SCENE IV.
The Field of Battle.
Alarums: Excursions. Enter French Soldier, Pistol, and Boy.
Pist.
Yield, cur.
Fr. Sol.
Je pense, que vous estes le gentilhomme de
bonne qualité.
Pist.
Quality? Callino, castore me3 note! art thou a gentleman?
What is thy name? discuss.
-- 544 --
Fr. Sol.
O seigneur Dieu!
Pist.
O! signieur Dew should be a gentleman.
Perpend my words, O signieur Dew, and mark:—
O signieur Dew, thou diest on point of fox4 note,
Except, O signieur, thou do give to me
Egregious ransom.
Fr. Sol.
O, prenez misericorde! ayez pitié de moy!
Pist.
Moy shall not serve, I will have forty moys;
For I will fetch thy rim out at thy throat5 note,
In drops of crimson blood.
Fr. Sol.
Est il impossible d'eschapper la force de ton
bras?
Pist.
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 a ton of moys?—
Come hither, boy: ask me this slave in French,
What is his name.
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 him, and
ferret him.—Discuss the same in French unto him.
-- 545 --
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 à vous dire que vous faites vous
prest; car ce soldat icy est disposé tout à cette heure de
couper vostre gorge.
Pist.
Ouy, couper le gorge, par ma foy, peasant,
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 le gentilhomme de bonne maison:
gardez ma vie, et 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.
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 promis, il est content à vous donner la liberté, le
franchisement.
Fr. Sol.
Sur mes genoux, je vous donne mille remerciemens;
et je m'estime heureux que je suis tombé entre les
mains d'un chevalier, je pense, le plus brave, valiant, et tres
distingué seigneur d'Angleterre.
Pist.
Expound unto me, boy.
Boy.
He gives you, upon his knees, a thousand
thanks; and he esteems himself happy that he hath
fallen into the hands of one (as he thinks) the most
brave, valorous, and thrice-worthy seigneur of England.
Pist.
As I suck blood, I will some mercy show.—
Follow me!
[Exit Pistol.
Boy.
Suivez vous le grand capitaine. I did never
[Exit French Soldier.
-- 546 --
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 this roaring devil i' the old play6 note, that every one
may pare his nails with a wooden dagger, and they
are both hanged; and so would this be, if he durst
steal any thing adventurously. I must stay with the
lackeys, 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.
J. Payne Collier [1842–1844], The works of William Shakespeare. The text formed from an entirely new collation of the old editions: with the various readings, notes, a life of the poet, and a history of the Early English stage. By J. Payne Collier, Esq. F.S.A. In eight volumes (Whittaker & Co. [etc.], London) [word count] [S10101].
