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The Complete Works of William Shakespeare - Israel Gollancz William Shakespeare [580]

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anything adventurously. I must stay with the

lackeys, with the luggage of our camp. The French might have a

good prey of us, if he knew of it; for there is none to guard it

but boys. Exit

SCENE V. Another part of the field of battle

Enter CONSTABLE, ORLEANS, BOURBON, DAUPHIN, and RAMBURES

CONSTABLE.

O diable!

ORLEANS.

O Seigneur! le jour est perdu, tout est perdu!

DAUPHIN.

Mort Dieu, ma vie! all is confounded, all!

Reproach and everlasting shame

Sits mocking in our plumes. [A short alarum]

O mechante fortune! Do not run away.

CONSTABLE.

Why, an our ranks are broke.

DAUPHIN.

O perdurable shame! Let's stab ourselves.

Be these the wretches that we play'd at dice for?

ORLEANS.

Is this the king we sent to for his ransom?

BOURBON.

Shame, and eternal shame, nothing but shame!

Let us die in honour: once more back again;

And he that will not follow Bourbon now,

Let him go hence and, with his cap in hand

Like a base pander, hold the chamber-door

Whilst by a slave, no gender than my dog,

His fairest daughter is contaminated.

CONSTABLE.

Disorder, that hath spoil'd us, friend us now!

Let us on heaps go offer up our lives.

ORLEANS.

We are enow yet living in the field

To smother up the English in our throngs,

If any order might be thought upon.

BOURBON.

The devil take order now! I'll to the throng.

Let life be short, else shame will be too long. Exeunt

SCENE VI. Another part of the field

Alarum. Enter the KING and his train, with prisoners; EXETER, and others

KING HENRY.

Well have we done, thrice-valiant countrymen;

But all's not done- yet keep the French the field.

EXETER.

The Duke of York commends him to your Majesty.

KING HENRY.

Lives he, good uncle? Thrice within this hour

I saw him down; thrice up again, and fighting;

From helmet to the spur all blood he was.

EXETER.

In which array, brave soldier, doth he lie

Larding the plain; and by his bloody side,

Yoke-fellow to his honour-owing wounds,

The noble Earl of Suffolk also lies.

Suffolk first died; and York, all haggled over,

Comes to him, where in gore he lay insteeped,

And takes him by the beard, kisses the gashes

That bloodily did yawn upon his face,

He cries aloud 'Tarry, my cousin Suffolk.

My soul shall thine keep company to heaven;

Tarry, sweet soul, for mine, then fly abreast;

As in this glorious and well-foughten field

We kept together in our chivalry.'

Upon these words I came and cheer'd him up;

He smil'd me in the face, raught me his hand,

And, with a feeble grip, says 'Dear my lord,

Commend my service to my sovereign.'

So did he turn, and over Suffolk's neck

He threw his wounded arm and kiss'd his lips;

And so, espous'd to death, with blood he seal'd

A testament of noble-ending love.

The pretty and sweet manner of it forc'd

Those waters from me which I would have stopp'd;

But I had not so much of man in me,

And all my mother came into mine eyes

And gave me up to tears.

KING HENRY.

I blame you not;

For, hearing this, I must perforce compound

With mistful eyes, or they will issue too. [Alarum]

But hark! what new alarum is this same?

The French have reinforc'd their scatter'd men.

Then every soldier kill his prisoners;

Give the word through. Exeunt

SCENE VII. Another part of the field

Enter FLUELLEN and GOWER

FLUELLEN.

Kill the poys and the luggage! 'Tis expressly against the

law of arms; 'tis as arrant a piece of knavery, mark you now, as

can be offert; in your conscience, now, is it not?

GOWER.

'Tis certain there's not a boy left alive; and the cowardly

rascals that ran from the battle ha' done this slaughter;

besides, they have burned and carried away all that was in the

King's tent; wherefore the King most worthily hath caus'd every

soldier to cut his prisoner's throat. O, 'tis a gallant King!

FLUELLEN.

Ay, he was porn at Monmouth, Captain Gower. What call you

the town's name where Alexander the Pig was born?

GOWER.

Alexander the Great.

FLUELLEN.

Why, I pray you, is not 'pig' great? The pig, or great,

or the mighty,

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