William Shakespeare: The Life of King Henry V

ACT THIRD. 7. SCENE VII. The French camp, near Agincourt. (continued)

MESSENGER.
The Lord Grandpre.

CONSTABLE.
A valiant and most expert gentleman. Would it were day!
Alas, poor Harry of England, he longs not for the dawning as
we do.

ORLEANS.
What a wretched and peevish fellow is this King of England,
to mope with his fat-brain'd followers so far out of his
knowledge!

CONSTABLE.
If the English had any apprehension, they would run away.

ORLEANS.
That they lack; for if their heads had any intellectual armour,
they could never wear such heavy head-pieces.

RAMBURES.
That island of England breeds very valiant creatures. Their
mastiffs are of unmatchable courage.

ORLEANS.
Foolish curs, that run winking into the mouth of a Russian bear
and have their heads crush'd like rotten apples! You may as well
say, that's a valiant flea that dare eat his breakfast on the lip
of a lion.

CONSTABLE.
Just, just; and the men do sympathize with the mastiffs in
robustious and rough coming on, leaving their wits with their wives;
and then, give them great meals of beef and iron and steel, they
will eat like wolves and fight like devils.

ORLEANS.
Ay, but these English are shrewdly out of beef.

CONSTABLE.
Then shall we find to-morrow they have only stomachs to
eat and none to fight. Now is it time to arm. Come, shall we
about it?

ORLEANS.
It is now two o'clock; but, let me see, by ten
We shall have each a hundred Englishmen.

[Exeunt.]