TPTT The Life of Henry the Fifth: ACT II
Introduction
ACT I
ACT II
PROLOGUE
SCENE I. London. A street.
SCENE II. Southampton. A council-chamber.
SCENE III. London. Before a tavern.
SCENE IV. France. The KING'S palace.
ACT III
ACT IV
ACT V
About the Play
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SCENE I. London. A street.
Enter Corporal NYM and Lieutenant BARDOLPH
BARDOLPH
      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 when
5     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
10    there's an end.
BARDOLPH
      I will bestow a breakfast to make you friends; and
      we'll be all three sworn brothers to France: let it
      be so, good Corporal Nym.
NYM
      Faith, I will live so long as I may, that's the
15    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.
BARDOLPH
      It is certain, corporal, that he is married to Nell
      Quickly: and certainly she did you wrong; for you
20    were troth-plight to her.
NYM
      I cannot tell: things must be as they may: men may
      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
25    she will plod. There must be conclusions. Well, I
      cannot tell.
Enter PISTOL and Hostess
BARDOLPH
      Here comes Ancient Pistol and his wife: good
      corporal, be patient here. How now, mine host Pistol!
PISTOL
      Base tike, call'st thou me host? Now, by this hand,
30    I swear, I scorn the term; Nor shall my Nell keep lodgers.
Hostess
      No, by my troth, not long; for we cannot lodge and
      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

35    O well a day, Lady, if he be not drawn now! we
      shall see wilful adultery and murder committed.
BARDOLPH
      Good lieutenant! good corporal! offer nothing here.
NYM
      Pish!
PISTOL
      Pish for thee, Iceland dog! thou prick-ear'd cur of Iceland!
Hostess
40    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!
      The 'solus' in thy most mervailous face;
      The 'solus' in thy teeth, and in thy throat,
45    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.
NYM
50    I am not Barbason; you cannot conjure me. I have an
      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
55    terms, as I may: and that's the humour of it.
PISTOL
      O braggart vile and damned furious wight!
      The grave doth gape, and doting death is near;
      Therefore exhale.
BARDOLPH
      Hear me, hear me what I say: he that strikes the
60    first stroke, I'll run him up to the hilts, as I am a soldier.
Draws
PISTOL
      An oath of mickle might; and fury shall abate.
      Give me thy fist, thy fore-foot to me give:
      Thy spirits are most tall.
NYM
      I will cut thy throat, one time or other, in fair
65    terms: that is the humour of it.
PISTOL
      'Couple a gorge!'
      That is the word. I thee defy again.
      O hound of Crete, think'st thou my spouse to get?
      No; to the spital go,
70    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
Boy
75    Mine host Pistol, you must come to my master, and
      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.
BARDOLPH
      Away, you rogue!
Hostess
80    By my troth, he'll yield the crow a pudding one of
      these days. The king has killed his heart. Good
      husband, come home presently.
Exeunt Hostess and Boy
BARDOLPH
      Come, shall I make you two friends? We must to
      France together: why the devil should we keep
85    knives to cut one another's throats?
PISTOL
      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
90    As manhood shall compound: push home.
They draw
BARDOLPH
      By this sword, he that makes the first thrust, I'll
      kill him; by this sword, I will.
PISTOL
      Sword is an oath, and oaths must have their course.
BARDOLPH
      Corporal Nym, an thou wilt be friends, be friends:
95    an thou wilt not, why, then, be enemies with me too.
      Prithee, put up.
NYM
      I shall have my eight shillings I won of you at betting?
PISTOL
      A noble shalt thou have, and present pay;
      And liquor likewise will I give to thee,
100   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.
NYM
105   I shall have my noble?
PISTOL
      In cash most justly paid.
NYM
      Well, then, that's the humour of't.
Re-enter Hostess
Hostess
      As ever you came of women, come in quickly to Sir
      John. Ah, poor heart! he is so shaked of a burning
110   quotidian tertian, that it is most lamentable to
      behold. Sweet men, come to him.
NYM
      The king hath run bad humours on the knight; that's
      the even of it.
PISTOL
      Nym, thou hast spoke the right;
115   His heart is fracted and corroborate.
NYM
      The king is a good king: but it must be as it may;
      he passes some humours and careers.
PISTOL
      Let us condole the knight; for, lambkins we will live.
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