Dau. Mount them, and make incifion in their hides; That their hot blood may fpin in English eyes, And daunt them with fuperfluous courage: Ha!

Ram. What, will you have them weep our horfes' blood?

How fhall we then behold their natural tears?

Enter a Messenger.

Mell. The English are embattled, you French peers. Con. To horse, you gallant princes! ftrait to horse ! Do but behold yon poor and starved band, And your fair fhew fhall fuck away their fouls, Leaving them but the 'fhales and husks of men. There is not work enough for all our hands; Scarce blood enough in all their fickly veins, To give each naked curtle-ax a stain,

That our French gallants fhall to-day draw out,

And sheath for lack of sport: let us but blow on them, The vapour of our valour will o'erturn them.

'Tis pofitive 'gainft all exceptions, lords,

That our fuperfluous lacqueys, and our peasants,

Who, in unnecessary action, swarm

About our 'fquares of battle,-were enough
To purge this field of such a hilding foe;
Though we, upon this mountain's basis by
Took ftand for idle fpeculation:

But that our honours muft not.
A very little little let us do,

What's to say?

And all is done. Then let the trumpets found
The tucket-fonuance, and the note to mount:

d fbales]-fhells. Squares]-fquadrons.

e curtle-ax-cutlafs.

bilding]-a paltry, despicable.

The tucket fonuance,]-A gentle blaft, fuch as might ferve for a fignal in the chace-a leffon for the sportsmen to mount.

VOL. IV.

G

For

For our approach fhall so much 'dare the field,

That England fhall couch down in fear, and yield.
Enter Grandpré.

k

Grand. Why do you stay fo long, my lords of France? Yon island carrions, defperate of their bones, Ill-favour'dly become the morning field: Their 'ragged curtains poorly are let loose, And our air shakes them paffing fcornfully. Big Mars seems bankrupt in their beggar'd host, And faintly through a rusty beaver peeps. Their horsemen fit like fixed candlesticks,

m

With torch-staves in their hand: and their poor jades
"Lob down their heads, dropping the hide and hips;
The gum down-roping from their pale-dead eyes;
And in their pull'd dull mouths the grimmal bit
Lies foul with chew'd grafs, ftill and motionlefs;
And their executors, the knavish crows,

Fly o'er them all, impatient for their hour.
Description cannot fuit itself in words,

To demonstrate the life of fuch a battle
In life fo lifeless as it fhews itself.

Con. They have faid their prayers, and they ftay for death.

Dau. Shall we go fend them dinners, and fresh fuits, And give their fafting horfes provender,

And after fight with them?

i dare the field,]-fright them, as the falcon, hovering in the air, terrifies the birds, and prevents their rifing.

defperate of their bones,]-in despair of faving their bones.

1 ragged curtains-tatter'd colours.

i like fixed candlesticks,]-form'd in the fhape of men, holding the

fockets.

11

n Lob]-Hang.

the grimmal bit]-jointed, running in rings.
"odd grimmals."

pale.

HENRY VI. PART I. A&t I. S. 2. Reig.

Con.

Con. I ftay but for my guard; On, to the field : I will the banner from a trumpet take,

And use it for my hafte. Come, come away!

The fun is high, and we out-wear the day.

[Exeunt.

Enter Glofter, Bedford, Exeter, Erpingham, with all the English boft; Salisbury and Weftmoreland.

Glo. Where is the king?

Bed. The king himself is rode to view their battle. Weft. Of fighting men they have full threefcore thoufand.

Exe. There's five to one; befides, they all are fresh.
Sal. God's arm ftrike with us! 'tis a fearful odds.
God be wi' you, princes all; I'll to my charge:
If we no more meet, 'till we meet in heaven,
Then, joyfully,-my noble lord of Bedford,—
My dear lord Glofter,—and my good lord Exeter,—
And my kind kinfman,-warriors all, adieu!

Bed. Farewel, good Salisbury; and good luck go with

thee !

Exe. to Sal. Farewel, kind lord; fight valiantly to-day: And yet I do thee wrong, to mind thee of it, For thou art fram'd of the firm truth of valour.

[Exit Salisbury.

Bed. He is as full of valour, as of kindness;

Princely in both.

Enter king Henry.

Weft. O, that we now had here

guard; On,]-guidon ;-a ftandard peculiar to the conftable of

France.

But one ten thousand of those men in England,
That do no work to-day!

K. Henry. What's he, that wishes fo?

My cousin Westmoreland ?-No, my fair cousin :
If we are mark'd to die, we are enough

To do our country lofs; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater fhare of honour.
God's will! I pray thee, wifh not one man more,
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold;

Nor care I, who doth feed upon my coft;
It 'yerns me not, if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my
But, if it be a fin to covet honour,

I am the most offending foul alive.

defires:

No, 'faith, my coz, wifh not a man from England s
God's peace! I would not lofe fo great an honour,
As one man more, methinks, would share from me,
For the best hope I have. O, do not wifh one more:
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he, which hath no ftomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his paffport fhall be made,
And crowns for convoy put into his purse:
We would not die in that man's company,
'That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is call'd-the feaft of Crifpian:
He, that out-lives this day, and comes fafe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd,
And rouze him at the name of Crifpian.
He, that shall live this day, and fee old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feaft his friends,
And fay-to-morrow is faint Crifpian:

yerns]-moves, concerns.

• That fears his fellowship]-That is difpirited on account of his engagement,

Then

Then will he strip his sleeve, and fhew his fcars. 'Old men forget; yet all fhall be forgot,

But they'll remember, with advantages,

What feats they did that day: Then shall our names,
Familiar in their mouth as houfhold words,-
Harry the king, Bedford, and Exeter,

Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Glofter,—
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember'd :
This story shall the good man teach his fon ;
And Crifpin Crifpian fhall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered:

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he, to-day that sheds his blood with me,
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er fo vile,
This day fhall 'gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England, now a-bed,

Shall think themselves accurs'd, they were not here;
And hold their manhoods cheap, while any speaks,
That fought with us upon faint Crispin's day.

Enter Salisbury.

Sal. My fovereign lord, bestow yourself with speed: The French are "bravely in their battles fet, And will with all expedience charge on us.

K. Henry. All things are ready, if our minds be fo. Weft. Perish the man, whofe mind is backward now! K. Henry. Thou doft not wish more help from England, coufin?

Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot, &c.]-Old men, notwithftanding their forgetfulness, fhall not fail to recount, with fome little embellishments, their feats of this day.

"gentle bis condition;]-raife him to the rank of a gentleman.

bravely in their battles fet,]-fplendidly drawn up.

x expedience]-expedition.

G 3

Weft.