Enter WILLIAMS.

K. Hen. Soldier, why wear'st thou that glove in thy cap?

Will. An't please your majesty, 'tis the gage of one that I should fight withal, if he be alive.

K. Hen. An Englishman?

Will. An't please your majesty, a rascal that swagger'd with me last night; who, if 'a live, and ever dare to challenge this glove, I have sworn to take him a box o' the ear; or, if I can see my glove in his cap, (which he swore, as he was a soldier, he would wear, if alive), I will strike it out soundly.

K. Hen. What think you, Captain Fluellen? is it fit this soldier keep his oath?

Flu. He is a craven and a villain else, an't please your majesty, in my conscience.

K. Hen. It may be, his enemy is a gentleman of great sort, quite from the answer of his degree.

Flu. Though he be as goot a gentleman as the tevil is, as Lucifer and Belzebub himself, it is necessary, look your grace, that he keep his vow and his oath.

K. Hen. Then keep thy vow, sirrah, when thou meet'st the fellow.

Will. So I will, my liege, as I live.

K. Hen. Whom serv'st thou under ?

Will. Under Captain Gower, my liege.

Flu. Gower is a goot captain, and is goot know

ledge and literature in the wars.

K. Hen. Call him hither to me, soldier.

Will. I will, my liege.

[Exit WILLIAMS. K. Hen. Here, Fluellen: wear thou this favour for me, and stick it in thy cap: When Alençon and myself were down together, I pluck'd this glove from his helm; if any man challenge this, he is a friend to Alençon, and an enemy to our person; if thou encounter any such, apprehend him, an thou dost love

me.

Flu. Your grace does me as great honours, as can be desir'd in the hearts of his subjects: I would fain see the man, that has but two legs, that shall find himself aggriev'd at this glove: that is all; but I would fain see it once: an please Heaven of his grace, that I might see it.

K. Hen. Know'st thou Gower?

Flu. He is my dear friend, an please you.

K. Hen. 'Pray thee go seek him, and bring him to my tent.

Flu. I will fetch him.

K. Hen. Brother Gloster,

Follow Fluellen closely at the heels;

[Exit FLUELLEN.

The glove, which I have given him for a favour,
May, haply, purchase him a box o' the ear.-

[Exit GLOSTER. It is the soldier's; I, by bargain, should

Wear it myself. Follow, good cousin Westmoreland;
If that the soldier strike him (as I judge,

By his blunt bearing, he will keep his word),
Some sudden mischief may arise of it;
For I do know Fluellen valiant,

And, touch'd with choler, hot as gunpowder,

And quickly will return an injury:

Follow, and see there be no harm between them.

[Exit WESTMORELAND.

Uncle of Exeter, and brother Bedford,

Come you with me.

[Flourish of Drums and Trumpets.-Exeunt.

1

SCENE VIII.

Another Part of the Field.

Enter GOWER and WILLIAMS.

Will. I warrant it is to knight you, captain.

Enter FLUELlen.

Flu. Heaven's will and his pleasure, captain, I beseech you now, come apace to the king: there is more goot toward you, peradventure, than is in your knowledge to dream of.

Will. Sir, know you this glove?

'Flu. Know the glove? I know the glove is a glove. Will. I know this; and thus I challenge it.

[Strikes FLUELlen. Flu. 'Sbud, an arrant traitor, as any's in the universal 'orld, or in France, or in England. Gow. How now, sir? you villain!

Will. Do you think I'll be forsworn?

Flu. Stand away, Captain Gower; I will give treason his payment into plows, I warrant you.

Will. I am no traitor.

Flu. That's a lie in thy throat.-I charge you in his majesty's name, apprehend him; he's a friend of the duke Alençon's.

Enter WESTMORELAND and GLOSTER.

Glost. How now,

how now! what's the matter?

Flu. My lord of Gloster, here is (praised Heaven be for it! a most contagious treason come to light, look you, as you shall desire in a summer's day.— Here is his majesty.

Enter KING HENRY, BEDFORD, EXETER, ERPINGHAM, CAPTAIN, and GUARDS.

K. Hen. How now! what's the matter?

Fla. My liege, here is a villain and a traitor, that, look your grace, has struck the glove, which your majesty is take out of the helmet of Alençon.

Will. My liege, this was my glove; here is the fellow of it: and he, that I gave it to in change, promised to wear it in his cap; I promised to strike him, if he did: I met this man with my glove in his cap, and I have been as good as my word.

G

Flu. Your majesty hear now, (saving your majesty's manhood,) what an arrant, rascally, beggarly, lowsy knave it is: I hope, your majesty is pear me testimony, and witness, and avouchments, that this is the glove of Alençon, that your majesty is give me, in your conscience now.

K. Hen. Give me thy glove, soldier: Look, here is the fellow of it: "Twas I, indeed, thou promised'st to strike; and thou hast given me most bitter terms. Flu. An please your majesty, let his neck answer for it, if there is any martial law in the 'orld.

K. Hen. How canst thou make me satisfaction? Will. All offences, my liege, come from the heart : never came any from mine, that might offend your majesty.

K. Hen. It was ourself thou didst abuse.

Will. Your majesty came not like yourself: you appeared to me but as a common man; witness the night, your garments, your lowliness; and what your highness suffered under that shape, I beseech you, take it for your own fault, and not mine; for had been as I took you for, I made no offence; therefore, I beseech your highness, pardon me.

you

K. Hen. Here, uncle Exeter, fill this glove with

crowns.

[EXETER drops a Purse into the Glove.

Keep it, soldier;

And wear it for an honour in thy cap,
Till I do challenge it.-

And, captain, you must needs be friends with him.

Flu. By this day and this light, the fellow has mettle enough in his pelly:-Hold, there is twelve pence for you; and I pray you to keep you out of prawls, and prabbles, and quarrels, and dissensions; and, I warrant you, it is the petter for you.

Will. I will none of your money.

Flu. It is with a goot will, I can tell you: it will serve you to mend your shoes. [Exit WILLIAMS.

Enter the Two ENGLISH HERALDS.

K. Hen, Now, Herald; are the dead number'd ? [HERALD delivers two Papers to the KING, who gives one of them to the DUKE of Exeter. What prisoners of good sort are taken, uncle?

Exe. Charles, Duke of Orleans, nephew to the king; John, Duke of Bourbon, and Lord Bouciqualt: Of other lords, and barons, knights, and 'squires, Full fifteen hundred, besides common men.

K. Hen. This note doth tell me of ten thousand
French

Slain in the field; of princes, in this number,
And nobles bearing banners, there lie dead
One hundred twenty-six: added to these,
Of knights, esquires, and gallant gentlemen,
Eight thousand and four hundred; of the which,
Five hundred were but yesterday dubb'd knights:
So that, in these ten thousand they have lost,
There are but sixteen hundred mercenaries;
The rest are princes, barons, lords, knights, 'squires,
And gentlemen of blood and quality.-

Here was a royal fellowship of death!

Where is the number of our English dead?

Exe. Edward the Duke of York, the Earl of Suffolk,

Sir Richard Ketly, Davy Gam, esquire:

None else of name; and, of all other men,

But five and twenty.

K. Hen. O Heaven, thy arm was here!

And not to us, but to thy arm alone,
Ascribe we all.-

Come, go we in procession to the village:
And be it death proclaimed through our host,
To boast of this, or take that praise from Heav'n,
Which is his only.

Flu. Is it not lawful, an please your majesty, to tell how many is killed?