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Henry V - Act 5, scene 1
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Henry V - Act 5, scene 1Act 5, scene 1
⌜Scene 1⌝
Synopsis:
Fluellen avenges Pistol’s insults by making Pistol eat a leek. Pistol, humiliated, plans to return to England in the guise of a wounded soldier.
Enter Fluellen and Gower.GOWER 2881 Nay, that’s right. But why wear you your leek
2882 today? Saint Davy’s day is past.
FLUELLEN 2883 There is occasions and causes why and
2884 wherefore in all things. I will tell you ass my
2885 5 friend, Captain Gower. The rascally, scald, beggarly,
2886 lousy, pragging knave Pistol, which you and
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209
2887
yourself and all the world know to be no petter than2888 a fellow, look you now, of no merits, he is come to
2889 me and prings me pread and salt yesterday, look
2890 10 you, and bid me eat my leek. It was in a place where
2891 I could not breed no contention with him, but I will
2892 be so bold as to wear it in my cap till I see him once
2893 again, and then I will tell him a little piece of my
2894 desires.
Enter Pistol.
GOWER 2895 15Why here he comes, swelling like a
2896 turkey-cock.
FLUELLEN 2897 ’Tis no matter for his swellings, nor his
2898 turkey-cocks.—God pless you, Aunchient Pistol,
2899 you scurvy, lousy knave, God pless you.
PISTOL 2900 20Ha, art thou bedlam? Dost thou thirst, base
2901 Trojan, to have me fold up Parca’s fatal web? Hence.
2902 I am qualmish at the smell of leek.
FLUELLEN 2903 I peseech you heartily, scurvy, lousy knave,
2904 at my desires and my requests and my petitions, to
2905 25 eat, look you, this leek. Because, look you, you do
2906 not love it, nor your affections and your appetites
2907 and your disgestions does not agree with it, I would
2908 desire you to eat it.
PISTOL 2909 Not for Cadwallader and all his goats.
FLUELLEN 2910 30There is one goat for you. (Strikes him
⌜with a cudgel.⌝) 2911 Will you be so good, scald knave,
2912 as eat it?
PISTOL 2913 Base Trojan, thou shalt die.
FLUELLEN 2914 You say very true, scald knave, when God’s
2915 35 will is. I will desire you to live in the meantime and
2916 eat your victuals. Come, there is sauce for it. ⌜Strikes
him.⌝ 2917 You called me yesterday “mountain squire,”
2918 but I will make you today a squire of low degree. I
2919 pray you, fall to. If you can mock a leek, you can eat
2920 40 a leek.
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211
GOWER
2921
Enough, captain. You have astonished him.FLUELLEN 2922 I say I will make him eat some part of my
2923 leek, or I will peat his pate four days.—Bite, I pray
2924 you. It is good for your green wound and your
2925 45 ploody coxcomb.
PISTOL 2926 Must I bite?
FLUELLEN 2927 Yes, certainly, and out of doubt and out of
2928 question, too, and ambiguities.
PISTOL 2929 By this leek, I will most horribly revenge.
2930 50 ⌜Fluellen threatens him.⌝ I eat and eat, I swear—
FLUELLEN 2931 Eat, I pray you. Will you have some more
2932 sauce to your leek? There is not enough leek to
2933 swear by.
PISTOL 2934 Quiet thy cudgel. Thou dost see I eat.
FLUELLEN 2935 55Much good do you, scald knave, heartily.
2936 Nay, pray you throw none away. The skin is good for
2937 your broken coxcomb. When you take occasions to
2938 see leeks hereafter, I pray you mock at ’em, that is
2939 all.
PISTOL 2940 60Good.
FLUELLEN 2941 Ay, leeks is good. Hold you, there is a groat
2942 to heal your pate.
PISTOL 2943 Me, a groat?
FLUELLEN 2944 Yes, verily, and in truth you shall take it, or I
2945 65 have another leek in my pocket, which you shall
2946 eat.
PISTOL 2947 I take thy groat in earnest of revenge.
FLUELLEN 2948 If I owe you anything, I will pay you in
2949 cudgels. You shall be a woodmonger and buy
2950 70 nothing of me but cudgels. God be wi’ you and
2951 keep you and heal your pate.He exits.
PISTOL 2952 All hell shall stir for this.
GOWER 2953 Go, go. You are a counterfeit cowardly knave.
2954 Will you mock at an ancient tradition begun upon
2955 75 an honorable respect and worn as a memorable
2956 trophy of predeceased valor, and dare not avouch in
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213
2957
your deeds any of your words? I have seen you2958 gleeking and galling at this gentleman twice or
2959 thrice. You thought because he could not speak
2960 80 English in the native garb, he could not therefore
2961 handle an English cudgel. You find it otherwise, and
2962 henceforth let a Welsh correction teach you a good
2963 English condition. Fare you well.He exits.
PISTOL 2964 Doth Fortune play the huswife with me now?
2965 85 News have I that my Doll is dead i’ th’ spital of a
2966 malady of France, and there my rendezvous is quite
2967 cut off. Old I do wax, and from my weary limbs
2968 honor is cudgeled. Well, bawd I’ll turn, and something
2969 lean to cutpurse of quick hand. To England
2970 90 will I steal, and there I’ll steal.
2971 And patches will I get unto these cudgeled scars,
2972 And ⌜swear⌝ I got them in the Gallia wars.
He exits.