Henry V by William Shakespeare
Act 3 - Scene 2
The same.
Boy : Would I were in an alehouse in London! I would give
[p]all my fame for
a pot of ale and safety.
Boy : As duly, but not as truly,
[p]As bird doth sing on bough.
Fluellen : Up to the breach, you dogs! avaunt, you cullions!
Boy : As young as I am, I have observed these three
[p]swashers. I am boy to
them all three: but all they
[p]three, though they would serve me,
could not be man
[p]to me; for indeed three such antics do not amount
to
[p]a man. For Bardolph, he is white-livered and
[p]red-faced; by
the means whereof a' faces it out, but
[p]fights not. For Pistol, he
hath a killing tongue
[p]and a quiet sword; by the means whereof a'
breaks
[p]words, and keeps whole weapons. For Nym, he hath
[p]heard
that men of few words are the best men; and
[p]therefore he scorns to
say his prayers, lest a'
[p]should be thought a coward: but his few
bad words
[p]are matched with as few good deeds; for a' never
[p]broke
any man's head but his own, and that was
[p]against a post when he was
drunk. They will steal
[p]any thing, and call it purchase. Bardolph
stole a
[p]lute-case, bore it twelve leagues, and sold it for
[p]three
half pence. Nym and Bardolph are sworn
[p]brothers in filching, and in
Calais they stole a
[p]fire-shovel: I knew by that piece of service
the
[p]men would carry coals. They would have me as
[p]familiar with
men's pockets as their gloves or their
[p]handkerchers: which makes
much against my manhood,
[p]if I should take from another's pocket to
put into
[p]mine; for it is plain pocketing up of wrongs. I
[p]must
leave them, and seek some better service:
[p]their villany goes
against my weak stomach, and
[p]therefore I must cast it up.
Fluellen : To the mines! tell you the duke, it is not so good
[p]to come to the
mines; for, look you, the mines is
[p]not according to the disciplines
of the war: the
[p]concavities of it is not sufficient; for, look
you,
[p]the athversary, you may discuss unto the duke, look
[p]you, is
digt himself four yard under the
[p]countermines: by Cheshu, I think
a' will plough up
[p]all, if there is not better directions.
Fluellen : It is Captain Macmorris, is it not?
Fluellen : By Cheshu, he is an ass, as in the world: I will
[p]verify as much in
his beard: be has no more
[p]directions in the true disciplines of the
wars, look
[p]you, of the Roman disciplines, than is a puppy-dog.
Fluellen : Captain Jamy is a marvellous falourous gentleman,
[p]that is certain;
and of great expedition and
[p]knowledge in th' aunchient wars, upon
my particular
[p]knowledge of his directions: by Cheshu, he
will
[p]maintain his argument as well as any military man in
[p]the
world, in the disciplines of the pristine wars
[p]of the Romans.
Jamy : I say gud-day, Captain Fluellen.
Fluellen : God-den to your worship, good Captain James.
Macmorris : By Chrish, la! tish ill done: the work ish give
[p]over, the trompet
sound the retreat. By my hand, I
[p]swear, and my father's soul, the
work ish ill done;
[p]it ish give over: I would have blowed up the
town, so
[p]Chrish save me, la! in an hour: O, tish ill done,
[p]tish
ill done; by my hand, tish ill done!
Fluellen : Captain Macmorris, I beseech you now, will you
[p]voutsafe me, look
you, a few disputations with you,
[p]as partly touching or concerning
the disciplines of
[p]the war, the Roman wars, in the way of
argument,
[p]look you, and friendly communication; partly
to
[p]satisfy my opinion, and partly for the satisfaction,
[p]look
you, of my mind, as touching the direction of
[p]the military
discipline; that is the point.
Jamy : It sall be vary gud, gud feith, gud captains bath:
[p]and I sall quit
you with gud leve, as I may pick
[p]occasion; that sall I, marry.
Macmorris : It is no time to discourse, so Chrish save me: the
[p]day is hot, and
the weather, and the wars, and the
[p]king, and the dukes: it is no
time to discourse. The
[p]town is beseeched, and the trumpet call us
to the
[p]breach; and we talk, and, be Chrish, do nothing:
[p]'tis
shame for us all: so God sa' me, 'tis shame to
[p]stand still; it is
shame, by my hand: and there is
[p]throats to be cut, and works to be
done; and there
[p]ish nothing done, so Chrish sa' me, la!
Jamy : By the mess, ere theise eyes of mine take themselves
[p]to slomber,
ay'll de gud service, or ay'll lig i'
[p]the grund for it; ay, or go
to death; and ay'll pay
[p]'t as valourously as I may, that sall I
suerly do,
[p]that is the breff and the long. Marry, I wad
full
[p]fain hear some question 'tween you tway.
Fluellen : Captain Macmorris, I think, look you, under your
[p]correction, there
is not many of your nation--
Macmorris : Of my nation! What ish my nation? Ish a villain,
[p]and a bastard, and
a knave, and a rascal. What ish
[p]my nation? Who talks of my nation?
Fluellen : Look you, if you take the matter otherwise than is
[p]meant, Captain
Macmorris, peradventure I shall think
[p]you do not use me with that
affability as in
[p]discretion you ought to use me, look you: being
as
[p]good a man as yourself, both in the disciplines of
[p]war, and
in the derivation of my birth, and in
[p]other particularities.
Macmorris : I do not know you so good a man as myself: so
[p]Chrish save me, I
will cut off your head.
Jamy : A! that's a foul fault.
Fluellen : Captain Macmorris, when there is more better
[p]opportunity to be
required, look you, I will be so
[p]bold as to tell you I know the
disciplines of war;
[p]and there is an end.
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