SCENE IV. The field of battle. The Life of King Henry the Fifth  Shakespeare homepage  |  Henry V  | Act 4, Scene 4 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE IV. The field of battle. 

 Alarum. Excursions. Enter PISTOL, French Soldier, and Boy  PISTOL  Yield, cur! 

 French Soldier  Je pense que vous etes gentilhomme de bonne qualite. 

 PISTOL  Qualtitie calmie custure me! Art thou a gentleman? 

 what is thy name? discuss. 

 French Soldier  O Seigneur Dieu! 

 PISTOL  O, Signieur Dew should be a gentleman: 

 Perpend my words, O Signieur Dew, and mark; 

 O Signieur Dew, thou diest on point of fox, 

 Except, O signieur, thou do give to me 

 Egregious ransom. 

 French Soldier  O, prenez misericorde! ayez pitie de moi! 

 PISTOL  Moy shall not serve; I will have forty moys; 

 Or I will fetch thy rim out at thy throat 

 In drops of crimson blood. 

 French Soldier  Est-il impossible d'echapper la force de ton bras? 

 PISTOL  Brass, cur! 

 Thou damned and luxurious mountain goat, 

 Offer'st me brass? 

 French Soldier  O pardonnez moi! 

 PISTOL  Say'st thou me so? is that a ton of moys? 

 Come hither, boy: ask me this slave in French 

 What is his name. 

 Boy  Ecoutez: comment etes-vous appele? 

 French Soldier  Monsieur le Fer. 

 Boy  He says his name is Master Fer. 

 PISTOL  Master Fer! I'll fer him, and firk him, and ferret 

 him: discuss the same in French unto him. 

 Boy  I do not know the French for fer, and ferret, and firk. 

 PISTOL  Bid him prepare; for I will cut his throat. 

 French Soldier  Que dit-il, monsieur? 

 Boy  Il me commande de vous dire que vous faites vous 

 pret; car ce soldat ici est dispose tout a cette 

 heure de couper votre gorge. 

 PISTOL  Owy, cuppele gorge, permafoy, 

 Peasant, unless thou give me crowns, brave crowns; 

 Or mangled shalt thou be by this my sword. 

 French Soldier  O, je vous supplie, pour l'amour de Dieu, me 

 pardonner! Je suis gentilhomme de bonne maison: 

 gardez ma vie, et je vous donnerai deux cents ecus. 

 PISTOL  What are his words? 

 Boy  He prays you to save his life: he is a gentleman of 

 a good house; and for his ransom he will give you 

 two hundred crowns. 

 PISTOL  Tell him my fury shall abate, and I the crowns will take. 

 French Soldier  Petit monsieur, que dit-il? 

 Boy  Encore qu'il est contre son jurement de pardonner 

 aucun prisonnier, neanmoins, pour les ecus que vous 

 l'avez promis, il est content de vous donner la 

 liberte, le franchisement. 

 French Soldier  Sur mes genoux je vous donne mille remercimens; et 

 je m'estime heureux que je suis tombe entre les 

 mains d'un chevalier, je pense, le plus brave, 

 vaillant, et tres distingue seigneur d'Angleterre. 

 PISTOL  Expound unto me, boy. 

 Boy  He gives you, upon his knees, a thousand thanks; and 

 he esteems himself happy that he hath fallen into 

 the hands of one, as he thinks, the most brave, 

 valorous, and thrice-worthy signieur of England. 

 PISTOL  As I suck blood, I will some mercy show. 

 Follow me! 

 Boy  Suivez-vous le grand capitaine. 



 Exeunt PISTOL, and French Soldier  I did never know so full a voice issue from so 

 empty a heart: but the saying is true 'The empty 

 vessel makes the greatest sound.' Bardolph and Nym 

 had ten times more valour than this roaring devil i' 

 the old play, that every one may pare his nails with 

 a wooden dagger; and they are both hanged; and so 

 would this be, if he durst steal any thing 

 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  Shakespeare homepage  |  Henry V  | Act 4, Scene 4 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene 