SCENE II. The same. The Life of King Henry the Fifth  Shakespeare homepage  |  Henry V  | Act 3, Scene 2 

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 Enter NYM, BARDOLPH, PISTOL, and Boy  BARDOLPH  On, on, on, on, on! to the breach, to the breach! 

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

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

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

 plain-song of it. 

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

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

 And sword and shield, 

 In bloody field, 

 Doth win immortal fame. 

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

 all my fame for a pot of ale and safety. 

 PISTOL  And I: 

 If wishes would prevail with me, 

 My purpose should not fail with me, 

 But thither would I hie. 

 Boy  As duly, but not as truly, 

 As bird doth sing on bough. 



 Enter FLUELLEN  FLUELLEN  Up to the breach, you dogs! avaunt, you cullions! 



 Driving them forward  PISTOL  Be merciful, great duke, to men of mould. 

 Abate thy rage, abate thy manly rage, 

 Abate thy rage, great duke! 

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

 NYM  These be good humours! your honour wins bad humours. 



 Exeunt all but Boy  Boy  As young as I am, I have observed these three 

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

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

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

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

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

 fights not. For Pistol, he hath a killing tongue 

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

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

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

 therefore he scorns to say his prayers, lest a' 

 should be thought a coward: but his few bad words 

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

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

 against a post when he was drunk. They will steal 

 any thing, and call it purchase. Bardolph stole a 

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

 three half pence. Nym and Bardolph are sworn 

 brothers in filching, and in Calais they stole a 

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

 men would carry coals. They would have me as 

 familiar with men's pockets as their gloves or their 

 handkerchers: which makes much against my manhood, 

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

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

 must leave them, and seek some better service: 

 their villany goes against my weak stomach, and 

 therefore I must cast it up. 



 Exit 

 Re-enter FLUELLEN, GOWER following  GOWER  Captain Fluellen, you must come presently to the 

 mines; the Duke of Gloucester would speak with you. 

 FLUELLEN  To the mines! tell you the duke, it is not so good 

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

 not according to the disciplines of the war: the 

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

 the athversary, you may discuss unto the duke, look 

 you, is digt himself four yard under the 

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

 all, if there is not better directions. 

 GOWER  The Duke of Gloucester, to whom the order of the 

 siege is given, is altogether directed by an 

 Irishman, a very valiant gentleman, i' faith. 

 FLUELLEN  It is Captain Macmorris, is it not? 

 GOWER  I think it be. 

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

 verify as much in his beard: be has no more 

 directions in the true disciplines of the wars, look 

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



 Enter MACMORRIS and Captain JAMY  GOWER  Here a' comes; and the Scots captain, Captain Jamy, with him. 

 FLUELLEN  Captain Jamy is a marvellous falourous gentleman, 

 that is certain; and of great expedition and 

 knowledge in th' aunchient wars, upon my particular 

 knowledge of his directions: by Cheshu, he will 

 maintain his argument as well as any military man in 

 the world, in the disciplines of the pristine wars 

 of the Romans. 

 JAMY  I say gud-day, Captain Fluellen. 

 FLUELLEN  God-den to your worship, good Captain James. 

 GOWER  How now, Captain Macmorris! have you quit the 

 mines? have the pioneers given o'er? 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 FLUELLEN  Captain Macmorris, I beseech you now, will you 

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

 as partly touching or concerning the disciplines of 

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

 look you, and friendly communication; partly to 

 satisfy my opinion, and partly for the satisfaction, 

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

 the military discipline; that is the point. 

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

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

 occasion; that sall I, marry. 

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

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

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

 town is beseeched, and the trumpet call us to the 

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

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

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

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

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

 JAMY  By the mess, ere theise eyes of mine take themselves 

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

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

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

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

 fain hear some question 'tween you tway. 

 FLUELLEN  Captain Macmorris, I think, look you, under your 

 correction, there is not many of your nation-- 

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

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

 my nation? Who talks of my nation? 

 FLUELLEN  Look you, if you take the matter otherwise than is 

 meant, Captain Macmorris, peradventure I shall think 

 you do not use me with that affability as in 

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

 good a man as yourself, both in the disciplines of 

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

 other particularities. 

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

 Chrish save me, I will cut off your head. 

 GOWER  Gentlemen both, you will mistake each other. 

 JAMY  A! that's a foul fault. 



 A parley sounded  GOWER  The town sounds a parley. 

 FLUELLEN  Captain Macmorris, when there is more better 

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

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

 and there is an end. 



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