Enter the King of France, the Dauphin, the Duke of
Brittany, the Constable of France, and others. KING OF FRANCE
’Tis certain he hath passed the river Somme. CONSTABLE
An if he be not fought withal, my lord,
Let us not live in France. Let us quit all,
And give our vineyards to a barbarous people. | Meanwhile, King Charles, the Constable, and the Dauphin discuss the fact that Henry is marching through France unchecked. The Constable worries that they'll have to hand over their French vineyards to the English. |
DAUPHIN
Ô Dieu vivant, shall a few sprays of us, 5
The emptying of our fathers’ luxury,
Our scions, put in wild and savage stock,
Spurt up so suddenly into the clouds
And overlook their grafters? BRITTANY
Normans, but bastard Normans, Norman bastards! 10
Mort de ma vie, if they march along
Unfought withal, but I will sell my dukedom
To buy a slobb’ry and a dirty farm
In that nook-shotten isle of Albion. | Bourbon calls the English a bunch of Normans and the Dauphin declares that the English nobility are offshoots of the French, because their ancestors are the Normans, who invaded England back in 1066. |
CONSTABLE
Dieu de batailles, where have they this mettle? 15
Is not their climate foggy, raw, and dull,
On whom, as in despite, the sun looks pale,
Killing their fruit with frowns? Can sodden water,
A drench for sur-reined jades, their barley broth,
Decoct their cold blood to such valiant heat? 20
And shall our quick blood, spirited with wine,
Seem frosty? O, for honor of our land,
Let us not hang like roping icicles
Upon our houses’ thatch, whiles a more frosty
people 25
Sweat drops of gallant youth in our rich fields!
“Poor” we may call them in their native lords. DAUPHIN By faith and honor,
Our madams mock at us and plainly say
Our mettle is bred out, and they will give 30
Their bodies to the lust of English youth
To new-store France with bastard warriors. | The Dauphin claims that some of the French people (especially women) are
rooting for the English. He worries that their women will "give their
bodies to the lust of the English youth." (Hmm. It sounds like someone
isn't too happy about the fact that his sister will likely be married
off to Henry V.) |
BRITTANY
They bid us to the English dancing-schools,
And teach lavoltas high, and swift corantos,
Saying our grace is only in our heels 35
And that we are most lofty runaways. KING OF FRANCE
Where is Montjoy the herald? Speed him hence.
Let him greet England with our sharp defiance.
Up, princes, and, with spirit of honor edged
More sharper than your swords, hie to the field: 40
Charles Delabreth, High Constable of France;
You Dukes of Orléans, Bourbon, and of Berri,
Alençon, Brabant, Bar, and Burgundy;
Jacques Chatillon, Rambures, Vaudemont,
Beaumont, Grandpré, Roussi, and Faulconbridge, 45
Foix, Lestrale, Bouciquault, and Charolois;
High dukes, great princes, barons, lords, and
knights,
For your great seats now quit you of great shames.
Bar Harry England, that sweeps through our land 50
With pennons painted in the blood of Harfleur.
Rush on his host, as doth the melted snow
Upon the valleys, whose low vassal seat
The Alps doth spit and void his rheum upon.
Go down upon him—you have power enough— 55
And in a captive chariot into Rouen
Bring him our prisoner. CONSTABLE This becomes the great!
Sorry am I his numbers are so few,
His soldiers sick and famished in their march, 60
For, I am sure, when he shall see our army,
He’ll drop his heart into the sink of fear
And for achievement offer us his ransom. KING OF FRANCE
Therefore, Lord Constable, haste on Montjoy,
And let him say to England that we send 65
To know what willing ransom he will give.—
Prince Dauphin, you shall stay with us in Rouen. DAUPHIN
Not so, I do beseech your Majesty. KING
Be patient, for you shall remain with us.—
Now forth, Lord Constable and princes all, 70
And quickly bring us word of England’s fall. They exit. | King Charles orders the troops to pummel the English and take Henry prisoner. Meanwhile, Henry's soldiers are lagging – the English troops are exhausted and sick, so the French think it's likely that they'll soon back down. |