FIRST PART OF KING HENRY THE SIXTH. KING HENRY THE SIXTH. PERSONS REPRESENTE D. HUNG be the heavens with black,2 yield day to night! Comets, importing change of times and states, Glo. England ne'er had a king, until his time. in blood? 1 Richard Beauchamp, carl of Warwick, who is a character in King Henry V. The earl of Warwick, who appears in a subsequent part of this drama, is Richard Nevill, son to the earl of Salisbury, who came to the title in right of his wife, Anne, sister of Henry Beauchamp, duke of Warwick. Richard, the father of this Henry, was appointed governor to the king on the demise of Thomas Beaufort, duke of Exeter, and died in 1439, There is no reason to think the author meant to confound the two characters. 2 Alluding to the ancient practice of hanging the stage with black when a tragedy was to be acted. Mayor of London. WOODVILLE, Lieutenant of the Tower. VERNON, of the White Rose, or York Faction. COUNTESS of AUVERGNE. SCENE-partly in England, and partly in France. Like captives bound to a triumphant car. Win. He was a king bless'd of the King of kings. Henry the Fifth! thy guost I invocate ; Enter a Messenger. 1 1 Mess. My honourable lords, health to you all! Speak softly; or the loss of those great towns These news would cause him once more yield the Exe. How were they lost? what treachery was us'd? Mess. No treachery; but want of men and money. Let not sloth dim your honours, new begot: Exe. Were our tears wanting to this funeral, Enter another Messenger. Retiring from the siege of Orleans, Having full scarce six thousand in his troop, Durst not presume to look once in the face. Bed. Is Talbot slain? then I will slay myself, 3 Mess. Ono, he lives; but is took prisoner, And Lord Scales with him, and Lord Hungerford. Most of the rest slaughter'd, or took, likewise. Bed. His ransom there is none but I shall 2 Mess. Lords, view these letters, full of bad To keep our great Saint George's feast withal : mischance, France is revolted from the English quite ; The Dauphin Charles is crowned king in Rheims; Ten thousand soldiers with me I will take, sieg'd; The English army is grown weak and faint: And hardly keeps his men from mutiny, Exe. The Dauphin is crowned king! all fly to Since they, so few, watch such a multitude. him! 1 Pope conjectured that this blank had been supplied by the name of Francis Drake, which, though a glaring anachronism, might have been a popular, though not judicious, mode of attracting plaudits in the theatre. Part of the arms of Drake was two blazing stars. 2 Capel proposed to complete this defective verse by the insertion of Rouen among the places lost, as Gloster infers that it had been mentioned with the rest. 3 i. e. England's flowing tides. 4 i. e. their miseries which have only a short inter mission Ere. Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry 5 For an account of this Sir John Fastolfe, vide Biographia Britannica, by Kippis, vol. v. ; in which is his life, written by Mr. Gough. 6 The old copy reads send, the present reading was proposed by Mason, who observes that the king was not at this time in the power of the cardinal, but under the care of the duke of Exeter. The second article of accusation brought against the bishop by the duke of Gloucester is 'that he purposed and disposed him to set hand on the king's person, and to have removed him from El tham to Windsor, to the ntent to put him in governance as him list. ' Holinshed vol. iii. p. 591 SCENE II. France. Before Orleans. Enter | Speak, shall I call her in? Believe my words, and others. Char. Mars his true moving, even as in the So in the earth, to this day is not known: Alen. They want their porridge, and their fat bull- Either they must be dieted like mules, here? Talbot is taken, whom we wont to fear Now for the honour of the forlorn French :- others. Char. Who ever saw the like? what men have I? Char. Go, call her in: [Exit Bastard.] But, first Reignier, stand thou as Dauphin in my place: [Retires. Enter LA PUCELLE, Bastard of Orleans, and others. Reig. Fair maid, is't thou wilt do these wondrous feats? Puc. Reignier, is't thou that thinkest to beguile Where is the Dauphin ?--come, come from behind; Reig. She takes upon her bravely at first dash. Dogs! cowards! dastards!-I would ne'er have fled, With those clear rays which she infus'd on me, But that they left me 'midst my enemies. Reig. Salisbury is a desperate homicide; He fighteth as one weary of his life. The other lords, like lions wanting food, Alen. Froissard, a countryman of ours, records, For none but Samsons, and Goliasses Char. Let's leave this town; for they are hair brain'd slaves, And hunger will enforce them to be more eager : Enter the Bastard of Orleans. Bast. Where's the prince Dauphin, I have news for him. Char. Bastards of Orleans, thrice welcome to us. Hath the late overthrow wrought this offence? A holy maid hither with me I bring, Which, by a vision sent to her from heaven, And drive the English forth the bounds of France. 1 'You are as ignorant in the true movings of my 3 These were two of the most famous in the list of Charlemagne's twelve peers; and their exploits are the theme of the old romances. From the equally doughty and unheard of exploits of these champions, arose the saying of Giving a Rowland for an Oliver, for giving a erson as good as he brings That beauty am I bless'd with, which you see Resolve on this: Thou shalt be fortunate, Char. Thou hast astonish'd me with thy high terms; Only this proof I'll of thy valour make,- Puc. I am prepar'd: here is my keen-edged sword yard, Out of a great deal of old iron I chose forth. Char. Whoe'er helps thee, 'tis thou that mus: Impatiently I burn with thy desire; My heart and hands thou hast at once subdu❜d. 4 By gimmals, gimbols, ginuners, or gimoves, any kind of device or machinery producing motion was meant. Baret has 'the gimew or hinge of a door.' 5 Bastard was not in former times a title of reproach. 6 Cheer in this instance means heart or courage, as in the expression be of good cheer.' 7 Warburton says that, 'there were no nine sybils of Rome, it is a mistake for the nine Sibylline Oracles brought to one of the Tarquins.' But the poet followed the popular books of his day, which say that the ter sybils were women that had the spirit of prophecy (env merating them) and that they prophesied of Christ' 8 i. e. be convinced of it. Char. Mean tin o, look gracious on thy prostrate | Servants rush at the Tower Gates. Enter, to the thrall. Gates, WOODVILLE, the Lieutenant. Wood. [Within.] What noise is this? what traitors have we here? Reig. My lord, methinks, is very long in talk. Alen. Doubtless he shrives this woman to her smock; Eise ne'er could he so long protract his speech. Reig. Shall we disturb him, since he keeps no mean? Alen. He may mean more than we poor men do Puc. Assign'd am I to be the English scourge. Expect Saint Martin's summer,1 halcyon days, Till, by broad spreading, it disperse to nought.2 Char. Was Mahomet inspired with a dove ?3 Alen. Leave off delays, and let us raise the siege. Reig. Woman, do what thou canst to save our Drive them from Or.eans, and be immortaliz'd. Char. Presently we'll ty:-Come let's away about it: No prophet will I trust, if she prove false. [Exeunt. SCENE III. London. Hill before the Tower. Enter, at the Gates, the Duke of GLOSTER, with his Serving-men in blue Coats. Glo. I am come to survey the Tower this day; Since Henry's death, I fear there is conveyance.Where be these warders, that they wait not here? Open the gates; Gloster it is that calls. [Servants knock. 1 Ward. [Within.] Who is there that knocks so imperiously? 1 Serv. It is the noble duke of Gloster. 2 Ward. [Within.] Whoe'er he be, you may not be let in. 1 Serv. Answer you so the lord protector, villains? 1 Ward. [Within.] The Lord protect him! so we answer him: We do no otherwise than we are will'd. Glo. Who willed you? or whose will stands, but mine ? There's none protector of the realm, but I.— 1 i. e. expect prosperity after misfortune, like fair weather at Martlemas, after winter has begun. 2 This is a favourite image with poets. 3 Mahomet had a dove which he used to feed with wheat out of his ear; which dove when it was hungry, lighted on Mahomet's shoulder, and thrust its bill in to find its breakfast, Mahomet persuading the rude and -imple Arabians that it was the Holy Ghost.' Raleigh's rlist. of the World, part i. c. vi. 4 Meaning the for daughters of Philip mentioned in Acts, xxi. 9. 5 Conveyance anciently signified any kind of furtive knavery, or privy stealing. 6 To break up was the same as to break open. 7 It appears that the attendants upon ecclesiastical courts, and a bishop's servants, were then, as now, distinguished by clothing of a sombre colour. 81 e. bald, alluding to his shaven crown. Glo. Lieutenant, is it you, whose voice I hear? Open the gates; here's Gloster, that would enter. Wood. [Within.] Have patience, noble duke : 1 may not open; The cardinal of Winchester forbids: Glo. Faint-hearted Woodville, prizest him 'fore me? Arrogant Winchester? that haughty prelate, 1 Serv. Open the gates unto the lord protector; Or we'll burst them open, if that you come not quickly. Enter WINCHESTER, attended by a Train of Se vants in tawny Coats." Win. How now, ambitious Humphry? what means this? 8 Glo. Piel'd priest, dost thou command me to be shut out? Win. I do, thou most usurping proditor, Glo. Stand back, thou manifest conspirator; Win. Nay, stand thou back, I will not budge a foot; This be Damascus, be thou cursed Cain, Glo. I will not slay thee, but I'll drive thee back : Win. Do what thou dar'st: I beard thee to thy face. Glo. What? am I dar'd, and bearded to my face? Draw, men, for all this privileged place; Blue-coats to tawny-coats. Priest, beware your beard; [GLOSTER and his men attack the Bishop I mean to tug it, and to cuff you soundly: Under In spite of pope or dignities of church, my feet I stamp thy cardinal's hat; Here by the cheeks I'll drag thee up and down. Win. Gloster, thou'lt answer this before the pope. Glo. Winchester goose, 12 I cry-a rope! a rope! Thee I'll chase hence, thou wolf in sheep's array Now beat them hence: Why do you let them stay? Out, tawny coats!-out scarlet13 hypocrite! Here a great Tumult. In the midst of it, Enter the Mayor of London, 14 and Officers. May. Fye, lords! that you, being supreme magis trates, Thus contumeliously should break the peace! wrongs : 9 Traitor. 10 The public stews in Southwark were under the jurisdiction of the bishop of Winchester. Upton had seen the office book of the court leet, in which was entered the fees paid by, and the customs and regulations of these brothels. 11 To canvas was 'to toss in a sieve; a punishment (says Cotgrave) inflicted on such as commit gross ab surdities.' 12 A Winchester goose was a particular stage of the disease contracted in the stews, hence Gloucester bestows the epithet on the bishop in derision and scorn. 13 In King Henry VIII. the earl of Surrey, with a similar allusion to Cardinal Wolsey's habit, calls him scarlet sin.' 14 It appears from Pennant's London that this mayor was John Coventry, an opulent mercer, from whom the present earl of Coventry is descended. Here's Beaufort, that regards nor God nor king, IVin. Here's Gloster too, a foe to citizens; But to make open proclamation: Glo. Cardinal, I'll be no breaker of the law : sure: I myself fight not once in forty year. [Exeunt. SCENE IV. France. Before Orleans. Enter, on the Walls, the Master Gunner and his Son. M. Gun. Sirrah, thou know'st how Orleans is besieg'd: aim. And how the English have the suburbs won. Chief master-gunner am I of this town; How the English, in the suburbs close intrench'd, A piece of ordnance 'gainst it I have plac'd; them. If thou spy'st any, run and bring we word; Sal. Talbot, my life, my joy, again return'd! 1 Malone erroneously thinks the mayor cries out for peace-officers armed with clubs or staves. The pràctice af calling out Clubs! clubs to call out the London apprentices upon the occasion of any affray in the streets, has been before explained, see As You Like It, Act v. Sc. 2. 2 Stomach is pride, a haughty spirit of resentment 3 Favour. 4 Spies. Vide note on Hamlet, Act iii. Sc. 1. Or by what means gott'st thou to be releas'd? Tal. The duke of Bedford had a prisoner, Sal. Yet tell'st thou not, how thou wert enter Tal. With scoffs, and scorns, and contumelious taunts. To be a public spectacle to all; Here, said they, is the terror of the French,” None durst come near for fear of sudden death. Where is best place to make our battery next. Glan. And I, here, at the bulwark of the bridge. [Shot from the Town. SALISBURY and SIR Sal. O Lord, have mercy on us, wretched sinners cross'd us?— Speak, Salisbury: at least, if thou canst speak; One eye thou hast to look to heaven for grace: very scourge and a daily terror, insomuch that as his 8 Camden says, in his Remaines, that the French scarce knew the use of great ordnance till the siege of 3 The old copy reads went; the emendation is Mr. Mans in 1455, when a breach was made in the walls of Fyrwhitt's 6 The old copy reads 'pil'd esteem'd.' that town by the English, under the conduct of this ear! of Salisbury; and that he was the first English gertle This man Talbot] was to the French people a man that was slain by a cannon ball |