Henry V: Act I, Scene ii; First Folio.
This speech is used in our interview with Nathan Winkelstein.
- We are glad the Dolphin is so pleasant with vs,
- His Present, and your paines we thanke you for:
- When we haue matcht our Rackets to these Balles,
- We will in France (by Gods grace) play a set,
- Shall strike his fathers Crowne into the hazard.
- Tell him, he hath made a match with such a Wrangler,
- That all the Courts of France will be disturb’d
- With Chaces. And we vnderstand him well,
- How he comes o’re vs with our wilder dayes,
- Not measuring what vse we made of them.
- We neuer valew’d this poore seate of England,
- And therefore liuing hence, did giue our selfe
- To barbarous license: As ’tis euer common,
- That men are merriest, when they are from home.
- But tell the Dolphin, I will keepe my State,
- Be like a King, and shew my sayle of Greatnesse,
- When I do rowse me in my Throne of France.
- For that I haue layd by my Maiestie,
- And plodded like a man for working dayes:
- But I will rise there with so full a glorie,
- That I will dazle all the eyes of France,
- Yea strike the Dolphin blinde to looke on vs,
- And tell the pleasant Prince, this Mocke of his
- Hath turn’d his balles to Gun-stones, and his soule
- Shall stand sore charged, for the wastefull vengeance
- That shall flye with them: for many a thousand widows
- Shall this his Mocke, mocke out of their deer hnsbands;
- Mocke mothers from their sonnes, mock Castles downe:
- And some are yet vngotten and vnborne,
- That shal haue cause to curse the Dolphins scorne.
- But this lyes all within the wil of God,
- To whom I do appeale, and in whose name
- Tel you the Dolphin, I am comming on,
- To venge me as I may, and to put forth
- My rightfull hand in a wel-hallow’d cause.
- So get you hence in peace: And tell the Dolphin,
- His Iest will sauour but of shallow wit,
- When thousands weepe more then did laugh at it.
- Conuey them with safe conduct. Fare you well.