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.5 The humor of it is too hot; that is the very plainsong of it.
PISTOL “The plainsong” is most just, for humors do abound. Knocks go and come. God’s vassals drop and die,⌜Sings⌝10 And sword and shield,
In bloody field,
Doth win immortal fame.BOY Would I were in an alehouse in London! I would give all my fame for a pot of ale, and safety.PISTOL 15And I.⌜Sings⌝ If wishes would prevail with me,
My purpose should not fail with me,
But thither would I hie.BOY ⌜sings⌝ As duly,
20 But not as truly,
As bird doth sing on bough.Enter Fluellen.
FLUELLEN Up to the breach, you dogs! Avaunt, you cullions!PISTOL Be merciful, great duke, to men of mold. Abate thy rage, abate thy manly rage, abate thy rage, great25 duke. Good bawcock, ’bate thy rage. Use lenity, sweet chuck.NYM, ⌜to Fluellen⌝ These be good humors. Your Honor wins bad humors.⌜All but the Boy⌝ exit.BOY As young as I am, I have observed these three30 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-livered and red-faced, by the means whereof he faces it out35 but fights not; for Pistol, he hath a killing tongue and a quiet sword, by the means whereof he 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 he should40 be thought a coward, but his few bad words are matched with as few good deeds, for he 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, bore45 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 as50 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 my55 weak stomach, and therefore I must cast it up.He exits.Enter ⌜Fluellen and⌝ Gower.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 so60 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.65 By Cheshu, I think he will plow up all if there is not better directions.GOWER The Duke of Gloucester, to whom the order of the siege is given, is altogether directed by an Irishman, a very valiant gentleman, i’ faith.FLUELLEN 70It is Captain Macmorris, is it not?GOWER I think it be.
FLUELLEN By Cheshu, he is an ass, as in the world. I will verify as much in his beard. He has no more directions in the true disciplines of the wars, look75 you, of the Roman disciplines, than is a puppy dog.Enter ⌜Captain⌝ Macmorris, and Captain Jamy.GOWER Here he comes, and the Scots captain, Captain Jamy, with him.FLUELLEN Captain Jamy is a marvelous falorous gentleman, that is certain, and of great expedition and80 knowledge in th’ aunchient wars, upon my particular knowledge of his directions. By Cheshu, he will maintain his argument as well as any military man in the world in the disciplines of the pristine wars of the Romans.JAMY 85I say gudday, Captain Fluellen.FLUELLEN Godden to your Worship, good Captain James.GOWER How now, Captain Macmorris, have you quit the mines? Have the pioners given o’er?MACMORRIS 90By Chrish, la, ’tish ill done. The work ish give over. The trompet sound the retreat. By my hand I swear, and my father’s soul, the work ish ill done. It ish give over. I would have blowed up the town, so Chrish save me, la, in an hour. O, ’tish ill95 done, ’tish ill done, by my hand, ’tish ill done.FLUELLEN Captain Macmorris, I beseech you now, will you voutsafe me, look you, a few disputations with you as partly touching or concerning the disciplines of the war, the Roman wars? In the way100 of argument, look you, and friendly communication, partly to satisfy my opinion, and partly for the satisfaction, look you, of my mind, as touching the direction of the military discipline, that is the point.JAMY It sall be vary gud, gud feith, gud captens bath,
105 and I sall quit you with gud leve, as I may pick occasion, that sall I, marry.MACMORRIS It is no time to discourse, so Chrish save me. The day is hot, and the weather, and the wars, and the King, and the dukes. It is no time to110 discourse. The town is beseeched. An the trumpet call us to the breach and we talk and, be Chrish, do nothing, ’tis shame for us all. So God sa’ me, ’tis shame to stand still. It is shame, by my hand. And there is throats to be cut, and works to be done,115 and there ish nothing done, so Christ sa’ me, la.JAMY By the Mess, ere theise eyes of mine take themselves to slomber, ay’ll de gud service, or I’ll lig i’ th’ grund for it, ay, or go to death. And I’ll pay ’t as valorously as I may, that sall I suerly do, that is the120 breff and the long. Marry, I wad full fain heard some question ’tween you tway.FLUELLEN Captain Macmorris, I think, look you, under your correction, there is not many of your nation—MACMORRIS 125Of my nation? What ish my nation? Ish a villain and a basterd and a knave and a rascal. What ish my nation? Who talks of my nation?FLUELLEN Look you, if you take the matter otherwise than is meant, Captain Macmorris, peradventure I130 shall think you do not use me with that affability as, in discretion, you ought to use me, look you, being as good a man as yourself, both in the disciplines of war and in the derivation of my birth, and in other particularities.MACMORRIS 135I do not know you so good a man as myself. So Chrish save me, I will cut off your head.GOWER Gentlemen both, you will mistake each other.JAMY Ah, that’s a foul fault.A parley ⌜sounds.⌝GOWER The town sounds a parley.
FLUELLEN 140Captain Macmorris, when there is more better opportunity to be required, look you, I will be so bold as to tell you I know the disciplines of war, and there is an end.⌜They⌝ exit.