men's pockets, as their gloves or their handkerchiefs: which makes much against my manhood, if I should take from another's pocket, to put into mine: for it is plain pocketing up of wrongs. I must leave them, and seek some better service: their villainy goes against my weak stomach, and therefore I muft cast it up. [Exit Boy.

Re-enter FLUELLEN, GOWER following.

Gow. Captain Fluellen, you must come presently to the mines; the duke of Glofter would speak with you.

FLU. To the mines! tell you the duke, it is not so good to come to the mines: For, look you, the mines is not according to the disciplines of the war; the concavities of it is not fufficient; for, look you, th' athversary (you may discuss unto the duke, look you,) is digt himself four yards under the countermines:3 by Cheshu, I think, 'a will plow up all, if there is not better directions.

Gow. The duke of Gloster, to whom the order of the siege is given, is altogether directed by an Irishman; a very valiant gentleman, i'faith. FLU. It is captain Macmorris, is it not? Gow. I think, it be.

FLU. By Cheshu, he is an ass, as in the 'orld: I will verify as much in his peard: he has no more directions in the true disciplines of the wars, look you, of the Ronan difciplines, than is a puppy-dog.

3

is digt himself four yards under the countermines:] Fluellen means, that the enemy had digged himself countermines four yards under the mines. JOHNSON.

will plow up all, ) That is, he will blow up all.

JOHNSON.

Enter MACMORRIS and JAMY, at a distance.

Gow. Here 'a comes; and the Scots captain, captain Jamy, with him.

FLU. Captain Jamy is a marvellous falorous gentleman, that is certain; and of great expedition, and knowledge, in the ancient wars, upon my particular knowledge of his directions: by Chefhu, he will maintain his argument as well as any military man in the 'orld, in the difciplines of the priftine wars of the Romans.

JAMY. I fay, gud-day, captain Fluellen.

FLU. God-den to your worship, goot captain Jamy.

Gow. How, now, captain Macmorris? have you quit the mines? have the pioneers given o'er?

MAC. By Chrish la, tish ill done: the work ish give over, the trumpet found the retreat. By my hand, I swear, and by my father's foul, the work ish ill done; it ish give over: I would have blowed up the town. fo Chrish save me, la, in an hour. O, tish ill done, tish ill done; by my hand, tish ill done!

FLU. Captain Macmorris, I peseech you now, will you voutsafe me, look you, a few difputations with you, as partly touching or concerning the difciplines of the war, the Roman wars, in the way of argument, look you, and friendly communication; partly, to fatisfy my opinion, and partly, for the fatisfaction, look you, of my mind, as touching the direction of the military difcipline; that is the point.

JAMY. It fall be very gud, gud feith, gud captains bath; and I fall quit you with gud leve, as I may pick occafion; that fall 1, marry.

MAC. It is no time to discourse, so Chrish save me: the day is hot, and the weather, and the wars, and the king, and the dukes; it is no time to difcourse. The town is beseech'd, and the trumpet calls us to the breach; and we talk, and, by Chrish, do nothing; 'tis shame for us all: fo God fa' me, 'tis shame to stand still; it is shame, by my hand: and there is throats to be cut, and works to be done; and there ish nothing done, fo Chrish sa' me, la.

JAMY. By the mess, ere theise eyes of mine take themselves to slumber, aile do gude service, or aile ligge i'the grund for it; ay, or go to death; and aile pay it as valoroufly as I may, that fål I furely do, that is the breff and the long: Mary, I wad full fain heard some question 'tween you 'tway.

FLU. Captain Macmorris, I think, look you under your correction, there is not many of your nation.

MAC. Of my nation? What ish my nation? ish a villain, and a bastard, and a knave, and a rafcal? What ish my nation? Who talks of my nation?

FLU. Look you, if you take the matter otherwife than is meant, captain Macmorris, peradventure, I shall think you do not use me with that affability as in difcretion you ought to use me, look you; being as goot a man as yourself, both in the difciplines of wars, and in the derivation of my birth, and in other particularities.

5

I fall quit you - ) That is, I shall, with your permiffion, requite you, that is, answer you, or interpose with my arguments, as I shall find opportunity. JOHNSON.

MAC. I do not know you so good a man as myself: fo Chrish save me, I will cut off your head, Gow. Gentlemen both, you will mistake each other.

JAMY. Au! that's a foul fault.

[A parley founded.

Gow. The town sounds a parley. FLU. Captain Macmorris, when there is more better opportunity to be required, look you, I will be fo bold as to tell you, I know the disciplines of war; and there's an end."

[Exeunt.

SCENE

III.

The fame. Before the gates of Harfleur.

The Governour and fome Citizens on the walls; the English forces below. Enter King HENRY, and his Train.

K. HEN. How yet refolves the governour of the

town?

This is the latest parle we will admit:
Therefore, to our best mercy give yourselves;
Or, like to men proud of deftru&ion,
Defy us to our worst: for, as I am a foldier,
(A name, that, in my thoughts, becomes me best,)
If I begin the battery once again,
I will not leave the half-achieved Harfleur,
Till in her ashes she lie buried.

6

there's an end. It were to be wished, that the poor merriment of this dialogue had not been purchased with so much profaneness. JOHNSON.

7

The gates of mercy shall be all shut up; '
And the flesh'd foldier, -rough and hard of heart,
In liberty of bloody hand, shall range
With confcience wide as hell; mowing like grass
Your fresh-fair virgins, and your flowering infants.
What is it then to me, if impious war, -
Array'd in flames, like to the prince of fiends,-
Do, with his smirch'd complexion, all fell feats
Enlink'd to waste and defolation?8

What is't to me, when you yourselves are cause,
If your pure maidens fall into the hand
Of hot and forcing violation?

What rein can hold licentious wickedness,
When down the hill he holds his fierce career?
We may as bootless spend our vain command
Upon the enraged soldiers in their spoil,
As fend precepts to the Leviathan

To come ashore. Therefore, you men of Har

fleur,

Take pity of your town, and of your people, Whiles yet my foldiers are in my command; Whiles yet the cool and temperate wind of grace

7 The gates of mercy shall be all shut up;] Mr. Gray has bor. rowed this thought in his inimitable Elegy:

" And shut the gates of mercy on mankind."

STEEVENS.

We again meet with this significant expression in King Henry VI. Part III:

"Open thy gate of mercy, gracious Lord!"

Sir Francis Bacon uses the fame expreffion in a letter to King

And

James, written a few days after the death of Shakspeare: therefore, in conclufion, we wished him ( the earl of Somerset ] not to shut the gate of your majefties mercy against himself, by being obdurate any longer." MALONE.

8

fell feats

Enlink'd to waste and defolation?) All the savage practices

naturally concomitant to the sack of cities. JOHNSON.