KING HENRY VI.

PART I.

VOL. VI.

3

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 Winchester, and afterwards Cardinal.

JOHN BEAUFORT, E. 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.

SIRTHOMAS GARGRAVE.

Mayor of London. WOODVILLE, Lieut.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 K. 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 Bourdeaux.
A French Sergeant. A Porter.

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

COUNTESS OF AUVERGNE.

JOAN LA PUCELLE, commonly called Joan of Arc. 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.

FIRST PART

OF

KING HENRY VI.

ACT THE FIRST.

SCENE I.

Westminster-Abbey.

Dead March. Corpse 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, &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,
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 brandish'd 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 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.

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
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
Conjurors and sorcerers, that, afraid of him,
By magick verses have contriv'd his end?

2

Win. He was a king bless'd of the King of kings. The battles of the Lord of hosts he fought: The church's prayers made him so prosperous. Glo. None do you like but an effeminate prince, Whom, like a school-boy, you may over-awe.

Win. Gloster, whate'er we like, thou art pro

tector;

And lookest to command the prince, and realm.
Thy wife is proud; she holdeth thee in awe,
More than religion or than churchmen may.

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

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;

2 There was a notion long prevalent, that life might be taken away by metrical charms.

Our isle be made a nourish3 of salt tears,
And none but women left to wail the dead.-
Henry the fifth! thy ghost I invocate;
Prosper this realm, keep it from civil broils!
Coinbat with adverse planets in the heavens!
A far more glorious star thy soul will make,
Than Julius Cæsar, or bright

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, Champaigne, Rheims, Orleans,
Paris, Guysors, Poictiers, are all quite lost.
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.
Glo. Is Paris lost? is Roüen yielded up?

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 us'd?

Mess. No treachery; but want of men and money. Among the soldiers this is muttered,

That here you maintain several factions;

And, whilst a field should be despatch'd and fought,
You are disputing of your generals.

One would have ling'ring wars with little cost;
Another would fly swift, 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 sloth dim your honours, new-begot:
Cropp'd are the flower-de-luces in your arms;
Of England's coat one-half is cut away.

VOL. VI.

› Nurse was anciently so spelt.

C