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FLUELLEN.

The Duke of Exeter is as magnanimous as Agamemnon;

and a

man that I love and honour with my soul, and my heart, and my

duty, and my live, and my living, and my uttermost power. He is

not- God be praised and blessed!- any hurt in the world, but

keeps the bridge most valiantly, with excellent discipline.

There

is an aunchient Lieutenant there at the bridge- I think in my

very conscience he is as valiant a man as Mark Antony; and he is

man of no estimation in the world; but I did see him do as gallant service.

GOWER.

What do you call him?

FLUELLEN.

He is call'd Aunchient Pistol.

GOWER.

I know him not.

Enter PISTOL

FLUELLEN.

Here is the man.

PISTOL.

Captain, I thee beseech to do me favours.

The Duke of Exeter doth love thee well.

FLUELLEN.

Ay, I praise God; and I have merited some love at his hands.

PISTOL.

Bardolph, a soldier, firm and sound of heart,

And of buxom valour, hath by cruel fate

And giddy Fortune's furious fickle wheel,

That goddess blind,

That stands upon the rolling restless stone-

FLUELLEN.

By your patience, Aunchient Pistol. Fortune is painted

blind, with a muffler afore her eyes, to signify to you that

Fortune is blind; and she is painted also with a wheel, to

signify to you, which is the moral of it, that she is turning,

and inconstant, and mutability, and variation; and her foot, look

you, is fixed upon a spherical stone, which rolls, and rolls, and

rolls. In good truth, the poet makes a most excellent description

of it: Fortune is an excellent moral.

PISTOL.

Fortune is Bardolph's foe, and frowns on him;

For he hath stol'n a pax, and hanged must 'a be-

A damned death!

Let gallows gape for dog; let man go free,

And let not hemp his windpipe suffocate.

But Exeter hath given the doom of death

For pax of little price.

Therefore, go speak- the Duke will hear thy voice;

And let not Bardolph's vital thread be cut

With edge of penny cord and vile reproach.

Speak, Captain, for his life, and I will thee requite.

FLUELLEN.

Aunchient Pistol, I do partly understand your meaning.

PISTOL.

Why then, rejoice therefore.

FLUELLEN.

Certainly, Aunchient, it is not a thing to rejoice at;

for if, look you, he were my brother, I would desire the Duke to

use his good pleasure, and put him to execution; for discipline

ought to be used.

PISTOL.

Die and be damn'd! and figo for thy friendship!

FLUELLEN.

It is well.

PISTOL.

The fig of Spain! Exit

FLUELLEN. Very good.

GOWER.

Why, this is an arrant counterfeit rascal; I remember him

now- a bawd, a cutpurse.

FLUELLEN.

I'll assure you, 'a utt'red as prave words at the pridge

as you shall see in a summer's day. But it is very well; what he

has spoke to me, that is well, I warrant you, when time is serve.

GOWER.

Why, 'tis a gull a fool a rogue, that now and then goes to

the wars to grace himself, at his return into London, under the

form of a soldier. And such fellows are perfect in the great

commanders' names; and they will learn you by rote where services

were done- at such and such a sconce, at such a breach, at such a

convoy; who came off bravely, who was shot, who disgrac'd, what

terms the enemy stood on; and this they con perfectly in the

phrase of war, which they trick up with new-tuned oaths; and what

a beard of the General's cut and a horrid suit of the camp will

do among foaming bottles and ale-wash'd wits is wonderful to be

thought on. But you must learn to know such slanders of the age,

or else you may be marvellously mistook.

FLUELLEN.

I tell you what, Captain Gower, I do perceive he is not

the man that he would gladly make show to the world he is; if

I

find a hole in his coat I will tell him my mind. [Drum

within]

Hark you, the King is coming; and I must speak with him from the pridge.

Drum and colours. Enter the KING and his poor soldiers,

and GLOUCESTER

God pless your Majesty!

KING HENRY.

How now, Fluellen! Cam'st thou from the bridge?

FLUELLEN.

Ay, so please your Majesty. The Duke of Exeter has very

gallantly