Henry V – Act 1 Scene 2

KING HENRY V

Where is my gracious Lord of Canterbury?

Where is my gracious Lord of Canterbury?

EXETER

Not here in presence.

He isn’t here.

KING HENRY V

Send for him, good uncle.

Then ask he come here, uncle.

WESTMORELAND

Shall we call in the ambassador, my liege?

Shall we call in the French ambassador?

KING HENRY V

Not yet, my cousin: we would be resolved,

Not yet, my cousin: first we must agree on –

Before we hear him, of some things of weight

Before we talk with him – important matters

That task our thoughts, concerning us and France.

We’re pondering, concerning us and France.

CANTERBURY

God and his angels guard your sacred throne

May God and angels guard your sacred throne

And make you long become it!

To help extend your duty!

KING HENRY V

Sure, we thank you.

Well, we thank you.

My learned lord, we pray you to proceed

My wise and well-read lord, we ask you tell us

And justly and religiously unfold

The truth, as your religious faith requires,

Why the law Salique that they have in France

Exactly why the Salic law in France

Or should, or should not, bar us in our claim:

Prohibits or permits our claim to France:

And God forbid, my dear and faithful lord,

And, my dear, faithful lord, for Heaven’s sake,

That you should fashion, wrest, or bow your reading,

Don’t try to twist your own interpretation

Or nicely charge your understanding soul

Or modify your honest disposition

With opening titles miscreate, whose right

By misconstruing French law to present

Suits not in native colours with the truth;

A picture that’s not wholly based on truth.

For God doth know how many now in health

For God knows each and every healthy soldier

Shall drop their blood in approbation

Whose blood will spill based on your legal guidance

Of what your reverence shall incite us to.

That’s going to guide the actions that we take.

Therefore take heed how you impawn our person,

So, contemplate advice you’re going to give me,

How you awake our sleeping sword of war:

If you invoke a war now we’re at peace.

We charge you, in the name of God, take heed;

And, in the name of God, I urge you’re careful;

For never two such kingdoms did contend

For France and England never disagree

Without much fall of blood; whose guiltless drops

Without enormous bloodshed; every drop

Are every one a woe, a sore complaint

Of guiltless blood becomes a source of sorrow

'Gainst him whose wrong gives edge unto the swords

Upon the man who wrongly urged the war

That make such waste in brief mortality.

That caused so many premature deaths.

Under this conjuration, speak, my lord;

With God your witness, give us your advice;

For we will hear, note and believe in heart

For we will listen, take note and believe

That what you speak is in your conscience washed

Your words come from an uncorrupted conscience,

As pure as sin with baptism.

Like baptism does wash away all sin.

CANTERBURY

Then hear me, gracious sovereign, and you peers,

Then listen, gracious king, and all you peers

That owe yourselves, your lives and services

Whose lives are duty-bound in service to

To this imperial throne. There is no bar

Our King. No legal obstacle exists

To make against your highness' claim to France

To block the King of England’s claim to France,

But this, which they produce from Pharamond,

Except for this that’s from King Pharamond:

'In terram Salicam mulieres ne succedant:'

'In terram Salicam mulieres ne succedant: '

'No woman shall succeed in Salique land:'

‘In Salic land, a woman can’t inherit.’

Which Salique land the French unjustly gloze

The French misrepresent that Salic land

To be the realm of France, and Pharamond

Is part of France, and that King Pharamond

The founder of this law and female bar.

Devised the law that blocked the female claim.

Yet their own authors faithfully affirm

But even French historians admit

That the land Salique is in Germany,

That Salic land exists in Germany,

Between the floods of Sala and of Elbe;

Between the rivers Sala and the Elbe;

Where Charles the Great, having subdued the Saxons,

Where Charles the Great defeated German tribes

There left behind and settled certain French;

And left behind a colony of French folk,

Who, holding in disdain the German women

Who, treating German women with contempt

For some dishonest manners of their life,

For what they deemed as their improper conduct,

Established then this law; to wit, no female

Set up this rule of law whereby no female

Should be inheritrix in Salique land:

Could claim inheritance in Salic land.

Which Salique, as I said, 'twixt Elbe and Sala,

This Salic land, between the Elbe and Sala,

Is at this day in Germany called Meissen.

Exists today in Germany, called Meissen.

Then doth it well appear that Salique law

Hence it is quite apparent Salic laws

Was not devised for the realm of France:

Were not created to be used in France;

Nor did the French possess the Salique land

Nor did the French control the Salic land

Until four hundred one and twenty years

Till four hundred and twenty-one years after

After defunction of King Pharamond,

King Pharamond descended from the throne,

Idly supposed the founder of this law;

The man who, it is said, made up this law;

Who died within the year of our redemption

A man who died within the year of our lord

Four hundred twenty-six; and Charles the Great

426 AD, and Charles the Great

Subdued the Saxons, and did seat the French

Quelled Saxons, then establishing French settlers

Beyond the river Sala, in the year

Beyond the river Sala, in the year

Eight hundred five. Besides, their writers say,

Of 805 AD. Historians

King Pepin, which deposed Childeric,

Agree King Pepin, who dethroned King Childeric,

Did, as heir general, being descended

Legitimately ruled as a descendant

Of Blithild, which was daughter to King Clothair,

Of Blithild, who was daughter of King Clothair,

Make claim and title to the crown of France.

Which he has used to claim the crown of France.

Hugh Capet also, who usurped the crown

And then Hugh Capet also stole the crown

Of Charles the duke of Lorraine, sole heir male

From Charles, duke of Lorraine, the sole male heir and

Of the true line and stock of Charles the Great,

Direct descendant of King Charles the Great,

To find his title with some shows of truth,

By fabricating reasons to be king,

Though, in pure truth, it was corrupt and naught,

Though, truthfully, it was invalid nonsense,

Conveyed himself as heir to the Lady Lingare,

By claiming he was Lady Lingare’s heir,

Daughter to Charlemain, who was the son

A daughter of Charlemain, who was the son of

To Lewis the emperor, and Lewis the son

Lewis the emperor, who was the son of

Of Charles the Great. Also King Lewis the Tenth,

King Charles the Great. And King Louis the Tenth,

Who was sole heir to the usurper Capet,

The heir of Capet, who’d usurped the throne,

Could not keep quiet in his conscience,

Could not sit comfortably with clear conscience

Wearing the crown of France, till satisfied

As King of France till he was satisfied

That fair Queen Isabel, his grandmother,

That fair Queen Isabel, his grandmother was

Was lineal of the Lady Ermengare,

Descended from the Lady Ermengare,

Daughter to Charles the foresaid duke of Lorraine:

Daughter of foresaid Charles, duke of Lorraine,

By the which marriage the line of Charles the Great

Through whom the marriage line from Charles the Great

Was re-united to the crown of France.

Was reappointed as the king of France.

So that, as clear as is the summer's sun.

So there it is: it is as clear as day.

King Pepin's title and Hugh Capet's claim,

King Pepin’s title and Hugh Capet’s claim,

King Lewis his satisfaction, all appear

King Louis’ confirmation, all appear

To hold in right and title of the female:

To be direct descendants of a female;

So do the kings of France unto this day;

Just like the kings of France do to this day.

Howbeit they would hold up this Salique law

So how they claim that Salic law is legal

To bar your highness claiming from the female,

To block your rightful claim through female lineage,

And rather choose to hide them in a net

They do by obfuscating all the truth

Than amply to imbar their crooked titles

Rather than showing their crown is corrupt

Usurped from you and your progenitors.

And stolen from you and your ancestors.

KING HENRY V

May I with right and conscience make this claim?

So, with clear conscience, can I claim the French throne?

CANTERBURY

The sin upon my head, dread sovereign!

If wrong, the blame’s all mine, respected king!

For in the book of Numbers is it writ,

It’s said within the Bible’s Book of Numbers

When the man dies, let the inheritance

That when a man dies, his inheritance

Descend unto the daughter. Gracious lord,

Descends down to his daughter. Gracious lord,

Stand for your own; unwind your bloody flag;

Assert your rightful claim; put up your war flag;

Look back into your mighty ancestors:

Take inspiration from your ancestors.

Go, my dread lord, to your great-grandsire's tomb,

My lord, go to your great-grandfather’s tomb,

From whom you claim; invoke his warlike spirit,

Through whom you stake your claim; be warlike, like him,

And your great-uncle's, Edward the Black Prince,

And your great-uncle, Edward the Black Prince,

Who on the French ground played a tragedy,

Who gave the French in France a tragedy,

Making defeat on the full power of France,

Defeating the French army’s fearsome power,

Whiles his most mighty father on a hill

Whilst, on a hill nearby, his mighty father

Stood smiling to behold his lion's whelp

Stood smiling as he watched this lion’s cub

Forage in blood of French nobility.

Spill blood of French nobility in battle.

O noble English, that could entertain

Our noble English army could take on

With half their forces the full Pride of France

The full strength of the French with half their soldiers

And let another half stand laughing by,

And let the other half stand by and laugh,

All out of work and cold for action!

Not breaking into sweat through lack of action!

ELY

Awake remembrance of these valiant dead

Recall the strength of those that died before you

And with your puissant arm renew their feats:

And, with your strength, repeat what they achieved:

You are their heir; you sit upon their throne;

You are their heir; you sit upon their throne;

The blood and courage that renowned them

The blood and guts that brought their famous victory

Runs in your veins; and my thrice-puissant liege

Runs through your veins; and you’re three times as strong

Is in the very May-morn of his youth,

And in the very prime time of your youth,

Ripe for exploits and mighty enterprises.

Ready for mighty deeds and bold adventure.

EXETER

Your brother kings and monarchs of the earth

Your fellow kings and monarchs of the world

Do all expect that you should rouse yourself,

Expect that you will rise and face the challenge,

As did the former lions of your blood.

Just like your mighty ancestors before you.

WESTMORELAND

They know your grace hath cause and means and might;

Those monarchs know you’re justified and strong;

So hath your highness; never king of England

And so do you; a king of England never

Had nobles richer and more loyal subjects,

Had wealthier support and loyal people

Whose hearts have left their bodies here in England

Who’ve left their English hearts that once were here

And lie pavilioned in the fields of France.

To fight for England on the fields of France.

CANTERBURY

O, let their bodies follow, my dear liege,

Their hearts are there, so let their bodies follow,

With blood and sword and fire to win your right;

Well-armed to fight and win what’s yours by right;

In aid whereof we of the spiritualty

To help you, all the clergy of the church

Will raise your highness such a mighty sum

Will raise a sum of money for your highness

As never did the clergy at one time

That’s bigger than the clergy ever raised

Bring in to any of your ancestors.

For any of your ancestors before you.

KING HENRY V

We must not only arm to invade the French,

We mustn’t just prepare to fight the French,

But lay down our proportions to defend

But we must make sure that we can defend

Against the Scot, who will make road upon us

Against the Scots, who will try to invade us

With all advantages.

When we are vulnerable fighting abroad.

CANTERBURY

They of those marches, gracious sovereign,

Our forces on the border, gracious king,

Shall be a wall sufficient to defend

Will be sufficient to defend us from

Our inland from the pilfering borderers.

The Scottish pilferers who want our land.

KING HENRY V

We do not mean the coursing snatchers only,

I don’t just mean the petty pilferers;

But fear the main intendment of the Scot,

I fear strategic onslaught from the Scots,

Who hath been still a giddy neighbour to us;

For they are still a fickle neighbour to us;

For you shall read that my great-grandfather

For you will know that my great-grandfather

Never went with his forces into France

Did never take his army into France

But that the Scot on his unfurnished kingdom

Without the Scots invading us while weakened,

Came pouring, like the tide into a breach,

All pouring in, like tide breaching a sea wall,

With ample and brim fulness of his force,

With all the force and power they could muster,

Galling the gleaned land with hot assays,

To test our undefended land through combat,

Girding with grievous siege castles and towns;

Surrounding towns and castles in a siege;

That England, being empty of defence,

And England, lacking strength for self-defence,

Hath shook and trembled at the ill neighbourhood.

Stood terrified at our unruly neighbour.

CANTERBURY

She hath been then more feared than harmed, my liege;

Our people were more scared than hurt, my lord;

For hear her but exampled by herself:

Recall England’s example from before:

When all her chivalry hath been in France

When England’s noblemen all fought in France,

And she a mourning widow of her nobles,

And England seemed to be a grieving widow,

She hath herself not only well defended

England did not just self-defend herself well,

But taken and impounded as a stray

But captured and locked up, much like a stray dog,

The King of Scots; whom she did send to France,

The King of Scotland, whom she took to France

To fill King Edward's fame with prisoner kings

To strengthen Edward’s stature with a snagged king,

And make her chronicle as rich with praise

Which led to praise and glory heaped upon her,

As is the ooze and bottom of the sea

Much like the muddy ocean floor is dripping

With sunken wreck and sunless treasuries.

With shipwrecks’ buried treasure in the deep.

WESTMORELAND

But there's a saying very old and true,

There is an ancient saying, old but true:

'If that you will France win,

‘If it is France that you would like to win,

Then with Scotland first begin:'

Then winning Scotland’s where you should begin.’

For once the eagle England being in prey,

For England, like an eagle that’s out hunting,

To her unguarded nest the weasel Scot

Will leave her nest exposed to cunning Scotland

Comes sneaking and so sucks her princely eggs,

Who will come sneaking, snatching precious eggs,

Playing the mouse in absence of the cat,

Like mice that frolic when the cat’s away,

To tear and havoc more than she can eat.

Destroying more than she could hope to eat.

EXETER

It follows then the cat must stay at home:

Then, by that argument, the cat must stay home:

Yet that is but a crushed necessity,

But that concern is surely overstated,

Since we have locks to safeguard necessaries,

Because our borders all are well defended,

And pretty traps to catch the petty thieves.

And we can catch all Scotland’s small incursions.

While that the armed hand doth fight abroad,

While armies fight our cause for us abroad,

The advised head defends itself at home;

Our intellect will keep us safe at home;

For government, though high and low and lower,

For government, from nobles down to workers,

Put into parts, doth keep in one consent,

Is split, but yet it acts in unity,

Congreeing in a full and natural close,

Together in a natural harmony,

Like music.

Like music.

CANTERBURY

Therefore doth heaven divide

That’s how God split up our world

The state of man in divers functions,

So different people take on different roles,

Setting endeavour in continual motion;

To move societies forever forward;

To which is fixed, as an aim or butt,

And everybody’s aim is on a target

Obedience: for so work the honey-bees,

Based on obedience. Take honey-bees,

Creatures that by a rule in nature teach

Whose instinct shows how natural hierarchies

The act of order to a peopled kingdom.

Reflect how structured nations should behave.

They have a king and officers of sorts;

They have a type of king and officers,

Where some, like magistrates, correct at home,

Where some, like judges, keep domestic peace,

Others, like merchants, venture trade abroad,

While others, merchant-like, will trade abroad,

Others, like soldiers, armed in their stings,

And some will sting, like soldiers armed to fight,

Make boot upon the summer's velvet buds,

And they will land upon a summer flower

Which pillage they with merry march bring home

To steal the nectar, happily to take home

To the tent-royal of their emperor;

Back to the beehive and the emperor bee,

Who, busied in his majesty, surveys

Majestically surveying all he governs:

The singing masons building roofs of gold,

The worker bees make golden honeycomb;

The civil citizens kneading up the honey,

The tradesmen-like bees manufacture honey,

The poor mechanic porters crowding in

And labourers, within the melee, lift

Their heavy burdens at his narrow gate,

Their heavy goods and pass the narrow gate;

The sad-eyed justice, with his surly hum,

The solemn judge, a bee whose buzz is sombre,

Delivering o'er to executors pale

Hands over to the executioner

The lazy yawning drone. I this infer,

The idle bee that doesn’t pull its weight.

That many things, having full reference

This shows that many things that are aligned

To one consent, may work contrariously:

Upon a goal may seem they’re out of synch,

As many arrows, loosed several ways,

Like many arrows shot from different spots can

Come to one mark; as many ways meet in one town;

Hit the same spot; or roads meet in the same town;

As many fresh streams meet in one salt sea;

Or many streams all flow into one sea;

As many lines close in the dial's centre;

Or lines meet in the centre of a sundial;

So may a thousand actions, once afoot,

That’s how a thousand actions that have started

End in one purpose, and be all well borne

Combine into a single purpose, and will

Without defeat. Therefore to France, my liege.

Succeed together. So, to France, my lord.

Divide your happy England into four;

Split prosperous, contented England four ways;

Whereof take you one quarter into France,

Then take a quarter with you into France,

And you withal shall make all Gallia shake.

And just with them, you’ll terrify the French.

If we, with thrice such powers left at home,

If we back home, with thrice the power here,

Cannot defend our own doors from the dog,

Cannot defend our country from the Scottish,

Let us be worried and our nation lose

We’ll worry at our loss of reputation

The name of hardiness and policy.

For strength and shrewdness England’s famous for.

KING HENRY V

Call in the messengers sent from the Dauphin.

Call in the messengers sent from the Dauphin.

[EXEUNT SOME ATTENDANTS]

Now are we well resolved; and, by God's help,

I’ve now made up my mind; and with God’s help,

And yours, the noble sinews of our power,

And you, my noblemen, our source of strength,

France being ours, we'll bend it to our awe,

Once France is ours, they’ll bow to us in fear

Or break it all to pieces: or there we'll sit,

Or else we’ll smash it up: we’ll either win,

Ruling in large and ample empery

And rule across the monumental empire

O'er France and all her almost kingly dukedoms,

Of France and all her almost-royal duchies,

Or lay these bones in an unworthy urn,

Or else we’ll die, our bones left in an urn

Tombless, with no remembrance over them:

Without a tomb or epitaph above them;

Either our history shall with full mouth

For either history will commemorate us

Speak freely of our acts, or else our grave,

And celebrate our actions, or our graves

Like Turkish mute, shall have a tongueless mouth,

Like Ottoman mute servants, will be silent,

Not worshipped with a waxen epitaph.

Not worshipped with a temporary tombstone.

[ENTER AMBASSADORS OF FRANCE]

Now are we well prepared to know the pleasure

I’m ready now to know the wishes of

Of our fair cousin Dauphin; for we hear

The Dauphin, our dear cousin; for I’ve heard

Your greeting is from him, not from the king.

Your message is from him and not the king.

FIRST AMBASSADOR

May't please your majesty to give us leave

Your majesty, will you permit that we

Freely to render what we have in charge;

State clearly what our message is to you;

Or shall we sparingly show you far off

Or shall we skirt around the message that

The Dauphin's meaning and our embassy?

The Dauphin means and why we have been sent here?

KING HENRY V

We are no tyrant, but a Christian king;

I’m not a tyrant; I’m a Christian king.

Unto whose grace our passion is as subject

And for our God, my passions are restrained

As are our wretches fettered in our prisons:

Like wretched prisoners locked up in a prison.

Therefore with frank and with uncurbed plainness

And so be frank; speak without censorship,

Tell us the Dauphin's mind.

And tell us what the Dauphin wants.

FIRST AMBASSADOR

Thus, then, in few.

Thus, briefly,

Your highness, lately sending into France,

Your highness lately sent a note to France

Did claim some certain dukedoms, in the right

Whereby you claimed some duchies, justified

Of your great predecessor, King Edward the Third.

By King Edward the Third, your predecessor.

In answer of which claim, the prince our master

Replying to your claim, the prince, our master,

Says that you savour too much of your youth,

Says you indulge your immaturity,

And bids you be advised there's nought in France

And wants to let you know that none of France

That can be with a nimble galliard won;

Is conquerable by dancing rather well;

You cannot revel into dukedoms there.

You can’t win duchies partying in France.

He therefore sends you, meeter for your spirit,

And thus, to match your spirit, he has sent you

This tun of treasure; and, in lieu of this,

This chest of treasure; in return, he asks

Desires you let the dukedoms that you claim

That all your claims you make to France’s duchies

Hear no more of you. This the Dauphin speaks.

You do not make again. The Dauphin says this.

KING HENRY V

What treasure, uncle?

What’s in the treasure chest?

EXETER

Tennis-balls, my liege.

Some tennis-balls, sir.

KING HENRY V

We are glad the Dauphin is so pleasant with us;

How glad I am the Dauphin is so kind;

His present and your pains we thank you for:

I thank you for his present and your trouble;

When we have marched our rackets to these balls,

Once we have used our rackets on these balls,

We will, in France, by God's grace, play a set

We’ll play a game in France, with God on our side,

Shall strike his father's crown into the hazard.

And then his father’s crown will be at stake.

Tell him he hath made a match with such a wrangler

Tell him he’s met his match with such a brawler

That all the courts of France will be disturbed

That every court in France will be left chasing

With chaces. And we understand him well,

Each ball I hit. And I can understand him,

How he comes o'er us with our wilder days,

For criticising my young, frivolous days,

Not measuring what use we made of them.

Not knowing how they helped shape who I am.

We never valued this poor seat of England;

I never valued being king of England;

And therefore, living hence, did give ourself

So lived away from royal courts, allowing

To barbarous licence; as 'tis ever common

Myself to live a riotous life; it’s common

That men are merriest when they are from home.

For men to frolic when they’re far from home.

But tell the Dauphin I will keep my state,

But tell the Dauphin I’ll act honourably,

Be like a king and show my sail of greatness

With regal dignity and show my greatness

When I do rouse me in my throne of France:

When I am seated on my throne of France;

For that I have laid by my majesty

It’s why I stepped aside from royal duties

And plodded like a man for working-days,

And lived the life a working man endures.

But I will rise there with so full a glory

But I’ll ascend the throne so radiantly,

That I will dazzle all the eyes of France,

I’ll dazzle every French eye when appearing,

Yea, strike the Dauphin blind to look on us.

And turn the Dauphin blind when looking at me.

And tell the pleasant prince this mock of his

And tell that lovely prince, this joke of his

Hath turned his balls to gun-stones; and his soul

Has turned his balls to cannonballs; and he will

Shall stand sore charged for the wasteful vengeance

Be guilty of the carnage of revenge

That shall fly with them: for many a thousand widows

These cannonballs inflict. Thousands of widows

Shall this his mock mock out of their dear husbands;

Will joke about this joke that killed their husbands;

Mock mothers from their sons, mock castles down;

Mothers will joke of dead sons; ruined castles;

And some are yet ungotten and unborn

And children, not yet thought of or conceived,

That shall have cause to curse the Dauphin's scorn.

Will have good cause to damn the Dauphin’s joke.

But this lies all within the will of God,

But all of this depends upon God’s will,

To whom I do appeal; and in whose name

And I appeal to him; and in God’s name,

Tell you the Dauphin I am coming on,

Go tell the Dauphin I am coming for him

To venge me as I may and to put forth

To seek revenge and also to reclaim

My rightful hand in a well-hallowed cause.

My rightful title in this sacred cause.

So get you hence in peace; and tell the Dauphin

So leave here peacefully, and tell the Dauphin

His jest will savour but of shallow wit,

It won’t seem funny when his crappy joke

When thousands weep more than did laugh at it.

Makes no one laugh as thousands cry and choke.

Convey them with safe conduct. Fare you well.

Escort them safely back. Goodbye to you.

EXETER

This was a merry message.

That was a funny message.

KING HENRY V

We hope to make the sender blush at it.

I hope to make the Dauphin blush about it.

Therefore, my lords, omit no happy hour

And so, seize every opportunity

That may give furtherance to our expedition;

That’s going to help our military campaign;

For we have now no thought in us but France,

For we should think of nothing else but France,

Save those to God, that run before our business.

Except for prayers to God we make beforehand.

Therefore let our proportions for these wars

So, therefore, everything we need for war

Be soon collected and all things thought upon

Must be collected soon, and all ideas

That may with reasonable swiftness add

That can be quickly implemented added

More feathers to our wings; for, God before,

To strengthen us. With God leading the way,

We'll chide this Dauphin at his father's door.

Before his dad, the Dauphin we will slay.

Therefore let every man now task his thought,

Each thought that helps should every man explore,

That this fair action may on foot be brought.

So we can start our consecrated war.