Henry V
Act IV, Scene 4
The field of battle.
Yield, cur!
John Masey Wright, circa 1900
- Alarum. Excursions. Enter Pistol, French Soldier, Boy.
Pistol
1- Yield, cur!
French Soldier
2- Je pense que vous êtes le gentilhomme de bonne qualité.
Pistol
3 - 4- Qualtitie! Calen o custure me! Art thou a gentleman? What is
- thy name? Discuss.
French Soldier
5- O Seigneur Dieu!
Pistol
6 - 10- 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
11- O, prenez miséricorde! Ayez pitié de moi!
Pistol
12 - 14- 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
15- Est-il impossible d’échapper la force de ton bras?
Pistol
16 - 18- Brass, cur?
- Thou damned and luxurious mountain goat,
- Offer’st me brass?
French Soldier
19- O, pardonnez moi!
Pistol
20 - 22- 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
23- Écoutez: comment êtes-vous appelé?
French Soldier
24- Monsieur le Fer.
Boy
25- He says his name is Master Fer.
Pistol
26 - 27- Master Fer! I’ll fer him, and firk him, and ferret him.
- Discuss the same in French unto him.
Boy
28- I do not know the French for fer, and ferret, and firk.
Pistol
29- Bid him prepare, for I will cut his throat.
French Soldier
30- Que dit-il, monsieur?
Boy
31 - 33- Il me commande à vous dire que vous faites vous prêt; car ce
- soldat ici est disposé tout à cette heure de couper votre
- gorge.
Pistol
34 - 36- Owy, cuppele gorge, permafoy,
- Peasant, unless thou give me crowns, brave crowns;
- Or mangled shalt thou be by this my sword.
Battle of Agincourt, St. Alban's Chronicle
Unknown artist, circa 1422
French Soldier
37 - 39- O, je vous supplie, pour l’amour de Dieu, me pardonner! Je
- suis le gentilhomme de bonne maison; gardez ma vie, et je
- vous donnerai deux cents écus.
Pistol
40- What are his words?
Boy
41 - 43- 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
44 - 45- Tell him my fury shall abate, and I
- The crowns will take.
French Soldier
46- Petit monsieur, quo dit-il?
Boy
47 - 49- Encore qu’il est contre son jurement de pardonner aucun
- prisonnier; néanmoins, pour les écus que vous lui promettez,
- il est content à vous donner la liberté, le franchisement.
French Soldier
50 - 53- Sur mes genoux je vous donne mille remercîments; et je
- m’estime heureux que je tombe entre les mains d’un
- chevalier, je pense, le plus brave, vaillant, et très
- distingué seigneur d’Angleterre.
Pistol
54- Expound unto me, boy.
Boy
55 - 58- He gives you, upon his knees, a thousand thanks, and he
- esteems himself happy that he hath fall’n into the hands of
- one (as he thinks) the most brave, valorous, and
- thrice-worthy seigneur of England.
Pistol
59- As I suck blood, I will some mercy show. Follow me!
Boy
60 - 69- 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 valor
- than this roaring devil i’ th’ old play, that every one may
- pare his nails with a wooden dagger, and they are both
- hang’d, 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.
Set design for Henry V
Charles Kean