SCENE IV.
The field of battle.
Alarum, excursions. Enter Pistol, French soldier, and Boy.
Pist.
Yield, cur.
Fr. Sol.
Je pense, que vous estes le gentilhomme de
bonne qualité.
Pist.
9 note
Quality, call you me?—Construe me, art
thou a gentleman? What is thy name? discuss1 note
.
Fr. Sol.
O seigneur Dieu!
Pist.
O, signieur Dew should be a gentleman2 note:—
-- 130 --
Perpend my words, O signieur Dew, and mark;—
O signieur Dew, 3 note
thou dy'st on point of fox,
Except, O signieur, thou do give to me
Egregious ransom.
Fr. Sol.
O, prennez misericorde! ayez pitié de moy!
Pist.
Moy shall not serve, I will have forty moys;
4 note
For I will fetch thy rim out at thy throat,
In drops of crimson blood.
-- 131 --
Fr. Sol.
Est-il impossible d'eschapper la force de ton
bras?
Pist.
5 note
Brass, cur!
Thou damned and luxurious mountain goat,
Offer'st me brass?
Fr. Sol.
O, pardonnez moy!
Pist.
Say'st thou me so? is that 6 notea ton of moys?—
Come hither, boy; Ask me this slave in French,
What is his name.
-- 132 --
Boy.
Escoutez; Comment estes vous appellé?
Fr. Sol.
Monsieur le Fer.
Boy.
He says, his name is—master Fer.
Pist.
Master Fer! I'll fer him, and firk him7 note
, and
ferret him:—discuss the same in French unto him.
Boy.
I do not know the French for fer, and ferret,
and firk.
Pist.
Bid him prepare, for I will cut his throat.
Fr. Sol.
Que dit-il, monsieur?
Boy.
Il me commande de vous dire que vous vous teniez
prest; car ce soldat icy est dispose tout à cette heure de
couper vostre gorge.
Pist.
Ouy, couper gorge, par ma foy, pesant,
Unless thou give me crowns, brave crowns;
Or mangled shalt thou be by this my sword.
Fr. Sol.
O, je vous supplie pour l'amour de Dieu, me
pardonner! Je suis gentilhomme de bonne maison; gardez
ma vie, & je vous donneray deux cents escus.
Pist.
What are his words?
Boy.
He prays you to save his life: he is a gentleman
of a good house; and, for his ransom, he will
give you two hundred crowns.
Pist.
Tell him,—my fury shall abate, and I
The crowns will take.
-- 133 --
Fr. Sol.
Petit monsieur, que dit-il?
Boy.
Encore qu'il est contre son jurement, de pardonner
aucun prisonnier; neantmoins, pour les escus que vous l'avez
promettez, il est content de vous donner la liberté, le
franchisement.
Fr. Sol.
Sur mes genoux, je vous donne mille remerciemens:
& je m'estime heureux que je suis tombé tombe entre les
mains d'un chevalier, je pense, le plus brave, valiant,
& tres distingué seigneur d' Angleterre.
Pist.
Expound unto me, boy.
Boy.
He gives you, upon his knees, a thousand
thanks: and esteems himself happy that he hath fallen
into the hands of one, (as he thinks) the most brave,
valorous, and thrice-worthy signieur of England.
Pist.
As I suck blood, I will some mercy shew.—
Follow me, cur.
Boy.
Suivez vous le grand capitaine.
[Exit Pistol, and French Soldier.
I did never know so full a voice issue from so empty a
heart: but the saying is true,—The empty vessel
makes the greatest sound. Bardolph, and Nym, had
ten times more valour than 8 note
this roaring devil i'the
-- 134 --
old play, that every one may pare his nails with a
wooden dagger; yet they are both hang'd; and so
would this be, if he durst steal any thing advent'rously.
I must stay with the lacqueys, with the
luggage of our camp: the French might have a
good prey of us, if he knew of it; for there is none
to guard it, but boys.
[Exit.
Samuel Johnson [1778], The plays of William Shakspeare. In ten volumes. With the corrections and illustrations of various commentators; to which are added notes by Samuel Johnson and George Steevens. The second edition, Revised and Augmented (Printed for C. Bathurst [and] W. Strahan [etc.], London) [word count] [S10901].
