Page:Henry V (1918) Yale.djvu/25

Henry the Fifth, I. ii

Who, busied in his majesty, surveys

The singing masons building roofs of gold,

The civil citizens kneading up the honey,

The poor mechanic porters crowding in

Their heavy burdens at his narrow gate,

The sad-ey'd justice, with his surly hum,

Delivering o'er to executors pale

The lazy yawning drone. I this infer,

That many things, having full reference

To one consent, may work contrariously;

As many arrows, loosed several ways,

Come to one mark; as many ways meet in one town;

As many fresh streams meet in one salt sea;

As many lines close in the dial's centre;

So may a thousand actions, once afoot,

End in one purpose, and be all well borne

Without defeat. Therefore to France, my liege.

Divide your happy England into four;

Whereof take you one quarter into France,

And you withal shall make all Gallia shake.

If we, with thrice such powers left at home,

Cannot defend our own doors from the dog,

Let us be worried and our nation lose

The name of hardiness and policy.

K. Hen. Call in the messengers sent from the Dauphin.

Now are we well resolv'd; and by God's help,

And yours, the noble sinews of our power,

France being ours, we'll bend it to our awe

Or break it all to pieces: or there we'll sit,

Ruling in large and ample empery

 199 civil: civilian

202 sad-ey'd: sober-looking

203 executors: executioners

216 withal: therewith

220 policy: political wisdom

226 empery: empire 