Q. Isa. God, the best maker of all marriages, Combine your hearts in one, your realms in one! As man and wife, being two, are one in love, So be there 'twixt your kingdoms such a spousal, That never may ill office, or fell jealousy, Which troubles oft the bed of blessed marriage, Thrust in between the paction of these kingdoms, To make divorce of their incorporate league; That English may as French, French English men, Receive each other!-God speak this Amen! All. Amen! K. Hen. Prepare we for our marriage :-on which day, My lord of Burgundy, we'll take your oath, And all the peers', for surety of our leagues. Then shall I swear to Kate, and you to me; And may our oaths well kept and prosp'rous be! [Exeunt. Enter CHORUS. Thus far, with rough, and all unable pen, Whose state so many had the managing, Which oft our stage hath shown; and, for their sake, In your fair minds let this acceptance take. [Exit. * I. e. Unequal to the weight of the subject. † France FIRST PART OF KING HENRY VI. PERSONS REPRESENTED. KING HENRY THE SIXTH. DUKE OF BEDFORD, Uncle to the King, and THOMAS BEAUFORT, Duke of Exeter, great Uncle to the King. HENRY BEAUFORT, great Uncle to the King, Bishop of Winchester; and afterwards Cardinal. JOHN BEAUFORT, Earl of Somerset; afterwards Duke. RICHARD PLANTAGENET, eldest Son of Richard, late Earl of Cambridge; afterwards Duke of York. EARL OF WARWICK.-EARL OF SALISBURY.EARL OF SUFFOLK. LORD TALBOT, afterwards Earl of Shrewsbury. EDMUND MORTIMER, Earl of March. SIR JOHN FASTOLFE.-SIR WILLIAM LUCY. GRAVE. MAYOR OF LONDON. WOODVILLE, Lieutenant of the Tower. VERNON, of the White Rose, or York Faction. BASSET, of the Red Rose, or Lancaster Faction. CHARLES, Dauphin, and afterwards King of France. REIGNIER, Duke of Anjou, and titular King of Naples. DUKE OF BURGUNDY.-DUKE OF ALENÇON. A FRENCH SERGEANT.-A PORTER. MARGARET, Daughter to Reignier; afterwards Fiends appearing to La Pucelle, Lords, Warders of the Tower, Heralds, Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and several Attendants both on the English and French. SCENE; partly in England, and partly in France. ACT I. SCENE I.-Westminster Abbey. Deud march. Corpse of King HENRY the Fifth discovered, lying in state; attended on by the Dukes of BEDFORD, GLOSTER, and EXETER; the Earl of WARWICK, the Bishop of WINCHESTER, Heralds, &c. Bed. Hung be the heavens with black,* yield day to night! Comets, importing change of times and states, That have consented unto Henry's death! His arms spread wider than a dragon's wings; His sparkling eyes replete with wrathful fire, * Alluding to our ancient stage-practice when a tragedy was to be acted, 1 Glo. The church! where is it? Had not churchmen pray'd, His thread of life had not so soon decay'd: And lookest to command the prince, and realm, Bed. Cease, cease these jars, and rest your minds in peace! Let's to the altar:-Heralds, wait on us:- Among the soldiers this is muttered,- You are disputing of your generals. Let not sloth dim your honours, new-begot: tides. Bed. Me they concern; regent I am of France: Give me my steeled coat, I'll fight for France.Away with these disgraceful wailing robes! Wounds I will lend the French, instead of eyes, To weep their intermissive miseries.‡ Enter another MESSENGER. 2 Mess. Lords, view these letters, full of bad mischance, Nurse was anciently so spelt. + Her, i. e. England's. | France is revolted from the English quite; The bastard of Orleans with him is join'd; Exe. The Dauphin crowned king! all fly to him! O, whither shall we fly from this reproach? Glo. We will not fly, but to our enemies' throats: Bedford, if thou be slack, I'll fight it out. An army have I muster'd in my thoughts, Enter a third MESSENGER. 3 Mess. My gracious lords,-to add to your laments, [hearse,Wherewith you now bedew King Henry's I must inform you of a dismal fight, Betwixt the stout lord Talbot and the French. Win. What! wherein Talbot overcame ? is't so? 3 Mess. O, no; wherein lord Talbot was o'erthrown: The circumstance I'll tell you more at large. Having full scarce six thousand in his troop, He wanted pikes to set before his archers; Instead whereof, sharp stakes, pluck'd out of him; Here, there, and every where, enrag'd he slew: And rush'd into the bowels of the battle. For living idly here, in pomp and ease, And lord Scales with him, and lord Hunger3 Mess. O no, he lives; but is took prisoner, ford: Most of the rest slaughter'd, or took, likewise. Bed. His ransom there is none but I shall pay: I'll hale the Dauphin headlong from his throne, 1.e. Their miseries which have had only a short inter- Four of their lords I'll change for one of mission. ours. Farewell, my masters; to my task will I; Bonfires in France forthwith I am to make, To keep our great Saint George's feast withal: Ten thousand soldiers with me I will take, Whose bloody deeds shall make all Europe quake. 3 Mess. So you had need; for Orleans is besieg'd; The English army is grown weak and faint: Exe. Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry Being ordain'd his special governor; [Exit. Win. Each hath his place and function to attend: I am left out; for me nothing remains. [Exit. Scene closes. SCENE 11.-France.—Before Orleans. Enter CHARLES, with his Forces; ALENÇON, REIGNIER, and others. Char. Mars his true moving, even as in the heavens, So in the earth, to this day is not known: ghosts, Faintly besiege us one hour in a month. The other lords, like lions wanting food, England all Olivers and Rowlands bred, Enter the BASTARD of Orleans. Bust. Where's the prince Dauphin, I have news for him. Char. Bastard‡ of Orleans, thrice welcome to us. Bast. Methinks, your looks are sad, your cheers appall'd; Hath the late overthrow wrought this offence? The spirit of deep prophecy she hath, Speak, shall I call her in? Belieye my words, For they are certain and unfallible. Char. Go, call her in: [Exit BASTARD.] But, first, to try her skill, Reignier, stand thou as Dauphin in my place: Question her proudly, let thy looks be stern:Alen. They want their porridge, and their fat By this means shall we sound what skill she bull-beeves: Either they must be dieted like mules, idly here? Talbot is taken, whom we wont to fear: Remaineth none but mad-brain'd Salisbury; And he may well in fretting spend his gall,' Nor men, nor money, hath he to make war. Char. Sound, sound alarum; we will rush on them. Now for the honour of the forlorn French :Him I forgive my death, that killeth me, When he sees me go back one foot, or fly. [Exeunt. Alarums; Excursions; afterwards a Retreat. Re-enter CHARLES, ALENÇON, REIGNIER, and others. Char. Who ever saw the like? what men have I? Dogs! cowards! dastards!-I would ne'er bave fled, But that they left me 'midst my enemies. hath. [Retires. Enter LA PUCELLE, BASTARD of Orleans, and others. Reig. Fair maid, is't thou wilt do these wond'rous feats? Puc. Reignier, is't thou that thinkest to be guile me? [hind; Where is the Dauphin?-come, come from beI know thee well, though never seen before. Be not amaz'd, there's nothing hid from me: In private will I talk with thee apart:Stand back, you lords, and give us leave a while. Reig. She takes upon her bravely at first dash. Puc. Dauphin, I am by birth a shepherd's My wit untrain'd in any kind of art. daughter, Heaven, and our lady gracious, hath it pleas'd To shine on my contemptible estate: I. c. The prey for which they are hungry. + A gimmal is a piece of jointed work, where one piece moves within another; here it is taken at large for an engine. This was not in former times a term of reproach. Countenance. Which never ceaseth to enlarge itself, Lo, whilst I waited on my tender lambs, cheeks, God's mother deigned to appear to me; My courage try by combat, if thou dar'st, Char. Thou hast astonish'd me with thy high Only this proof I'll of thy valour make,- Puc. I am prepar'd: here is my keen-edg'd Deck'd with five flour-de-luces on each side; The which at Touraine, in Saint Katharine's church-yard, Out of a deal of old iron I chose forth. Char. Then come o'God's name, I fear no woman. Puc. And, while I live, I'll near fly from a [They fight. man. Char. Stay, stay thy hands; thou art an Amazon, And fightest with the sword of Deborah. Puc. Christ's mother helps me, else I were too weak. Char. Whoe'er helps thee, 'tis thou that must help me: Impatiently I burn with thy desire; Char. Meantime, look gracious on thy pros- Reig. My lord, methinks, is very long in talk. Alen. Doubtless he shrives this woman to her smock; Else ne'er could he so long protract his speech. Reig. Shall we disturb him, since he keeps no mean? With Henry's death, the English circle ends; Char. Was Mahomet inspired with a dove? Reig. Woman, do what thou canst to save our honours; Drive them from Orleans, and be immortaliz'd. Char. Presently we'll try:-Come let's away about it: SCENE III.—London.-Hill before the Tower. Enter, at the Gates, the Duke of GLOSTER, with his Serving-men, in blue coats. Glo. I am come to survey the Tower this day; Since Henry's death, I fear, there is conveyance.t-Where be these warders, that they wait not here? Open the gates; Gloster it is that calls. [SERVANTS knock. 1 Ward. [Within.] Who is there that knocks so imperiously? 1 Serv. It is the noble Duke of Gloster. 2 Ward. [Within.] Whoe'er he be, you may not be let in. 1 Serv. Answer you so the lord protector, villains? 1 Ward. [Within.] The Lord protect him! We do no otherwise than we are will'd. so we answer him: Glo. Who will'd you? or whose will stands but mine? There's none protector of the realm, but I.— Break upt the gates, I'll be your warrantize: Shall I be flouted thus by dunghill grooms? SERVANTS rush at the Tower Gates. Enter, to the Gates, WOODVILLE, the Lieutenant. Wood. [Within.] What noise is this? wha traitors have we here? |