Chor. Now entertain conjecture of a time
When creeping murmur and the poring dark
Fills the wide vessel of the universe.

From camp to camp through the foul womb of
night

The hum of either army stilly sounds,

That the fix'd sentinels almost receive

The secret whispers of each other's watch:
Fire answers fire, and through their paly flames
Each battle sees the other's umber'd face;
Steed threatens steed, in high and boastful
neighs

10

Piercing the night's dull ear; and from the tents
The armorers, accomplishing the knights,
With busy hammers closing rivets up,

1. "conjecture"; imagination.-C. H. H.

2. "poring"; purblind.-C. H. H.

9. "umber'd"; I suspect that nothing more is meant than shadow'd face. The epithet paly flames is against the other interpretation. Umbre for shadow is common in our elder writers. Thus Cavendish, in his Metrical Visions, Prologue: "Under the umber of an oke with bowes pendant" (Singer).-H. N. H.

13. "closing rivets up"; this does not solely refer to the riveting the plate armor before it was put on, but as to a part when it was

on.

1

Give dreadful note of preparation:

The country cocks do crow, the clocks do toll,
And the third hour of drowsy morning name.
Proud of their numbers and secure in soul,
The confident and over-lusty French
Do the low-rated English play at dice;
And chide the crippled tardy-gaited night
Who, like a foul and ugly witch, doth limp
So tediously away. The poor condemned
English,

Like sacrifices, by their watchful fires
Sit patiently and inly ruminate

20

The morning's danger, and their gesture sad
Investing lank-lean cheeks and war-worn .coats
Presenteth them unto the gazing moon

So many horrid ghosts. O now, who will be-
hold

The royal captain of this ruin'd band

Walking from watch to watch, from tent to

tent,

30

The top of the cuirass had a little projecting bit of iron that passed through a hole pierced through the bottom of the casque. When both were put on, the smith or armorer presented himself, with his riveting hammer, to close the rivet up; so that the party's head should remain steady, notwithstanding the force of any blow that might be given on the cuirass or helmet.-H. N. H.

16. "name"; Tyrwhitt's conj.; Ff., "nam'd."—I. G.

19. The Poet took this from Holinshed: "The Frenchmen in the meane while, as though they had beene sure of victorie, made great triumph; for the capteins had determined how to divide the spoile, and the soldiers the night before had plaid the Englishmen at dice.” -H. N. H.

20. "cripple tardy-gaited"; Ff., "creeple-tardy-gated.”—I. G.

26. "Investing lank-lean cheeks and war-worn coats"; Capell, “And war-worn coats, investing lank-lean cheeks"; Hanmer, "In wasted"; Warburton, "Invest in"; Beckett conj. “Infesting," &c.-I. G.

Let him cry 'Praise and glory on his head!'
For forth he goes and visits all his host,

Bids them good morrow with a modest smile,
And calls them brothers, friends and country-

men.

Upon his royal face there is no note

How dread an army hath enrounded him;
Nor doth he dedicate one jot of color
Unto the weary and all-watched night,
But freshly looks and over-bears attaint
With cheerful semblance and sweet majesty; 40
That every wretch, pining and pale before,
Beholding him, plucks comfort from his looks:
A largess universal like the sun

His liberal eye doth give to every one,
Thawing cold fear, that mean and gentle all
Behold, as may unworthiness define,
A little touch of Harry in the night.
And so our scene must to the battle fly;
Where O for pity!-we shall much disgrace
With four or five most vile and ragged foils, 50
Right ill-disposed in brawl ridiculous,

The name of Agincourt. Yet sit and see,
Minding true things by what their mockeries be.
[Exit.

46. “as may unworthiness define”; as far as their unworthy natures permit.-C. H. H.

SCENE I

The English camp at Agincourt.

Enter King Henry, Bedford, and Gloucester. K. Hen. Gloucester, 'tis true that we are in great danger;

The greater therefore should our courage be.
Good morrow, brother Bedford. God Al-
mighty!

There is some soul of goodness in things evil,
Would men observingly distill it out.

For our bad neighbor makes us early stirrers,
Which is both healthful and good husbandry:
Besides, they are our outward consciences,
And preachers to us all, admonishing
That we should dress us fairly for our end.
Thus may we gather honey from the weed,
And make a moral of the devil himself.

Enter Erpingham.

10

Good morrow, old Sir Thomas Erpingham: A good soft pillow for that good white head Were better than a churlish turf of France. Erp. Not so, my liege: this lodging likes me better, Since I may say 'Now lie I like a king.'

K. Hen. 'Tis good for men to love their present pains

Upon example; so the spirit is eased:

Sc. 1. "Bedford"; the historical duke of Bedford, left as "Custos" in England, was not at Agincourt.—C. H. H.

And when the mind is quicken'd, out of doubt,
The organs, though defunct and dead before, 21
Break up their drowsy grave and newly move,
With casted slough and fresh legerity.

Lend me thy cloak, Sir Thomas. Brothers
both,

Commend me to the princes in our camp;

Do my good morrow to them, and anon
Desire them all to my pavilion.

Glou. We shall, my liege.

Erp. Shall I attend your grace?

K. Hen.

No, my good knight;
Go with my brothers to my lords of England:
I and my bosom must debate awhile,
And then I would no other company.

31

Erp. The Lord in heaven bless thee, noble Harry! [Exeunt all but King. K. Hen. God-a-mercy, old heart! thou speak'st cheerfully.

Pist. Qui va là?

K. Hen. A friend.

Enter Pistol.

Pist. Discuss unto me; art thou officer?

Or art thou base, common, and popular? K. Hen. I am a gentleman of a company. Pist. Trail'st thou the puissant pike?

K. Hen. Even so. What are you?

40

23. "with casted slough"; the allusion is to the casting of the slough or skin of the snake annually, by which act he is supposed to regain new vigor and fresh youth. Legerity is lightness, nimbleness. Légèreté, French.-H. N. H.

35. "Qui va là"; Rowe's emendation of Ff. "che vous la?"-I. G.