Then, I perceive, that will be verified,
Henry the fifth did sometime prophecy,
If once he come to be a cardinal,

He'll make his cap co-equal with the crown.

K. Hen. My lords ambassadors, your several suits Have been considered and debated on.

Your purpose is both good and reasonable:
And, therefore, are we certainly resolv'd
To draw conditions of a friendly peace;
Which, by my lord of Winchester, we mean
Shall be transported presently to France.

Glo. And for the proffer of my lord your master,—
I have inform'd his highness so at large,
As-liking of the lady's virtuous gifts,
Her beauty, and the value of her dowry,-
He doth intend she shall be England's queen.

K. Hen. In argument and proof of which contract, Bear her this jewel, [To the Amb.] pledge of my affection.

And so, my lord protector, see them guarded,
And safely brought to Dover; where, inshipp'd,
Commit them to the fortune of the sea.

[Exeunt King HEN. and Train; GLOS. EXE. and
Ambassadors.

Win. Stay, my lord legate; you shall first receive The sum of money, which I promised

Should be delivered to his holiness

For clothing me in these grave ornaments.

Leg. I will attend upon your lordship's leisure.
Win. Now, Winchester will not submit, I trow,
Or be inferior to the proudest peer.

Humphrey of Gloster, thou shalt well perceive,
That, neither in birth,5 or for authority,

The bishop will be overborne by thee:

I'll either make thee stoop, and bend thy knee,
Or sack this country with a mutiny.

[Exeunt,

that title in the beginning of the play. He in fact obtained it in the fifth year of Henry's reign. Malone.

5 That neither in birth,] I would read-for birth. That is, thou shalt not rule me, though thy birth is legitimate, and thy autho rity supreme. Johnson.

SCENE II.

France. Plains in Anjou.

Enter CHARLES, BURGUNDY, ALENÇON, LA PUCELLE, and Forces, marching.

Char. These news, my lords, may cheer our drooping spirits:

'Tis said, the stout Parisians do revolt, And turn again unto the warlike French.

Alen. Then march to Paris, royal Charles of France, And keep not back your powers in dalliance.

Puc. Peace be amongst them, if they turn to us; Else, ruin combat with their palaces!

Enter a Messenger.

Mess. Success unto our valiant general,

And happiness to his accomplices!

Char. What tidings send our scouts? I pr'ythee, speak. Mess. The English army, that divided was

Into two parts, is now conjoined in one;

And means to give you battle presently.

Char. Somewhat too sudden, sirs, the warning is;

But we will presently provide for them.

Bur. I trust, the ghost of Talbot is not there; Now he is gone, my lord, you need not fear.

Puc. Of all base passions, fear is most accurs'd:Command the conquest, Charles, it shall be thine; Let Henry fret, and all the world repine.

Char. Then on, my lords; And France be fortunate! [Exeunt.

SCENE III.

The same. Before Angiers.

Alarums: Excursions. Enter LA PUCELLE.

Puc. The regent conquers, and the Frenchmen fly.Now help, ye charming spells, and periapts;7

6

7

parts,] Old copies-parties. Steevens.

ye charming spells, and periapts;] Charms sowed up. Ezek. xiii, 18: "Woe to them that sow pillows to all arm-holes, to hunt souls." Pope.

Periapts were worn about the neck as preservatives from dis

And ye choice spirits that admonish me,
And give me signs of future accidents!
You speedy helpers, that are substitutes
Under the lordly monarch of the north, 8
Appear, and aid me in this enterprize!
Enter Fiends.

[Thunder.

This speedy quick appearance argues proof
Of your accustom'd diligence to me.
Now, ye familiar spirits, that are cull'd
Out of the powerful regions under earth,9
Help me this once, that France may get the field.

[They walk about, and speak not.

O, hold me not with silence over-long!

Where I was wont to feed you with my blood,
I'll lop a member off, and give it you,
In earnest of a further benefit;

So you do condescend to help me now.

[They hang their heads.

ease or danger. Of these, the first chapter of St. John's Gospel was deemed the most efficacious.

Whoever is desirous to know more about them, may consult Reginald Scott's Discovery of Witchcraft, 1584, p. 230, &c.

Steevens.

8 monarch of the north,] The north was always supposed to be the particular habitation of bad spirits. Milton, therefore, assembles the rebel angels in the north. Johnson.

The boast of Lucifer in the xivth chapter of Isaiah is said to be, that he will sit upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north. Steevens.

9 Out of the powerful regions under earth.] I believe Shakspeare wrote-legions. Warburton.

The regions under earth are the infernal regions. Whence else should the sorceress have selected or summoned her fiends?

Steevens.

In a former passage, regions seems to have been printed instead of legions; at least all the editors from the time of Mr. Rowe have there substituted the latter word instead of the former. See

p. 89, n. 1. The word cull'd, and the epithet powerful, which is applicable to the fiends themselves, but not to their place of residence, show that it has an equal title to a place in the text here. So, in The Tempest:

66

But one fiend at a time,

"I'll fight their legions o'er." Malone.

1 Where] i. e. whereas. So, in Pericles, Prince of Tyre: "Where now you 're both a father and a son."

Steevens.

No hope to have redress? My body shall
Pay recompense, if you will grant my suit.

[They shake their heads.

Cannot my body, nor blood-sacrifice,
Entreat you to your wonted furtherance?
Then take my soul; my body, soul, and all,
Before that England give the French the foil.

See! they forsake me.

[They depart.

Now the time is come,

That France must vail her lofty-plumed crest,2
And let her head fall into England's lap.

My ancient incantations are too weak,

--

And hell too strong for me to buckle with:-
Now, France, thy glory droopeth to the dust.

[Exit.

Alarums. Enter French and English, fighting. LA PUCELLE and YORK fighting hand to hand. LA PUCELLE is taken. The French fly.

York. Damsel of France, I think, I have you fast:
Unchain your spirits now with spelling charms,
And try if they can gain your liberty.-
A goodly prize, fit for the devil's grace!
See, how the ugly witch doth bend her brows,
As if, with Circe, she would change my shape.3
Puc. Chang'd to a worser shape thou canst not be.
York. O, Charles the Dauphin is a proper man;
No shape but his can please your dainty eye.

Puc. A plaguing mischief light on Charles, and thee! And may ye both be suddenly surpriz'd

By bloody hands, in sleeping on your beds!

York. Fell,banning hag! enchantress, hold thy tongue.
Puc. I pr'ythee, give me leave to curse a while.
York. Curse, miscreant, when thou comest to the
stake.

3

[Exeunt.

vail her lofty-plumed crest,] i. e. lower it. So, in The Merchant of Venice:

"Vailing her high top lower than her ribs."

See Vol. IV, p. 312, n. 1.

Steevens.

3 As if, with Circe, &c.] So, in The Comedy of Errors: "I think, you have all drank of Circe's cup." Steevens. Fell, banning hag!] To ban is to curse. So, in The Few of Malta, 1633:

"I ban their souls to everlasting pains." Steevens.

Alarums. Enter SUFFOLK, leading in lady MARGARET.

Suf. Be what thou wilt, thou art my prisoner.

O fairest beauty, do not fear, nor fly;

[Gazes on her.

For I will touch thee but with reverent hands,

And lay them gently on thy tender side..

I kiss these fingers [Kissing her hand] for eternal peace:5 Who art thou? say, that I may honour thee.

Mar. Margaret my name; and daughter to a king,

The king of Naples, whosoe'er thou art.

Suf. An earl I am, and Suffolk am I call'd.

Be not offended, nature's miracle,

Thou art allotted to be ta'en by me:

So doth the swan her downy cygnets save,
Keeping them prisoners underneath her wings.9
Yet, if this servile usage once offend,

Go, and be free again, as Suffolk's friend.

[She turns away as going...

O, stay!-I have no power to let her pass;

My hand would free her, but my heart says-no.7

5 I kiss these fingers for eternal peace:] In the old copy these lines are thus arranged and pointed:

"For I will touch thee but with reverent hands,

"I kiss these fingers for eternal peace,

"And lay them gently on thy tender side."

by which Suffolk is made to kiss his own fingers, a symbol of peace of which there is, I believe, no example. The transposition was made, I think, rightly, by Mr. Capell. In the old edition, as here, there is only a comma after "hands,” which seems to countenance the regulation now made. To obtain something like sense, the modern editors were obliged to put a full point at the end of that line.

In confirmation of the transposition here made, let it be remembered that two lines are in like manner misplaced in Troilusand Cressida, Act I:

"Or like a star dis-orb'd; nay, if we talk of reason,
"And fly like a chidden Mercury from Jove."

Again, in King Richard III, Act IV, sc. iv:

6

"That reigns in galled eyes of weeping souls,

"That excellent grand tyrant of the earth." Malone.

her wings.] Old copy-his. This manifest error I only mention, because it supports a note in Vol. V, p. 140, n. 5. and justifies the change there made. Her was formerly spelt hi hence it was often confounded with his. Malone.

7 My hand would free her, but my heart says-no.] Thus, in The Two Gentlemen of Verona: