PRINTED FOR JOHN STOCKDALE, PICCADILLY; R. FAULDER AND SON, BOND-STREET; $CATCHERD AND LETTERMAN, AVE-MARIA 1807. 100 OF KING HENRY VI. PERSONS REPRESENT ED.. Aing VIENRY the Sixth. BASSET, of the Red Rose, or Lancaster Fuction. Duke of GlosTER, Uncle to the King, and Protector. CHARLES, Dauphin, und oftertuards King of Duke of BEDFORD, Uncle to the King, und Re- France. gent of France. REIGNIER, Duke of Anjou, and Titular King Curdinal BEAUFORT, Bishop of Winchester, and of Naples. Great Uncle to the King. Duke of BURGUNDY. Duke of EXETER. Duke of Alençon. Duke of SOMERSET. Bastard of ORLEANS. Earl of WARWICK. Gocernor of Paris. Earl of SALISBURY. Master-Gunner of ORLEANS, Boy, his son. Earl of SUFFOLK. An Old Shepherd, Futher to Joan la Pucelle. Lord TALBOT. Young Talbot, his son. MARGARET, daughter to Reignier, and afterRICHARD PLANTAGENET, afterwards Duke of zwrds Queen to King Henry. York. Countess of AUVERGNE. MORTIMER, Earl of March. Joan La Pucelle, commonly called Joan of Sir John FASTOLFE WoodyILLE, Lieutenant Arc; a Maid pretending to be inspir'd from of the Tower. Lord Mayor of London. Sir Heuven, and setting up for the Championess THOMAS GARGRAVE. Sir William GLANS- of France. Sir WILLIAM Lucy. Fiends, attending her. VERNON, of the White Rose, or York Faction. Lords, Captains, Soldiers, Messengers, and several Attendunts both on the English and Frenc!.. The SCEVE is partly in England, and partly in France. DALE. A C T I. Brandish your crystal tresses in the sky; And with them scourge the bad revolting stars, Westminster Abbey. That have consented unto Henry's death! Dead Alarch. Enter the funeral of King Henry the Henry the fifth, too famous to live long! Fijih, attended on by the Duke of Bedford, Re- 5 England ne'er lost a king of so much worth. gent of France: the Duke of Gloster, Protector; Glo. England ne'er had a king, until his time. the Duke of Exeter, and the Earl of Warwick ; Virtue he had, deserving to command: the Bishop of Winchester, and the Duke of So- His brandish’dsword did blind men with his beams; merset, &c. His arms spread wider than a dragon's wings; Bed. HUNG be the heavens with black, 10. His sparkling eyes, replete with wrathful fire, yield day to More dazzled and drove his enemies, Comets, importing change of times and states, (Than mid-day sun, fierce bent against their faces. 'Mr. Theobald observes, that, “the historical transactions contained in this play, take in the compass of above thirty years. I must observe, however, that our author, in the three parts of Henry VI. has not been very precise to the date and disposition of his facts; but shuffled thein, backwards and forwards, out of time. For instance; the lord Talbot is kill'd at the end of the fourth act of this play, who in reality did not fall till the 13th of July 1453 ; and The Second Part of Henry VI. opens with the marriage of the king, which was solemniz'd eight years before Talbot's death, in the year 1445. Again, in the second part, dame Eleanor Cobham is introduced to insult queen Margaret; though her penarice and banishment for sorcery happened three years before that princess came over to England. I could point out many other transgressions against history, as far as the order of time is concerned. Indeed, though there are several master-strokes in these three play', which incontestably betray the workmanship of Shakspeare; yet I am almost doubtful whether they were entirely of his writing. And unless they were wrote by bini very early, I should rather imagine them to have been brought to him as a director of the stage; and so have received some finishing beauties at his hand. An accurate observer will easily sec, the diction of them is more obsolete, and the numbers more mean and prosaical, than in the generality of his genuine compositions. 5 What should I say? his deeds exceed all speech: Among the soldiers this is muttered, That here you maintain several factions ; Exe. We mourn in black; Wliy mourn we not And, wbilsť a field should be dispatch'd and fought, in blood? You are disputing of your generals. Henry is dead, and never shall revive: 5 One would have lingʻring wars with little cost; Upon a wooden coffin we attend; Another would fly swift, but wanteth wings; And deatli's dishonourable victory A third man thinks, without expence at all, We with our stately presence glorify, By guileful fair words peace inay be obtain'd. Like captives bound to a triumphant car. Awake, awake, English nobility; What? 'shall we curse the planets of mishap, 10 Let not sloth dim your honours, new-begot: That plotted thus our glory's overthrow ? Cropp'd are the flower-de-luces in your arms; Or shall we think the subtle-witted French Of England's coat one half is cut away. Conjurers and sorcerers, that, afraid of him, Ere. Were our tears wanting to this funeral, By magic verses have contriv'd his end? These tidings would call forth their fowing tides. Win. He was a king blest of the King of Kings. 15 Bed. Methey concern; regent I am of France:Unto the French the dreaciful judgment-day Give me my steeled coat, l'il fight for France.So dreadful will not be, as was his sight, away with these disgraceful wailing robes ! The battles of the Lord of Ilosts he tought: Wounds I will lend the French instead of eyes, The church's prayers made him so pro-perous. To weep their intermissive' miseries. Glo. The church ! where is it? Ilad not church-20 Enter to them another Messenger. men pray'd, 2 Mess. Lorus, view these letters, full of bad Ilis thread of lite had not so soon decay’d: mischance. None do you like but an eifeminate prince, France is revolted from the English quite; Whom, like a school-boy, you may over-awe. Except some petty towns of no import : Win. Gloster, whalver we like, thou art pro-|-5 The Dauphin Charles is crowned hing in Rheims; tector; The bastard of Orleans with him is join'd ; And lookest to command the prince, and realm. Reignier, duke of Anjou, duth take his párt; Thy wife is proud ; she holdeih thee in awe, The duke of Alençon flieth to his side. [Erit. More than God, or religious church-men, may, Exe. The Dauphin crowned king! all ily to Glo. Namenot religion, for thou lov'st the flesh : 300, whither shall we fly from this reproach? [him ! And ne'er throughout the year tochurch thou go'st, Glo. We will not fly but to ourenemies'throats:Except it be to pray against thy foes. Bedford, if thou be slack, I'll fight it out. Bed. Cease, cease these jars, and rest your minds Bed. Gloster, why doubt'st thou of my forin peace! wardness? Let's to the altar:--Heralds, wait on us:- |35An army have I muster'd in my thoughts, Instead of gold, we'll offci' up our arms; Wherewith already France is over-run. Since arms availnot, now that Henry's dead. Enter a third Messenger. Posterity, await for wretched years, 3 Mess. My gracious lords,--to add to your la. When at their mothers' moisteyes babes shall suck: ments, Our isle be made a nourish' of salt tears, 40 Wherewith you now bedew king Henry's hearse,And none but women left to wail the dead.- I must inform you of a dismal tiglit, Henry the fifth! thy ghost I invocate; Betwixt the stout lord Talbot and the French. Prosper this realm, keep it from civil broils ! Win. What! wherein Talbot overcame? ist so? Combat with adverse planets in the heavens! 3 Mess. 0, no; wherein lord Talbot was o'erA far more glorious star thy soul will make, 1431 thrown: Than Julius Cæsar, or bright The circumstance I'll tell you more at large. The tenth of August last, this dreadful lord, Having full scarce' six thousand in his troop, Instead whereof, sharpstakes,pluck'dout of hedges, More than three hours the right continued; If Henry were recall’d to life again, [ghost. Where valiant Talbot, above human thought, These news would cause him once more yield the Enacted wonders with his sword and lance. Ere. How were they lost? what treachery was 60 Hundreds he sent to hell, and none durst stand bim; us'd? [money: Here, there, and every where, enrag'd he tiew: Mess. No treachery; but want of men and The French exclaim'd, The devil was in arms; * Nourish here signifies a nurse.'i. e. their miseries which have had only a short interinission from Henry the Fifte's death to my coning anongst them. i. e. scarcely. AN IP All the whole army stood agaz'd on him: So in the earth, to this day is not known: soldiers, spying his undaunted spirit, Late, did he shine upon the English side; A Talbot! a Talbot! cried out amain, Now we are victors, upon us he smiles. And rush'd into the bowels of the battle. What towns of any moment, but we have ? Here had the conquest fully been seal'd up, 5 At pleasure here we lie, near Orleans; If Sir John Fastolfe had not play'd the coward: Otherwhiles, thefamish'd English,like pale ghosts, He being in the vaward' (plac'd behind, Faintly besiege us one hour in a month. With purpose to relieve and follow them) Alen. They want their porridge, and their fat Cowardly fled, not having struck one stroke. bull-beeves: Hence grew the general wreck and massacre; 10 Either they must be dieted, like mules, Enclosed were they with their enemies: And have their provender ty'd to their mouths, A base Walloon, to win the Dauphin's grace, Or piteous they will look like drowned mice. Thrust Talbot with a spear into the back; Reig. Let's raise the siege; Whyliveweidlyhere? WhomallFrance,withherchiefassembledstrength, Talbot is taken, whom we woni to fear: Durst not presume to look once in the face. 15Remaineth none, but mad-brain'd Salisbury; Bed. Is Talbot slain? then I will slay myself, And he may well in fretting spend his gall, For living idly here, in pomp and ease, Nor men, nor money, hath he to make war. Whilst such a worthy leader, wanting aid, Chur. Sound, sound alarum; we will rush on Unto his dastard foe-men is betray'd. them. 3 Mess. O no, he lives; but is took prisoner, 20 Now for the honour of the forlorn French:And lord Scales with him, and lord Hungerford: Him I forgive my death, that killeth me, Blost of the rest slaughter’d, or took, likewise. When he seesmego back one foot, or fly.[Exeunt. Bed. His ransom there is none but I shall pay: [flere alarum, they are beaten back by the I'll hale the Dauphin headlong from his throne, English, with great loss. His crown shall be the ransom of my friend; 251 Re-enter Charles, Alençon, and Reignier. Four of their lords I'll change for one of ours.- Char. Who ever saw the like? what men have Farewell, my masters; to my task will.); [fied, Bonfires in France forthwith I am to make, Dogs! cowards! dastards !--I would ne'er have To keep our great Saint George's feast withal: But that they left me 'midst my enemies. Ten thousand soldiers with me I will take, 30 Reig. Salisbury is a desperate homicide; Whose bloody deeds shall make all Europe quake. He fighteth as one weary of his life. 3Mess. So you had need; for Orleans is besieg'u; The other lords, like lions wanting food, The English army is grow'n weak and faint: Do rush upon us as their hungry prey. The earl of Salisbury craveth supply; Alen. Froisard, a countryman of ours, records, And hardly keeps his men from mutiny, 3) England all Olivers and Rowlands 2 bred, Since they, so few, watch such a multitude. During the time Edward the third did reign. Exe. Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry More truly now may this be verified; sworn; For none but Sampsons, and Goliasses, Either to quell the Dauphin utterly, It sendeth forth to skirmish. One to ten! Or bring him in obedience to your yoke. 40 Lean raw-bon'd rascals! who would e'er suppose Bed. I do remember it; and here take leave, They had such courage and audacity? To go about my preparation. [Exit. Char. Let's leave this town; for they are hairGlo. I'll to the Tower with all the haste I can, brain'd slaves, To view the artillery and munition; And hunger will enforce them to be more eager: And then I will proclaimyoung Henry king: [Exit. 45 Of old I know them; rather with their teeth Ere. To Eltham will I, wherethe young kingis, The walls they'll tear down,than forsakethesiege. Being ordaind his special governor; Reig. I think, by some odd gimmals 3 or device, And for his safety there I'll best advise. [Exit. Their arms are set, like clocks, still to strike on; Win. Each hath his place and function to attend : Else they could ne'er hold out so, as they do. I am left out; for me nothing remains. 50|By my consent, we'll e'en let them alone. But long I will not be Jack-out-of-office; Alen. Be it so. The king from Eltham I intend to send, Enter the Bastard of Orleans. And sit at chiefest stern of public weal. [Exit. Bast. Where's the Prince Dauphin? I have SCENE II. news for him. Before Orleans in France. 55 Dau. Bastard of Orleans, thrice welcome to us. Enter Charles, Alençon, and Reignier, marching Bast. Methinks your looks are sad, your chear+ with a Drum and Soldiers. appall’d; Char. Mars his true moving, even as in the Hath the late overthrow wrought this offence? heavens, 1Be not dismay'd, for succour is at hand: ii. e. the back part of the ran or front. 2 These were two of the most famous in the list of, Charlemagne'stwelvepeers; and their exploits are render’dsoridiculously and equally extravagant by the old romancers, that from thence arose that saying amongst our plain and sensible ancestors, of giting one a Rowland for his Oliver, to signify the matching one incredible lye with another; or, as in the modern acceptation of the proverb, to give a personas good a one as he brings. 3 Agimmal is a piece of jointed work, where one piece moves within another, whence it is taken at large for anengine. It is now vulgarly called a gimcrack. 4 Chear is countenance, appearance. A holy Nn |
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