Alarum. Enter the King of England and his train,
with prisoners. KING HENRY
Well have we done, thrice-valiant countrymen,
But all’s not done. Yet keep the French the field. | On the battlefield, it seems pretty clear that the English are the victors. Still, the fighting's not over.
Exeter shows up and debriefs King Henry: The Earl of Suffolk and the Duke of York have been killed in battle. |
EXETER
In which array, brave soldier, doth he lie,
Larding the plain, and by his bloody side,
Yoke-fellow to his honor-owing wounds,
The noble Earl of Suffolk also lies. 10
Suffolk first died, and York, all haggled over,
Comes to him where in gore he lay insteeped,
And takes him by the beard, kisses the gashes
That bloodily did yawn upon his face.
He cries aloud “Tarry, my cousin Suffolk. 15
My soul shall thine keep company to heaven.
Tarry, sweet soul, for mine; then fly abreast,
As in this glorious and well-foughten field
We kept together in our chivalry.”
Upon these words I came and cheered him up. 20
He smiled me in the face, raught me his hand,
And with a feeble grip, says “Dear my lord,
Commend my service to my sovereign.”
So did he turn, and over Suffolk’s neck
He threw his wounded arm and kissed his lips, 25
And so, espoused to death, with blood he sealed
A testament of noble-ending love.
The pretty and sweet manner of it forced
Those waters from me which I would have stopped,
But I had not so much of man in me, 30
And all my mother came into mine eyes
And gave me up to tears. | Through tears, Exeter describes how a wounded and bloody York spotted his dead cousin (Suffolk) and lay down beside him to die. Exeter apologizes for crying like a sissy. |
KING HENRY I blame you not,
For, hearing this, I must perforce compound
With my full eyes, or they will issue too. Alarum. 35
But hark, what new alarum is this same?
The French have reinforced their scattered men.
Then every soldier kill his prisoners.
Give the word through. They exit. | Henry says it's okay – the story has moved him to tears also. When Henry hears an alarum (a call to arms that signals the French are sending in reinforcements), he's all "Oh no they didn't!" and orders his soldiers to kill all the French war prisoners. |