[4834] breath] F4. breathe F1 F2 F3.
[4835] [Flourish.] Ff, after line 140. Transferred by Dyce.
ACT III.
PROLOGUE.
Enter Chorus.[4836]
Chor. Thus with imagined wing our swift scene flies
In motion of no less celerity[4837]
Than that of thought. Suppose that you have seen[4837]
The well-appointed king at Hampton pier[4838]
Embark his royalty; and his brave fleet5
With silken streamers the young Phœbus fanning:[4839]
Play with your fancies, and in them behold
Upon the hempen tackle ship-boys climbing;
Hear the shrill whistle which doth order give
To sounds confused; behold the threaden sails,10
Borne with the invisible and creeping wind,[4840]
Draw the huge bottoms through the furrow'd sea,
Breasting the lofty surge: O, do but think
You stand upon the rivage and behold
A city on the inconstant billows dancing;15
For so appears this fleet majestical,
Holding due course to Harfleur. Follow, follow:[4841]
Grapple your minds to sternage of this navy,[4842]
And leave your England, as dead midnight still,
Guarded with grandsires, babies and old women,20
Either past or not arrived to pith and puissance;[4843]
For who is he, whose chin is but enrich'd
With one appearing hair, that will not follow
These cull'd and choice-drawn cavaliers to France?
Work, work your thoughts, and therein see a siege;25
Behold the ordnance on their carriages,[4844]
With fatal mouths gaping on girded Harfleur.
Suppose the ambassador from the French comes back;[4845]
Tells Harry that the king doth offer him
Katharine his daughter, and with her, to dowry,30
Some petty and unprofitable dukedoms.
The offer likes not: and the nimble gunner
With linstock now the devilish cannon touches,
[Alarum, and chambers go off.[4846]
And down goes all before them. Still be kind,[4847]
And eke out our performance with your mind. [Exit.[4848]35