For, you fhall read, that my great grandfather Ne'er went with his full forces into France, But that the Scot on his unfurnisht kingdom Came pouring, like a tide into a breach, With ample and brim fulness of his force; Galling the gleaned land with hot assays; Girding with grievous fiege caftles and towns That England, being empty of defence,
Hath fhook, and trembled, at th' ill neighbourhood. Cant. She hath been then more fear'd than harm'd, my Liege;
For hear her best 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 ftray
The King of Scots; whom fhe did fend to France,] To fill King Edward's fame with prifoner Kings; And make his chronicle as rich with prize, As is the ouzy bottom of the Sea
With funken wreck and fumless treasuries. *Exe. But there's a faying very old and true, If that you will France win, then with Scotland firft begin. For once the Eagle England being in prey, To her unguarded neft the Weazel, Scot, Comes fneaking, and fo.fucks her princely eggs; Playing the Moufe in abfence of the Cat, To taint, and havock, more than fhe can eat. Ely. It follows then, the Cat must stay at home, Yet that is but a 'fcus'd neceffity;
Since we have locks to fafeguard neceffaries,
Ely. But there's a faying &c.] This Speech, which is diffuafive of the War with France, is abfurdly given to one of the Churchmen in Confederacy to push the King upon it, as appears by the first Scene of this Act. Befides, the Poet had here an eye to Hall, who gives this Obfervation to the Duke of Exeter. But the Editors have made Ely and Exeter change Sides, and fpeak one another's Speeches; for this, which is given to Ely, is Exeter's; and the following given to Exeter, is Ely's.
And pretty traps to catch the
petty thieves. While that the armed hand doth fight abroad,
Th' advised head defends itfelf at home:
For Government, though high, and low, and lower, Put into parts, doth keep in one confent; Congreeing in a full and natural close, Like mufic.
Cant. Therefore heaven doth divide The ftate of man in divers functions, Setting endeavour in continual motion; To which is fixed, as an aim or butt, Obedience; for fo work the honey Bees; Creatures, that by a ruling nature teach The art of order to a peopled kingdom. They have a King, and officers of fort; Where fome, like magiftrates, correct at home : Others like merchant-venturers, trade abroad; Others, like foldiers, armed in their ftings, Make boot upon the fummer's velvet buds: Which pillage they with merry march bring home To the tent-royal of their Emperor: Who, bufied in his majefly, furveys The finging mason building roofs of gold; The civil citizens kneading up the honey; The poor mechanic porters crowding in Their heavy burdens at his narrow gate: The fad-ey'd Juftice with his furly hum, Delivering o'er to executors pale The lazy yawning drone. I this infer, That many things, having full reference To one confent, may work contrariously: As many arrows, loofed several ways,
Come to one mark: as many ways meet in one town; As many fresh streams meet in one salt sea;
As many So may a thousand actions, 't once a-foot, End in one purpofe, and be all well borne
lines clofe in the dial's center;
Without defeat. Therefore to France, my Liege.
Divide our happy England into four, Whereof take you one quarter into France; And you withal fhall make all Gallia fhake: If we, with thrice fuch powers left at home, Cannot defend our own doors from the dog, Let us be worried; and our Nation lofe The name of hardiness and policy.
K. Henry. Call in the meffengers, fent from the Dauphin.
Now are we well refolv'd; and by God's help And yours, the noble finews of our power, France being ours, we'll bend it to our awe, Or break it all to pieces. There we'll fit, Ruling in large and ample empery,
O'er France, and all her almost kingly Dukedoms; Or lay these bones in an unworthy urn, Tomblefs, with no remembrance over them. Either our History shall with full mouth Speak freely of our acts; or else our grave, Like Turkish mute, fhall have a tongueless mouth; Not worship, with a waxen epitaph.
Now are we well prepar'd to know the pleasure Of our fair coufin Dauphin; for we hear, Your greeting is from him, not from the King, Amb. May't please your Majefty to give us leave Freely to render what we have in charge:
Or fhall we fparingly fhew
The Dauphin's meaning, and our embassy?
K. Henry. We are no tyrant, but a christian King, Unto whofe grace our paffion is as subject,
As are our wretches fetter'd in our prifons: Therefore, with frank and with uncurbed plainness, Tell us the Dauphin's mind.
Your Highness, lately fending into France, Did claim fome certain Dukedoms in the right Of your great predecessor, Edward the third. In answer of which claim, the Prince our master Says, that you favour 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 fends you (meeter for your fpirit). This tun of treasure; and in lieu of this, Defires you, let the Dukedoms, that you claim, Hear no more of you. This the Dauphin fpeaks. K. Henry. What treasure, uncle?
Exe. Tennis-balls, my Liege.
K. Henry. We're glad, the Dauphin is so pleasant with us.
His present, and your pains, we thank you for. When we have match'd our rackets to these balls, We will in France, by God's grace, play a fet, Shall ftrike his father's Crown into the hazard. Tell him, h'ath made a match with such a wrangler, That all the Courts of France will be disturb'd With chafes. 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 feat of England, And therefore, living hence, did give ourself To barb'rous licence; as 'tis ever common, That men are merrieft, when they are from home. But tell the Dauphin, I will keep my State, Be like a King, and fhew my fail of Greatness; When I do roufe me in my throne of France. For that I have laid by my Majefty, And plodded like a man for working days; But I will rife there with so full a glory, That I will dazzle all the eyes of France; Yea, ftrike the Dauphin blind to look on us.
And tell the pleafant Prince, this mock of his Hath turn'd his balls to gun-ftones; and his foul Shall ftand fore charged for the wafteful vengeance That shall fly with them: many thousand widows, Shall this his Mock mock out of their dear husband; Mock mothers from their fons, mock caftles down: And fome are yet ungotten and unborn,
That fhall have caufe to curfe the Dauphin's fcorn. 7 But this lies all within the will of God, To whom I do appeal; and in whose name, Tell you the Dauphin, I am coming on To 'venge me as I may; and to put forth My rightful hand in a well-hallow'd caufe. So
get you hence in peace; and tell the Dauphin, it His jeft will favour but of fhallow wit,
When thousands weep, more than did laugh at it. Convey them with safe conduct. Fare Fare ye well. [Exeunt Ambassadors. Exe. This was a merry message.
K. Henry. We hope to make the fender blush at it: Therefore, my lords, omit no happy hour, That may give furth'rance to our expedition ; For we have now no thoughts in us but France, Save thofe to God, that run before our business, Therefore, let our porportions for thefe wars Be foon collected, and all things thought upon, That may with reasonable swiftness add
More feathers to our wings; for, God before, We'll chide this Dauphin at his father's door. Therefore let every man now task his thought, That this fair action may on foot be brought. [Exeunt.
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