Fal. My lord, my lord,

Ch, Just. I cannot now speak: I will bear you
Take them away.
[soon.
Pist. Si fortuna me tormenta, spero me
contenta.

[Exeunt FAL. SHAL. PIST. BARD. PAGE,
and Officers.

P. John. I like this fair proceeding of the
king's:

He bath intent, his wonted followers
Shall all be very well provided for ;
But all are banish'd, till their conversations
Appear more wise and modest to the world.
Ch. Just. And so they are.

P. John. The king hath call'd his parliament,
my lord.

Ch. Just. He hath.

I will, I doubt, prove mine own marring. But to the purpose, and so to the venture.-Be it knowu to you, (as it is very well,) I was lately here in the end of a displeasing play, to pray your pati. ence for it, and to promise you a better. I did mean, indeed, to pay you with this: which, if, like an ill venture, it cone unluckily home, break, and you, my gentle creditors, lose. Here, I promised you, I would be, and here I commit my body to your mercies: bate me some, and 1 will pay you some, and, as most debtors do, promise you infinitely.

If my tongue cannot entreat you to acquit me, will you command me to use my legs? and yet that were but light payment,-to dance out of your debt. But a good conscience will make any possible satisfaction, and so will I. All the gen

P. John. I will lay odds, that, ere this year tlewomen here have forgiven me; if the gentleexpire,

We bear our civil swords, and native fire,
As far as France: I heard a bird so sing,
Whose music, to my thinking, pleas'd the king.
Come, will you hence ?

EPILOGUE

SPOKEN BY A DANCER

[Exeunt.

First, my fear; then, my court'sy; last, my speech. My fear is, your displeasure; my court'sy, my duty; and my speech, to beg your pardons. If you look for a good speech now, you undo me for what I have to say is of mine own making; and what, indeed, I should say,

men will not, then the gentlemen do not agree with the gentlewomen, which was never seen I before in such an assembly.

One word more, I beseech you. If you he not too much cloyed with fat meat, our humble author will continue the story, with Sir John in it, and make you merry with fair Katharine of France where, for auy thing I know, Falstaff shal die of a sweat, unless already he be killed with your hard opinions; for Oldcastle died a martyr, and this is not the man. My tongue is weary; when my legs are too, I will bid you good night and so kneel down before you;but, indeed, to pray for the queen.*

:

prayer for the King or Queen. Ilence, perhaps, the Vivant Rex et Regina, at the bottom of our modera play bills.

Most of the ancient interludes conclude with a

KING HENRY V.

LITERARY AND HISTORICAL NOTICE.

THE transactions comprized in this historical play commence about the latter end of the first, and terminate in the eighth, year of King Henry's reign; or with the marriage between him and Katharine, princess of France, which reconciled the differences of the two crowns. It was written in the year 1509, at the time when Eliza beth's forces in Ireland were commanded by the Earl of Essex. Shakspeare, who had shewn the boundless foibles and dissipation of Henry, whist a prince, was under the necessity of pourtraying the dignity and Justre of his character a monarch. In this, with one exception (the scene of his courtship) he has fully succeeded. The old woman's account of Falstaff's death is admirably written: it is simply pathetic, and na turally circumstantial: every reader must regret budding adieu to the facetions old knight, whose jokes so invariably produced a smile. Of Pistol, Dr Johnson says, "his character has perhaps been the model of all the bullies that have yet appeared on the English stage.”

DUKE OF EXETER, Uncle to the King.
DUKE OF YORK, Cousin to the King.

CHARLES THE SIXTH, King of France.
LEWIS, the Dauphin.

DUKES OF BURGUNDY, ORLEANS, and BC R

BON.

The CONSTABLE of France.

EARLS OF SALISBURY, WESTMORELAND, and RAMBURES, and GRANDPREE, French Lords.

WARWICK.

ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY,
BISHOP OF ELY.

EARL OF CAMBRIDGE, Conspirators against
LORD SCROOP,

the King.

SIR THOMAS GREY,
SIR THOMAS ERPINGHAM, GOWER, FLUELLEN,
MACMORRIS, JAMY, Officers in King
Henry's Army.

BATES, COURT, WILLIAMS, Soldiers in the

same.

GOVERNOR OF HARFLEUR. MONTJOY, a French

Herald.

ALICE, a Lady attending on the Princess
Katharine.
QUICKLY, Pistol's wife, a Hostess.

Lords, Ladies, Officers, French and Engli, k
Soldiers, Messengers, and
dants.

Alte 4

NYM, BARDOLPH, PISTOL, formerly Servants
to Falstaff, now Soldiers in the same.
BOY, Servant to them.-A HERALD.-CHORUS.
The SCENE, at the beginning of the play, lies in England; but afterwards wholly in France.

Attest, in little place, a million;

And let us, ciphers to this great accompt,
On your imaginary forces work:
Suppose, within the girdle of these walls
Are now contiu'd two mighty monarchies,
Whose high up-reared and abuiting fronts
Piece out our imperfections with your thoughts;
The perilous, narrow ocean parts asunder.
Into a thousand parts divide one man,
And make imaginary puissance :

Think, when we talk of houses, that you see them
Printing their proud hoofs i'the receiving carth:
For 'tis your thoughts that now must deck our
kings,

Carry them here and there: jumping o'er times;
Turning the accomplishment of many years
Into an hour glass; For the which supply,
Admit me chorus to this history;
Gently to hear, kindly to judge, our play.
Who, prologue-like, your humble patience pray,

• Powers of fancy.

Enter the Archbishop of CANTERBURY, and Grew like summer grass, fastest by night,

hall drop their blood in approbation of what your reverence skali incite us to: Therefore take beed bow you impawn

our

How you awake the sleeping sword of war;-
We charge you in the name of God, take heed:
For bever 180 such kmgjoms did contend,
Without much fall of blood; whose guiltless
drops

Are every one a woe, a sore complaint,

Was re-united to the crown of France.
So that, as clear as is the summer's san,
King Pepin's title, and Hugh Capet's claith,
King Lewis his satisfaction, all appear
Tu hold m right and utle of the female :
So do the kings of France muto this day;
Humbet they would hold up this Salique law,
↑ To trar your highness claiming from the fena.e
And rather choose to hide them in a net,
Than amply to intare⚫ their crooked titles

'Gamst him, whose wrongs give edge unto the surp'd from you and your progenitors.

As pure as sia with baptism.

Cant. Then bear me, gracions sovereign,-
and you peers,

That owe your lives, your faith, and services,
To this imperial throne:-There is no bar⚫
To make against your highness' claim to France,
But this, which they produce from Phara-
mond,-

In terram Salicam mulieres ne succedant,
No woman shall succeed in Salique land:
Which Sa'ique land the French unjustly gloze,+
To be the realin of France, and Pharamond
The founder of this law and female bar.
Yet their own authors faithfully aflirm,
That the land Salique lies in Germany,
Between the floods of Sala and of Elbe:
Where Charles the great, having subdued the
Saxons,

There left behind and settled certain French;
Who, holding in disdain the Gerinan women,
For some dishonest manners of their life,
Establish'd there this law,-to wit, no female
Should be inheritrix in Salique land;

K. den. May 1, with right and conscience make this claim?

Cant. The sin upon my head, dread so
vereign! +

For in the book of Numbers is it writ,
When the son dies, let the inheritance
Descend unto the daughter. Gracious lord,
Stand for your own; unwind your bloody flag
Look back unto your mighty ancestors:

Go, my dread lord, to your great grandsire'
tomb,

From whom you claim; invoke his warlik spirit,

And

your great uncle's Edward the blac
prince;

Who on the French ground play'd a tragedy,
| Making defeat on the full power of France;
Whiles his most mighty father on a hill
Stood similing, to behold his lion's whelp
Forage in blood of French nobility. •
O noble English that could entertain
With half their forces the full pride of France;
And let another half stand laughing by,
All out of work, and cold for action!

Ely. Awake remembrance of these valia
dead,

And with your puissant arm renew their feats:
You are their heir, you sit upon their throne;
The blood and courage, that renowned them,

Which Salique, as I said, 'twixt Elbe and Runs in your veins; and my thrice-puissa

Sala,

Is at this day in Germany call'd Meisen.
Thus doth it well appear, the Salique law
Was not devised for the realm of France :
Nor did the French possess the Salique land
Until four hundred one and twenty years
After defunction of king Pharamond,
Idly suppos'd the founder of this law;
Who died within the year of our redemption
Four hundred twenty-six; and Charles the
great

Subdued the Saxons, and did seat the French
Beyond the river Sala, in the year

Eight hundred five. Besides, their writers say,
King Pepia, which deposed Childerick,
Did, as heir general, being descended

Of Blithild, which was the daughter to Clo- With blood, and sword, and fire, to win you

thair,

Make claim and title to the crown of France.
Hugh Capet also, that usup'd the crown
Of Charles the duke of Lorain, sole heir male
of the true line and stock of Charles the
great,

To fine his title with some show of truth,
(Though in pure truth, it was corrupt and

naught,)

Convey'd himself as heir to the lady Lingare,
Daughter to Charlemain, who was the son
To Lewis the emperor, and Lewis the son

right:

In aid whereof, we of the spiritualty
Will raise your highness such a mighty sani,
As never did the clergy at one time
Bring in to any of your ancestors.

K. Hen. We must not only arm to invade th
French;

But lay down our proportions to defend
Against the Scot, who will make road upon us
With all advantages.

Cant. They of those marches, gracious s
vereign,

Of Charles the great. Also king Lewis the Shall be a wall sufficient to defend

tenth,

Who was sole heir to the usurper Capet,
Could not keep quiet in his conscience,

Wearing the crown of France, till satisfied
That fair queen Isabel, his grandmother,
Was lineal of the lady Ermengare,
Daughter to Charles the foresaid duke

Lorain :

of

By the which marraige, the line of Charles the great

Our inland from the pe!fering borderers.

K. Hen. We do not mean the coursing sna

chers only,

But fear the main intendment of the Scot,
Who hath been still a giddy neighbour to us;
For you shall read, that my great grandfather
Never went with his forces into France,
But that the Scot, on his unfurnish'd kingdon
• Lay open.

+ This Chichly, archbishop of Canterbury, recoi mended an attack upon France, to save the moveables The whole of this long speech is copied from Hollin-Mother Church --- Huone, 1 At the battle ↑ Explain. Make shony or specious. Cressy. The borders of England and Sce Derived his title. iland. General disposition.

bed.

Came pouring like the tide unto a breach,
With ample and brim-fulness of his force;
Galling the gleaned land with hot essays;
Girding with grievous siege castles and towns;
That England, being empty of defence,
Hath shook and trembled at the ill neighbour-
hood.

Cant. She hath been then more fear'd⚫ than
harin'd, my liege:

For hear her but exampled by herself,-
When all her chivalry hath been in France,
And she a mourning widow of her nobles,
She hath herself not only well defended,
But taken and impounded as a stray,

The king of Scots; whom she did send
France,

to

To fill king Edward's fame with prisoner
kings;

And make your chronicle as rich with praise,
As is the ooze and bottom of the sea

With sunken wreck and sumless treasuries.

Cannot defend our own door from the dog,
Let us be worried; and our nation lose 1
The name of hardiness and policy.

K. Hen. Call in the messengers sent from the Dauphin.

[Exit an Attendant. The KANG ascends his Throne.

Now are we well resolv'd; aud, by God's
help

And your's the noble sinews of our power,
France being our's, we'll bend it to our awe,
Or break it all to pieces: Or there we'll sit,
Ruling, in large and ample empery,

1

O'er France, and all her almost kingly duke-
doms;

Or lay these bones in an unworthy urn,
Tombless, with no remembrance over them :
Either our history shall, with full mouth,
Speak freely of our acts; or else our grave,
Like Turkish mute, shall have a tongueless
mouth,

West. But there's a saying, very old and Not worship'd with a waxen epitaph.
true,-

If that you will France win,
Then with Scotland first begin:

For once the eagle England being in prey,

To her unguarded uest the weasel Scot

Comes sneaking; and so sucks her princely

eggs;

Playing the mouse, in absence of the cat,

To spoil and havoc more than she can eat.

Enter AMBASSADORS of France.

Now are we well prepar'd to know the plea

Of our fair cousin Dauphin; for, we hear,
Your greeting is from him, not from the king.
Amb. May it please your majesty, to give us
leave

Freely to render what we have in charge;

Exe. It follows then, the cat must stay at Or shall we sparingly show you far off

home :

Yet that is but a curs'd necessity;

Since we have locks to safeguard necessaries,
And pretty traps to catch the petty thieves.
While that the armed hand doth tight abroad,
The advised head defends itself at hoine :
For government, though high, and low,
lower,

Put into parts, doth keep in one concent; +
Congruing in a full and natural close,
Like music.

and

The Dauphin's meaning, and our embassy?

K. Hen. We are no tyrant, but a Christian
king;

Unto whose grace our passion is as subject,
As are our wretches fetter'd in our prisons:
Therefore, with frank and with uncurbed plain-

ness,

Tell us the Dauphin's mind.

Amb. Thus then, in few.

Your highness, lately sending into France,
Did claim some certain dukedomis, in the right
Of your great predecessor, king Edward the
third.

In auswer of which claim, the prince our
master

Says, that you savour too much of your youth;
And bids you be advis'd, there's nought in
France,

That can be with a nimble galliard + won;
You cannot revel into dukedoms there:

He therefore sends you, meeter for your spirit,
This tun of treasure; and in lieu of this,
Desires you let the dukedoms that you claim,
по more of you. This the Dauphin
speaks.

Cant. True: therefore doth heaven divide
The state of man in divers functions,
Setting endeavour in continual motion:
To which is fixed, as an aim or butt,
Obedience: for so work the honey bees;
Creatures, that, by a rule in nature, teach
The act of order to a peopled kingdom.
They have a king, and officers of sorts: §
Where some, like magistrates, correct at home;
Others, like merchants, venture trade abroad;
Others, like soldiers, armed in their stings,
Make boot upon the summer's velvet buds;
Which pillage they with merry march bring | Hear
To the tent-royal of their emperor :
Who, busied in his majesty, surveys
The singing masons building roofs of gold;
The civil citizeus kneading up the honey;
The poor mechanic porters crowding in
Their heavy burdens at his narrow gate;
The sad-ey'd justice, with his surly hum,
Delivering o'er to executors ¶ pale
The lazy yawning drone. I this infer,-
That many things, having full reference
To one consent, may work contrariously;
As many arrows, loosed several ways,
Fly 'to one mark;

[home

That all the courts of France will be disturb'd
With chases. And we understand him well,
How he comes o'er us with our wilder days,
Not measuring what use we made of them.
We never valu'd this poor seat of England;
And therefore, living hence, did give ourself
my To barbarous licence; As 'tis ever common,
That men are merriest when they are from
home.

But, tell the Dauphin, I will keep my state;
Be like a king, and show my sail of greatness,
When I do rouse me in my throne of France ;