HENRY the 5th

ACT 5, SCENE 2

KING HENRY V
Fair Katharine, and most fair,
Will you vouchsafe to teach a soldier terms
Such as will enter at a lady's ear
And plead his love-suit to her gentle heart?

KATHARINE
Your majesty shall mock at me; I cannot speak your England.

KING HENRY V
O fair Katharine, if you will love me soundly with
your French heart, I will be glad to hear you
confess it brokenly with your English tongue. Do
you like me, Kate?

KATHARINE
Pardonnez-moi, I cannot tell vat is 'like me.'

KING HENRY V
An angel is like you, Kate, and you are like an angel.

KATHARINE
Que dit-il? que je suis semblable a les anges?

ALICE (Princess Katherine's French/English Interpreter)
Oui, vraiment, sauf votre grace, ainsi dit-il.

KING HENRY V
I said so, dear Katharine; and I must not blush to
affirm it.

KATHARINE
O bon Dieu! les langues des hommes sont pleines de
tromperies.

KING HENRY V
What says she, fair one? that the tongues of men
are full of deceits?

ALICE
Oui, dat de tongues of de mans is be full of
deceits: dat is de princess.

KING HENRY V
The princess is the better Englishwoman. I' faith,
Kate, my wooing is fit for thy understanding: I am
glad thou canst speak no better English; for, if
thou couldst, thou wouldst find me such a plain king
that thou wouldst think I had sold my farm to buy my
crown. I know no ways to mince it in love, but
directly to say 'I love you:' then if you urge me
farther than to say 'do you in faith?' I wear out
my suit. Give me your answer; i' faith, do: and so
clap hands and a bargain: how say you, lady?

KATHARINE
I cannot tell.

KING HENRY V
Can any of your neighbours tell, Kate? I'll ask
them. Come, I know thou lovest me: and at night,
when you come into your closet, you'll question this
gentlewoman about me; and I know, Kate, you will to
her dispraise those parts in me that you love with
your heart: but, good Kate, mock me mercifully; the
rather, gentle princess, because I love thee
cruelly. If ever thou beest mine, Kate, as I have a
saving faith within me tells me thou shalt, I get
thee with scambling, and thou must therefore needs
prove a good soldier-breeder: shall not thou and I,
between Saint Denis and Saint George, compound a
boy, half French, half English, that shall go to
Constantinople and take the Turk by the beard?
shall we not? what sayest thou, my fair
flower-de-luce?

KATHARINE
I do not know dat.

KING HENRY V
No; 'tis hereafter to know, but now to promise: do
but now promise, Kate, you will endeavour for your
French part of such a boy; and for my English moiety
take the word of a king and a bachelor. How answer
you, la plus belle Katharine du monde, mon tres cher
et devin deesse?

ALICE
Your majestee ave fausse French enough to deceive de
most sage demoiselle dat is en France.

KING HENRY V
Now, fie upon my false French! By mine honour, in
true English, I love thee, Kate: by which honour I
dare not swear thou lovest me; yet my blood begins to
flatter me that thou dost, notwithstanding the poor
and untempering effect of my visage. Now, beshrew
my father's ambition! he was thinking of civil wars
when he got me: therefore was I created with a
stubborn outside, with an aspect of iron, that, when
I come to woo ladies, I fright them. But, in faith,
Kate, the elder I wax, the better I shall appear:
my comfort is, that old age, that ill layer up of
beauty, can do no more, spoil upon my face: thou
hast me, if thou hast me, at the worst; and thou
shalt wear me, if thou wear me, better and better:
and therefore tell me, most fair Katharine, will you
have me? Put off your maiden blushes; avouch the
thoughts of your heart with the looks of an empress;
take me by the hand, and say 'Harry of England I am
thine:' which word thou shalt no sooner bless mine
ear withal, but I will tell thee aloud 'England is
thine, Ireland is thine, France is thine, and Harry
Plantagenet is thine;' who though I speak it before
his face, if he be not fellow with the best king,
thou shalt find the best king of good fellows.
Come, your answer in broken music; for thy voice is
music and thy English broken; therefore, queen of
all, Katharine, break thy mind to me in broken
English; wilt thou have me?

KATHARINE
Dat is as it sall please de roi mon pere.

KING HENRY V
Nay, it will please him well, Kate it shall please
him, Kate.

KATHARINE
Den it sall also content me.

KING HENRY V
Upon that I kiss your hand, and I call you my queen.

KATHARINE
Laissez, mon seigneur, laissez, laissez: ma foi, je
ne veux point que vous abaissiez votre grandeur en
baisant la main d'une de votre seigeurie indigne
serviteur; excusez-moi, je vous supplie, mon
tres-puissant seigneur.

KING HENRY V
Then I will kiss your lips, Kate.

KATHARINE
Les dames et demoiselles pour etre baisees devant
leur noces, il n'est pas la coutume de France.

KING HENRY V
Madam my interpreter, what says she?

ALICE
Dat it is not be de fashion pour les ladies of
France,--I cannot tell vat is baiser en Anglish.

KING HENRY V
To kiss.

ALICE
Your majesty entendre bettre que moi.

KING HENRY V
It is not a fashion for the maids in France to kiss
before they are married, would she say?

ALICE
Oui, vraiment.

KING HENRY V
O Kate, nice customs curtsy to great kings. Dear
Kate, you and I cannot be confined within the weak
list of a country's fashion: we are the makers of
manners, Kate; and the liberty that follows our
places stops the mouth of all find-faults; as I will
do yours, for upholding the nice fashion of your
country in denying me a kiss:
(Kissing her)
You have witchcraft in your lips, Kate.