Bur. I will wink on her to consent, my lord, if you will teach her to know my meaning; for maids, well summered and warm kept, are like flies at Bartholomew-tide, blind, though they have their eyes; and then they will endure handling, which before would not abide looking on.

K. Hen. This moral ties me over to time, and a hot summer; and so I will catch the fly, your cousin, in the latter end, and she must be blind too.

Bur. As love is, my lord, before it loves.

K. Hen. It is so; and you may, some of you, thank love for my blindness; who cannot see many a fair French city, for one fair French maid that stands in my way.

Fr. King. Yes, my lord, you see them perspectively, the cities turned into a maid; for they are all girdled with maiden walls, that war hath never entered.

K. Hen. Shall Kate be my wife?

Fr. King. So please you.

K. Hen. I am content; so the maiden cities you
may wait on her: so the maid, that stood in the way
wish, shall show me the way to my will.

Fr. King. We have consented to all terms of reason.
K. Hen. Is't so, my lords of England?

talk of,

of my

West. The king hath granted every article:
His daughter, first; and then, in sequel, all,
According to their firm, proposed natures.

Exe. Only, he hath not yet subscribed this :-where your majesty demands,- that the king of France, having any occasion to write for matter of grant, shall name your highness in this form, and with this addition, in French,-Notre très cher filz Henry roy d'Angleterre, hériter de France; and thus in Latin,- Præclarissimus filius noster Henricus rex Angliæ, et hæres Francix.

Fr. King. Nor this I have not, brother, so denied,
But your request shall make me let it pass.

K. Hen. I pray you then, in love and dear alliance,
Let that one article rank with the rest:
And, thereupon, give me your daughter.

Fr. King. Take her, fair son; and from her blood raise up
Issue to me; that the contending kingdoms

Of France and England, whose very shores look pale
With envy of each other's happiness,

May cease their hatred; and this dear conjunction
Plant neighborhood and Christianlike accord

In their sweet bosoms, that never war advance
His bleeding sword 'twixt England and fair France.
All. Amen!
VOL. II. -40

3 c

K. Hen. Now welcome, Kate:—and bear me witness all,
That here I kiss her as my sovereign queen. [Flourish.
Q. Isa. God, the best maker of all marriages,
Combine your hearts in one, your realms in one!
As man and wife, being two, are one in love,
So be there 'twixt your kingdoms such a spousal,
That never may ill office, or fell jealousy,
Which troubles oft the bed of blessed marriage,
Thrust in between the paction of these kingdoms,
To make divorce of their incorporate league;
That English may as French, French Englishmen,
Receive each other!-God speak this Amen!

All. Amen!

K. Hen. Prepare we for our marriage:-on which day,
My lord of Burgundy, we'll take your oath,
And all the peers', for surety of our leagues.-
Then shall I swear to Kate, and you to me;
And may our oaths well kept and prosperous be!

[Exeunt.

Enter CHORUS.

Thus far, with rough, and all unable pen,
Our bending author hath pursued the story;
In little room confining mighty men,

Mangling by starts the full course of their glory.
Small time, but, in that small, most greatly lived

This star of England: fortune made his sword; By which the world's best garden he achieved,

And of it left his son imperial lord.

Henry the Sixth, in infant bands crowned king

Of France and England, did this king succeed; Whose state so many had the managing,

That they lost France, and made his England bleed; Which oft our stage hath shown; and, for their sake, In your fair minds let this acceptance take. [Exit.

FIRST PART OF

KING HENRY VI.

(627)

KING HENRY THE SIXTH.

Duke of Gloster, Uncle to the King, and Protector.
Duke of Bedford, Uncle to the King, and Regent of France.
THOMAS BEAUFORT, Duke of Exeter, great Uncle to the King.
HENRY BEAUFORT, great Uncle to the King, Bishop of Win-
chester, and afterwards Cardinal.

JOHN BEAUFORT, Earl of Somerset, afterwards Duke.
RICHARD PLANTAGENET, eldest Son of Richard, late Earl of
Cambridge; afterwards Duke of York.

Earl of Warwick. Earl of Salisbury. Earl of Suffolk.
LORD TALBOT, afterwards Earl of Shrewsbury.
JOHN TALBOT, his Son.

EDMUND MORTIMER, Earl of March.
Mortimer's Keeper, and a Lawyer.

SIR JOHN FASTOLFE. SIR WILLIAM LUCY.
SIR WILLIAM GLANSDALE. SIR THOMAS GARGRAVE.
Mayor of London. WOODVILLE, Lieutenant of the Tower
VERNON, of the White Rose, or York Faction.
BASSET, of the Red Rose, or Lancaster Faction

CHARLES, Dauphin, and afterwards King of France.
REIGNIER, Duke of Anjou, and titular King of Naples.
Duke of Burgundy. Duke of Alençon.
Governor of Paris. Bastard of Orleans.
Master Gunner of Orleans, and his Son.
General of the French Forces in Bordeaux.
A French Sergeant. A Porter.

An old Shepherd, Father to Joan la Pucelle.

MARGARET, Daughter to Reignier; afterwards married to King Henry.

Countess of Auvergne.

JOAN LA PUCELLE, commonly called Joan of Arc.

Fiends appearing to La Pucelle, Lords, Warders of the Tower, Heralds, Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and several Attendants both on the English and French.

SCENE, partly in England, and partly in France.

(628)

ACT I.

SCENE I. Westminster Abbey. Dead March. Corpsc of King Henry the Fifth discovered, lying in state; attended on by the DUKES of BEDFORD, GLOSTER, and EXETER; the EARL of WARWICK, the BISHOP of WINCHESTER, Heralds, fc.

Bedford. 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!
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;
His brandished 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 midday sun fierce bent against their faces.
What should I say? His deeds exceed all speech:
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 dishonorable victory 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 3 c*

(629)