Page:Henry V (1918) Yale.djvu/71

Henry the Fifth, III. vi

Without impeachment; for, to say the sooth,—

Though 'tis no wisdom to confess so much

Unto an enemy of craft and vantage,—

My people are with sickness much enfeebled,

My numbers lessen'd, and those few I have

Almost no better than so many French:

Who, when they were in health, I tell thee, herald,

I thought upon one pair of English legs

Did march three Frenchmen. Yet, forgive me, God,

That I do brag thus! this your air of France

Hath blown that vice in me; I must repent.

Go therefore, tell thy master here I am:

My ransom is this frail and worthless trunk,

My army but a weak and sickly guard;

Yet, God before, tell him we will come on,

Though France himself and such another neighbour

Stand in our way. There's for thy labour, Montjoy.

Go, bid thy master well advise himself:

If we may pass, we will; if we be hinder'd,

We shall your tawny ground with your red blood

Discolour: and so, Montjoy, fare you well.

The sum of all our answer is but this:

We would not seek a battle as we are;

Nor, as we are, we say we will not shun it:

So tell your master.

Mont. I shall deliver so. Thanks to your highness.

[Exit]

Glo. I hope they will not come upon us now.

K. Hen. We are in God's hand, brother, not in theirs.

March to the bridge; it now draws toward night:

 154 impeachment: hindrance

sooth: truth

156 of vantage: favored by circumstances

164 blown: propagated

179 deliver: report 