Shakespeare Portal

Act 5, Scene 2

France. A royal palace.

  1. [Enter, at one door, King Henry, Exeter, Bedford, [Gloucester,]
  2. [Westmoreland,]
  3. [the Princess Katharine, Alice, and other Ladies;]
  4. King Henry V
  5. 2736 Peace to this meeting, wherefore we are met!
  6. 2737 Unto our brother France, and to our sister,
  7. 2738 Health and fair time of day; joy and good wishes
  8. 2739 To our most fair and princely cousin Katharine;
  9. 2740 And, as a branch and member of this royalty,
  10. 2741 By whom this great assembly is contriv'd,
  11. 2742 We do salute you, Duke of Burgundy;
  12. 2743 And, princes French, and peers, health to you all!
  13. King Charles VI
  14. 2744 Right joyous are we to behold your face,
  15. 2745 Most worthy brother England; fairly met!
  16. 2746 So are you, princes English, every one.
  17. Queen Isabel
  18. 2747 So happy be the issue, brother England,
  19. 2748 Of this good day and of this gracious meeting
  20. 2749 As we are now glad to behold your eyes;
  21. 2750 Your eyes, which hitherto have borne in them
  22. 2751 Against the French that met them in their bent
  23. 2752 The fatal balls of murdering basilisks.
  24. 2753 The venom of such looks, we fairly hope,
  25. 2754 Have lost their quality; and that this day
  26. 2755 Shall change all griefs and quarrels into love.
  27. King Henry V
  28. 2756 To cry amen to that, thus we appear.
  29. Queen Isabel
  30. 2757 You English princes all, I do salute you.
  31. Duke of Burgundy
  32. 2758 My duty to you both, on equal love,
  33. 2759 Great Kings of France and England! That I have labour'd,
  34. 2760 With all my wits, my pains, and strong endeavours,
  35. 2761 To bring your most imperial Majesties
  36. 2762 Unto this bar and royal interview,
  37. 2763 Your mightiness on both parts best can witness.
  38. 2764 Since then my office hath so far prevail'd
  39. 2765 That, face to face and royal eye to eye,
  40. 2766 You have congreeted, let it not disgrace me
  41. 2767 If I demand, before this royal view,
  42. 2768 What rub or what impediment there is,
  43. 2769 Why that the naked, poor, and mangled Peace,
  44. 2770 Dear nurse of arts, plenties, and joyful births,
  45. 2771 Should not in this best garden of the world,
  46. 2772 Our fertile France, put up her lovely visage?
  47. 2773 Alas, she hath from France too long been chas'd,
  48. 2774 And all her husbandry doth lie on heaps,
  49. 2775 Corrupting in it own fertility.
  50. 2776 Her vine, the merry cheerer of the heart,
  51. 2777 Unpruned dies; her hedges even-pleach'd,
  52. 2778 Like prisoners wildly overgrown with hair,
  53. 2779 Put forth disorder'd twigs; her fallow leas
  54. 2780 The darnel, hemlock, and rank fumitory,
  55. 2781 Doth root upon, while that the coulter rusts
  56. 2782 That should deracinate such savagery;
  57. 2783 The even mead, that erst brought sweetly forth
  58. 2784 The freckled cowslip, burnet, and green clover,
  59. 2785 Wanting the scythe, all uncorrected, rank,
  60. 2786 Conceives by idleness, and nothing teems
  61. 2787 But hateful docks, rough thistles, kexes, burs,
  62. 2788 Losing both beauty and utility;
  63. 2789 And as our vineyards, fallows, meads, and hedges,
  64. 2790 Defective in their natures, grow to wildness.
  65. 2791 Even so our houses and ourselves and children
  66. 2792 Have lost, or do not learn for want of time,
  67. 2793 The sciences that should become our country;
  68. 2794 But grow like savages,—as soldiers will
  69. 2795 That nothing do but meditate on blood,—
  70. 2796 To swearing and stern looks, diffus'd attire,
  71. 2797 And everything that seems unnatural.
  72. 2798 Which to reduce into our former favour
  73. 2799 You are assembled; and my speech entreats
  74. 2800 That I may know the let, why gentle Peace
  75. 2801 Should not expel these inconveniences
  76. 2802 And bless us with her former qualities.
  77. King Henry V
  78. 2803 If, Duke of Burgundy, you would the peace,
  79. 2804 Whose want gives growth to the imperfections
  80. 2805 Which you have cited, you must buy that peace
  81. 2806 With full accord to all our just demands;
  82. 2807 Whose tenours and particular effects
  83. 2808 You have enschedul'd briefly in your hands.
  84. Duke of Burgundy
  85. 2809 The King hath heard them; to the which as yet
  86. 2810 There is no answer made.
  87. King Henry V
  88. 2811 Well, then, the peace,
  89. 2812 Which you before so urg'd, lies in his answer.
  90. King Charles VI
  91. 2813 I have but with a cursorary eye
  92. 2814 O'erglanc'd the articles. Pleaseth your Grace
  93. 2815 To appoint some of your council presently
  94. 2816 To sit with us once more, with better heed
  95. 2817 To re-survey them, we will suddenly
  96. 2818 Pass our accept and peremptory answer.
  97. King Henry V
  98. 2819 Brother, we shall. Go, uncle Exeter,
  99. 2820 And brother Clarence, and you, brother Gloucester,
  100. 2821 Warwick, and Huntington, go with the King;
  101. 2822 And take with you free power to ratify,
  102. 2823 Augment, or alter, as your wisdoms best
  103. 2824 Shall see advantageable for our dignity,
  104. 2825 Anything in or out of our demands,
  105. 2826 And we'll consign thereto. Will you, fair sister,
  106. 2827 Go with the princes, or stay here with us?
  107. Queen Isabel
  108. 2828 Our gracious brother, I will go with them.
  109. 2829 Haply a woman's voice may do some good,
  110. 2830 When articles too nicely urg'd be stood on.
  111. King Henry V
  112. 2831 Yet leave our cousin Katharine here with us:
  113. 2832 She is our capital demand, compris'd
  114. 2833 Within the fore-rank of our articles.
  115. Queen Isabel
  116. 2834 She hath good leave.
  117. [Exeunt all except Henry, Katharine [and Alice.]
  118. King Henry V
  119. 2835 Fair Katharine, and most fair,
  120. 2836 Will you vouchsafe to teach a soldier terms
  121. 2837 Such as will enter at a lady's ear
  122. 2838 And plead his love-suit to her gentle heart?
  123. Princess Katharine
  124. 2839 Your Majesty shall mock me; I cannot speak your
  125. 2840 England.
  126. King Henry V
  127. 2841 O fair Katharine, if you will love me soundly with your
  128. 2842 French heart, I will be glad to hear you confess it brokenly
  129. 2843 with your English tongue. Do you like me, Kate?
  130. Princess Katharine
  131. 2844 Pardonnez-moi, I cannot tell wat is "like me."
  132. King Henry V
  133. 2845 An angel is like you, Kate, and you are like an angel.
  134. Princess Katharine
  135. 2846 Que dit-il? Que je suis semblable a les anges?
  136. Alice
  137. 2847 Oui, vraiment, sauf votre grace, ainsi dit-il.
  138. King Henry V
  139. 2848 I said so, dear Katharine; and I must not blush to affirm it.
  140. Princess Katharine
  141. 2849 O bon Dieu! les langues des hommes sont pleines de tromperies.
  142. King Henry V
  143. 2850 What says she, fair one? That the tongues of men are full of
  144. 2851 deceits?
  145. Alice
  146. 2852 Oui, dat de tongues of de mans is be full of deceits: dat is de
  147. 2853 Princess.
  148. King Henry V
  149. 2854 The Princess is the better Englishwoman. I' faith, Kate, my
  150. 2855 wooing is fit for thy understanding: I am glad thou canst
  151. 2856 speak no better English; for if thou couldst, thou wouldst
  152. 2857 find me such a plain king that thou wouldst think I had sold my
  153. 2858 farm to buy my crown. I know no ways to mince it in love, but
  154. 2859 directly to say, "I love you"; then if you urge me farther than
  155. 2860 to say, "Do you in faith?" I wear out my suit. Give me your
  156. 2861 answer; i' faith, do; and so clap hands and a bargain. How say
  157. 2862 you, lady?
  158. Princess Katharine
  159. 2863 Sauf votre honneur, me understand well.
  160. King Henry V
  161. 2864 Marry, if you would put me to verses, or to dance for your
  162. 2865 sake, Kate, why you undid me; for the one, I have neither
  163. 2866 words nor measure, and for the other I have no strength in
  164. 2867 measure, yet a reasonable measure in strength. If I could win a
  165. 2868 lady at leap-frog, or by vaulting into my saddle with my armour
  166. 2869 on my back, under the correction of bragging be it spoken, I
  167. 2870 should quickly leap into a wife. Or if I might buffet for my
  168. 2871 love, or bound my horse for her favours, I could lay on like a
  169. 2872 butcher and sit like a jack-an-apes, never off. But, before God,
  170. 2873 Kate, I cannot look greenly, nor gasp out my eloquence, nor I
  171. 2874 have no cunning in protestation; only downright oaths, which I
  172. 2875 never use till urg'd, nor never break for urging. If thou canst
  173. 2876 love a fellow of this temper, Kate, whose face is not worth
  174. 2877 sunburning, that never looks in his glass for love of anything
  175. 2878 he sees there, let thine eye be thy cook. I speak to thee plain
  176. 2879 soldier. If thou canst love me for this, take me; if not, to say
  177. 2880 to thee that I shall die, is true; but for thy love, by the Lord,
  178. 2881 no; yet I love thee too. And while thou liv'st, dear Kate, take a
  179. 2882 fellow of plain and uncoined constancy; for he perforce must do
  180. 2883 thee right, because he hath not the gift to woo in other places;
  181. 2884 for these fellows of infinite tongue, that can rhyme themselves
  182. 2885 into ladies' favours, they do always reason themselves out again.
  183. 2886 What! a speaker is but a prater: a rhyme is but a ballad. A good
  184. 2887 leg will fall; a straight back will stoop; a black beard will turn
  185. 2888 white; a curl'd pate will grow bald; a fair face will wither; a
  186. 2889 full eye will wax hollow; but a good heart, Kate, is the sun and
  187. 2890 the moon; or rather the sun and not the moon; for it shines bright
  188. 2891 and never changes, but keeps his course truly. If thou would have
  189. 2892 such a one, take me; and take me, take a soldier; take a soldier,
  190. 2893 take a king. And what say'st thou then to my love? Speak, my fair,
  191. 2894 and fairly, I pray thee.
  192. Princess Katharine
  193. 2895 Is it possible dat I should love de enemy of France?
  194. King Henry V
  195. 2896 No; it is not possible you should love the enemy of France, Kate;
  196. 2897 but, in loving me, you should love the friend of France; for I
  197. 2898 love France so well that I will not part with a village of it, I
  198. 2899 will have it all mine; and, Kate, when France is mine and I am
  199. 2900 yours, then yours is France and you are mine.
  200. Princess Katharine
  201. 2901 I cannot tell wat is dat.
  202. King Henry V
  203. 2902 No, Kate? I will tell thee in French; which I am sure will hang
  204. 2903 upon my tongue like a new-married wife about her husband's
  205. 2904 neck, hardly to be shook off. Je quand sur le possession de
  206. 2905 France, et quand vous avez le possession de moi,—let me see,
  207. 2906 what then? Saint Denis be my speed!—donc votre est France
  208. 2907 et vous etes mienne. It is as easy for me, Kate, to conquer the
  209. 2908 kingdom as to speak so much more French. I shall never move
  210. 2909 thee in French, unless it be to laugh at me.
  211. Princess Katharine
  212. 2910 Sauf votre honneur, le Francais que vous parlez, il est meilleur
  213. 2911 que l'Anglois lequel je parle.
  214. King Henry V
  215. 2912 No, faith, is't not, Kate; but thy speaking of my tongue, and I
  216. 2913 thine, most truly-falsely, must needs be granted to be much at
  217. 2914 one. But, Kate, dost thou understand thus much English: canst
  218. 2915 thou love me?
  219. Princess Katharine
  220. 2916 I cannot tell.
  221. King Henry V
  222. 2917 Can any of your neighbours tell, Kate? I'll ask them. Come, I
  223. 2918 know thou lovest me; and at night, when you come into your
  224. 2919 closet, you'll question this gentlewoman about me; and I know,
  225. 2920 Kate, you will to her dispraise those parts in me that you love
  226. 2921 with your heart. But, good Kate, mock me mercifully; the
  227. 2922 rather, gentle princess, because I love thee cruelly. If ever
  228. 2923 thou beest mine, Kate, as I have a saving faith within me tells
  229. 2924 me thou shalt, I get thee with scambling, and thou must therefore
  230. 2925 needs prove a good soldier-breeder. Shall not thou and I, between
  231. 2926 Saint Denis and Saint George, compound a boy, half French, half
  232. 2927 English, that shall go to Constantinople and take the Turk by the
  233. 2928 beard? Shall we not? What say'st thou, my fair flower-de-luce?
  234. Princess Katharine
  235. 2929 I do not know dat.
  236. King Henry V
  237. 2930 No; 'tis hereafter to know, but now to promise. Do but now
  238. 2931 promise, Kate, you will endeavour for your French part of
  239. 2932 such a boy; and for my English moiety, take the word of a king
  240. 2933 and a bachelor. How answer you, la plus belle Katherine du monde,
  241. 2934 mon tres cher et divin deesse?
  242. Princess Katharine
  243. 2935 Your Majestee ave fausse French enough to deceive de most
  244. 2936 sage damoiselle dat is en France.
  245. King Henry V
  246. 2937 Now, fie upon my false French! By mine honour, in true English,
  247. 2938 I love thee, Kate; by which honour I dare not swear thou lovest
  248. 2939 me; yet my blood begins to flatter me that thou dost,
  249. 2940 notwithstanding the poor and untempering effect of my visage.
  250. 2941 Now, beshrew my father's ambition! he was thinking of civil wars
  251. 2942 when he got me; therefore was I created with a stubborn outside,
  252. 2943 with an aspect of iron, that, when I come to woo ladies, I fright
  253. 2944 them. But, in faith, Kate, the elder I wax, the better I shall
  254. 2945 appear. My comfort is, that old age, that ill layer up of beauty,
  255. 2946 can do no more spoil upon my face. Thou hast me, if thou hast me,
  256. 2947 at the worst; and thou shalt wear me, if thou wear me, better and
  257. 2948 better; and therefore tell me, most fair Katharine, will you have
  258. 2949 me? Put off your maiden blushes; avouch the thoughts of your heart
  259. 2950 with the looks of an empress; take me by the hand, and say, Harry
  260. 2951 of England, I am thine; which word thou shalt no sooner bless mine
  261. 2952 ear withal, but I will tell thee aloud, England is thine, Ireland
  262. 2953 is thine, France is thine, and Henry Plantagenet is thine; who,
  263. 2954 though I speak it before his face, if he be not fellow with the
  264. 2955 best king, thou shalt find the best king of good fellows.
  265. 2956 Come, your answer in broken music; for thy voice is music and thy
  266. 2957 English broken; therefore, queen of all, Katharine, break thy mind
  267. 2958 to me in broken English. Wilt thou have me?
  268. Princess Katharine
  269. 2959 Dat is as it shall please de roi mon pere.
  270. King Henry V
  271. 2960 Nay, it will please him well, Kate; it shall please him, Kate.
  272. Princess Katharine
  273. 2961 Den it sall also content me.
  274. King Henry V
  275. 2962 Upon that I kiss your hand, and call you my queen.
  276. Princess Katharine
  277. 2963 Laissez, mon seigneur, laissez, laissez! Ma foi, je ne veux point
  278. 2964 que vous abaissez votre grandeur en baisant la main d'une indigne
  279. 2965 serviteur. Excusez-moi, je vous supplie, mon tres-puissant seigneur.
  280. King Henry V
  281. 2966 Then I will kiss your lips, Kate.
  282. Princess Katharine
  283. 2967 Les dames et demoiselles pour etre baisees devant leur noces, il
  284. 2968 n'est pas la coutume de France.
  285. King Henry V
  286. 2969 Madame my interpreter, what says she?
  287. Alice
  288. 2970 Dat it is not be de fashion pour les ladies of France,—I cannot
  289. 2971 tell wat is baiser en Anglish.
  290. King Henry V
  291. 2972 To kiss.
  292. Alice
  293. 2973 Your Majestee entendre bettre que moi.
  294. King Henry V
  295. 2974 It is not a fashion for the maids in France to kiss before they
  296. 2975 are married, would she say?
  297. Alice
  298. 2976 Oui, vraiment.
  299. King Henry V
  300. 2977 O Kate, nice customs curtsy to great kings. Dear Kate, you and I
  301. 2978 cannot be confined within the weak list of a country's fashion.
  302. 2979 We are the makers of manners, Kate; and the liberty that follows
  303. 2980 our places stops the mouth of all find-faults, as I will do yours,
  304. 2981 for upholding the nice fashion of your country in denying me a kiss;
  305. 2982 therefore, patiently and yielding.
  306. [Kissing her.]
  307. King Henry V
  308. 2983 You have
  309. 2984 witchcraft in your lips, Kate; there is more eloquence in a sugar
  310. 2985 touch of them than in the tongues of the French council; and they
  311. 2986 should sooner persuade Harry of England than a general petition of
  312. 2987 monarchs. Here comes your father.
  313. [Re-enter the French Power and the English Lords.]
  314. Duke of Burgundy
  315. 2988 God save your Majesty! My royal cousin, teach you our princess
  316. 2989 English?
  317. King Henry V
  318. 2990 I would have her learn, my fair cousin, how perfectly I love her;
  319. 2991 and that is good English.
  320. Duke of Burgundy
  321. 2992 Is she not apt?
  322. King Henry V
  323. 2993 Our tongue is rough, coz, and my condition is not smooth; so
  324. 2994 that, having neither the voice nor the heart of flattery about
  325. 2995 me, I cannot so conjure up the spirit of love in her, that he
  326. 2996 will appear in his true likeness.
  327. Duke of Burgundy
  328. 2997 Pardon the frankness of my mirth, if I answer you for that. If
  329. 2998 you would conjure in her, you must make a circle; if conjure up
  330. 2999 Love in her in his true likeness, he must appear naked and blind.
  331. 3000 Can you blame her then, being a maid yet ros'd over with the virgin
  332. 3001 crimson of modesty, if she deny the appearance of a naked blind boy
  333. 3002 in her naked seeing self? It were, my lord, a hard condition for a
  334. 3003 maid to consign to.
  335. King Henry V
  336. 3004 Yet they do wink and yield, as love is blind and enforces.
  337. Duke of Burgundy
  338. 3005 They are then excus'd, my lord, when they see not what they do.
  339. King Henry V
  340. 3006 Then, good my lord, teach your cousin to consent winking.
  341. Duke of Burgundy
  342. 3007 I will wink on her to consent, my lord, if you will teach her to
  343. 3008 know my meaning; for maids, well summer'd and warm kept, are like
  344. 3009 flies at Bartholomew-tide, blind, though they have their eyes; and
  345. 3010 then they will endure handling, which before would not abide
  346. 3011 looking on.
  347. King Henry V
  348. 3012 This moral ties me over to time and a hot summer; and so I shall
  349. 3013 catch the fly, your cousin, in the latter end, and she must be blind
  350. 3014 too.
  351. Duke of Burgundy
  352. 3015 As love is, my lord, before it loves.
  353. King Henry V
  354. 3016 It is so; and you may, some of you, thank love for my blindness,
  355. 3017 who cannot see many a fair French city for one fair French maid
  356. 3018 that stands in my way.
  357. King Charles VI
  358. 3019 Yes, my lord, you see them perspectively, the cities turn'd into
  359. 3020 a maid; for they are all girdled with maiden walls that war hath
  360. [never]
  361. King Charles VI
  362. 3021 ent'red.
  363. King Henry V
  364. 3022 Shall Kate be my wife?
  365. King Charles VI
  366. 3023 So please you.
  367. King Henry V
  368. 3024 I am content, so the maiden cities you talk of may wait on her;
  369. 3025 so the maid that stood in the way for my wish shall show me the
  370. 3026 way to my will.
  371. King Charles VI
  372. 3027 We have consented to all terms of reason.
  373. King Henry V
  374. 3028 Is't so, my lords of England?
  375. Earl of Westmoreland
  376. 3029 The king hath granted every article;
  377. 3030 His daughter first, and then in sequel all,
  378. 3031 According to their firm proposed natures.
  379. Duke of Exeter
  380. 3032 Only he hath not yet subscribed this: where your Majesty demands,
  381. 3033 that the King of France, having any occasion to write for matter
  382. 3034 of grant, shall name your Highness in this form and with this
  383. 3035 addition, in French, Notre tres-cher fils Henri, Roi d'Angleterre,
  384. 3036 Heritier de France; and thus in Latin, Praeclarissimus filius noster
  385. 3037 Henricus, Rex Angliae et Haeres Franciae.
  386. King Charles VI
  387. 3038 Nor this I have not, brother, so denied
  388. 3039 But our request shall make me let it pass.
  389. King Henry V
  390. 3040 I pray you then, in love and dear alliance,
  391. 3041 Let that one article rank with the rest;
  392. 3042 And thereupon give me your daughter.
  393. King Charles VI
  394. 3043 Take her, fair son, and from her blood raise up
  395. 3044 Issue to me; that the contending kingdoms
  396. 3045 Of France and England, whose very shores look pale
  397. 3046 With envy of each other's happiness,
  398. 3047 May cease their hatred; and this dear conjunction
  399. 3048 Plant neighbourhood and Christian-like accord
  400. 3049 In their sweet bosoms, that never war advance
  401. 3050 His bleeding sword 'twixt England and fair France.
  402. Lords
  403. 3051 Amen!
  404. King Henry V
  405. 3052 Now, welcome, Kate; and bear me witness all,
  406. 3053 That here I kiss her as my sovereign queen.
  407. [Flourish]
  408. Queen Isabel
  409. 3054 God, the best maker of all marriages,
  410. 3055 Combine your hearts in one, your realms in one!
  411. 3056 As man and wife, being two, are one in love,
  412. 3057 So be there 'twixt your kingdoms such a spousal,
  413. 3058 That never may ill office, or fell jealousy,
  414. 3059 Which troubles oft the bed of blessed marriage,
  415. 3060 Thrust in between the paction of these kingdoms,
  416. 3061 To make divorce of their incorporate league;
  417. 3062 That English may as French, French Englishmen,
  418. 3063 Receive each other. God speak this Amen!
  419. All
  420. 3064 Amen!
  421. King Henry V
  422. 3065 Prepare we for our marriage; on which day,
  423. 3066 My Lord of Burgundy, we'll take your oath,
  424. 3067 And all the peers', for surety of our leagues,
  425. 3068 Then shall I swear to Kate, and you to me;
  426. 3069 And may our oaths well kept and prosperous be!
  427. [Sennet. Exeunt.]
  428. [Enter Chorus.]
  429. Chorus
  430. 3070 Thus far, with rough and all-unable pen,
  431. 3071 Our bending author hath pursu'd the story,
  432. 3072 In little room confining mighty men,
  433. 3073 Mangling by starts the full course of their glory.
  434. 3074 Small time, but in that small most greatly lived
  435. 3075 This star of England. Fortune made his sword,
  436. 3076 By which the world's best garden he achieved,
  437. 3077 And of it left his son imperial lord.
  438. 3078 Henry the Sixth, in infant bands crown'd King
  439. 3079 Of France and England, did this king succeed;
  440. 3080 Whose state so many had the managing,
  441. 3081 That they lost France and made his England bleed:
  442. 3082 Which oft our stage hath shown; and, for their sake,
  443. 3083 In your fair minds let this acceptance take.
  444. [Exit.]