A TIMELY WORD TO THE KING FROM ONE PERCHANCE THOUGHT DEAD **
“King Hal: thou hast forgotten me, but not I thee. Thou wilt not relieve me from my difficulty. Lo! I relieve thee of thine.
“Write back to the French fellow, thus:—
“‘These balls shall be struck back with such a racket as shall force open Paris gates.’
“The thought is thine, for I give it to thee. Pay me for it by remembrance that I still live and can bear armour, or not, as thou listest.
“John Falstaff.
“Note.—Observe well the clench upon racket***, which meaneth both hurly-burly noise and tennis bat.
“At the Garter, Windsor,
“30 March, 1415, 3 H. V.”
* Hollinshed. Vide also White Kennet’s History; and an
inedited MS. in the British Museum, first published in Sir
H. Nicolas’s History of the Battle of Agincourt.
** In the Potter MSS.
*** Caxton has recorded this pun.
In the course of a few days Sir John learnt that his witticism (unacknowledged) had been made use of as a rejoinder to the insolent message of the dauphin. He accepted this as a recognition of renewed friendly dispositions towards him on the king’s part. He hastily raised such funds as his powers of persuasion could induce his Windsor acquaintances to supply him with, and struck his tent. In defiance of the royal edict he presented himself at the Court of Westminster in the thick of the active preparations for the coming French campaign and solicited a command.