ACT 3 PROLOGUE

"Thus with imagined wing our swift scene flies, in motion with no less celerity, than that of thought." On imagination's wing do we move quickly onto the next scene. "Suppose that you have seen the well appointed king at Hampton peir embark on his royalty, and his brave fleet with silken streamers the young Phoebus fanning." Imagine that you see the well equipped king at Dover with his entire fleet. The fleet fan the sun with their banners. "Play with your fancies and in them behold, upon the hempen tackle, ship boys climbing." Let your thoughts run wild and imagine the ship boys climbing up the ship's rigging. "Hear the shrill whistle, which doth order give to sounds confused." Imagine you hear the whistle, giving out orders across the ship. "Behold the threaden sails, borne with th'invisible and creeping wind, draw the huge bottoms through the furrowed sea, breasting the lofty surge." Picture the linen sails being driven by the strong wind as they sail through the high and harsh waves. "Oh, do but think you stand upon the rivage and behold a city on th'inconstant billows dancing, for so appears this fleet majestical holding due course to Harfleur." Imagine you're standing on the shore, watching a city float on the sea, you'll have an idea of what this majestical fleet looks like on it's course to Harfleur. "And leave your England, as dead midnight still, guarded with grandsires, babies and old women, either past nor not arrived to pith and puissance. For who is he whose chin is but enriched with one appearing hair that with not follow these culled and choice-drawn cavaliers to France?" Leave England, silent as midnight, guarded by grandfathers, babies and old women. For what male who is old enough to have a single hair on his chin would not want to follow the fleet into France? "Work, work your thoughts and therein see a siege." Think long and hard, work your thoughts, and imagine you see a siege. "Behold the ordnance on their carriages, with fatal mouths gaping on girded Harfleur." Imagine the large canons with their huge mouths aiming for Harfleur. "Suppose th'Ambassador from the French comes back, tells Harry that the king doth offer him, Katherine his daughter and with her, to dowry, some petty and unprofitable dukedomes." Imagine the French ambassador returning to Henry to inform him that the king offers his daughter Katherine along with some unprofitable dukedomes. "The offer likes not, and the nimble gunner with linstock now, the devlish cannon touches." Henry doesn't like the offer and the nimble gunner gets ready to light the cannons. "And down goes all before them." And down goes all in it's path. "Still be kind and eke out our performance with your mind." Still remain kind to us and indulge in our performance with your imagination.