FRENCH KING

2.4 scene begins, enter SR

Thus comes the English with full power upon us;
And more than carefully it us concerns
To answer royally in our defences.
Therefore Prince Dauphin, with all swift dispatch,
Go line and new repair our towns of war
With men of courage and with means defendant;
It fits us then to be as provident
As fear may teach us out of late examples
Left by the fatal and neglected English
Upon our fields.

Dauphin: Well, 'tis not so, my lord high constable;
But though we think it so, it is no matter
In cases of defence 'tis best to weigh
The enemy more mighty than he seems.

(walk downstage center)

King: Think we King Harry strong;
And, princes, look you strongly arm to meet him.
The kindred of him hath been flesh'd upon us;
And he is bred out of that bloody strain
That haunted us in our familiar paths:
Witness our too much memorable shame
When Cressy battle fatally was struck,
And all our princes captiv'd by the hand
Of that black name, Edward, Black Prince of Wales;
This is a stem
Of that victorious stock; and let us fear
The native mightiness and fate of him.

myontjoy: ambassadors from harry king of England, do crave admittance to your majesty.

King: We'll give them present audience. Go, and bring them.
[Exeunt Messenger]
You see this chase is hotly follow'd, friends.

(get to throne)

Dauphin: Turn head, and stop pursuit; for coward dogs970
Most spend their mouths when what they seem to threaten
Runs far before them. Good my sovereign,
Take up the English short, and let them know
Of what a monarchy you are the head:
Self-love, my liege, is not so vile a sin975
As self-neglecting.

King: From our brother England?

Duke of Exeter: From him; and thus he greets your majesty.
He wills you, in the name of God Almighty,980
That you divest yourself, and lay apart
The borrow'd glories that by gift of heaven,
By law of nature and of nations, 'long
To him and to his heirs; namely, the crown
And all wide-stretched honours that pertain985
By custom and the ordinance of times
Unto the crown of France. That you may know
'Tis no sinister nor no awkward claim,
Pick'd from the worm-holes of long-vanish'd days,
Nor from the dust of old oblivion raked,990
He sends you this most memorable line,
In every branch truly demonstrative;
Willing to overlook this pedigree:
And when you find him evenly derived
From his most famed of famous ancestors,995
Edward the Third, he bids you then resign
Your crown and kingdom, indirectly held
From him the native and true challenger.

king: or else what follows?

Duke of Exeter. Bloody constraint; for if you hide the crown
Even in your hearts, there will he rake for it:
Therefore in fierce tempest is he coming,
In thunder and in earthquake, like a Jove,
That, if requiring fail, he will compel;
This is his claim, his threatening and my message;
Unless the Dauphin be in presence here,
To whom expressly I bring greeting too.

King of France. For us, we will consider of this further:
Tomorrow shall you bear our full intent
Back to our brother England.

Duke of Exeter. He'll make your Paris Louvre shake for it,
Were it the mistress-court of mighty Europe:
And, be assured, you'll find a difference,
As we his subjects have in wonder found,
Between the promise of his greener days1040
And these he masters now: now he weighs time
Even to the utmost grain.

King: Tomorrow shall you know our mind at full.

(start leaving)

Duke of Exeter. Dispatch us with all speed, lest that our king
Come here himself to question our delay;
For he is footed in this land already.

King: You shall be soon dispatch's with fair conditions:
A night is but small breath and little pause
To answer matters of this consequence.

(exit SR)

ACT 3 SCENE 5

King: 'Tis certain he hath pass'd the river Somme.

Bourbon. They bid us to the English dancing-schools,
Saying our grace is only in our heels,
And that we are most lofty runaways.

King : Where is Montjoy the herald? speed him hence:
Let him greet England with our sharp defiance.
Up, princes! and, with spirit of honour edged
More sharper than your swords, hie to the field:
Bar Harry England, that sweeps through our land
With pennons painted in the blood of Harfleur:
Rush on his host, as doth the melted snow
Upon the valleys,
And in a captive chariot into Rouen
Bring him our prisoner.

Constable of France. This becomes the great.
Sorry am I his numbers are so few,
His soldiers sick and famish'd in their march,
For I am sure, when he shall see our army,
He'll drop his heart into the sink of fear1450
And for achievement offer us his ransom.

king: Therefore, lord constable, haste on Montjoy.
And let him say to England that we send
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,
And quickly bring us word of England's fall.