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.

Amb.
May't please your Majesty to give us leave
Freely to render what we have in charge,
Or shall we sparingly shew you far off

The Dauphin's meaning, and our embassy?

K. Henry.
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.

Amb.
Thus then, in few.
Your Highness, lately sending into France,
Did claim some certain Dukedoms in the right
Of your great predecessor, 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,
That can be with a nimble galliard won;
You cannot revel into Dukedoms there.
He therefore sends you, meeter for your spirit,
This tun of treasure; and in lieu of this,
Desires you, let the Dukedoms, that you claim,
Hear no more of you. This the Dauphin speaks.

K. Henry.
What treasure, uncle?

Exe.
Tennis-balls, my Liege.

K. Henry.
We're glad, the Dauphin is so pleasant with us.
His present, and your pains, we thank you for.
When we have match'd our rackets to these balls,
We will in France, by God's grace, play a set,
Shall strike his father's Crown into the hazard.
Tell him, h'ath made a match with such a wrangler,
That all the Courts of France will be disturb'd
With * ^notechaces. And we understand him well,
How he comes o'er us with our wilder days;
Not measuring, what use we made of them.
We never valu'd this poor seat of England,
And therefore, living hence,^{1 note} did give ourself

To barb'rous licence; as 'tis ever common,
That men are merriest, when they are from home.
But tell the Dauphin, I will keep my State,
Be like a King, and shew my sail of Greatness
When I do rouze me in my throne of France.
* ^noteFor that I have laid by my Majesty,
And plodded like a man for working days;
But I will rise there with so full a glory,
That I will dazzle all the eyes of France,
Yea, strike the Dauphin blind to look on us.
And tell the pleasant Prince, this mock of his
Hath turn'd† ^note his balls to gun-stones; and his soul
Shall stand sore charged for the wasteful vengeance,
That shall fly with them. Many thousand widows
Shall this his Mock mock out of their dear husbands,
Mock mothers from their sons, mock castles down;
And some are yet ungotten and unborn,
That shall have cause to curse the Dauphin's scorn.
But this lies all within the will of God,
To whom I do appeal; and in whose name,
Tell you the Dauphin, I am coming on
To 'venge me as I may; and to put forth
My rightful hand in a well-hallow'd cause.
So get you hence in peace; and tell the Dauphin,
His jest will savour but of shallow wit,
When thousands weep, more than did laugh at it.
—Convey them with safe conduct.—Fare ye well. [Exeunt Ambassadors.

Exe.
This was a merry message.

K. Henry.
We hope to make the sender blush at it.
Therefore, my Lords, omit no happy hour,
That may give furth'rance to our expedition;
For we have now no thoughts in us but France,
Save those to God, that run before our business.

Therefore, let our proportions for these wars
Be soon collected, and all things thought upon,
That may with reasonable swiftness add
More feathers to our wings; for, God before,
We'll chide this Dauphin at his father's door.
Therefore let every man now task his thought,
That this fair action may on foot be brought. [Exeunt.

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