SCENE III.Before the gates of Harfleur
Enter the GOVERNOR and some citizens on the walls.Enter the KING and all his train before the gates
KING HENRY.How yet resolves the Governor of the town?This is the latest parle we will admit;Therefore to our best mercy give yourselves Or,like to men proud of destruction,Defy us to our worst;for,as I am a soldier,A name that in my thoughts becomes me best,If I begin the batt'ry once again,I will not leave the half-achieved Harfleur Till in her ashes she lie buried.The gates of mercy shall be all shut up,And the flesh'd soldier,rough and hard of heart,In liberty of bloody hand shall range With conscience wide as hell,mowing like grass Your fresh fair virgins and your flow'ring infants.What is it then to me if impious war,Array'd in flames,like to the prince of fiends,Do,with his smirch'd complexion,all fell feats Enlink'd to waste and desolation?What is't to me when you yourselves are cause,If your pure maidens fall into the hand Of hot and forcing violation?What rein can hold licentious wickednes When down the hill he holds his fierce career?We may as bootless spend our vain command Upon th'enraged soldiers in their spoil,As send precepts to the Leviathan To come ashore.Therefore,you men of Harfleur,Take pity of your town and of your people Whiles yet my soldiers are in my command;Whiles yet the cool and temperate wind of grace O'erblows the filthy and contagious clouds Of heady murder,spoil,and villainy.If not-why,in a moment look to see The blind and bloody with foul hand Defile the locks of your shrill-shrieking daughters;Your fathers taken by the silver beards,And their most reverend heads dash'd to the walls;Your naked infants spitted upon pikes,Whiles the mad mothers with their howls confus'd Do break the clouds,as did the wives of Jewry At Herod's bloody-hunting slaughtermen.What say you?Will you yield,and this avoid?Or,guilty in defence,be thus destroy'd?GOVERNOR.Our expectation hath this day an end:The Dauphin,whom of succours we entreated,Returns us that his powers are yet not ready To raise so great a siege.Therefore,great King,We yield our town and lives to thy soft mercy.Enter our gates;dispose of us and ours;For we no longer are defensible.KING HENRY.Open your
gates.[Exit GOVERNOR]Come,uncle Exeter,Go you and enter Harfleur;there remain,And fortify it strongly 'gainst the French;Use mercy to them all.For us,dear uncle,The winter coming on,and sickness growing Upon our soldiers,we will retire to Calais.To-night in Harfleur will we be your guest;To-morrow for the march are we addrest.[Flourish.The KING and his train enter the town]
SCENE IV.Rouen.The FRENCH KING'S palace
Enter KATHERINE and ALICE
KATHERINE.Alice,tu as ete en Angleterre,et tu parles bien le langage.ALICE.Un peu,madame.KATHERINE.Je te prie,m'enseignez;il faut que j'apprenne a parler.Comment appelez-vous la main en Anglais?ALICE.La main?Elle est appelee de hand.KATHERINE.De hand.Et les doigts?ALICE.Les doigts?Ma foi,j'oublie les doigts;mais je me souviendrai.Les doigts?Je pense qu'ils sont appeles de fingres;oui,de fingres.KATHERINE.La main,de hand;les doigts,de fingres.Je pense que je suis le bon ecolier;j'ai gagne deux mots d'Anglais vitement.Comment appelez-vous les ongles?ALICE.Les ongles?Nous les appelons de nails.KATHERINE.De nails.Ecoutez;dites-moi si je parle bien:de hand,de fingres,et de nails.ALICE.C'est bien dit,madame;il est fort bon Anglais.KATHERINE.Dites-moi l'Anglais pour le bras.ALICE.De arm,madame.KATHERINE.Et le coude?ALICE.D'elbow.KATHERINE.D'elbow.Je m'en fais la repetition de tous les mots que vous m'avez appris des a present.ALICE.Il est trop difficile,madame,comme je pense.KATHERINE.Excusez-moi,Alice;ecoutez:d'hand,de fingre,de nails,d'arma,de bilbow.ALICE.D'elbow,madame.KATHERINE.O Seigneur Dieu,je m'en oublie!D'elbow.Comment appelez-vous le col?ALICE.De nick,madame.KATHERINE.De nick.Et le menton?ALICE.De chin.KATHERINE.De sin.Le col,de nick;le menton,de sin.ALICE.Oui.Sauf votre honneur,en verite,vous prononcez les mots aussi droit que les natifs d'Angleterre.KATHERINE.Je ne doute point d'apprendre,par la grace de Dieu,et en peu de temps.ALICE.N'avez-vous pas deja oublie ce que je vous ai enseigne?KATHERINE.Non,je reciterai a vous promptement:d'hand,de fingre,de mails-ALICE.De nails,madame.KATHERINE.De nails,de arm,de ilbow.ALICE.Sauf votre honneur,d'elbow.KATHERINE.Ainsi dis-je;d'elbow,de nick,et de sin.Comment appelez-vous le pied et la robe?ALICE.Le foot,madame;et le count.KATHERINE.Le foot et le count.O Seigneur Dieu!ils sont mots de son mauvais,corruptible,gros,et impudique,et non pour les dames d'honneur d'user:je ne voudrais
prononcer ces mots devant les seigneurs de France pour tout le monde.Foh!le foot et le count!Neanmoins,je reciterai une autre fois ma lecon ensemble:d'hand,de fingre,de nails,d'arm,d'elbow,de nick,de sin,de foot,le count.ALICE.Excellent,madame!KATHERINE.C'est assez pour une fois:allons-nous a diner.Exeunt
