William Shakespeare: The Life of King Henry V

ACT FOURTH. 2. SCENE II. The French camp.

[Enter the Dauphin, Orleans, Rambures, and others.]

ORLEANS.
The sun doth gild our armour; up, my lords!

DAUPHIN.
Montez a cheval! My horse, varlet! lackey! ha!

ORLEANS.
O brave spirit!

DAUPHIN.
Via! les eaux et la terre.

ORLEANS.
Rien puis? L'air et le feu.

DAUPHIN.
Ciel, cousin Orleans.

[Enter Constable.]

Now, my Lord Constable!

CONSTABLE.
Hark, how our steeds for present service neigh!

DAUPHIN.
Mount them, and make incision in their hides,
That their hot blood may spin in English eyes,
And dout them with superfluous courage, ha!

RAMBURES.
What, will you have them weep our horses' blood?
How shall we, then, behold their natural tears?

[Enter a Messenger.]

MESSENGER.
The English are embattl'd, you French peers.

CONSTABLE.
To horse, you gallant princes! straight to horse!
Do but behold yon poor and starved band,
And your fair show shall suck away their souls,
Leaving them but the shales and husks of men.
There is not work enough for all our hands;
Scarce blood enough in all their sickly veins
To give each naked curtle-axe a stain,
That our French gallants shall to-day draw out,
And sheathe for lack of sport. Let us but blow on them,
The vapour of our valour will o'erturn them.
'Tis positive 'gainst all exceptions, lords,
That our superfluous lackeys and our peasants,
Who in unnecessary action swarm
About our squares of battle, were enow
To purge this field of such a hilding foe,
Though we upon this mountain's basis by
Took stand for idle speculation,
But that our honours must not. What's to say?
A very little little let us do,
And all is done. Then let the trumpets sound
The tucket sonance and the note to mount;
For our approach shall so much dare the field
That England shall crouch down in fear and yield.