Henry V – Act 3 Scene 2

BARDOLPH

On, on, on, on, on! To the breach, to the breach!

Go onwards, on, on, on! To the gap in the city walls!

NYM

Pray thee, corporal, stay: the knocks are too hot;

I beg you, corporal, stay back: the hits are too violent;

and, for mine own part, I have not a case of lives:

and, as for me, I don’t have endless lives.

the humour of it is too hot, that is the very

The spirit of the fight is too violent, that is the actual

plain-song of it.

truth of it.

PISTOL

The plain-song is most just: for humours do abound:

That statement of truth is right, for fear is everywhere:

Knocks go and come; God's vassals drop and die;

Hits come and go; God’s people fall and die;

And sword and shield,

A sword and shield,

In bloody field,

In a battlefield

Doth win immortal fame.

Does win immortal fame.

BOY

Would I were in an alehouse in London! I would give

I wish I was in a pub in London! I would give

all my fame for a pot of ale and safety.

all my glory for a pint of ale and safety.

PISTOL

And I:

Me too:

If wishes would prevail with me,

If all my wishes would come true,

My purpose should not fail with me,

I wouldn’t fail in what I do,

But thither would I hie.

But that is where I’d go.

BOY

As duly, but not as truly,

As surely, but not as purely

As bird doth sing on bough.

As a bird sings on a bough.

FLUELLEN

Up to the breach, you dogs! Avaunt, you cullions!

Go to the gap, you dogs! Go on, you scoundrels!

[Driving them forward]

PISTOL

Be merciful, great duke, to men of mould.

Be merciful, great duke, to mortal men.

Abate thy rage, abate thy manly rage,

Don’t be so angry, stop your manly rage,

Abate thy rage, great duke!

Don’t be so angry, duke!

Good bawcock, bate thy rage; use lenity, sweet chuck!

Fine worthy man, don’t be angry; be lenient, sweet man!

NYM

These be good humours! Your honour wins bad humours.

These are good feelings! Your bravery breeds bad feelings.

BOY

As young as I am, I have observed these three

Though I am young, I’ve observed these three boastful

swashers. I am boy to them all three: but all they

swordsmen. I’m a servant-boy to all three of them, but all

three, though they would serve me, could not be man

three, even if they were my servants, I would not consider them

to me; for indeed three such antics do not amount to

to be a man, because three such clowns do not add up to a

a man. For Bardolph, he is white-livered and

single man. For Bardolph, he’s a coward at heart but outside

red-faced; by the means whereof a' faces it out, but

red with anger; by which I mean he looks like he wants to fight,

fights not. For Pistol, he hath a killing tongue

but never actually fights. As for Pistol, he has a vicious tongue

and a quiet sword; by the means whereof a' breaks

but a sword he never uses, by which I mean he breaks out

words, and keeps whole weapons. For Nym, he hath

fighting talk, but doesn’t break his weapon. As for Nym, he

heard that men of few words are the best men; and

prides himself on being a man of few words, and

therefore he scorns to say his prayers, lest a'

so he doesn’t bother saying his prayers, in case

should be thought a coward: but his few bad words

people think he is a coward; but the few bad words he

are matched with as few good deeds; for a' never

says are matched by the few good deeds he does, for he hasn’t

broke any man's head but his own, and that was

broken any man’s head except his own, and that was

against a post when he was drunk. They will steal

against a post when he was drunk. They’ll pinch

any thing, and call it purchase. Bardolph stole a

anything and say that they bought it. Bardolph stole a

lute-case, bore it twelve leagues, and sold it for

lute-case, carried it thirty-six miles, and sold it for a

three half pence. Nym and Bardolph are sworn

penny and a half. Nym and Bardolph are

brothers in filching, and in Calais they stole a

brothers when it comes to stealing, and in Calais they stole a

fire-shovel: I knew by that piece of service the

fire-shovel: I knew from that they’re happy doing menial work

men would carry coals. They would have me as

like shovelling coal. They want me to be as comfortable

familiar with men's pockets as their gloves or their

with the contents of other men’s pockets as their gloves and

handkerchers: which makes much against my manhood,

handkerchiefs are: but that betrays what I believe a man to be,

if I should take from another's pocket to put into

whereby I’d take something from another man’s pocket and

mine; for it is plain pocketing up of wrongs. I

put it in mine, for that is merely pickpocketing, which is wrong.

must leave them, and seek some better service:

I have to leave them and find someone better to serve:

their villainy goes against my weak stomach, and

I find their villainy nauseating, and

therefore I must cast it up.

it makes me want to throw up.

GOWER

Captain Fluellen, you must come presently to the

Captain Fluellen, you must come right away to the

mines; the Duke of Gloucester would speak with you.

tunnels; the Duke of Gloucester wants to talk with you.

FLUELLEN

To the mines? Tell you the duke, it is not so good

To the tunnels? Tell the duke I don’t think it wise

to come to the mines; for, look you, the mines is

to go to the tunnels, because, listen, the tunnels are

not according to the disciplines of the war: the

not a tactic one should use in war. The

concavities of it is not sufficient; for, look you,

excavations are insufficient, for, listen,

the athversary, you may discuss unto the duke, look

the enemy – and you can tell the duke this – if you look,

you, is digt himself four yard under the

has dug four yards below our own

countermines: by Cheshu, I think a' will plough up

tunnels. By Jesus, I think he will dig the whole thing up

all, if there is not better directions.

if this is not better managed.

GOWER

The Duke of Gloucester, to whom the order of the

The Duke of Gloucester, who was ordered to

siege is given, is altogether directed by an

enact the siege, gets his directions from an

Irishman, a very valiant gentleman, i' faith.

Irishman, a very brave man indeed.

FLUELLEN

It is Captain Macmorris, is it not?

It is Captain Macmorris, right?

GOWER

I think it be.

I think it is.

FLUELLEN

By Cheshu, he is an ass, as in the world: I will

By Jesus, he’s the biggest idiot in the world: I’ll

verify as much in his beard: he has no more

tell him that to his face. He has no more

directions in the true disciplines of the wars, look

experience directing procedures for war, if you look,

you, of the Roman disciplines, than is a puppy-dog.

such as the Roman disciplines, than a puppy-dog has.

GOWER

Here a' comes; and the Scots captain, Captain Jamy,

Here he comes, and the Scottish captain, Captain Jamy,

with him.

is with him.

FLUELLEN

Captain Jamy is a marvellous falourous gentleman,

Captain Jamy is a marvellously brave gentleman,

that is certain; and of great expedition and

that’s for sure; and well versed and

knowledge in th' aunchient wars, upon my particular

knowledgeable of ancient warfare, which I can tell by

knowledge of his directions: by Cheshu, he will

the directions he’s giving. By Jesus, he can

maintain his argument as well as any military man in

talk as well as any military man in

the world, in the disciplines of the pristine wars

the world about conducting the ancient warfare

of the Romans.

of the Romans.

JAMY

I say gud-day, Captain Fluellen.

I say good day, Captain Fluellen.

FLUELLEN

God-den to your worship, good Captain James.

Good day to you, your worship, good Captain James.

GOWER

How now, Captain Macmorris! Have you quit the

Hello there, Captain Macmorris! Have you stopped

mines? Have the pioneers given o'er?

tunnelling? Have the diggers given up?

MACMORRIS

By Chrish, la! Tish ill done: the work ish give

Good God, man! It’s been badly executed: the work has

over, the trompet sound the retreat. By my hand, I

stopped, and the trumpet sounds to mark our retreat. I swear

swear, and my father's soul, the work ish ill done;

on my father’s life that the job has been poorly done;

it ish give over: I would have blowed up the town, so

it’s all stopped. I would have blown the town up – so

Chrish save me, la! In an hour: O, tish ill done,

Christ save me, la! – within an hour. Oh, it was badly done,

tish ill done; by my hand, tish ill done!

it was badly done; I tell you, it was badly done!

FLUELLEN

Captain Macmorris, I beseech you now, will you

Captain Macmorris, I ask you now, will you

voutsafe me, look you, a few disputations with you,

allow me, listen, a few discussions with you

as partly touching or concerning the disciplines of

pertaining to the strategies and execution of

the war, the Roman wars, in the way of argument,

the war, especially the Roman wars, by debate,

look you, and friendly communication; partly to

listen, and with friendly conversation; partly to

satisfy my opinion, and partly for the satisfaction,

satisfy my own understanding and partly to satisfy,

look you, of my mind, as touching the direction of

listen, my own mind, in respect to the application of

the military discipline; that is the point.

military discipline. That’s the point I’m making.

JAMY

It sall be vary gud, gud feith, gud captains bath:

That’ll be absolutely fine, good faith, good captains both:

and I sall quit you with gud leve, as I may pick

and I’ll explain this in the fullness of time, when the time

occasion; that sall I, marry.

is right; I’ll do that, I assure you.

MACMORRIS

It is no time to discourse, so Chrish save me: the

Now’s not the time for chatting, for Christ’s sake: the

day is hot, and the weather, and the wars, and the

day is hot, and so is the weather, the war, and the

king, and the dukes: it is no time to discourse. The

king, and the dukes. It’s no time for chatter. The

town is beseeched, and the trumpet call us to the

town is under attack, and the trumpet is ordering us to go to

breach; and we talk, and, be Chrish, do nothing:

the gap in the town wall. And yet, by Christ, we do nothing:

'tis shame for us all: so God sa' me, 'tis shame to

that brings shame on us all. So God save me, it’s shameful to

stand still; it is shame, by my hand: and there is

just stand here; it is shameful, I tell you. And there are

throats to be cut, and works to be done; and there

throats to be cut and work to be done, and yet

ish nothing done, so Chrish sa' me, la!

nothing is done, so Christ save me, man!

JAMY

By the mess, ere theise eyes of mine take themselves

I swear by Sunday mass, before these eyes of mine go off

to slomber, ay'll de gud service, or ay'll lig i'

to sleep, I’ll do a good job, or else I’ll lie dead in

the grund for it; ay, or go to death; and ay'll pay

the ground for it; yes, I’ll do that or die; and I’ll do

't as valourously as I may, that sall I suerly do,

it as courageously as I can, I surely will,

that is the breff and the long. Marry, I wad full

and that is the long and short of it. But truthfully, I would

fain hear some question 'tween you tway.

love to hear you two discussing warfare.

FLUELLEN

Captain Macmorris, I think, look you, under your

Captain Macmorris, listen, correct me if I’m wrong but I think

correction, there is not many of your nation –

there are not many people from your nation…

MACMORRIS

Of my nation! What ish my nation? Ish a villain,

From my nation! What is my nation? It’s a villain,

and a bastard, and a knave, and a rascal. What ish

and a bastard, a scoundrel and a scallywag. What is

my nation? Who talks of my nation?

my nation? Who talks about my nation?

FLUELLEN

Look you, if you take the matter otherwise than is

Listen, if you interpret what I am saying other than the way

meant, Captain Macmorris, peradventure I shall think

I meant it, Captain Macmorris, then I may have to conclude

you do not use me with that affability as in

you are not treating me with the courtesy

discretion you ought to use me, look you: being as

that you ought to be treating me with, listen; for I’m

good a man as yourself, both in the disciplines of

an equal man to you, both in the disciplines of

war, and in the derivation of my birth, and in

war, in my lineage of birth, and in

other particularities.

all other ways.

MACMORRIS

I do not know you so good a man as myself: so

I do not think you are as good a man as me, so

Chrish save me, I will cut off your head.

Christ save me, I will cut off your head.

GOWER

Gentlemen both, you will mistake each other.

Gentlemen, you are misunderstanding one another.

JAMY

A! That's a foul fault.

Yes! That’s an awful error.

GOWER

The town sounds a parley.

The town blows a horn requesting we negotiate.

FLUELLEN

Captain Macmorris, when there is more better

Captain Macmorris, when there is a better

opportunity to be required, look you, I will be so

opportunity than we need, listen, I will be so bold

bold as to tell you I know the disciplines of war;

to explain to you that I know all about the disciplines of war,

and there is an end.

and that’s the end of it.