French. Que dit il Mounsieur?
Boy. Il me commande a vous dire que vous faite vous prest, car ce soldat icy est disposee tout asture de couppes vostre gorge
Pist. Owy, cuppele gorge permafoy pesant, vnlesse thou giue me Crownes, braue Crownes; or mangled shalt thou be by this my Sword
French. O Ie vous supplie pour l" amour de Dieu: ma pardonner, Ie suis le Gentilhome de bon maison, garde ma vie, & Ie vous donneray deux cent escus
Pist. What are his words?
Boy. He prayes you to saue his life, he is a Gentleman of a good house, and for his ransom he will giue you two hundred Crownes
Pist. Tell him my fury shall abate, and I the Crownes will take
Fren. Pet.i.t Monsieur que dit il?
Boy. Encore qu"il et contra son Iurement, de pardonner aucune prisonner: neantmons pour les escues que vous layt a promets, il est content a vous donnes le liberte le franchis.e.m.e.nt
Fre. Sur mes genoux se vous donnes milles remercious, et Ie me estime heurex que Ie intombe, entre les main d" vn Cheualier Ie pense le plus braue valiant et tres distime signieur d" Angleterre
Pist. Expound vnto me boy
Boy. He giues you vpon his knees a thousand thanks, and he esteemes himselfe happy, that he hath falne into the hands of one (as he thinkes) the most braue, valorous and thrice-worthy signeur of England
Pist. As I sucke blood, I will some mercy shew. Follow mee
Boy. Saaue vous le grand Capitaine?
I did neuer know so full a voyce issue from so emptie a heart: but the saying is true, The empty vessel makes the greatest sound, Bardolfe and Nym had tenne times more valour, then this roaring diuell i"th olde play, that euerie one may payre his nayles with a woodden dagger, and they are both hang"d, and so would this be, if hee durst steale any thing aduenturously. I must stay with the Lackies with the luggage of our camp, the French might haue a good pray of vs, if he knew of it, for there is none to guard it but boyes.
Enter.
Enter Constable, Orleance, Burbon, Dolphin, and Rambures.
Con. O Diable
Orl. O signeur le iour et perdia, toute et perdie
Dol. Mor Dieu ma vie, all is confounded all, Reproach, and euerlasting shame Sits mocking in our Plumes.
A short Alarum.
O meschante Fortune, do not runne away
Con. Why all our rankes are broke
Dol. O perdurable shame, let"s stab our selues: Be these the wretches that we plaid at dice for?
Orl. Is this the King we sent too, for his ransome?
Bur. Shame, and eternall shame, nothing but shame, Let vs dye in once more backe againe, And he that will not follow Burbon now, Let him go hence, and with his cap in hand Like a base Pander hold the Chamber doore, Whilst a base slaue, no gentler then my dogge, His fairest daughter is contaminated
Con. Disorder that hath spoyl"d vs, friend vs now, Let vs on heapes go offer vp our liues
Orl. We are enow yet liuing in the Field, To smother vp the English in our throngs, If any order might be thought vpon
Bur. The diuell take Order now, Ile to the throng; Let life be short, else shame will be too long.
Enter.
Alarum. Enter the King and his trayne, with Prisoners.
King. Well haue we done, thrice-valiant Countrimen, But all"s not done, yet keepe the French the field
Exe. The D[uke]. of York commends him to your Maiesty King. Liues he good Vnckle: thrice within this houre I saw him downe; thrice vp againe, and fighting, From Helmet to the spurre, all blood he was
Exe. In which array (braue Soldier) doth he lye, Larding the plaine: and by his b.l.o.o.d.y side, (Yoake-fellow to his honour-owing-wounds) The n.o.ble Earle of Suffolke also lyes.
Suffolke first dyed, and Yorke all hagled ouer Comes to him, where in gore he lay insteeped, And takes him by the Beard, kisses the gashes That bloodily did yawne vpon his face.
He cryes aloud; Tarry my Cosin Suffolke, My soule shall thine keepe company to heauen: Tarry (sweet soule) for mine, then flye a-brest: As in this glorious and well-foughten field We kept together in our Chiualrie.
Vpon these words I came, and cheer"d him vp, He smil"d me in the face, raught me his hand, And with a feeble gripe, sayes: Deere my Lord, Commend my seruice to my Soueraigne, So did he turne, and ouer Suffolkes necke He threw his wounded arme, and kist his lippes, And so espous"d to death, with blood he seal"d A Testament of n.o.ble-ending-loue: The prettie and sweet manner of it forc"d Those waters from me, which I would haue stop"d, But I had not so much of man in mee, And all my mother came into mine eyes, And gaue me vp to teares
King. I blame you not, For hearing this, I must perforce compound With mixtfull eyes, or they will issue to.
Alarum
But hearke, what new alarum is this same?
The French haue re-enforc"d their scatter"d men: Then euery souldiour kill his Prisoners, Giue the word through.
Exit
Actus Quartus.
Enter Fluellen and Gower.
Flu. Kill the poyes and the luggage, "Tis expressely against the Law of Armes, tis as arrant a peece of knauery marke you now, as can bee offert in your Conscience now, is it not?
Gow. Tis certaine, there"s not a boy left aliue, and the Cowardly Rascalls that ranne from the battaile ha" done this slaughter: besides they haue burned and carried away all that was in the Kings Tent, wherefore the King most worthily hath caus"d euery soldiour to cut his prisoners throat. O "tis a gallant King
Flu. I, hee was p.o.r.ne at Monmouth Captaine Gower: What call you the Townes name where Alexander the pig was borne?
Gow. Alexander the Great
Flu. Why I pray you, is not pig, great? The pig, or the great, or the mighty, or the huge, or the magnanimous, are all one reckonings, saue the phrase is a litle variations
Gower. I thinke Alexander the Great was borne in Macedon, his Father was called Phillip of Macedon, as I take it
Flu. I thinke it is in Macedon where Alexander is p.o.r.ne: I tell you Captaine, if you looke in the Maps of the Orld, I warrant you sall finde in the comparisons betweene Macedon & Monmouth, that the situations looke you, is both alike. There is a Riuer in Macedon, & there is also moreouer a Riuer at Monmouth, it is call"d Wye at Monmouth: but it is out of my praines, what is the name of the other Riuer: but "tis all one, tis alike as my fingers is to my fingers, and there is Salmons in both. If you marke Alexanders life well, Harry of Monmouthes life is come after it indifferent well, for there is figures in all things. Alexander G.o.d knowes, and you know, in his rages, and his furies, and his wraths, and his chollers, and his moodes, and his displeasures, and his indignations, and also being a little intoxicates in his praines, did in his Ales and his angers (looke you) kill his best friend Clytus
Gow. Our King is not like him in that, he neuer kill"d any of his friends
Flu. It is not well done (marke you now) to take the tales out of my mouth, ere it is made and finished. I speak but in the figures, and comparisons of it: as Alexander kild his friend Clytus, being in his Ales and his Cuppes; so also Harry Monmouth being in his right wittes, and his good iudgements, turn"d away the fat Knight with the great belly doublet: he was full of iests, and gypes, and knaueries, and mockes, I haue forgot his name
Gow. Sir Iohn Falstaffe
Flu. That is he: Ile tell you, there is good men p.o.r.ne at Monmouth
Gow. Heere comes his Maiesty.
Alarum. Enter King Harry and Burbon with prisoners. Flourish.