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And as a branch and member of this royalty,
By whom this great affembly is contriv'd,
We do falute you, Duke of Burgundy.

And, Princes French, and Peers, health to you all. Fr. King. Right joyous are we to behold your face;

Moft worthy brother England, fairly met!
So are your, Princes English, every one.

Q. Ifa. So happy be the Iffue, brother England,
Of this good day, and of this gracious meeting,
As we are now glad to behold your eyes:
Your eyes, which hitherto have borne in them
Against the French, that met them in their bent,
The fatal balls of murdering bafilifks:
The venom of fuch looks, we fairly hope,
Have loft their quality; and that this day
Shall change all griefs, and quarrels into love.
K. Heury. To cry Amen to that, thus we appear.,
Q. Ifa. You English Princes all, I do falute you.
Burg. My duty to you both, on equal love,
Great Kings of France, and England. That I've
labour'd

With all my wits, my pains, and strong endeavours, To bring your moft imperial Majefties

Unto this bar and royal interview,

Your Mightineffes on both parts can witness.
Since then my office hath fo far prevail'd,
That, face to face and royal eye to eye,
You have congreeted: let it not disgrace me,
If I demand, before this royal view,
What rub or what impediment there is,
Why that the naked, poor, and mangled peace,
Dear nurse of arts, plenties and joyful births,
Should not in this beft garden of the world,
Our fertile France, put up her lovely visage?
Alas! fhe hath from France too long been chas'd;
And all her husbandry doth lie on heaps,
Corrupting in its own fertility.

Her vine, the merry chearer of the heart,
Unpruned lies; her hedges even pleach'd,
Like prifoner, wildly over-grown with hair,
Put forth disorder'd twigs: her fallows leas
The darnel, hemlock, and rank fumitory
Doth root upon; while that the culter rufis,
That should deracinate such savag'ry:

The even Mead, that erft brought sweetly forth
The freckled cowflip, burnet, and green clover,
Wanting the fithe, all uncorrected, rank,
Conceives by idleness; and nothing teems,
But hateful docks, rough thistles, keckfies, burs,
Lofing both beauty and utility;

And all our vineyards, fallows, meads, and hedges,
Defective in their nurtures, grow to wildness.
Even fo our horfes, and ourselves and children
Have loft, or do not learn, for want of time,
The fciences, that fhould become our country;
But grow like favages, (as foldiers will,
That nothing do but meditate on blood)
To fwearing and flern looks, diffus'd attire,
And every thing that feems unnatural.
Which to reduce into our former favour,
You are affembled; and my fpeech intreats,
That I may know the Let, why gentle peace
Should not expel thefe inconveniencies;
And bless us with her former qualities.

[peace,
K Henry. If, Duke of Burgundy, you would the
Whose want gives growth to th' imperfections
Which you have cited; you must buy that peace
With full accord to all our juft demands:
Whofe tenours and particular effects.

You have, enfchedul'd briefly, in your hands.
Burg. The king hath heard them; to the which

as yet

There is no anfwer made.

K. Henry. Well, then; the peace,

Which you before fo urg'd, lies in his answer.

Fr. King.

Fr. King. I have but with a curforary eye
O'er-glanc'd the articles; pleafeth your Grace
T'appoint fome of your council presently
To fit with us, once more with better heed
To re-furvey them; we will fuddenly
Pafs, or accept, and peremptory answer.

K. Henry. Brother, we fhall. Go, uncle Exeter, And brother Clarence, and you, brother Gloucester, Warwick and Huntington, go with the King; And take with you free Pow'r to ratify, Augment, or alter, as your wifdoms best Shall fee advantageable for our dignity, Any thing in, or out of, our Demands; And we'll confign thereto. Will you, fair fifter, Go with the Princes, or stay here with us?

Q. Ifa. Our gracious brother, I will go with them; Haply, a woman's voice may do fome good, When Articles, too nicely urg'd, be flood on. K. Henry. Yet leave our cousin Catharine here with

us.

She is our capital demand, compris'd
Within the fore-rank of our articles.
Q: Ifa. She hath good leave.

[blocks in formation]

[Exeunt.

Manent King Henry, Catharine, and a Lady.

AIR Catharine, moft fair.

K. Henry. FA

K. Henry. Will you vouchfafe to teach a foldier

terms,

Such as will enter at a lady's ear,

And plead his love-fuit to her gentle heart?

Cath. Your Majefty fhall mock at me, I cannot fpeak your England.

K. Henry. O fair Catharine, if you will love me foundly with your French heart, I will be glad to hear you confefs it brokenly with your English tongue. Do you like me, Kate?

05

Cath.

Cath. Pardonnez moy, I cannot tell vhat is like me. K. Henry. An angel is like you, Kate, and you are like an Angel.

Cath. Que dit-il, que je fuis femblable à les Anges?
Lady. Oui, vrayment, (fauf votre grace) ainfi dit il.

K. Henry. I faid fo, dear Catharine, and I must not blush to affirm it.

Cath. O bon Dieu! les langues des hommes font pleines de tromperies.

K. Henry. What fays fhe, fair one? that tongues of men are full of deceits?

Lady. Oui. dat de tongues of de mans is be full of deceits: dat is de Princes.

K. Henry. The Princess is the better English Woman. I'faith, Kate, my wooing is fit for thy understanding; I am glad thou canft fpeak no better English, for if thou could'ft, thou would't find me fuch a plain King, that thou would'ft think I had fold my farm to buy my Crown. I know no ways to mince it in love, but directly to fay, I love you; then if you urge me further than to fay, do you in faith? I wear out my fuit. fuit. Give me your answer; i'faith, do; and fo clap hands and a bargain; how fay you, lady? Cath. Sauf votre honneur, me understand well.

K. Henry. Marry, if you would put me to verses, or to dance for your fake, Kate, why, you undid me; for the one I have neither words nor measure; and for the other I have no ftrength in meafure, yet a reafonable meafure in ftrength. If I could win a lady at leap frog, or by vaulting into my faddle with my armour on my back; under the correction of bragging be it spoken, I fhould quickly leap into a wife: Or if I might buffet for my love, or bound my horfe for her favours, I could lay on like a butcher, and fit like a jack-a-napes, never off. But, before God, Kate, I cannot look greenly, nor gafp out my eloquence, nor have I cunning in proteftation: only downright oaths, which I never ufe 'till urg'd, and never break

for

for urging. If thou canft love a fellow of this temper, Kate, whofe face is not worth fun-burning; that never looks in his glass for love of any thing he fees there; let thine eye be thy cook. I fpeak plain foldier; if thou canft love me for this, take me; if not, to fay to thee that I fhall die, 'tis true; but for thy love, by the lord, no: yet I love thee too. And while thou liv'ft, Kate, take a fellow of plain and uncoined conftancy, for he perforce muft do thee right, because he hath not the gift to woo in other places for these fellows of infinite tongue, that can rhyme themselves into ladies' favours, they do always reafon themselves out again. What? a speaker is but a prater; a rhyme is but a ballad; a good leg will fall, a straight back will stoop, a black beard will turn white, a curl'd pate will grow bald, a fair face will wither, a full eye will wax hollow; but a good heart, Kate, is the fun and the moon; or rather the fun, and not the moon; for it fhines bright and never changes, but keeps his courfe truly. If thou would't have fuch a one, take me; take a foldier; take a King and what fay'ft thou then to my love? fpeak, my fair, and fairly, I pray thee.

Cath. Is it poffible dat I fhould love de enemy of France?

K. Henry. No, it is not possible that you fhould love the enemy of France, Kate; but in loving me you should love the friend of France; for I love France fo well, that I will not part with a village of it: I will have it all mine; and Kate, when France is mine and I am yours, then yours is France, and you are

mine.

Cath. I cannot tell vhat is dat.

K. Henry. No, Kate? I will tell thee in French, (which I am fure, will hang upon my tongue like a married wife about her husband's neck, hardly to be fhook off) quand j'ay le poffeffion de France, & quand vous aves le poffeffion de moi (let me fee, what then? St. Den

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