Treasure" (1. 255), containing tennis-balls (1. 258); a gift which their master deems "meeter for" Henry's "spirit" than French dukedoms. Of this incident Holinshed gives the following account: Biton. ambassage. Dauphin's Paris [Hol. iii. 545/1/1.] Whilest in the Lent season the king laie at A disdaineKillingworth, there came to him from Charles [sc. Lewis] Dolphin full of France certeine ambassadors, that brought with them a barrell [The of Paris balles; which from their maister they presented to him for a token that was taken in verie ill part, as sent in scorne, to signifie, that it was more meet for the king to passe the time with such childish exercise, than to attempt any worthie exploit. Part of Henry's answer (11. 264-266) to the ambassadors Tell him, "he hath made a match with such a Wrangler, -may be derived from the concluding portion of this excerpt: balles.'] [Hol. iii. 545/1/9.] Wherfore the K. wrote to him, that yer ought long, he would tosse him some London balles that perchance [Henry's should shake the walles of the best court in France.1 Act II. Chorus.—When Shakspere wrote ll. 8-10,— And hides a Sword, from Hilts vnto the Point, -he may have been thinking of a woodcut-portrait of Edward III.,2- Act II. sc. ii.—This scene is laid at Southampton, in August, 1415.3 1 Cp. the rest of the passage in Ott. (cited above, p. 165): "Cui rex Anglorum rescripsit, dicens, se in brevi pilas missurum Londoniarum quibus terreret [tereret] & confunderet sua tecta." Henry's threat that the Dauphin's balls shall become "Gun-stones" (I. ii. 282) may be Shakspere's reminiscence of Caxton (Chronicle, ed. 1482, sign. t. 5), who says that Henry "lete_make tenys balles for the dolphyn in al the hast that they my3t be made, and they were grete gonne stones for the Dolphyn to playe with all." But a cannonshot was called a gunstone in Shakspere's time. See examples in the revised ed. of Henry V. (New Sh. Soc.), p. 162. In a contemporary poem, ascribed to Lydgate, Henry speaks of a game at tynes" which his guns "shall play with Harflete."-Chron. Lond., 220. 2 In Rastell's Pastyme of People, 1529, Edward III. is portrayed at full length, holding a sword encircled by two crowns. For a comparison with II., Chorus, 1. 6,-where Henry is styled "the Mirror of all Christian Kings,"see p. 205, note 2, below. The treason of Cambridge, Scrope, and Grey was "publisshid and openli knowe" at Southampton, on August 1, 1415.-Chron. R. II.—H. VI., 40. On August 2, a jury found the conspirators guilty (Rot. Parl. iv. 65), and, on August 5, Clarence was commissioned to pass sentence on Cambridge and Scrope (Rymer, ix. 300), 'London balles.'] All the historic negotiation which preceded Henry's departure for France was passed over or postdated, and the event placed next to the tennis-balls' incident is the conspiracy of Cambridge, Scrope, and Grey. [Hol. iii. 548/1/66.] When king Henrie had fullie furnished his nauie with men, munition, & other prouisions, [he,] perceiuing that his capteines misliked nothing so much as delaie, determined his souldiors to go a ship-boord and awaie. But see the hap! the night before the daie appointed for their departure, he was crediblie informed, that Richard earle of Cambridge, brother to Edward duke of Yorke, and Henrie lord Scroope of Masham, lord treasuror, with Thomas Graie, a knight of Northumberland, being confederat Cambridge&togither, had conspired his death: wherefore he caused them to be apprehended. The earle of apprehended for treason Neither Holinshed nor, I believe, any chronicler published in Shakspere's day1 relates that the conspirators were led on by Henry to doom themselves (11. 39-51). The speech (11. 79-144) in which Henry upbraids 1 Saint-Remy-whose Mémoires, from 1407 to 1422, were first published in 1663-says-as do other chroniclers-that the conspirators sought to make the Earl of March an accomplice by offering to place him on the throne, but that he revealed their design to Henry. Saint-Remy adds (vii. 488-489) that the King thereupon called a council of his nobles, and after telling them that he had heard, though he could not believe, that some of his subjects were engaged in a plot to deprive him of his crown, asked, if the report were true, what should be done to these traitors. The question was put to each lord in succession, and the conspirators answered that such traitors ought to suffer a death so cruel as to be a warning to others. Every one present having given his opinion, Henry confronted March with the guilty men, who owned their treasonable project. Waurin (V. i. 177-179) gives the same account of the conspirators' detection. the traitors was wholly Shakspere's work, except that part of it where Scrope's dissimulation and ingratitude is denounced (11. 93-142). The germ of these lines lay in the following passage: [Henry's trust in Lord Scrope.] [Hol. iii. 548/2/3.] The said lord Scroope was in such fauour with the king, that he admitted him sometime to be his bedfellow; in whose fidelitie the king reposed such trust, that, when anie Thom. Wals. priuat or publike councell was in hand, this lord had much in the determination of it. For he represented so great grauitie in his countenance, such modestie in behauiour, and so vertuous zeale to all godlinesse in his talke, that whatsoeuer he said was thought for the most part necessarie to be doone and followed. Also the said sir Thomas Graie (as some write) was of the kings priuie councell. The formal words used by Exeter in arresting Cambridge seem to have been taken from Holinshed: "I arrest thee of High Treason, by the name of Richard Earle of Cambridge." Holinshed says (iii. 549/ 1/26): "indicted he was by the name of Richard earle of Cambridge of Connesburgh in the countie of Yorke, knight." Cambridge qualifies his guilt (11. 155-157): For me the Gold of France did not seduce; The sooner to effect what I intended. The motive which is supposed to have really influenced him was of a different sort. [Hol. iii. 548/2/72.] Diuerse write that Richard earle of feigned to be in the French his real interest, but object was the crown hoped to to secure Cambridge did not conspire with the lord Scroope & Thomas Graie for the murthering of king Henrie to [p. 549] please the French king withall, but onelie to the intent to exalt to the crowne [Cambridge his brother in law Edmund earle of March as heire to Lionell duke of Clarence after the death of which earle of March, (for diuerse secret impediments, not able to haue issue,) the earle of Cambridge was sure that the crowne should come to him by his wife, and to his children, of hir begotten. And therefore (as was thought) he rather confessed himselfe for need of monie to be corrupted by the French king, than he would declare his inward mind, and open his verie intent and secret purpose, which if it were espied, he saw plainlie that the earle of March should haue tasted of the same cuppe that he had drunken, and what should haue come to his owne children he much doubted. Therefore destitute of comfort for March, whom he succeed.] & in despaire of life to saue his children, he feined that tale; desiring rather to saue his succession than himselfe, which he did in deed; for his sonne Richard duke of Yorke not priuilie but openlie claimed the crowne, and Edward his sonne both claimed it, & gained it, as after it shall appeare. Having heard Grey's confession (11. 161-165), Henry dooms the traitors: K. God quit you in his mercy! Hear your sentence ! 168 Wherein you would haue sold your King to slaughter, Hall. These lines should be compared with the following speech, taken by Holinshed from Halle : [Hol. iii. 548/2/15.] These prisoners, vpon their examination, confessed, that for a great summe of monie which they had receiued of the French king, they intended verelie either to haue deliuered the king aliue into the hands of his enimies, or else to haue murthered him before he should arriue in the duchie of Normandie. When king Henrie had heard all things opened, which he desired to know, he caused all his nobilitie to come before his presence; before whome he caused to be brought the offendors also, and to them said: "Hauing thus conspired the 1 Johnson pointed out (Var. Sh., xvii. 314) a resemblance between Grey's words (1. 165)," My fault, but not my body, pardon, Soueraigne," and an expression of Dr. William Parry, executed on March 2, 1584, for plotting the death of Elizabeth. In a letter addressed to the Queen, Parry said: "I haue no more to saie at this time, but that with my hart & soule I doo now honour & loue you, am inwardlie sorie for mine offense, and readie to make you amends by my death and patience. Discharge me A culpa but not A poena, good ladie."-Hol. iii. 1387/1/57. 2 you have] Qq. you three F2. you F1. death and destruction of me, which am the head of the realme "and gouernour of the people, it maie be (no doubt) but that you "likewise haue sworne the confusion of all that are here with me, "and also the desolation of your owne countrie. To what horror "(O lord!) for any true English hart to consider, that such an "execrable iniquitie should euer so bewrap you, as for pleasing of "a forren enimie to imbrue your hands in your bloud, and to ruine your owne natiue soile. Reuenge herein touching my person, "though I seeke not; yet for the safegard of you my deere freends, "& for due preseruation of all sorts, I am by office to cause "example to be shewed. Get ye hence therefore, ye poore miserable "wretches, to the receiuing of your iust reward; wherein Gods "maiestie give you grace of his mercie, and repentance of your "heinous offenses." And so immediatlie they were had to execution. The general purport of Henry's final speech (11. 182-193) is the same as the "words few" which he is said to have spoken after the traitors were had to execution." 66 [Henry's address to his lords, train after the traitors were had to [Hol. iii. 548/2/43.] This doone, the king, calling his lords againe afore him, said in words few and with good grace. Of his enterprises he recounted the honor and glorie, whereof they with him were to be partakers; the great confidence he had in their noble minds, which could not but remember them of the famous execution.] feats that their ancestors aforetime in France had atchiued, whereof the due report for euer recorded remained yet in register. The great mercie of God that had so gratiouslie reuealed vnto him the treason at hand, whereby the true harts of those afore him [were] made so eminent & apparant in his eie, as they might be right sure he would neuer forget it. The doubt of danger to be nothing in respect of the certeintie of honor that they should acquire; wherein himselfe (as they saw) in person would be lord and leader through Gods grace. To whose maiestie, as cheeflie was knowne the equitie of his demand, euen so to his mercie, did he onelie recommend the successe of his trauels. Act II. sc. iv.-A dramatic date should perhaps be given to the council over which Charles VI. is presiding when the English ambassadors crave admittance (11. 65-66). Henry-who, we learn, "is footed N |