 'Fore God, his grace is bold, to trust these traitors.

Exe. They shall be apprehended by and by. West. How smooth and even they do bear themselves!

As if allegiance in their bosoms sat,
Crowned with faith and constant loyalty.

Bed. The king hath note of all that they intend,

By interception which they dream not of.

Exe. Nay, but the man that was his bedfellow,

Whom he hath dull'd and cloy'd with gracious

favours,

That he should, for a foreign purse, so sell 10 His sovereign's life to death and treachery.

Trumpets sound. Enter KING HENRY, SCROOP, CAMBRIDGE, GREY, Lords, Guards, and Attendants.

King. Now sits the wind fair, and we will aboard.

My Lord of Cambridge, and my kind Lord of Masham,

And you, my gentle knight, give me your thoughts:

Think you not that the powers2 we bear with us Will cut their passage through the force of France,

Doing the execution and the act

For which we have in head3 assembled them? Scroop. No doubt, my liege, if each man do his best.

King. I doubt not that; since we are well persuaded

We carry not a heart with us from hence

20

King. We judge no less. Uncle of Exeter, Enlarge the man committed yesterday, That rail'd against our person: we consider It was excess of wine that set him on: And on his more advice we pardon him.

Scroop. That's mercy, but too much security: Let him be punish'd, sovereign, lest example Breed, by his sufferance, more of such a kind.

King. O, let us yet be merciful.

Cam. So may your highness, and yet punish