ページの画像
PDF
ePub

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ.

KING HENRY VI.
Duke of Gloucester, uncle to
the King, and Protector.
Duke of Bedford, uncle to
the King, and Regent of
France.
Cardinal Beaufort, Bishop of
Winchefler, and uncle like-
wife to the King.
Duke of Exeter, brother to
King Henry IV.
Duke of Somerfet.
Earl of Warwick.
Earl of Salisbury.
Earl of Suffolk.
Lord Talbot.
Young Talbot his fon.
Richard Plantagenet, after-
wards Duke of York.
Mortimer, Earl of March.
Sir John Falaf
Woodvile, Lieut. of the
Torver.

Lord Mayor of London.
Sir Thomas Gargrave.
Sir William Glandfdale.
Sir William Lucy.

Vernon, of the White Rofe, or York faction.

Baffet, of the Red Rofe, or
Lancaster faction.
Charles, Dauphin, and af
terwards King of France.
Reignier, Duke of Anjou and
titular King of Naples.
Duke of Burgundy.
Duke of Alanfon.
Baftard of Orleans.
Governor of Paris.
Mafter Gunner of Orleans.
Boy, his fon.

An old jhepherd, father to
Joanla Pucelle.

Margaret, daughter to Reig nier, and afterwards Queen to King Henry. Counteft of Auvergne, Joan la Pucelle, a maid pretending to be infpir'd from heaven, and fetting up for the championefs of France. Fiends, attending her.

Lords, Captains, Soldiers, Melengers, and feveral attendants both on the Englijh and French.

The SCENE is partly in England,

and partly in France.

Falfaff is introduced again, who was dead in Henry V. a. 2. f. 3. The reafon is, becaufe this play was ritten by Saakespeare before Henry IV. or V. See the laft lines of Henry V.

ACT

ACTI. SCENE

Westminster-abbey.

Dead march. Enter the funeral of King Henry V. attended on by the Duke of Bedford, regent of France; the Duke of Gloucester, Protector; the Duke of Exeter, and the Earl of Warwick, the Bishop of Winchefter, and the Duke of Somerset.

Bed.

YUNG be the heav'ns with black, yield day to night!

H

Comets, importing change of times * and
ftates,

Brandifh your crefted treffes in the sky;
And with them fcourge the bad revolting ftars,
That have confented unto Henry death!
Henry the Fifth, too famous to live long!
England ne'er loft a King of fo much worth.

Glou. England ne'er had a King until his time.
Virtue he had, deferving to command.

His brandifh'd fword did blind men with its beams;
His arms fpread wider than a dragon's wings:
His fparkling eyes, replete with awful fire,
More dazzled and drove back his enemies,
Than mid-day fun fierce bent against their faces.
What fhould I fay? his deeds exceed all speech:
He never lifted up his hand, but conquer'd.

Exe. We mourn in black; why mourn we not in Henry is dead, and never fhall revive:

[blood?

Upon a wooden coffin we attend ;
And Death's difhonourable victory
We with our ftately prefence glorify,
Like captives bound to a triumphant car.
What? fhall we curfe the planets of mishap,
That plotted thus our glory's overthrow?
Or fhall we think the fubtle witted French
Conj'rers and forc'rers, that, afraid of him,
By magic verfe have thus contriv'd his end?
Win. He was a King, blefs'd of the King of Kings.
Unto the French, the dreadful judgment-day

times, for manners,

So

So dreadful will not be as was his fight.

The battles of the Lord of hofts he fought:
The church's pray'rs made him fo profperous.

[pray'd

Glou. The church? where is it? had not churchmen His thread of life had not fo foon decay'd. None do you like but an effeminate prince, Whom, like a fchool-boy, you may overawe.

Win. Glo'fter, whate'er we like, thou art Protector, And lookeft to command the prince and realm : Thy wife is proud; fhe holdeth thee in awe, More than god or religious churchmen may.

Glou. Name not religion, for thou lov'ft the flesh, And ne'er throughout the year to church thou go'st, Except it be to pray against thy foes.

Bed. Ceafe, ceafe thefe jars, and rest your minds in Let's to the altar; heralds, wait on us;

Inftead of gold we'll offer up our arms,

Since arms avail not now that Henry's dead!

Pofterity await for wretched years,

[peace:

When at their mother's moift eyes babes fhall fuck;
Our ifle be made a marish of falt tears,

And none but women left to 'wail the dead!
Henry the Fifth! thy ghoft I invocate;
Profper this realm, keep it from civil broils,
Combat with adverse planets in the heavens !
A far more glorious ftar thy foul will make,
Than Julius Cæfar, or bright-

SCENE II. Enter a Mefenger.
Me. My honourable lords, health to you all;
Sad tidings bring I to you out of France,
Of lofs, of flaughter, and difcomfeiture;
Guienne, Champaign, and Rheims, and Orleans,
Paris, Guyfors, Poitiers, are all quite loft.

Bed. What fay'ft thou, man, before dead Henry's Speak foftly, or the lofs of thofe great towns [corse? Will make him burft his lead, and rife from death. Glou. Is Paris loft, and Roan yielded up? If Henry were recall'd to life again, Thefe news would caufe him once more yield the ghoft. Exe. How were they loft? what treachery was us'd?" Me. No treachery, but want of men and money.

1

Amongst

Amongst the foldiers this is muttered,

That here you maintain several factions;

And, whilst a field fhould be difpatch'd and fought,
You are difputing of your generals.

One would have ling'ring wars with little coft;
Another would fly fwift, but wanteth wings;
A third man thinks, without expence at all,
By guileful fair words, peace may be obtain❜d.
Awake, awake, English nobility!

Let not floth 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,
Thefe 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 thefe difgraceful wailing robes;
Wounds I will lend the French, instead of eyes,
To weep their intermiffive miferies *.

SCENE III. Enter to them another Messenger.

[chance.

2 Mef. Lords, view thefe letters, full of bad mifFrance is revolted from the English quite, Except fome petty towns of no import.

The Dauphin Charles is crowned King in Rheims,
The baftard Orleans with him is join'd :

Reignier, Duke of Anjou, doth take his part,
The Duke of Alanfon flies to his fide.

[Exit.

Exe. The Dauphin crowned King? all fly to him?

O whither thall we fly from this reproach?

Glou. We will not fly but to our enemies' throats. Bedford, if thou be flack, I'll fight it out

Bed. Glo'fter, why doubt'ft thou of my forwardness? An army have I mutter'd in my thoughts, Wherewith already France is over-run.

SCENE IV. Enter a third Messenger.

3 Me My gracious Lords, to add to your laments. Wherewith you now bedew King Henry's hearfe, I must inform you of a diimal fight

i. e. their miferies, which have had only a fhort intermission from Henry V. s death to my coming amongst them.

VOL. IV.

U u

Betwixt

Betwixt the ftout Lord Talbot and the French.

Win. What! wherein Talbot overcame? Is't fo?
3 Mef. O, no; wherein Lord Talbot was o'erthrown.
The circumftance I'll tell you more at large.
The tenth of August last, this dreadful Lord
Retiring from the fiege of Orleans,

Having scarce full fix thousand in his troop,
By three and twenty thousand of the French
Was roud incompaffed and fet upon.

No leifure had he to inrank his men.
He wanted pikes to set before his archers;
Instead whereof, sharp ftakes, pluck'd out of hedges,
They pitched in the ground confusedly,

[ocr errors]

To keep the horsemen off from breaking in.
More than three hours the fight continued;
Where valiant Talbot above human thought
Enacted wonders with his fword and lance.
Hundreds he fent to hell, and none durft stand him:
Here, there, and every where, inrage'd he flew.
The French exclaim'd, "The devil was in arms!
All the whole army ftood agaz'd on him.
His foldiers, fpying his undaunted spirit,
A Talbot! Talbot! cried out amain,
And rush'd into the bowels of the battle.
Here had the conqueft fully been feal'd up,
If Sir John Falstaff had not play'd the coward;.
He being in the vaward, (place'd behind,
With purpose to relieve and follow them),
Cowardly fled, not having ftruck one ftroke.
Hence grew the gen'ral wreck and maffacre;
Inclosed were they with their enemies.

A bafe Walloon, to win the Dauphin's grace,
Thruft Talbot with a spear into the back;
Whom all France, with her chief affembled strength,
Durft not prefume to look once in the face.

Bed. Is Talbot flain then? I will flay myself,

For living idly here in pomp and ease,
Whilft fuch a worthy leader, wanting aid,
Unto his daftard foe-men is betray'd.

3 Me. O no! he lives, but is took prifoner; And Lord Scales with him, and Lord Hungerford; Moft of the reft flaughter'd, or took likewife.

Bed.

« 前へ次へ »