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By Root 18734 0

son that is by his father sent about merchandise do sinfully miscarry upon the sea, the imputation of his wickedness, by your rule, should be imposed upon his father that sent him; or if a servant, under his master's command transporting a sum of money, be assailed by robbers and die in many irreconcil'd iniquities, you may call the business of the master the author of the servant's damnation. But this is not so: the King is not bound to answer the particular endings of his

soldiers, the father of his son, nor the master of his servant;

for they purpose not their death when they purpose their

services. Besides, there is no king, be his cause never so

spotless, if it come to the arbitrement of swords, can try it out

with all unspotted soldiers: some peradventure have on them the

guilt of premeditated and contrived murder; some, of beguiling

virgins with the broken seals of perjury; some, making the wars

their bulwark, that have before gored the gentle bosom of peace

with pillage and robbery. Now, if these men have defeated the law

and outrun native punishment, though they can outstrip men they

have no wings to fly from God: war is His beadle, war is His

vengeance; so that here men are punish'd for before-breach of the

King's laws in now the King's quarrel. Where they feared the

death they have borne life away; and where they would be safe

they perish. Then if they die unprovided, no more is the King

guilty of their damnation than he was before guilty of those

impieties for the which they are now visited. Every subject's

duty is the King's; but every subject's soul is his own.

Therefore should every soldier in the wars do as every sick man

in his bed- wash every mote out of his conscience; and dying so,

death is to him advantage; or not dying, the time was blessedly

lost wherein such preparation was gained; and in him that escapes

it were not sin to think that, making God so free an offer,

He

let him outlive that day to see His greatness, and to teach

others how they should prepare.

WILLIAMS.

'Tis certain, every man that dies ill, the ill upon his

own head- the King is not to answer for it.

BATES.

I do not desire he should answer for me, and yet I determine

to fight lustily for him.

KING HENRY.

I myself heard the King say he would not be ransom'd.

WILLIAMS.

Ay, he said so, to make us fight cheerfully; but when our

throats are cut he may be ransom'd, and we ne'er the wiser.

KING HENRY.

If I live to see it, I will never trust his word after.

WILLIAMS.

You pay him then! That's a perilous shot out of an

elder-gun, that a poor and a private displeasure can do against a

monarch! You may as well go about to turn the sun to ice with

fanning in his face with a peacock's feather. You'll never trust

his word after! Come, 'tis a foolish saying.

KING HENRY.

Your reproof is something too round; I should be angry

with you, if the time were convenient.

WILLIAMS.

Let it be a quarrel between us if you live.

KING HENRY.

I embrace it.

WILLIAMS.

How shall I know thee again?

KING HENRY.

Give me any gage of thine, and I will wear it in my

bonnet; then if ever thou dar'st acknowledge it, I will make it my quarrel.

WILLIAMS.

Here's my glove; give me another of thine.

KING HENRY.

There.

WILLIAMS.

This will I also wear in my cap; if ever thou come to me

and say, after to-morrow, 'This is my glove,' by this hand I will

take thee a box on the ear.

KING HENRY.

If ever I live to see it, I will challenge it.

WILLIAMS.

Thou dar'st as well be hang'd.

KING HENRY.

Well, I will do it, though I take thee in the

King's company.

WILLIAMS.

Keep thy word. Fare thee well.

BATES.

Be friends, you English fools, be friends; we have

French quarrels enow, if you could tell how to reckon.

KING HENRY.

Indeed, the French may lay twenty French crowns to one

they will beat us, for they bear them on their shoulders; but it

is no English treason to cut French crowns, and to-morrow the

King himself will be a clipper.

Exeunt soldiers

Upon the King! Let us our