When Henry consults him, the archbishop rains a torrent of legalisms upon the king's ear. And God will be on his side. For good measure, the archbishop tells the king not to worry about upheavals at home if he chooses to cross the Channel and vie with the French, for England is now a docile child that does the bidding of its monarch. Henry then throws down the gauntlet. All England rises up to back Henry, and strong-armed young men eagerly join his cause.
Farmers sell pastures to buy horses.
Warriors sharpen sword and axe. Meanwhile, Sir John Falstaff, King Henry's drinking companion in the days when Henry was a hell-raising carouser on the streets of London, dies a broken man. After Henry arrives at Southampton to sail for France, three envoys earlier sent to France on the king's business are brought before him. At the city of Harfleur, Henry and his forces encounter stiff resistance after breaking through the city walls. Like the fat old knight, they are less than stalwart when it comes to blood and battlefields.