SCENE II. The same. Forces pass over; then enter NYM, BARDOLPH, Bard. On, on, on, on, on! to the breach, to the breach! Nym. 'Pray thee, corporal,' stay; the knocks are too hot; and, for mine own part, I have not a case of lives: the humour of it is too hot, that is the very plain-song of it. Pist. The plain-song is most just; for humours do abound; Knocks go and come; God's vassals drop and die; In bloody field, Doth win immortal fame. Boy. 'Would I were in an alehouse in London! I would give all my fame for a pot of ale, and safety. Pist. And I: 7 If wishes would prevail with me,' My purpose should not fail with me, But thither would I hie. corporal,] We should read—lieutenant. It is Bardolpa to whom he speaks. Steevens. Though Bardolph is only a corporal in King Henry IV, as our author has in this play, from inadvertence or design, made him a lieutenant, think, with Mr. Steevens, that we should read lieutenant. See a former note, p. 234. The truth is, I believe, that the variations in his title proceeded merely from Shakspeare's inattention. Malone. 8 a case of lives:] A set of lives, of which, when one is. worn out, another may serve. Johnson. Perhaps only two; as a case of pistols; and, in Ben Jonson, a oase of masques. Whalley. I believe Mr. Whalley's explanation is the true one. A case of pistols, which was the current phrase for a pair or brace of pistols, in our author's time, is at this day the term always used in Ireland, where much of the language of the age of Elizabeth is yet retained. Malone. 9 If wishes &c.] This passage I have replaced from the first folio, which is the only authentick copy of this play. These lines, which perhaps are part of a song, Mr. Pope did not like, and therefore changed them in conformity to the imperfect play in quarto, and was followed by the succeeding editors. For prevail I should read avail. Johnson. Boy. As duly, but not as truly, as bird doth sing on bough.1 Enter FLUELLEN.2 Flu. Got's plood!-Up to the preaches,3 you rascals! will you not up to the preaches? [Driving them forward. Pist. Be merciful, great duke, to men of mould!5† Abate thy rage, abate thy manly rage! Abate thy rage, great duke! 4 Good bawcock, bate thy rage! use lenity, sweet chuck! 1 As duly, &c.] This speech I have restored from the folio. Steevens. This should be printed as verse, being perhaps the remainder of Pistol's song. 2 - Douce. - Fluellen.] This is only the Welsh pronunciation of Llueblyn. Thus also Flloyd instead of Lloyd. Steevens. 3 Up to the preaches, &c.] Thus the quarto, with only the difference of breaches instead of preaches. been very liberal of their Welsh dialect. to the breach, you dogges, avaunt, you cullions. Modern editors have The folio reads,—Up Steevens. 4 Be merciful, great duke,] That is, great commander. So, in Harrington's Orlando Furioso, 1591: "And as herself the dame of Carthage kill'd, “When as the Trojan duke did her forsake, —.” The Trojan duke is only a translation of dux Trojanus. So also in many of our old poems, Duke Theseus, Duke Hannibal, &c. See Vol. II, p. 244, n. 4. In Pistol's mouth the word has here peculiar propriety. Malone. 5 · to men of mould!] To men of earth, to poor mortal men. Johnson. So, in the Countess of Pembroke's roychurch: "At length man was made of mould, by crafty Prome theus." Steevens. great + However the words Be merciful, duke, may induce a belief that Dr. Johnson's explanation of men of mould is right, yet from the character of Pistol, and the sneering language which he addresses to Fluellen, I cannot help believing our author meant be merciful, great duke, to men of consequence-we are not common men-The strain of his ridicule is such as might be used to an inferior, whose commands were despised: the following authorities will acquit me of being singular in this application of the word mould: "No mates for you, "Unless you were of gentler, milder mould." Shakspeare. "William Earl of Clarendon was a man of another mould and making, being the most universally beloved of any man of that age," &c. Clarendon. Am. Ed. Nym. These be good humours!-your honour wins bad humours.6 7 a man. [Exeunt NYM, PIST. and BARD. followed by FLU. Boy. As young as I am, I have observed these three swashers. I am boy to them all three: but all they three, though they would serve me, could not be man to me; for, indeed, three such anticks do not amount to For Bardolph,-he is white-livered, and redfaced; by the means whereof, 'a faces it out, but fights not. For Pistol, he hath a killing tongue, and a quiet sword; by the means whereof, 'a breaks words, and keeps whole weapons. For Nym, he hath heard, that men of few words are the best men; and therefore he scorns to say his prayers, lest 'a should be thought a coward: but his few bad words are match'd with as few good deeds; for 'a never broke any man's head but his own; and that was against a post, when he was drunk. They will steal any thing, and call it,-purchase. Bardolph stole a lutecase; bore it twelve leagues, and sold it for three halfpence. Nym, and Bardolph, are sworn brothers in filching; and in Calais they stole a fire-shovel: I knew, by that piece of service, the men would carry coals. They would have me as familiar with men's pockets, as their gloves or their handkerchiefs: which makes much against my manhood, if I should take from another's pocket, to 6 wins bad humours.] In a former scene Nym says, "the king hath run bad humours on the knight." We should therefore perhaps read runs here also. But there is little certainty in any conjecture concerning the dialect of Nym or Pistol. Malone. †These three swashers.] These three braggers; noisy cowards. Am. Ed. 7 but all they three,] We should read, I think,-all the three. Malone. They three, is a vulgarism, to this day in constant use. Steevens. 8 best men;] That is, bravest; so in the next lines, good deeds are brave actions. Johnson. 9 the men would carry coals.] It appears that, in Shakspeare's age, to carry coals, was, I know not why, to endure affronts. So, in Romeo and Juliet, one serving-man asks another whether he will carry coals. Johnson. See note on Romeo and Juliet, Act I, sc. i. Cant phrases are the ephemerons of literature. In the quartos, 1600 and 1608, the passage stands thus: "I knew by that they meant to carry coales." Steevens. put into mine; for it is plain pocketing up of wrongs. I must leave them, and seek some better service: their villainy goes against my weak stomach, and therefore I must cast it up. [Exit Boy. Re-enter FLUELLEN, GOWER following. Gow. Captain Fluellen, you must come presently to the mines; the duke of Gloster would speak with you. Flu. To the mines! tell you the duke, it is not so good to come to the mines: For, look you, the mines is not according to the disciplines of the war; the concavities of it is not sufficient; for, look you, th' athversary (you may discuss unto the duke, look you,) is dight himself four yards under the countermines:1 by Cheshu, I think, 'a will plow up all, if there is not better directions. 2 Gow. The duke of Gloster, to whom the order of the siege is given, is altogether directed by an Irishman; a very valiant gentleman, i' faith. Flu. It is captain Macmorris, is it not? Gow. I think, it be. Flu. By Cheshu, he is an ass, as in the 'orld: I will verify as much in his peard: he has no more directions in the true disciplines of the wars, look you, of the Roman disciplines, than is a puppy-dog. Enter MACMORRIS and JAMY, at a distance. Gow. Here 'a comes; and the Scots captain, captain Jamy, with him. Flu. Captain Jamy is a marvellous falorous gentleman, that is certain; and of great expedition, and knowledge, in the ancient wars, upon my particular knowledge of his directions: by Cheshu, he will maintain his argument as well as any military man in the 'orld, in the disciplines of the pristine wars of the Romans. Jamy. I say, gud-day, captain Fluellen. Flu. God-den to your worship, goot captain Jamy. Gow. How, now, captain Macmorris? have you quit the mines? have the pioneers given o'er? Mac. By Chrish la, tish ill done: the work ish give 1 is dight himself four yards under the countermines:] Fluellen means, that the enemy had digged himself countermines four yards under the mines. Johnson. 2 'a will plow up all,] That is, he will blow up all. Johnson. over, the trumpet sound the retreat. By my hand, I swear, and by my father's soul, the work ish ill done; it ish give over: I would have blowed up the town, so Chrish save me, la, in an hour. O, tish ill done, tish ill done; by my hand, tish ill done! Flu. Captain Macmorris, I peseech you now, will you voutsafe me, look you, a few disputations with you, as partly touching or concerning the disciplines of the war, the Roman wars, in the way of argument, look you, and friendly communication; partly, to satisfy my opinion, and partly, for the satisfaction, look you, of my mind, as touching the direction of the military discipline; that is the point. Jamy. It sall be very gud, gud feith, gud captairs baith: and I sall quit you3 with gud leve, as I may pick occasion; that sall I, marry. Mac. It is no time to discourse, so Chrish save me: the day is hot, and the weather, and the wars, and the king, and the dukes; it is no time to discourse. The town is beseeched, and the trumpet calls us to the breach; and we talk, and, by Chrish, do nothing; 'tis shame for us all: so God sa' me, 'tis shame to stand still; it is shame, by my hand: and there is throats to be cut, and works to be done; and there ish nothing done, so Chrish sa' me, la. Jamy. By the mess, ere theise eyes of mine take themselves to slumber, aile do gude service, or aile ligge i' the grund for it; ay, or go to death; and aile pay it as valorously as I may, that sal I surely do, that is the breff and the long: Mary, I wad full fain heard some question 'tween you 'tway. Flu. Captain Macmorris, I think, look you, under your correction, there is not many of your nation Mac. Of my nation? What ish my nation? ish a villain, and a bastard, and a knave, and a rascal? What ish my nation? Who talks of my nation? Flu. Look you, if you take the matter otherwise than is meant, captain Macmorris, peradventure, I shall think you do not use me with that affability as in discretion 3 -I sall quit you -] That is, I shall, with your permission, requite you, that is, answer you, or interpose with my arguments, as I shall find opportunity. Johnson. |