The Life of King Henry the Fifth

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]

SCENE II. Before Harfleur

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 wouid 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 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
anything,
and call it purchase. Bardolph stole a lute-case, bore it
twelve
leagues, and sold it for three halfpence. 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 villainy 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, th' athversary- you may discuss unto the Duke,
look you- is digt himself four yard under the countermines;