SCENE IV. The FRENCH KING’s palace.
Enter KATHARINE and ALICE
Alice, you’ve been in England, and you speak the language well.
A little, madam.
I beg you, teach me: I must learn to
speak. What do you call the hand in English?
The hand? it is called hand.
By hand. And the fingers?
Fingers? my faith, I forget the fingers; but I will
remember. Fingers? I think they are
called fingres; yes, from fingres.
The hand, of hand; fingers, fingres. I think
I am the right schoolboy; I quickly gained two
English words. What do you call the nails?
Nails? we call them nails.
From nails. Listen; tell me, if I speak correctly: of
hand, of fingres, and of nails.
It is well said, madame; he is a very good Englishman.
Tell me the Anglois for the arm.
De arm, madam.
And the elbow?
From elbow.
From elbow. I am repeating all the
words you have taught me so far.
It’s too difficult, ma’am, as I think.
Excuse me, Alice; listen to: hand, fingres,
nails, arma, bilbow.
From elbow, ma’am.
O Lord God, I forget! by elbow. What
do you call the collar?
From neck, madam.
From nick. And the chin?
From chin.
From sin. The collar, from nick; chin, sin.
Yes. Except your honor, in truth, you pronounce
the words as straight as the natives of England.
I do not doubt to learn, by the grace of God,
and in a short time.
Haven’t you already forgotten what I taught you?
No, I will recite to you promptly: de hand, de
fingres, de mails–
Nails, madam.
From nails, from arm, from ilbow.
Except your honor, from elbow.
So I say; of elbow, of nick, and of sin. What
do you call the foot and the dress?
Football, madam; and coun.
Football and coun! O Lord God! these are words
of his bad, corruptible, fat, and shameless, and
not for the ladies-in-waiting to use: I would not like to
pronounce these words in front of the lords of France
for everyone. Foh! football and coun!
However, I will recite my lesson together another time
: hand, fingres, nails, arm,
elbow, nick, sin, football, coun.
Excellent, madam!
It’s enough for once: are we going to dinner.Exeunt
