SCENE VIII
Before KING HENRY'S pavillion.Enter GOWER and WILLIAMS.
Will.
I warrant it is to knight you, captain. Enter FLUELLEN.
Flu.
God's will and his pleasure, captain,
I beseech you now, come apace to the king:
there is more good toward you peradventure
than is in your knowledge to dream of.
Will.
Sir, know you this glove?
Flu.
Know the glove! I know the glove is
a glove.
Will.
I know this; and thus I challenge it. [Strikes him.
Flu.
'Sblood! an arrant traitor as any is
in the universal world, or in France, or in (11)
England!
Gow.
How now, sir! you villain!
Will.
Do you think I'll be forsworn?
Flu.
Stand away, Captain Gower; I will
give treason his payment into plows, I warrant
you.
Will.
I am no traitor.
Flu.
That's a lie in thy throat. I charge
you in his majesty's name, apprehend him: (19)
he's a friend of the Duke Alencon's.
War.
How now, how now! what's the
matter?
Flu.
My Lord of Warwick, here is--
praised be God for it!--a most contagious
treason come to light, look you, as you shall
desire in a summer's day. Here is his majesty. Enter KING HENRY and EXETER.
K. Hen.
How now! what's the matter?
Flu.
My liege, here is a villain and a traitor,
that, look your grace, has struck the glove
which your majesty is take out of the helmet
of Alencon.
Will.
My liege, this was my glove; here is
the fellow of it; and he that I gave it to in
change promised to wear it in his cap: I
promised to strike him, if he did: I met this
man with my glove in his cap, and I have been
as good as my word.
Flu.
Your majesty hear now, saving your
majesty's manhod, what an arrant, rascally
beggarly, lousy knave it is: I hope your majesty
is pear me testimony and witness, and
will avouchment, that this is the glove of
Alencon, that your majesty is give me; in (40)
your conscience, now.
K. Hen.
Give me thy glove, soldier: look,
here is the fellow of it.
'Twas I, indeed, thou promised'st to strike;
And thou hast given me most bitter terms.
Flu.
And please your majesty, let his neck
answer for it, if there is any martial law in the
world.
K. Hen.
How canst thou make me satisfaction?
Will.
All offences, my lord, come from the
heart: never came any from mine that might (51)
offend your majesty.
K. Hen.
It was ourself thou didst abuse.
Will.
Your majesty came not like yourself:
you appeared to me but as a common man;
witness the night, your garments, your lowliness;
and what your highness suffered under
that shape, I beseech you take it for your own
fault and not mine: for had you been as I
took you for, I made no offence; therefore, I (60)
beseech your highness, pardon me.
K. Hen.
Here, uncle Exeter, fill this glove with crowns,
And give it to this fellow. Keep it, fellow;
And wear it for an honor in thy cap
Till I do challenge it. Give him the crowns:
And, captain, you must needs be friends with him.
Flu.
By this day and this light, the fellow
has mettle enough in his belly. Hold, there
is twelve pence for you; and I pray you to
serve Got, and keep you out of prawls, and
prabbles, and quarrels, and dissensions, and, I (71)
warrant you, it is the better for you.
Will.
I will none of your money.
Flu.
It is with a good will; I can tell you,
it will serve you to mend your shoes: come,
wherefore should you be so pashful? your
shoes is not so good: 'tis a good silling, I warrant
you, or I will change it. Enter an English Herald.
K. Hen.
Now, herald, are the dead number'd?
Her.
Here is the number of the slaughter'd French. (80)
K. Hen.
What prisoners of good sort are taken, uncle?
Exe.
Charles Duke of Orleans, nephew to the king;
John Duke of Bourbon, and Lord Bouciqualt:
Of other lords and barons, knights and squires,
Full fifteen hundred, besides common men.
K. Hen.
This note doth tell me of ten thousand French
That in the field lie slain: of princes, in this number,
And nobles bearing banners, there lie dead
One hundred twenty six: added to these,
Of knights, esquires, and gallant gentlemen, (90)
Eight thousand and four hundred; of the which,
Five hundred were but yesterday dubb'd knights:
So that, in these ten thousand they have lost,
There are but sixteen hundred mercenaries;
The rest are princes, barons, lords, knights, squires,
And gentlemen of blood and quality.
The names of those their nobles that lie dead:
Charles Delabreth, high constable of France;
Jacques of Chatillon, admiral of France;
The master of the cross-bows, Lord Rambures; (100)
Great Master of France, the brave Sir Guichard Dolphin,
John Duke of Alencon, Anthony Duke of Brabant,
The brother to the Duke of Burgundy,
And Edward Duke of Bar: of lusty earls,
Grandpre and Roussi, Fauconberg and Foix,
Beaumont and Marle, Vaudemont and Lestrale.
Here was a royal fellowship of death!
Where is the number of our English dead? [Herald shews him another paper.
Edward the Duke of York, the Earl of Suffolk,
Sir Richard Ketly, Davy Gam, esquire: (110)
None else of name; and of all other men
But five and twenty. O God, thy arm was here;
And not to us, but to thy arm alone,
Ascribe we all! When, without stratagem,
But in plain shock and even play of battle,
Was ever known so great and little loss
On one part and on the other? Take it, God,
For it is none but thine!
Exe.
'Tis wonderful!
K. Hen.
Come, go we in procession to the village:
And be it death proclaimed through our host
To boast of this or take that praise from God (121)
Which is his only.
Flu.
Is it not lawful, an please your majesty,
to tell how many is killed?
K. Hen.
Yes, captain; but with this acknowledgement,
That God fought for us.
Flu.
Yes, my conscience, he did us great good.
K. Hen.
Do we all holy rites;
Let there be sung 'Non nobis' and 'Te Deum;'
The dead with charity enclosed in clay: (130)
And then to Calais; and to England then:
Where ne'er from France arrived more happy men. [Exeunt.
