The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (177 page)

A trumpet sounds. Montjoy enters.

Montjoy

You know me by my habit.

You can tell who I am.

King

Well then I know thee. What shall I know of thee?

Well, then I know you. What do you have to say?

Montjoy

My master's mind.

I’m here to speak my master’s mind.

King

Unfold it.

Go ahead.

Montjoy

Thus says my King: Say thou to Harry of England: Though we seem'd dead, we did but sleep; advantage is a better soldier than rashness. Tell him we could have rebuk'd him at Harfleur, but that we thought not good to bruise an injury till it were full ripe. Now we speak upon our cue, and our voice is imperial. England shall repent his folly, see his weakness, and admire our sufferance. Bid him therefore consider of his ransom; which must proportion the losses we have borne, the subjects we have lost, the disgrace we have digested; which in weight to re-answer, his pettishness would bow under. For our losses, his exchequer is too poor; for the effusion of our blood, the muster of his kingdom too faint a number; and for our disgrace, his own person, kneeling at our feet, but a weak and worthless satisfaction. To this add defiance; and tell him, for conclusion, he hath betrayed his followers, whose condemnation is pronounc'd. So far my King and master; so much my office.

My king says to tell you though we seem dead, we were just asleep. We could have rebuked you at Harfleur, but we were waiting until the perfect time. England must turn back, admit his weakness, and we will be merciful. Therefore, think about what you are asking and the losses we have already taken in addition to the disgrace we have digested, which is far weightier than yours. You can do nothing to make amends for your actions. You have betrayed your men who will be condemned.

King

What is thy name? I know thy quality.

What is your name? You seem familiar.

Montjoy

Montjoy.

Montjoy

King

Thou dost thy office fairly. Turn thee back,


And tell thy King I do not seek him now,


But could be willing to march on to Calais

Without impeachment; for, to say the sooth,


Though 'tis no wisdom to confess so much


Unto an enemy of craft and vantage,


My people are with sickness much enfeebled,


My numbers lessen'd, and those few I have


Almost no better than so many French;


Who when they were in health, I tell thee, herald,


I thought upon one pair of English legs


Did march three Frenchmen. Yet, forgive me, God,


That I do brag thus! This your air of France


Hath blown that vice in me. I must repent.


Go therefore, tell thy master here I am;


My ransom is this frail and worthless trunk,


My army but a weak and sickly guard;


Yet, God before, tell him we will come on,


Though France himself and such another neighbour


Stand in our way. There's for thy labour, Montjoy.


Go, bid thy master well advise himself.


If we may pass, we will; if we be hind'red,


We shall your tawny ground with your red blood


Discolour; and so, Montjoy, fare you well.


The sum of all our answer is but this:


We would not seek a battle, as we are;


Nor, as we are, we say we will not shun it.


So tell your master.

You do a good job. Now, go back and tell the king I am not seeking him now. But I could be persuaded to march on to Calais, if he would like. However, I shouldn’t admit my intentions. My people are sick and weak. The number of my soldiers is down and those I have, whom I thought were worth three Frenchmen, are not well. Let me not brag, God. Go tell your master I am ready to repent, and even though my desires are worthless and my army is weak, we are coming. This is for your trouble, Montjoy. Go tell your master if he resists us, we will paint the ground blood red. Tell your master we do not seek a battle, but we will not avoid one.

Montjoy

I shall deliver so. Thanks to your Highness.

I will deliver your message. Thanks, your highness.

Exit.

Gloucester

I hope they will not come upon us now.

I hope they don’t attack us now.

King

We are in God's hands, brother, not in theirs.


March to the bridge; it now draws toward night.


Beyond the river we'll encamp ourselves,


And on to-morrow bid them march away.

We are in God’s hands, not the French. It’s almost night time, so march to the bridge. We will camp beyond the river and tomorrow, we will march.

Exit.

Enter the Constable of France, the Lord Rambures, Orleans, and Dauphin with others.

Constable

Tut! I have the best armour of the world.


Would it were day!

Bull! I have the best armor in the world. I wish it were day!

Orleans

You have an excellent armour; but let my horse have his due.

You do have an excellent armor, but don’t forget about my horses.

Constable

It is the best horse of Europe.

You do have the best horse in Europe.

Orleans

Will it never be morning?

Will it never be morning?

Dauphin

My Lord of Orleans, and my Lord High Constable, you talk of horse and armour?

My lord of Orleans and my lord high Constable, are you talking of horses and armor?

Orleans

You are as well provided of both as any prince in the world.

Yes, and you have the best of both as any prince in the world.

Dauphin

What a long night is this! I will not change my horse with


any that treads but on four pasterns. Ca, ha! he bounds from the earth, as if his entrails were hairs; le cheval volant, the Pegasus, chez les narines de feu! When I bestride him, I soar, I am a hawk. he trots the air; the earth sings when he touches it; the basest horn of his hoof is more musical than the pipe of Hermes.

What a long night this is! I would not trade my horse for another. He bounds from the earth like Pegasus. I feel like I am flying when I sit on him. The earth sings at the touch of his hoof which is as musical as the pipe of Hermes.

Orleans

He's of the colour of the nutmeg.

He’s the color of nutmeg.

Dauphin

And of the heat of the ginger. It is a beast for Perseus. He is pure air and fire; and the dull elements of earth and water never appear in him, but only in patient stillness while his rider mounts him. He is indeed a horse, and all other jades you may call beasts.

And he has the heat of ginger. He is a beast fit for Perseus, pure air and fire. He is only calm when he is mounted by his rider. All other horses pale in comparison.

Constable

Indeed, my lord, it is a most absolute and excellent horse.

Indeed, my lord, he is an excellent horse.

Dauphin

It is the prince of palfreys; his neigh is like the bidding of a monarch, and his countenance enforces homage.

He is the prince of horses. His neigh is like the bidding of a king and he demands honor.

Orleans

No more, cousin.

No more, cousin.

Dauphin

Nay, the man hath no wit that cannot, from the rising of the lark to the lodging of the lamb, vary deserved praise on my palfrey. It is a theme as fluent as the sea; turn the sands into eloquent tongues, and my horse is argument for them all. 'Tis a subject for a sovereign to reason on, and for a sovereign's sovereign to ride on; and for the world, familiar to us and unknown, to lay apart their particular functions and wonder at him. I once writ a sonnet in his praise and began thus: "Wonder of nature,"--

No, the man has no sense if he can’t praise my horse. He is as worthy a subject for a king. I even wrote a sonnet based on him: “Wonder of nature…”

Orleans

I have heard a sonnet begin so to one's mistress.

I heard a sonnet about one’s mistress that started the same way.

Dauphin

Then did they imitate that which I compos'd to my courser,


for my horse is my mistress.

Then, they must have copied mine, because my horse is my mistress.

Orleans

Your mistress bears well.

Your mistress serves you well.

Dauphin

Me well; which is the prescript praise and perfection of a


good and particular mistress.

Exactly why I call her my mistress.

Constable

Nay, for methought yesterday your mistress shrewdly shook


your back.

That’s not what I saw yesterday when she threw you off her back.

Dauphin

So perhaps did yours.

Maybe yours did.

Constable

Mine was not bridled.

Mine wasn’t bridled.

Dauphin

O then belike she was old and gentle; and you rode, like a


kern of Ireland, your French hose off, and in your strait


strossers.

Perhaps she is too old and gentle, so you rode like an Irishman, without pants.  

Constable

You have good judgment in horsemanship.

You are a good judge of horsemanship.

Dauphin

Be warn'd by me, then; they that ride so and ride not warily, fall into foul bogs. I had rather have my horse to my mistress.

Well, let me warn you. He that rides like that falls into trouble. I’d rather have my horse than my mistress.

Constable

I had as lief have my mistress a jade.

I’ll keep my mistress.

Dauphin

I tell thee, Constable, my mistress wears his own hair.

I tell you, Constable, at least my mistress has her own hair.

Constable

I could make as true a boast as that, if I had a sow to


my mistress.

I could make the same boast, if my mistress was a pig.

Dauphin