|
| The Life of King Henry the Fifth |
|
Shakespeare homepage
| Henry V
| Act 2, Scene 1
Previous scene | Next scene |
|
Enter Corporal NYM and Lieutenant BARDOLPHBARDOLPH
Well met, Corporal Nym.NYM
Good morrow, Lieutenant Bardolph.BARDOLPH
What, are Ancient Pistol and you friends yet?NYM
For my part, I care not: I say little; but whenBARDOLPH
time shall serve, there shall be smiles; but that
shall be as it may. I dare not fight; but I will
wink and hold out mine iron: it is a simple one; but
what though? it will toast cheese, and it will
endure cold as another man's sword will: and
there's an end.
I will bestow a breakfast to make you friends; andNYM
we'll be all three sworn brothers to France: let it
be so, good Corporal Nym.
Faith, I will live so long as I may, that's theBARDOLPH
certain of it; and when I cannot live any longer, I
will do as I may: that is my rest, that is the
rendezvous of it.
It is certain, corporal, that he is married to NellNYM
Quickly: and certainly she did you wrong; for you
were troth-plight to her.
I cannot tell: things must be as they may: men mayBARDOLPH
sleep, and they may have their throats about them at
that time; and some say knives have edges. It must
be as it may: though patience be a tired mare, yet
she will plod. There must be conclusions. Well, I
cannot tell.
Enter PISTOL and Hostess
Here comes Ancient Pistol and his wife: goodPISTOL
corporal, be patient here. How now, mine host Pistol!
Base tike, call'st thou me host? Now, by this hand,Hostess
I swear, I scorn the term; Nor shall my Nell keep lodgers.
No, by my troth, not long; for we cannot lodge andBARDOLPH
board a dozen or fourteen gentlewomen that live
honestly by the prick of their needles, but it will
be thought we keep a bawdy house straight.
NYM and PISTOL draw
O well a day, Lady, if he be not drawn now! we
shall see wilful adultery and murder committed.
Good lieutenant! good corporal! offer nothing here.NYM
Pish!PISTOL
Pish for thee, Iceland dog! thou prick-ear'd cur of Iceland!Hostess
Good Corporal Nym, show thy valour, and put up your sword.NYM
Will you shog off? I would have you solus.PISTOL
'Solus,' egregious dog? O viper vile!NYM
The 'solus' in thy most mervailous face;
The 'solus' in thy teeth, and in thy throat,
And in thy hateful lungs, yea, in thy maw, perdy,
And, which is worse, within thy nasty mouth!
I do retort the 'solus' in thy bowels;
For I can take, and Pistol's cock is up,
And flashing fire will follow.
I am not Barbason; you cannot conjure me. I have anPISTOL
humour to knock you indifferently well. If you grow
foul with me, Pistol, I will scour you with my
rapier, as I may, in fair terms: if you would walk
off, I would prick your guts a little, in good
terms, as I may: and that's the humour of it.
O braggart vile and damned furious wight!BARDOLPH
The grave doth gape, and doting death is near;
Therefore exhale.
Hear me, hear me what I say: he that strikes thePISTOL
first stroke, I'll run him up to the hilts, as I am a soldier.
Draws
An oath of mickle might; and fury shall abate.NYM
Give me thy fist, thy fore-foot to me give:
Thy spirits are most tall.
I will cut thy throat, one time or other, in fairPISTOL
terms: that is the humour of it.
'Couple a gorge!'Boy
That is the word. I thee defy again.
O hound of Crete, think'st thou my spouse to get?
No; to the spital go,
And from the powdering tub of infamy
Fetch forth the lazar kite of Cressid's kind,
Doll Tearsheet she by name, and her espouse:
I have, and I will hold, the quondam Quickly
For the only she; and--pauca, there's enough. Go to.
Enter the Boy
Mine host Pistol, you must come to my master, andBARDOLPH
you, hostess: he is very sick, and would to bed.
Good Bardolph, put thy face between his sheets, and
do the office of a warming-pan. Faith, he's very ill.
Away, you rogue!Hostess
By my troth, he'll yield the crow a pudding one ofBARDOLPH
these days. The king has killed his heart. Good
husband, come home presently.
Exeunt Hostess and Boy
Come, shall I make you two friends? We must toPISTOL
France together: why the devil should we keep
knives to cut one another's throats?
Let floods o'erswell, and fiends for food howl on!NYM
You'll pay me the eight shillings I won of you at betting?PISTOL
Base is the slave that pays.NYM
That now I will have: that's the humour of it.PISTOL
As manhood shall compound: push home.BARDOLPH
They draw
By this sword, he that makes the first thrust, I'llPISTOL
kill him; by this sword, I will.
Sword is an oath, and oaths must have their course.BARDOLPH
Corporal Nym, an thou wilt be friends, be friends:NYM
an thou wilt not, why, then, be enemies with me too.
Prithee, put up.
I shall have my eight shillings I won of you at betting?PISTOL
A noble shalt thou have, and present pay;NYM
And liquor likewise will I give to thee,
And friendship shall combine, and brotherhood:
I'll live by Nym, and Nym shall live by me;
Is not this just? for I shall sutler be
Unto the camp, and profits will accrue.
Give me thy hand.
I shall have my noble?PISTOL
In cash most justly paid.NYM
Well, then, that's the humour of't.Hostess
Re-enter Hostess
As ever you came of women, come in quickly to SirNYM
John. Ah, poor heart! he is so shaked of a burning
quotidian tertian, that it is most lamentable to
behold. Sweet men, come to him.
The king hath run bad humours on the knight; that'sPISTOL
the even of it.
Nym, thou hast spoke the right;NYM
His heart is fracted and corroborate.
The king is a good king: but it must be as it may;PISTOL
he passes some humours and careers.
Let us condole the knight; for, lambkins we will live.
|
Shakespeare homepage
| Henry V
| Act 2, Scene 1
Previous scene | Next scene |
 | Ahoy Mates! We're happy to announce that 2006 is the year of Moby Dick. Join us before the mast! For more information, please check out Moby Dick or email Drake. Free downloadable copies are available at Moby Dick, and we hope that ye join us in discussing the novel at the Moby Dick Campfire. Invite yer friends! We would like to unite the world in reading what is perhaps the greatest work of fiction ever penned on the American shores. Written in the rich context of Shakespeare and the Bible, Moby Dick was Herman Melville's definitive masterpiece. If you've already read the epic, we invite you to read it again. And be sure to pick up Hamlet and the Bible throughout November, as the novel shall only be enhanced by the deeper context. The White Whale, symbolic of the truth and freedom which the greatest spirits in Western Civilization have ever pursued, yet swims free. Concerning Moby Dick, Melville wrote, "It ... is of the horrible texture of a fabric that should be woven of ships' cables and hausers. A Polar wind blows through it, & birds of prey hover over it. Warn all gentle fastidious people from so much as peeping into the book..." Moby Dick was the first "Great Book" posted at jollyroger.com, over six years ago, and Melville's masterpiece has inspired a lot of our poetry and prose. Check out Drake's new film at Moby Dick Film and Moby Dick.  Amazon Computers | |