K. Hen. Prepare we for our marriage on which day, My lord of Burgundy, we'll take your oath, And all the peers', for safety of our leagues. Then shall I swear to Kate, and you to me; And may our oaths well kept and prosperous be! EPILOGUE. Enter Chorus. 400 [Sennet. Exeunt. Chor. Thus far, with rough and all-unable pen, Mangling by starts the full course of their glory. 10 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. [Ex it. THE FIRST PART OF KING HENRY THE SIXTH. DRAMATIS PERSONÆ. KING HENRY the Sixth. EARL OF WARWICK. EARL OF SALISBURY. EARL OF SUFFOLK. Duke of LORD TALBOT, afterwards Earl of JOHN TALBOT, his son. EDMUND MORTIMER, Earl of March. SIR WILLIAM LUCY. SIR WILLIAM GLANSDALE. WOODVILE, Lieutenant of the VERNON, of the White-Rose or MARGARET, daughter to Reignier, afterwards married to King Henry. COUNTESS OF AUVERGNE. JOAN LA PUCELLE, commonly Lords, Warders of the Tower, Fiends appearing to La Pucelle. SCENE: Partly in England, and partly in France. 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, the EARL OF WARWICK, the BISHOP OF WINCHESTER, 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 Glou. England ne'er had a king until his time. His brandish'd sword did blind men with his beams: Than mid-day sun fierce bent against their faces What should I say? his deeds exceed all speech: He ne'er lift up his hand but conquered. 10 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 Win. He was a king bless'd of the King of kings. So dreadful will not be as was his sight. 20 30 The battles of the Lord of hosts he fought: The church's prayers made him so prosperous. pray'd, Glou. The church! where is it? Had not churchmen 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. 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. 40 Glou. Name not religion, for thou lovest the flesh, And ne'er throughout the year to church thou go'st Bed. Cease, cease these jars and rest your minds, in peace: Let's to the altar: heralds, wait on us: 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 nourish of salt tears, 50 And none but women left to wail the dead. 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: Guienne, Champagne, Rheims, Orleans, Paris, Guysors, Poictiers, are all quite lost. 60 Bed. What say'st 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. 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 used? Mess. No treachery; but want of men and money. Amongst the soldiers this is muttered, That here you maintain several factions, And whilst a field should be dispatch'd and fought, One would have lingering wars with little cost; By guileful fair words peace may be obtain'd. Let not sloth dim your honours new-begot: Ere. Were our tears wanting to this funeral, 70 80 Wounds will I lend the French instead of eyes, Enter to them another Messenger. 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; 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. Exe. The Dauphin crowned king! all fly to him! O, whither shall we fly from this reproach? Glou. We will not fly, but to our enemies' throats. Bedford, if thou be slack, I'll fight it out. 90 Bed. Gloucester, why doubt'st thou of my forwardness? An army have I muster'd in my thoughts, Wherewith already France is overrun. Enter another Messenger. Mess. My gracious lords, to add to your laments, Betwixt the stout Lord Talbot and the French. Win. What! wherein Talbot overcame? is't so? Having full scarce six thousand in his troop, By three and twenty thousand of the French He wanted pikes to set before his archers; Instead whereof sharp stakes pluck'd out of hedges To keep the horsemen off from breaking in. 101 110 120 Where valiant Talbot above human thought Enacted wonders with his sword and lance: Hundreds he sent to hell, and none durst stand him; All the whole army stood agazed on him; 130 |