which before would not abide looking on. K. Henry. This moral' ties me over to time, and a hot summer: and so I shall catch the fly, your cousin, in the latter end, and she must be blind too. Burg. As love is, my lord, before it loves. K. Henry. It is so: and you may, some of you, thank love for my blindness; who cannot see many a fair French city, for one fair French maid that stands in my way. 511 With envy of each other's happiness, Fr. King. Yes, my lord, you see them per-10 never enter'd. K. Henry. Shall Kate be my wife? K. Henry. I am content; so the maiden cities you talk of, may wait on her: so the maid, that stood in the way for my wish, shall shew me the way to my will. That here I kiss her as my sovereign queen. [Flourish. 2. Isa. God, the best maker of all marriages, Thrust in between the paction of these kingdoms, Fr. King. We have consented to all terms of 20 All. Amen! reason. K. Henry. Is't so, my lords of England? West. The king hath granted every article: His daughter, first; and then in sequel all, According to their firm proposed natures. Ere. Only, he hath not yet subscribed this:Where your majesty demands, -That the king of France, having any occasion to write for matter of grant, shall name your highness in this form, and K. Henry. Prepare we for our marriage :-on My lord of Burgundy, we'll take your oath 25 Then shall I swear to Kate, and you to me; - Enter Chorus. Thus far, with rough, and all unable pen, with this addition in French:-Notre tres cher 30 Our bending author hath pursu'd the story; fil: Henry roy d' Angleterre, heretier de France: and thus in Latin, Præclarissimus filius noster In little room confining mighty men, Henricus, rex Angliæ, & hæres Francia. Fr. King. Yet this I have not, brother, sadeny'd, Mangling by starts the full course of their glory. Small time, but, in that small, most greatly liv'd This star of England: fortune made his sword; But your request shall make me let it pass. K. Henry. I pray you then, in love and dear alliance, Let that one article rank with the rest: 35 By which the world's best garden he atchiev'd, And, thereupon, give me your daughter. Fr. King. Take her, fair son: and from her 40 That they lost France, and made his England blood raise up Issue to me: that the contending kingdoms [pale bleed: Which oft our stage hath shewn; and, for their That is, the application of this fable, the moral being the application of a fable. 2 i. e. humble. FIRST Lords, Captains, Soldiers, Messengers, and several Attendants both on the English and French.. The SCENE is partly in England, and partly in France. SCENE Westminster-Abbey. Dead March. Enter the funeral of King Henry the Fifth, attended on by the Duke of Bedford, Re- 5 England ne'er lost a king of so much worth. Brandish your crystal tresses in the sky; Glo. England ne'er had a king, until his time. gent of France; the Duke of Gloster, Protector; the Duke of Exeter, and the Earl of Warwick; the Bishop of Winchester, and the Duke of Somerset, &c. Bed. HUNG be the heavens with black, 10 His sparkling eyes, replete with wrathful fire, yield day to night! Comets, importing change of times and states, Mr. Theobald observes, that, "the historical transactions contained in this play, take in the compass of above thirty years. I must observe, however, that our author, in the three parts of Henry VI. has not been very precise to the date and disposition of his facts; but shuffled thein, backwards and forwards, out of time. For instance; the lord Talbot is kill'd at the end of the fourth act of this play, who in reality did not fall till the 13th of July 1453; and The Second Part of Henry VI. opens with the marriage of the king, which was solemniz'd eight years before Talbot's death, in the year 1445. Again, in the second part, dame Eleanor Cobham is introduced to insult queen Margaret; though her prenance and banishment for sorcery happened three years before that princess came over to England. could point out many other transgressions against history, as far as the order of time is concerned. Indeed, though there are several master-strokes in these three plays, which incontestably betray the workmanship of Shakspeare; yet I am almost doubtful whether they were entirely of his writing. And unless they were wrote by him very early, I should rather imagine them to have been brought to him as a director of the stage; and so have received some finishing beauties at his hand. An accurate ob in blood? in black; why mourn we not Henry is dead, and never shall revive: And, whilst a held sh You are disputing c 5 One would have lin Another would fly s A third man thinks, By guileful fair word Awake, awake, Engl 10 Let not sloth dim yo Cropp'd are the flow Of England's coat or Exe. Were our tea These tidings would Win. He was a king blest of the King of Kings. 15 Bed. Methey conc Unto the French the dreadful judgment-day Glo. The church! where is it? Ilad not church-20 men pray'd, Ilis thread of life had not so soon decay'd: Win. Gloster, whate'er we like, thou art pro-25 tector; And lookest to command the prince, and realm. Thy wife is proud; she holdeth thee in awe, More than God, or religious church-men, may. Glo. Namenot religion, for thou lov'st the flesh; And ne'er throughout the year to church thou go'st, Except it be to pray against thy foes. Bed. Cease, cease these jars, and rest your minds in peace! Let's to the altar:-Heralds, wait on us:- Enter a Messenger. Mess. My honourable lords, health to you all! Sad tidings bring I to you out of France, Of loss, of slaughter, and discomfiture: Guienne, Champaigne, Rheims, Orleans, Paris, Guisors, Poi tiers, are all quite lost. Bed. What say'st thou, man, before dead Hen ry's corse? Speak softly; or the loss of those great towns Will make him burst his lead, and rise from death. Glo. Is Paris lost? Is Roan yielded up? If Henry were recall'd to life again, [ghost. These news would cause him once more veld the Give me my steeled 2 Mess. Lords, v France is revolted fr Except some petty to The Dauphin Charle The bastard of Orlea Reignier, duke of A The duke of Alençon Ere. The Dauphi 300, whither shall we f Glo. We will notfiy Bedford, if thou be sla Bed. Gloster, wh wardness? 35 An army have I must Wherewith already F Enter a t 3 Mess. My gracio ments, 40 Wherewith you now b I must inform you of Betwixt the stout lord Win. What! where 3 Mess. O, no; w thrown: 45 The circumstance I'll The tenth of August Retiring from the sieg Having full scarce' si 50 By three and twenty t Was round encompas No leisure had he to He wanted pikes to so Instead whereof, sharp 55 They pitched in the g To keep the horsemen More than three hour Where valiant Talbot Enacted wonders wit Exe. How were they lost? what treachery was 60 Hundreds he sent to he us'd? [money. Mess. No treachery; but want of men and Here, there, and ever The French exclaim'c Nourish here signifies a nurse. 2 i. e. their miseries which have had on i. e. scarcely. Henry the Fifth's death to my coming amongst them. Unto his dastard foc-men is betray'd. 3 Mess. O no, he lives; but is took prisoner, 20 Now for the honour of the forlorn French: And lord Scales with him, and lord Hungerford: Bed. Hisransom there is none but I shall pay: Exe. Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry Glo. I'll to the Tower with all the haste I can, To view the artillery and munition; 25 Him I forgive my death, that killeth me, When he sees me go back one foot, or fly. [Exeunt. [Here alarum, they are beaten back by the English, with great loss. Re-enter Charles, Alençon, and Reignier. 35 England all Olivers and Rowlands 2 bred, And then I will proclaim young Henry king. [Exit. 45 Of old I know them; rather with their teeth Char. Let's leave this town; for they are hairbrain'd slaves, And hunger will enforce them to be more eager: Ere. To Eltham will I, where the young king is, Being ordain'd his special governor; And for his safety there I'll best advise. [Exit. The walls they'll tear down, than forsake the siege. 50 By my consent, we'll e'en let them alone. Bast. Where's the Prince Dauphin? I have news for him. And sit at chiefest stern of public weal. [Exit. SCENE II. Before Orleans in France. Enter Charles, Alençon, and Reignier, marching with a Drum and Soldiers. Char. Mars his true moving, even as in the heavens, Enter the Bastard of Orleans. i. e. the back part of the ran or front. 2 These were two of the most famous in the list of, Charlemagne's twelvepeers; and their exploits are render'd so ridiculously and equally extravagant by the old romancers, that from thence arose that saying amongst our plain and sensible ancestors, of Rozpland for his Oliver, to signify the matching one incredible lye with another; or, as in |