Replies

FLUELLEN
Your grandfather of famous memory, an’t please your
majesty, and your great-uncle Edward the Plack
Prince of Wales, as I have read in the chronicles,
fought a most prave pattle here in France.
KING HENRY V
They did, Fluellen.
FLUELLEN
Your majesty says very true: if your majesties is
remembered of it, the Welshmen did good service in a
garden where leeks did grow, wearing leeks in their
Monmouth caps; which, your majesty know, to this
hour is an honourable badge of the service; and I do
believe your majesty takes no scorn to wear the leek
upon Saint Tavy’s day.
KING HENRY V
I wear it for a memorable honour;
For I am Welsh, you know, good countryman.
FLUELLEN
All the water in Wye cannot wash your majesty’s
Welsh plood out of your pody, I can tell you that:
God pless it and preserve it, as long as it pleases
his grace, and his majesty too!
KING HENRY V
Thanks, good my countryman.
FLUELLEN
By Jeshu, I am your majesty’s countryman, I care not
who know it; I will confess it to all the ‘orld: I
need not to be ashamed of your majesty, praised be
God, so long as your majesty is an honest man.
KING HENRY V
God keep me so! Our heralds go with him:
Bring me just notice of the numbers dead
On both our parts. Call yonder fellow hither. —Shakespeare, “Henry V”

Machen was probably the best horror writer between Poe and Lovecraft. All of his work is out of copyright, so you can find it as free or cheap ebooks. Not all of his stuff holds up today, but three stories of his are among the scariest you will ever read-- "The Novel of the White Powder" (despite its title, it's a short story); "The Shining Pyramid" (a huge influence on Lovecraft); and a novella very aptly called "The Terror."

His most famous work is "The Great God Pan," but that's not where I'd start-- it starts strong and ends strong, but the middle has dated badly, since it's based on hints of sexual perversity that shocked Victorian readers but don't have the same impact today. If you read one thing by Machen, read "The Shining Pyramid."