EPILOGUE.

Spoken by a DANCER.

IRST, my fear; then, my court'fy; last, my speech. My fear is your difpleafure; my court'fy, my duty; and my fpeech, to beg your pardons. If you look for a good speech now, you undo me; for what I have to fay is of mine own making, and what, indeed, I should fay, will, I doubt, prove mine own marring. But to the purpose, and fo to the venture. Be it known to you, (as it is very well) I was lately here in the end of a difpleafing Play, to pray your patience for it, and to promife you a better. I did mean, indeed, to pay you with this; which if, like an ill venture, it come unluckily home, I break; and you, my gentle creditors, lofe. Here, I promifed you, I would be, and here I commit my body to your mercies: bate me fome, and I will pay you fome, and, as most debtors do, promife you infinitely.

If my tongue cannot entreat you to acquit me, will you command me to ufe my legs? and yet that were but light payment, to dance out of your debt. But a good confcience will make any poffible fatisfaction, and fo will 1. † All the gentlewomen bere have forgiven me; if the gentlemen will not, then the gentlemen do not agree with the gentlewomen, which was never seen before in fuch an affembly.

One word more, I beseech you; if you be not too much clay'd with fat meat, our humble author will continue the ftory with Sir John in it, and make you merry with

This epilogue was merely occafional, and alludes to fome theatrical tranfaction.

This trick of influencing

one part of the audience by the favour of the other, has been played already in the epilogue to As you like it.

A a 3

fair

fair Catharine of France; where, for any thing I know, Falftaff ball die of a Sweat, unless already be be kill'd with your bard opinions; 'for Oldcastle died a martyr, and this is not the man. My tongue is weary; when my legs are too, I will bid you good night, and fo kneel down before you; but, indeed, to pray for the Queen.

'for Oldcastle died a martyr,] Sir John Oldeafile was put for This alludes to a play in which Falstaff.

РОРЕ.

THE

THE

LIFE

OF

HENRY V.

A a 4

Sir Thomas Grey,

Conspirators against the King.

Sir Thomas Erpingham, Gower, Fluellen, Mackmorris, Jamy, Officers in King Henry's Army. Nym, Bardolph, Piftol, Boy, formerly Servants to Falftaff, now Soldiers in the King's Army.

Bates, Court, Williams, Soldiers.

Charles, King of France.

The Dauphin.

Duke of Burgundy.

Conftable, Orleans, Rambures, Bourbon, Grandpree,

French Lords.

Governor of Harfleur.

Mountjoy, a Herald

Ambajaders to the King of England.

Ifabel, Queen of France.

Catharine, Daughter to the King of France.
Alice, a Lady attending on the Princess Catharine.
Quickly, Piftol's Wife, an Hoftefs.

CHORUS.

Lords, Mejengers, French and English Soldiers, with

other Attendants.

The Scene, at the beginning of the Play, lies in England; but afterwards, wholly in France.

Of this play the cditions are, 1 1600, Tho. Crede for Tlo. Milleton, 4to

1116c8, for 7. P. 4to.

III. 1623, &c. Folio. I have the fecond quarto and folio. The folio edition is much enlarged.

PROLOGUE.

Ό

For a Mufe of fire, that would afcend
The brightest heaven of invention!

2

A kingdom for a stage, Princes to alt,
And Monarchs to behold the fwelling fcene!
Then should the warlike Harry, like himself,
Afume the port of Mars; and, at his heels,
Leafbt in, like bounds, fhould famine, fword and fire
Crouch for employment. But pardon, gentles all,
The flat unraifed fpirit, that hath dar'd,
On this unworthy Scaffold, to bring forth
So great an object. Can this Cock-pit hold
The vafty field of France? or may we cram,
Within this wooden O, the very cafkes
That did affright the air, at Agincourt?
O, pardon; fince a crooked figure may
Atteft in little place a million;

4

And let us, cyphers to this great accompt,
On your imaginary forces work.
Suppofe, within the girdle of thefe walls