The feverals, and unhidden paffages
Or his true titles to fome certain Dukedoms,
And, generally, to the Crown of France
Deriv'd from Edward his great grandfather.
Ely. What was th' impediment, that broke this off?
Cant. The French Ambaffador upon that inftant
Crav'd audience; and the hour, I think, is come
To give him hearing. Is it four o'clock ?
Ely. It is.
Cant. Then go we in to know his embaffy: Which I could with a ready guess declare, Before the Frenchman fpeaks a word of it. Ely. I'll wait upon you, and I long to hear it.
Enter King Henry, Gloucester, Bedford, Clarence, Warwick, Weftmorland, and Exeter.
K. Henry. /HERE is my gracious lord of Canterbury? Exe. Not here in prefence.
K. Henry. Send for him, good uncle.
Weft. Shall we call in th' ambaffador, my Liege? K. Henry. Not yet, my coufin; we would be refolv'd,
Before we hear him, of fome things of weight, That task our thoughts, concerning us and France.
Enter the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Bishop of Ely.
Cant. God and his angels guard your facred throne, And make you long become it!
K. Henry. Sure, we thank you.
My learned lord, we pray you to proceed;
And juftly and religioully unfold,
Why the law Salike, that they have in France,
Or fhould, or should not, bar us in our claim.
And, God forbid, my dear and faithful lord,
That you fhould fashion, wreft, or bow your reading;
Or nicely charge your understanding foul
With opening titles mifcreate, whose right
Suits not in native colours with the truth.
For, God doth know, how many now in health
Shall drop their blood, in approbation
Of what your reverence fhall incite us to.
Therefore take heed, how you impawn our perfon;
How you awake our fleeping fword of war:
We charge you in the name of God, take heed.
For never two fuch kingdoms did contend
Without much fall of blood; whofe guiltlefs drops
Are every one a woe, a fore complaint,
'Gainft him, whofe wrong gives edge unto the fwords,
That make fuch wafte in brief mortality.
Under this conjuration, speak, my lord;
For we will hear, note, and believe in heart,
That what you speak is in your conscience washt,
As pure as fin with baptifm.
Cant. Then hear me, gracious Sovereign, and you
Peers,
That owe your lives, your faith, and fervices,
To this imperial throne. There is no bar
To make against your Highnefs' claim to France,
But this which they produce from Pharamond;
In terram Salicam Mulieres nè fuccedant;
No Woman fhall fucceed in Salike land:
Which Salike land the French unjustly gloze
To be the realm of France, and Pharamond
The founder of this law and female bar.
Yet their own authors faithfully affirm,
That the land Salike lies in Germany,
Between the floods of Sala and of Elve:
Where Charles the great, having fubdu'd the Saxons,
There left behind and fettled certain French:
Who, holding in difdain the German women,
For fome difhoneft manners of their life,
Establisht then this law: to wit, no female
Should be inheritrix in Salike land:
Which Salike, as I faid, 'twixt Elve and Sala,
Is at this day in Germany call'd Meifen.
Thus doth it well appear, the Salike law
Was not devised for the realm of France;
Nor did the French poffefs the Salike land,
Until four hundred one and twenty years
After defunction of King Pharamond,
(Idly fuppos'd, the founder of this law;)
Who died within the year of our redemption
Four hundred twenty fix; and Charles the great,
Subdu'd the Saxons, and did feat the French
Beyond the river Sala in the year
Eight hundred five. Befides, their writers fay,
King Pepin, which depofed Childerick,
Did as heir general (being defcended
Of Blithild, which was daughter to King Clothair)
Make claim and title to the Crown of France.
Hugh Capet alfo, who ufurp'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 fome fhews of truth,
(Though, in pure truth, it was corrupt and naught)
Convey'd himself as heir to th' lady Lingare,
Daughter to Charlemain, who was the fon
To Lewis th' Emperor, which was the fon
Of Charles the great. Also King Lewis the ninth,
Who was fole heir to the ufurper Capet,
Could not keep quiet in his conscience,
Wearing the Crown of France, 'till fatisfy'd
That fair Queen Ifabel, his grandmother,
Was lineal of the lady Ermengere,
Daughter to Charles the forefaid Duke of Lorain:
By the which match the line of Charles the great
Was re-united to the Crown of France.
So that, as clear as is the fummer's fun,
King Pepin's title, and Hugh Capet's claim,
King Lewis his Poffeffion, all appear
To hold in right and title of the female.
So do the Kings of France until this day:
Howbeit they would hold up this Salike law,
To bar your Highness claiming from the female;
And rather chufe to hide them in a net,
*Than amply to imbare their crooked titles,
Ufurpt from you and your progenitors.
K. Henry. May I with right and confcience make this claim?
Cant. The fin upon my head, dread Sovereign!
For in the book of Numbers it is writ,
When the fon dies, let the inheritance
Descend unto the daughter. Gracious lord,
Stand for your own, unwind your bloody flag:
Look back into your mighty ancestors;
Go, my dread lord, to your great grandfire's tomb,
From whom you claim; invoke his warlike fpirit,
And your great uncle Edward the black Prince;
Who on the French ground play'd a Tragedy,
Making defeat on the full pow'r of France;
While his moft mighty Father, on a hill,
Stood fmiling, to behold his Lion's whelp.
Forage in blood of French Nobility.
O noble English, that could entertain
With half their forces the full pow'r of France;
And let another half ftand laughing by,
All out of work, and cold for action!
Ely. Awake remembrance of these valiant dead, And with your puissant arm renew their feats! You are their heir, you fit upon their throne; The blood and courage, that renowned them, Runs in your veins; and my thrice puiffant Liege
*Than openly to imbrace-] The two old Folios read, Than amply to imbarre. Hence it appears we should, read, Than amply to imbare, i, e. lay open, make naked, expofe to view.
Is in the very May-morn of his youth,
Ripe for exploits and mighty enterprises.
Exe. Your brother Kings and Monarchs of the
earth
Do all expect that you should rouze yourself;
As did the former Lions of your blood.
Weft. They know, your Race had caufe, and
means, and might:
So hath your Highness; never King of England
Had Nobles richer, and more loyal Subjects;
Whofe hearts have left their bodies here in England,
And lie pavilion'd in the field of France.
+ O let their bodies follow, my dear Liege,
With blood and fword, and fire, to win your right.
Cant. In aid whereof, we of the Spiritualty
Will raise your Highness such a mighty fum,
As never did the Clergy at one time
Bring in to any of your ancestors.
K. Henry. We must not only arm t'invade the French, But lay down our proportions to defend
Against the Scot, who will make road upon us
With all advantages.
Cant. They of thofe Marches, gracious Sovereign, Shall be a wall fufficient to defend
Our Inland from the pilfering borderers.
K. Henry. We do not mean the courfing snatchers only,
But fear the main intendment of the Scot,
Who hath been ftill a giddy neighbour to us :
*They know your Grace hath caufe, and means, and might, So hath your Highness- -] We should read,
which is carrying on the Senfe of the concluding Words of Exeter. As did the former Lions of your blood.
meaning Edward III, and the Black Prince.
+ O, let their bodies follow, &c.} These two Lines, with a higl, Indecorum, are given to the Archbishop: but they belong to Weslmorland; and Canterbury begins,
In aid whereof, we of the Spiritualty, &c.
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