King Henry the Fifth Part 21

_K. Hen._ O fair Katharine, if you will love me soundly with your French heart, I will be glad to hear you confess it brokenly with your English tongue. Do you like me, Kate?

_Kath._ _Pardonnez moi,_ I cannot tell vat is--like me.

_K. Hen._ An angel is like you, Kate, and you are like an angel.

_Kath._ _Que dit-il? que je suis semblable aux anges?_

_K. Hen._ I said so, dear Katharine; and I must not blush to affirm it.

_Kath._ _O bon Dieu! les langues des hommes sont pleines de tromperies._

_K. Hen._ What say you, fair one?

_Kath._ Dat de tongues of de mans is be full of deceits.

_K. Hen._ I'faith, Kate. I know no ways to mince it in love, but directly to say--I love you: then, if you urge me further than to say--Do you in faith? I wear out my suit. Give me your answer; i'faith, do; and so clap hands and a bargain: How say you, lady?

_Kath._ Me understand well.

_K. Hen._ Marry, if you would put me to verses or to dance for your sake, Kate, why you undid me. If I could win a lady at leap-frog, or by vaulting into my saddle with my armour on my back, under the correction of bragging, be it spoken, I should quickly leap into a wife. But, before Heaven, I cannot look greenly,[11] nor gasp out my eloquence, nor I have no cunning in protestation; only downright oaths, which I never use till urged, nor never break for urging. If thou canst love a fellow of this temper, Kate, whose face is not worth sun-burning, that never looks in his gla.s.s for love of any thing he sees there, let thine eye be thy cook. I speak to thee plain soldier: If thou canst love me for this, take me; if not, to say to thee--that I shall die, is true, but--for thy love, by the lord, no; yet I love thee too. And while thou livest, dear Kate, take a fellow of plain and uncoined constancy;[12] for a good leg will fall;[13] a straight back will stoop; a black beard will turn white; a curled pate will grow bald; a fair face will wither; a full eye will wax hollow: but a good heart, Kate, is the sun and moon; or, rather, the sun, and not the moon, for it s.h.i.+nes bright, and never changes, but keeps his course truly. If thou would have such a one, take me: And take me, take a soldier; take a soldier, take a king: And what sayest thou, then, to my love? speak, my fair, and fairly, I pray thee.

_Kath._ Est il possible dat I should love de enemy de la France?

_K. Hen._ No; it is not possible you should love the enemy of France, Kate: but, in loving me, you should love the friend of France; for I love France so well, that I will not part with a village of it; I will have it all mine: and, Kate, when France is mine, and I am yours, then yours is France, and you are mine.

_Kath._ Vat is dat?

_K. Hen._ Kate, dost thou understand thus much English? Canst thou love me?

_Kath._ I cannot tell.

_K. Hen._ Can any of your neighbours tell, Kate? I'll ask them. Come, I know thou lovest me: and at night, when you come into your closet, you'll question this gentlewoman about me; and I know, Kate, you will to her dispraise those parts in me that you love with your heart. If ever thou be'st mine, Kate, (as I have a saving faith within me, tells me,--thou shalt,) shall there not be a boy compounded between Saint Dennis and Saint George, half French, half English, that shall go to Constantinople[14] and take the Turk by the beard? shall he not? what sayest thou, my fair flower-de-luce? How answer you, _la plus belle Katharine du monde, mon tres chere et divine deesse?_

_Kath._ _Votre majeste_ 'ave _fausse_ French enough to deceive _la plus sage damoiselle_ dat is _en France._

_K. Hen._ Now, fie upon my false French! By mine honour, in true English, I love thee, Kate: by which honour I dare not swear thou lovest me; yet my blood begins to flatter me that thou dost, notwithstanding the poor and untempting effect of my visage. But, in faith, Kate, the elder I wax, the better I shall appear: my comfort is, that old age, that ill layer-up of beauty, can do no more spoil upon my face: thou hast me, if thou hast me, at the worst; and thou shalt wear me, if thou wear me, better and better: And therefore tell me, most fair Katharine, will you have me? Put off your maiden blushes; avouch the thoughts of your heart with the looks of an empress; take me by the hand, and say--Harry of England, I am thine: which word thou shalt no sooner bless mine ear withal, but I will tell thee aloud--England is thine, Ireland is thine, France is thine, and Henry Plantagenet is thine; who, though I speak it before his face, if he be not fellow with the best king, thou shalt find the best king of good fellows. Come, your answer in broken musick, for thy voice is musick, and thy English broken; therefore, queen of all, Katharine, break thy mind to me in broken English, Wilt thou have me?

_Kath._ Dat is as it shall please _le roi mon pere_.

_K. Hen._ Nay, it will please him well, Kate; it shall please him, Kate.

_Kath._ Den it shall also content me.

_K. Hen._ Upon that I will kiss your hand, and I call you--my queen.

_Kath._ _Laissez, mon seigneur, laissez, laissez._

_K. Hen._ Then I will kiss your lips, Kate.

_Kath._ Dat is not be de fas.h.i.+on _pour les_ dames _de la_ France.

_K. Hen._ O Kate, nice customs curt'sy to great kings. We are the makers of manners, Kate; therefore, patiently, and yielding. (_Kisses her._) You have witchcraft in your lips, Kate: there is more eloquence in a sugar touch of them than in the tongues of the French council; and they should sooner persuade Harry of England than a general pet.i.tion of monarchs. (_Trumpets sound._) Here comes your father.

[_The centre gates are thrown open, and_

_Re-enter the FRENCH KING and QUEEN, BURGUNDY, BEDFORD, GLOSTER, EXETER, WESTMORELAND. The other French and English Lords as before, U.E.R. and L._

_Bur._ (R.) My royal cousin, teach you our princess English?

_K. Hen._ (C.) I would have her learn, my fair cousin, how perfectly I love her; and that is good English.

_Bur._ Is she not apt?

_K. Hen._ Our tongue is rough, coz, and my condition is not smooth;[15]

so that, having neither the voice nor the heart of flattery about me, I cannot so conjure up the spirit of love in her, that he will appear in his true likeness. Shall Kate be my wife?

_Fr. King._ (L.C.) So please you.

_Exe._ The king hath granted every article: His daughter, first; and then, in sequel, all, According to their firm proposed natures.

_Fr. King._ Take her, fair son; That the contending kingdoms Of France and England, whose very sh.o.r.es look pale With envy of each other's happiness, May cease their hatred; and this dear conjunction Plant neighbourhood and christian-like accord In their sweet bosoms, that never war advance His bleeding sword 'twixt England and fair France.

_K. Hen._ Now, welcome, Kate:--and bear me witness all, That here I take her as my sovereign queen.

[_The KING places a ring on KATHARINE'S finger._

Prepare we for our marriage:--on which day, My lord of Burgundy, we'll take your oath, And all the peers', for surety of our leagues.-- Then shall I swear to Kate, and you to me; And may our oaths well kept and prosp'rous be!(C)

[_Flourish of Trumpets. Curtain descends._

[Footnote V.4: _----gleeking_] i.e., scoffing, sneering. _Gleek_ was a game at cards.]

[Footnote V.5: _----English +condition+._] _Condition_ is temper, disposition of mind.]

[Footnote V.6: _----Doth fortune play the +huswife+_] That is, the _jilt_.]

[Footnote V.7: The dresses of Queen Isabella, her ladies, and the Princess Katharine, are taken from Montfaucon Monarchie Francoise.]

[Footnote V.8: _----wherefore we are met!_] i.e., Peace, for which we are here met, be to this meeting.]

[Footnote V.9: _The fatal b.a.l.l.s of murdering basilisks:_] It was anciently supposed that this serpent could destroy the object of its vengeance by merely looking at it.]

[Footnote V.10: _----we will, suddenly, Pa.s.s our accept, and peremptory answer._]

i.e., our answer shall be such as to leave no room for further questioning in the matter. "_We will peremptorily make answer._"]

[Footnote V.11: _----look +greenly+,_] i.e., like a young lover, awkwardly.]