The Complete Works of William Shakespeare · William Shakespeare
SCENE IV. The field of battle.
Alarum. Excursions. Enter Pistol, French Soldier and Boy. PISTOL. Yield, cur! FRENCH SOLDIER. _Je pense que vous êtes le gentilhomme de bonne qualité._ PISTOL. _Qualité? Caleno custore me!_ Art thou a gentleman? What is thy name? Discuss. FRENCH SOLDIER. _O Seigneur Dieu!_ PISTOL. O, Signieur Dew should be a gentleman. Perpend my words, O Signieur Dew, and mark: O Signieur Dew, thou diest on point of fox, Except, O signieur, thou do give to me Egregious ransom. FRENCH SOLDIER. _O, prenez miséricorde! Ayez pitié de moi!_ PISTOL. Moy shall not serve; I will have forty moys, Or I will fetch thy rim out at thy throat In drops of crimson blood. FRENCH SOLDIER. _Est-il impossible d’échapper la force de ton bras?_ PISTOL. Brass, cur! Thou damned and luxurious mountain goat, Offer’st me brass? FRENCH SOLDIER. _O pardonnez-moi!_ PISTOL. Say’st thou me so? Is that a ton of moys? Come hither, boy; ask me this slave in French What is his name. BOY. _Écoutez. Comment êtes-vous appelé?_ FRENCH SOLDIER. _Monsieur le Fer._ BOY. He says his name is Master Fer. PISTOL. Master Fer! I’ll fer him, and firk him, and ferret him. Discuss the same in French unto him. BOY. I do not know the French for fer, and ferret, and firk. PISTOL. Bid him prepare; for I will cut his throat.
FRENCH SOLDIER. _Que dit-il, monsieur?_ BOY. _Il me commande à vous dire que vous faites vous prêt, car ce soldat ici est disposé tout à cette heure de couper votre gorge._ PISTOL. Owy, cuppele gorge, permafoy, Peasant, unless thou give me crowns, brave crowns; Or mangled shalt thou be by this my sword. FRENCH SOLDIER. _O, je vous supplie, pour l’amour de Dieu, me pardonner! Je suis le gentilhomme de bonne maison; gardez ma vie, et je vous donnerai deux cents écus._ PISTOL. What are his words? BOY. He prays you to save his life. He is a gentleman of a good house; and for his ransom he will give you two hundred crowns. PISTOL. Tell him my fury shall abate, and I The crowns will take. FRENCH SOLDIER. _Petit monsieur, que dit-il?_ BOY. _Encore qu’il est contre son jurement de pardonner aucun prisonnier; néanmoins, pour les écus que vous lui avez promis, il est content à vous donner la liberté, le franchisement._ FRENCH SOLDIER. _Sur mes genoux je vous donne mille remerciements; et je m’estime heureux que je suis tombé entre les mains d’un chevalier, je pense, le plus brave, vaillant, et très distingué seigneur d’Angleterre._ PISTOL. Expound unto me, boy. BOY. He gives you upon his knees, a thousand thanks; and he esteems himself happy that he hath fallen into the hands of one, as he thinks, the most brave, valorous, and thrice-worthy _seigneur_ of England.
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