Kath. Sauf votre honneur, me understand vell.[5371]
K. Hen. Marry, if you would put me to verses or to130
dance for your sake, Kate, why you undid me: for the one,
I have neither words nor measure, and for the other, I
have no strength in measure, yet a reasonable measure in
strength. If I could win a lady at leap-frog, or by vaulting[5372]
into my saddle with my armour on my back, under the135
correction of bragging be it spoken, I should quickly leap
into a wife. Or if I might buffet for my love, or bound my
horse for her favours, I could lay on like a butcher and
sit like a jack-an-apes, never off. But, before God, Kate,
I cannot look greenly nor gasp out my eloquence, nor I140
have no cunning in protestation; only downright oaths,[5373]
which I never use till urged, nor never break for urging.[5374]
If thou canst love a fellow of this temper, Kate, whose face
is not worth sun-burning, that never looks in his glass for
love of any thing he sees there, let thine eye be thy cook.145
I speak to thee plain soldier: if thou canst love me for this,[5375]
take me; if not, to say to thee that I shall die, is true; but
for thy love, by the Lord, no; yet I love thee too. And[5376]
while thou livest, dear Kate, take a fellow of plain and uncoined[5377]
constancy; for he perforce must do thee right,150
because he hath not the gift to woo in other places: for[5378]
these fellows of infinite tongue, that can rhyme themselves
into ladies' favours, they do always reason themselves out
again. What! a speaker is but a prater; a rhyme is but a
ballad. A good leg will fall; a straight back will stoop; a155
black beard will turn white; a curled pate will grow bald;
a fair face will wither; a full eye will wax hollow: but a
good heart, Kate, is the sun and the moon; or, rather, the
sun, and not the moon; for it shines bright and never
changes, but keeps his course truly. If thou would have[5379]160
such a one, take me; and take me, take a soldier; take a[5380]
soldier, take a king. And what sayest thou then to my
love? speak, my fair, and fairly, I pray thee.
Kath. Is it possible dat I sould love de enemy of
France?165
K. Hen. No; it is not possible you should love the
enemy of France, Kate: but, in loving me, you should love
the friend of France; for I love France so well that I will
not part with a village of it; I will have it all mine: and,
Kate, when France is mine and I am yours, then yours is[5381]170
France and you are mine.
Kath. I cannot tell vat is dat.[5382]
K. Hen. No, Kate? I will tell thee in French; which
I am sure will hang upon my tongue like a new-married[5383]
wife about her husband's neck, hardly to be shook off. Je[5384]175
quand sur le possession de France, et quand vous avez[5384][5385]
le possession de moi,—let me see, what then? Saint Denis[5385]
be my speed!—done votre est France et vous êtes mienne.
It is as easy for me, Kate, to conquer the kingdom as
to speak so much more French: I shall never move thee in180
French, unless it be to laugh at me.
Kath. Sauf votre honneur, le François que vous parlez,
il est meilleur que l'Anglois lequel je parle.[5386]
K. Hen. No, faith, is't not, Kate: but thy speaking of
my tongue, and I thine, most truly-falsely, must needs be[5387]185
granted to be much at one. But, Kate, dost thou understand
thus much English, canst thou love me?
Kath. I cannot tell.
K. Hen. Can any of your neighbours tell, Kate? I'll
ask them. Come, I know thou lovest me: and at night,190
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 beest195
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 to200
Constantinople and take the Turk by the beard? shall we
not? what sayest thou, my fair flower-de-luce?