omitted, we may suppose that the author did not think it convenient for his reputation to publish a more ample copy.

There is, indeed, a play, called Sir John Oldcastle, published in 1600, with the name of William Shakespeare prefixed to it. The prologue being very short, I shall quote it, as it serves to prove that a former piece, in which the character of Oldcastle was introduced, had given great offence :

"The doubtful title (gentlemen) prefixt
"Upon the argument we have in band,

"May breed suspense, and wrongfully disturbe
"The peaceful quiet of your settled thoughts.
"To stop which scruple, let this breefe suffice.
"It is no pamper'd glutton we present,
"Nor aged councellour to youthful sinne;
"But one, whose vertue shone above the rest,
"A valiant martyr, and a vertuous peere;
"In whose true faith and loyalty exprest
"Unte his soveraigne, and his countries weale,
"We strive to pay that tribute of our love

"Your favours merit: let faire truth be grac'd,

"Since forg'd invention former time defac'd." STEEVENS.

The piece to which Nash alludes is the old anonymous play of King Henry V. which had been exhibited before the year 1589. Tarleton, the comedian, who performed in it both the parts of the Chief Justice and the Clown, having died in that year. It was entered on the Stationers' books in 1594, and, I believe, printed in that year, though I have not met with a copy of that date. An edition of it, printed in 1598, was in the valuable collection of Dr. Wright.

The play before us appears to have been written in the middle of the year 1599. See An Attempt to ascertain the Order of Shakespeare's Plays, Vol. II.

The old King Henry V. may be found among Six old Plays on which Shakespeare founded, &c. printed by S Leacroft, 1778.

MALONE.

Enter CHORUS.

O, FOR a muse of fire, that would ascend
The brightest heaven of invention !'

A kingdom for a stage, princes to act,
And monarchs to behold the swelling scene!
Then should the warlike Harry, like himself,
Assume the port of Mars; and, at his heels,
Leash'd in, like hounds, should famine, sword, and fire,
Crouch for employment. But pardon, gentles all,
The flat unraised spirit, that hath dar'd,
On this unworthy scaffold, to bring forth
So great an object: Can this cockpit hold
The vasty fields of France ? or may we cram
Within this wooden O,3 the very casques,*
That did affright the air at Agincourt?
O, pardon! since a crooked figure may
Attest, in little place, a million;

And let us, cyphers to this great accompt,
On your imaginary forces work :5
Suppose, within the girdle of these walls
Are now confin'd two mighty monarchies,
Whose high-upreared and abutting fronts
The perilous, narrow ocean parts asunder.
Piece out our imperfections with your thoughts
Into a thousands parts divide one man,
And make imaginary puissance :

[1] This goes upon the notion of the Peripatetic system, which imagined severt. heavens one above another; the last and highest of which was one of fire.

WARBURTON.

It alludes likewise to the aspiring nature of fire, which, by its levity, at the sepa ration of the chaos, took the highest seat of all the elements. JOHNSON.

[2] This image of the warlike Henry very much resembles Montfaucon's de scription of the Mars discovered at Bresse, who leads a lion and a lioness in couples, and crouching for employment. TOLLET.

[3] Nothing shows more evidently the power of custom over language, than that the frequent use of calling a circle an O could so much hide the meanness of the metaphor from Shakespeare, that he has used it many times where he makes his most eager attempts at dignity of style. JOHNSON.

[4] The helmets. JOHNSON.

[5] Imaginary for imaginative, your powers of fancy. JOHNSON..

Think, when we talk of horses, that you see them
Printing their prond hoofs i' th' receiving earth:
For 'tis your thoughts that now must deck our kings,
Carry them here and there; jumping o'er times;
Turning th' accomplishment of many years

Into an hour-glass; For the which supply,
Admit me Chorus to this history;

Who, prologue-like, your humble patience pray,
Gently to hear, kindly to judge, our play.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

King HENRY the Fifth.

Duke of GLOSTER,brothers to the king.
Duke of BEDFORD,

Duke of EXETER, uncle to the king.

Duke of YORK, cousin to the king.

Earls of SALISBURY, WESTMORELAND, and WARWICK.

Archbishop of CANTERBURY.

Bishop of ELY.

Earl of CAMBRIdge,

Lord SCROOP,

Sir THOMAS GREY,

conspirators against the king.

Sir THOMAS ERPINGHAM, GOWER, FLUELLEN, MACMORRIS, JAMY, officers in king Henry's army.

Bates, Court, WILLIAMS, soldiers in the same.

NYM, BARDOLPHI, PISTOL, formerly servants to Falstaff,

now soldiers in the same.

Boy, servant to them.

A herald. Chorus.

CHARLES the Sixth, king of France.

LEWIS, the Dauphin.

Dukes of BURGUNDY, ORLEANS, and BOURBON.

The Constable of France.

RAMBURES, and GRANDPREE, French lords.

Governor of Harfleur.

MONTJOY, a French herald.

Ambassadors to the king of England.

ISABEL, queen of France.

KATHARINE, daughter of Charles and Isabel.

ALICE, a lady attending on the princess Katharine.
QUICKLY, Pistol's wife, an hostess.

Lords, Ladies, Officers, French and English Soldiers, Messengers, and Attendants.

The SCENE at the beginning of the play, lies in England; but afterwards, wholly in France.