Henry V by William Shakespeare
Act 2 - Scene 0
Prologue.
Chorus : Now all the youth of England are on fire,
[p]And silken dalliance in
the wardrobe lies:
[p]Now thrive the armourers, and honour's
thought
[p]Reigns solely in the breast of every man:
[p]They sell the
pasture now to buy the horse,
[p]Following the mirror of all Christian
kings,
[p]With winged heels, as English Mercuries.
[p]For now sits
Expectation in the air,
[p]And hides a sword from hilts unto the
point
[p]With crowns imperial, crowns and coronets,
[p]Promised to
Harry and his followers.
[p]The French, advised by good
intelligence
[p]Of this most dreadful preparation,
[p]Shake in their
fear and with pale policy
[p]Seek to divert the English purposes.
[p]O
England! model to thy inward greatness,
[p]Like little body with a
mighty heart,
[p]What mightst thou do, that honour would thee
do,
[p]Were all thy children kind and natural!
[p]But see thy fault!
France hath in thee found out
[p]A nest of hollow bosoms, which he
fills
[p]With treacherous crowns; and three corrupted men,
[p]One,
Richard Earl of Cambridge, and the second,
[p]Henry Lord Scroop of
Masham, and the third,
[p]Sir Thomas Grey, knight, of
Northumberland,
[p]Have, for the gilt of France,--O guilt
indeed!
[p]Confirm'd conspiracy with fearful France;
[p]And by their
hands this grace of kings must die,
[p]If hell and treason hold their
promises,
[p]Ere he take ship for France, and in
Southampton.
[p]Linger your patience on; and we'll digest
[p]The abuse
of distance; force a play:
[p]The sum is paid; the traitors are
agreed;
[p]The king is set from London; and the scene
[p]Is now
transported, gentles, to Southampton;
[p]There is the playhouse now,
there must you sit:
[p]And thence to France shall we convey you
safe,
[p]And bring you back, charming the narrow seas
[p]To give you
gentle pass; for, if we may,
[p]We'll not offend one stomach with our
play.
[p]But, till the king come forth, and not till then,
[p]Unto
Southampton do we shift our scene.
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