Henry V
Act III, Scene 2
France. Before Harfleur.
Up to the breach, you dogs! Avaunt, you cullions!
From: Cassell's Illustrated Shakespeare
Mary Cowden Clarke, Charles Cowden Clarke, 1870
- Enter Nym, Bardolph, Pistol, and Boy.
Bardolph
1- On, on, on, on, on! To the breach, to the breach!
Nym
2 - 4- Pray thee, corporal, stay. The knocks are too hot; and for
- mine own part, I have not a case of lives. The humor of it
- is too hot, that is the very plain-song of it.
Pistol
5 - 9- The plain-song is most just; for humors do abound:
- “Knocks go and come; God’s vassals drop and die;
- And sword and shield,
- In bloody field,
- Doth win immortal fame.”
Boy
10 - 11- Would I were in an alehouse in London, I would give all my
- fame for a pot of ale and safety.
Pistol
12 - 15- And I:
- “If wishes would prevail with me,
- My purpose should not fail with me,
- But thither would I hie.”
Boy
16 - 17- “As duly, but not as truly,
- As bird doth sing on bough.”
- Enter Fluellen.
Fluellen
18- Up to the breach, you dogs! Avaunt, you cullions!
- Driving them forward.
Pistol
19 - 22- 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
23- These be good humors! Your honor wins bad humors.
- Exit with Bardolph and Pistol.
- Fluellen steps aside.
Boy
24 - 47- As young as I am, I have observ’d 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-liver’d and red-fac’d; 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 match’d 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 Callice 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 villainy goes against my weak stomach, and therefore I
- must cast it up.
- Exit.
- Enter Gower.
- Fluellen comes forward.
Gower
48 - 49- Captain Fluellen, you must come presently to the mines; the
- Duke of Gloucester would speak with you.
Fluellen
50 - 56- 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, th’ athversary—you may discuss
- unto the Duke, look you—is digt himself four yard under the
- countermines. By Cheshu, I think ’a will plow up all, if
- there is not better directions.
Gower
57 - 59- 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
60- It is Captain Macmorris, is it not?
Gower
61- I think it be.
Fluellen
62 - 65- By Cheshu, he is an ass, as in the world; I will verify as
- much in his beard. He 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
66 - 67- Here ’a comes, and the Scots captain, Captain Jamy, with
- him.
Nym
Paul Konewka, 1872
Fluellen
68 - 73- Captain Jamy is a marvelous falorous gentleman, that is
- certain, and of great expedition and knowledge in th’
- aunchiant 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
74- I say gud day, Captain Fluellen.
Fluellen
75- God-den to your worship, good Captain James.
Gower
76 - 77- How now, Captain Macmorris, have you quit the mines? Have
- the pioners given o’er?
Macmorris
78 - 83- By Chrish law, ’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 law, in an
- hour! O, ’tish ill done, ’tish ill done; by my hand ’tish
- ill done!
Fluellen
84 - 90- Captain Macmorris, I beseech you now, will you vouchsafe 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
91 - 93- It sall be vary gud, gud feith, gud captens bath, and I sall
- quit you with gud leve, as I may pick occasion; that sall I,
- mary.
Macmorris
94 - 101- 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 beseech’d,
- 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 Christ sa’ me law!
Jamy
102 - 106- By the mess, ere theise eyes of mine take themselves to
- slomber, ay’ll de gud service, or I’ll lig i’ th’ grund for
- it; ay, or go to death; and I’ll pay’t as valorously as I
- may, that sall I suerly do, that is the breff and the long.
- Mary, I wad full fain heard some question ’tween you tway.
Fluellen
107 - 108- Captain Macmorris, I think, look you, under your correction,
- there is not many of your nation—
Macmorris
109 - 111- Of my nation? What ish my nation? Ish a villain, and a
- basterd, and a knave, and a rascal. What ish my nation? Who
- talks of my nation?
Fluellen
112 - 117- 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
118 - 119- I do not know you so good a man as myself. So Chrish save
- me, I will cut off your head.
Gower
120- Gentlemen both, you will mistake each other.
Jamy
121- A! That’s a foul fault. A parley sounded.
Gower
122- The town sounds a parley.
Fluellen
123 - 125- 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.
- Exeunt.