SCENE I. France. Before Harfleur. The Life of King Henry the Fifth  Shakespeare homepage  |  Henry V  | Act 3, Scene 1 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE I. France. Before Harfleur. 

 Alarum. Enter KING HENRY, EXETER, BEDFORD, GLOUCESTER, and Soldiers, with scaling-ladders  KING HENRY V  Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; 

 Or close the wall up with our English dead. 

 In peace there's nothing so becomes a man 

 As modest stillness and humility: 

 But when the blast of war blows in our ears, 

 Then imitate the action of the tiger; 

 Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood, 

 Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage; 

 Then lend the eye a terrible aspect; 

 Let pry through the portage of the head 

 Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it 

 As fearfully as doth a galled rock 

 O'erhang and jutty his confounded base, 

 Swill'd with the wild and wasteful ocean. 

 Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide, 

 Hold hard the breath and bend up every spirit 

 To his full height. On, on, you noblest English. 

 Whose blood is fet from fathers of war-proof! 

 Fathers that, like so many Alexanders, 

 Have in these parts from morn till even fought 

 And sheathed their swords for lack of argument: 

 Dishonour not your mothers; now attest 

 That those whom you call'd fathers did beget you. 

 Be copy now to men of grosser blood, 

 And teach them how to war. And you, good yeoman, 

 Whose limbs were made in England, show us here 

 The mettle of your pasture; let us swear 

 That you are worth your breeding; which I doubt not; 

 For there is none of you so mean and base, 

 That hath not noble lustre in your eyes. 

 I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips, 

 Straining upon the start. The game's afoot: 

 Follow your spirit, and upon this charge 

 Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!' 



 Exeunt. Alarum, and chambers go off  Shakespeare homepage  |  Henry V  | Act 3, Scene 1 

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