Page 1709 - Shakespeare - Vol. 2

WILLIAMS

An’t please your majesty, a rascal that swaggered [120] with me last night;
who, if alive and ever dare to challenge this glove, I have sworn to take him
a box o’ th’ ear: or if I can see my glove in his cap, which he swore as he was

a soldier he would wear if alive, I will strike it out soundly. [125]

KING HENRY

What think you, Captain Fluellen? is it fit this soldier keep his oath?

FLUELLEN
He is a craven and a villain else, an’t please your majesty, in my conscience.

KING HENRY
It may be his enemy is a gentleman of great [130] sort, quite from the
answer of his degree.

FLUELLEN
Though he be as good a gentleman as the devil is, as Lucifer and Belzebub
himself, if is necessary, look your grace, that he keep his vow and his oath. If

he be perjured, see you now, his reputation is as arrant a [135] villain and a
Jack-sauce as ever his black shoe trod upon God’s ground and his earth, in my
conscience, la!

KING HENRY
Then keep thy vow, sirrah, when thou meetest the fellow.

WILLIAMS

So I will, my liege, as I live. [140]

KING HENRY

Who servest thou under?

WILLIAMS
Under Captain Gower, my liege.

FLUELLEN
Gower is a good captain, and is good knowledge, and literatured in the wars.