Page:Henry V (1918) Yale.djvu/26

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O'er France and all her almost kingly dukedoms,

Or lay these bones in an unworthy urn,

Tombless, with no remembrance over them:

Either our history shall with full mouth

Speak freely of our acts, or else our grave,

Like Turkish mute, shall have a tongueless mouth,

Not worshipp'd with a waxen epitaph.

Now are we well prepar'd to know the pleasure

Of our fair cousin Dauphin; for we hear

Your greeting is from him, not from the king.

First Amb. May 't please your majesty to give us leave

Freely to render what we have in charge;

Or shall we sparingly show you far off

The Dauphin's meaning and our embassy?

K. Hen. We are no tyrant, but a Christian king;

Unto whose grace our passion is as subject

As are our wretches fetter'd in our prisons:

Therefore with frank and with uncurbed plainness

Tell us the Dauphin's mind.

First Amb.Thus then, in few.

Your highness, lately sending into France,

Did claim some certain dukedoms, in the right

Of your great predecessor, King Edward the Third.

In answer of which claim, the prince our master

Says that you savour too much of your youth,

And bids you be advis'd there's nought in France

 231 freely: generously

233 worshipp'd: honored

waxen: perishable

245 in few: briefly

251 be advis'd: consider 