KING HENRY THE SIXTH

DUKE OF BEDFORD, Uncle to the King, Regent of Franco DUKE OF GLOUCESTER, Uncle to the King, and Protector DUKE OF EXETER,

BISHOP OF WINCHESTER,

Great-Uncles to the King

RICHARD PLANTAGENET, Son of Richard, late Earl of Cambridge; afterwards Duke of York

DUKE OF SOMERSET

EARL OF WARWICK

EARL OF SALISBURY

EARL OF SUFFOLK

LORD TALBOT, afterwards Earl of Shrewsbury
JOHN TALBOT, his Son

EDMUND MORTIMER, Earl of March

SIR JOHN FASTOLFE

SIR WILLIAM GLANSDALE

SIR THOMAS GARGRAVE

SIR WILLIAM LUCY

VERNON, of the White-Rose, or York, Faction
BASSET, of the Red-Rose, or Lancaster, Faction
WOODVILE, Lieutenant of the Tower

Mayor of London

A Lawyer of the Temple

Lords, Warders of the Tower, Mortimer's Keepers, Heralds, Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and Attendants

CHARLES, Dauphin of France (legitimately, King Charles VII)

REIGNIER, Duke of Anjou, and titular King of Naples

DUKE OF BURGUNDY
DUKE OF ALENÇON
BASTARD OF ORLEANS

Governor of Paris

General of the French Forces in Bordeaux

Master-Gunner of Orleans, and his Son

An old Shepherd, Father to Joan la Pucelle
MARGARET, Daughter to Reignier

COUNTESS OF AUVERGNE

JOAN LA PUCELLE, commonly called Joan of Arc
French Herald, Sergeant, and Sentinels; Porter to the
Countess of Auvergne; Fiends appearing to La Pucelle

SCENE: London and Westminster; various parts of France.]

The First Part of Henry the Sixth

ACT FIRST

Scene One

[Westminster Abbey]

Dead March.

Enter the Funeral of King Henry the Fifth, attended on by the Duke of Bedford, Regent of France; the Duke of Gloucester, Protector; the Duke of Exeter; Warwick; the Bishop of Winchester; and the Duke of Somerset [with Heralds, &c.]. Bed. Hung be the heavens with black, yield day to night!

Comets, importing change of times and states,
Brandish your crystal tresses in the sky,
And with them scourge the bad revolting stars,
That have consented unto Henry's death!
King Henry the Fifth, too famous to live long!
England ne'er lost a king of so much worth.

Glo. England ne'er had a king until his time.
Virtue he had, deserving to command:

12

His brandish'd sword did blind men with his beams;
His arms spread wider than a dragon's wings;
His sparkling eyes, replete with wrathful fire,
More dazzled and drove back his enemies
Than mid-day sun fierce bent against their faces.
What should I say? his deeds exceed all speech:

The First Part, etc.; cf. n.

10 his: its

1 Hung black; cf. n.

...

16

He ne'er lift up his hand but conquered.

Exe. We mourn in black: why mourn we not in

blood?

Henry is dead and never shall revive.

Upon a wooden coffin we attend,

And death's dishonourable victory

20

We with our stately presence glorify,
Like captives bound to a triumphant car.
What! shall we curse the planets of mishap
That plotted thus our glory's overthrow?
Or shall we think the subtle-witted French
Conjurers and sorcerers, that, afraid of him,
By magic verses have contriv'd his end?

24

Win. He was a king bless'd of the King of

kings.

Unto the French the dreadful judgment-day

So dreadful will not be as was his sight.

28

The battles of the Lord of hosts he fought:

The church's prayers made him so prosperous.

32

Glo. The church! where is it? Had not churchmen

pray'd,

His thread of life had not so soon decay'd:

None do you like but an effeminate prince,

Whom like a school-boy you may over-awe.

36

Win. Gloucester, whate'er we like thou art protector,

And lookest to command the prince and realm.
Thy wife is proud; she holdeth thee in awe,
More than God or religious churchmen may.

Glo. Name not religion, for thou lov'st the flesh,

And ne'er throughout the year to church thou go'st, Except it be to pray against thy foes.

16 lift: lifted

40

Bed. Cease, cease these jars and rest your minds

in peace!

Let's to the altar: heralds, wait on us:

44

Instead of gold we'll offer up our arms,

Since arms avail not, now that Henry's dead.
Posterity, await for wretched years,

When at their mothers' moist eyes babes shall suck,
Our isle be made a marish of salt tears,
And none but women left to wail the dead.
Henry the Fifth! thy ghost I invocate:
Prosper this realm, keep it from civil broils!
Combat with adverse planets in the heavens!
A far more glorious star thy soul will make,
Than Julius Cæsar, or bright—

Enter a Messenger.

Mess. My honourable lords, health to you all!
Sad tidings bring I to you out of France,
Of loss, of slaughter, and discomfiture:
Guyenne, Champagne, Rheims, Orleans,
Paris, Gisors, Poitiers, are all quite lost.

Bed. What sayst thou, man, before dead Henry's corse?

Speak softly; or the loss of those great towns

Will make him burst his lead and rise from death. 64 Glo. Is Paris lost? is Roan yielded up?

If Henry were recall'd to life again

These news would cause him once more yield the ghost.

Exe. How were they lost? what treachery was us'd?

68

Mess. No treachery; but want of men and money. Among the soldiers this is muttered,

50 marish: marsh; cf. n.

64 lead: leaden wrappings

60, 61 Cf. n. 65 Roan: Rouen

That here you maintain several factions;

And, whilst

fought,

a field should be dispatch'd and

You are disputing of your generals.

One would have lingering wars with little cost;
Another would fly swift, but wanteth wings;
A third thinks, without expense at all,
By guileful fair words peace may be obtain'd.
Awake, awake, English nobility!
Let not sloth dim your honours new-begot:
Cropp'd are the flower-de-luces in your arms;
Of England's coat one half is cut away.

Exe. Were our tears wanting to this funeral
These tidings would call forth their flowing tides.
Bed. Me they concern; Regent I am of France.
Give me my steeled coat: I'll fight for France.
Away with these disgraceful wailing robes!
Wounds will I lend the French instead of eyes,
To weep their intermissive miseries.

Enter to them another Messenger.

72

76

80

84

88

Sec. Mess. Lords, view these letters, full of bad mischance.

France is revolted from the English quite,

Except some petty towns of no import:

The Dauphin Charles is crowned king in Rheims; 92 The Bastard of Orleans with him is join'd;

Reignier, Duke of Anjou, doth take his part;

The Duke of Alençon flieth to his side.

Exit.

Exe. The Dauphin crowned king! all fly to him!

71 several: separate

72 field. dispatch'd: battle arranged

80 The fleurs de lys are plucked from your coat of arms

8 intermissive: temporarily interrupted (but now to be renewed) 92 Cf. n.

96