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THE FIRST PART OF

KING HENRY VI.

ACT I.

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.

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 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

[1] Crystal is an epithet repeatedly bestowed on comets by our ancient writers. "There is also a white comet with silver haires," says Pliny, as translated by P. Holland, 1601. STEEVENS.

[2] Consented, or as it should be spelt, concented, means, have thrown themselves into a malignant configuration, to promote the death of Henry. Milton uses the word, and with the same meaning, in his Penseroso:

"Whose power hath a true consent

"With planet, or with element. STEEVENS.

Consent, in all the books of the age of Elizabeth, and long afterwards, is the spel ling of the word concent. MALONE.

We with our stately presence glorify,
Like captives bound to a triumphal car.
What? shall we curse the planets of mishap,
That plotted thus our glory's overthrow?
Or shall we think the subtle-witted French
Conjurers and sorcerers, that, afraid of him,
By magic verses have contriv'd his end?

Win. He was a king bless'd of the King of kings.
Unto the French the dreadful judgment day
So dreadful will not be, as was his sight.

The battles of the Lord of hosts he fought:

The church's prayers made him so prosperous.

Glo. The church! where is it? Had not churchmen pray'd,

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

[3] There was a notion prevalent a long time, that life might be taken away by metrical charms. As superstition grew weaker, these charms were imagined only to have power on irrational animals. In our author's time it was supposed that the Irish could kill rats by a song. JOHNSON.

[4] Mr. Pope reads Marish, an old word for marsh or fen. I have been informed, that what we call at present a stew, in which fish are preserved alive, was anciently called a nourish. Nourice, however, Fr. a nurse, was anciently spelt many different ways, among which nourish was one. STEEVENS.

[5] I can't guess the occasion of the hemistich and imperfect sense in this place

Enter a Messenger.

Mes. 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? Mes. 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 expense 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.

Exe. Were our tears wanting to this funeral,
These tidings would call forth her flowing tides.
Bed. Me they concern; regent I am of France :-
Give me my steeled coat, I'll fight for France.-
Away with these disgraceful wailing robes!
Wounds I will lend the French, instead of eyes,
To weep their intermissive miseries."

Enter another Messenger.

2 Mes. Lords, view these letters, full of bad mischance, France is revolted from the English quite ;

Except some petty towns of no import :

'tis not impossible it might have been filled up with-Francis Drake, though that were a terrible anachronism. But this is a mere slight conjecture. POPE.

[6] This verse might be complete by the insertion of Rouen among the places lost, as Gloster in his next speech infers that it had been mentioned with the rest STEEVENS.

7 That is, their miseries, which have had only a short intermission from Henry the Fifth's death to my coming among them. WARBURTON.

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