FIRST PART OF KING HENRY VI. LITERARY AND HISTORICAL NOTICE. MALONE supposes this portion of Henry VI. to have been written in 1589; but doubts, with Theobald, whether the three plays comprised under the title of Henry VI. were actually composed by Shakspeare. Dr. Johnson however maintains, that they exhibit "no marks of spuriousness," and that they" are declared to be genuine by the voice of Shakspeare himself. The transactions of the piece are scattered through a period of thirty years, and introduced with little regard to historical accuracy. Lord Talbot who is killed at the end of the fourth act, did not in reality fall until July 13, 1453; and the second part of Henry VI. opens with the king's marriage, which was solemnized in the year 1445, or eight years before Talbot's death. In the same part, Dame Eleanor Cobham is introduced to insult Queen Margaret; though her penance and banishment for sorcery happened three years before that princess arrived in England. ------These deviations from the page of history are of little consequence to the mere lover of dramatic literature, as they neither weaken the gratification, nor diminish the effect of the scenic narrative. Poetry appeals to the passions, and imagination, like a true magician, lends her most powerful spells to excite or subdue them. But there are many to whom the great events of history are known only through the fascinating medium of a play or a romance; and it is frequently difficult, if not disagreeable to efface, in after life, the distorted impressions which they leave upon the memory. When viewed in the sober simplicity of historic truth, a favourite hero often loses much of his glitter, and a detested villain some portion of his turpitude. It is therefore of no little consequence to examine the materials of a dramatic fabric, to se parate truth from fiction, and to shew" the age and body of the time, his form and pressure :" because, in lauding the productions of Shakspeare (particularly those historical pieces upon which he exercised such masterly talents,) it has been the fashion to represent them not only as morally entertaining, but also as politically instructive; an attribute with which, examination shows, it is dangerous to invest them. LORD TALBOT, afterwards Earl of Shrews- MARGARET, Daughter to Reignier; after wards married to King Henry. JOAN LA PUCELLE, commonly called Joan of Fiends appearing to La Pucelle, Lords, SCENE, partly in England, ACT I. SCENE 1.-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. Comets, importing change of times and states, Virtue he had, deserving to command: day to night! beams; His arms spread wider than a dragon's wings; What should I say? his deeds exceed all speech: Exe. We mourn in black; Why mourn we not in blood? Henry is dead, and never shall revive: Unto the French the dreadful judgment day His thread of life had not so soon decay'd: And lookest to command the prince and realm, And ne'er throughout the year 1 church thou go'st, Except it be to pray against thy foes. Bed. Cease, cease these jars, and rest your Let's to the altar :-Heralds, wait on us :- Enter a MESSENGER. Another would fly swift but wanteth wings; 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 Mess. Lords, view these letters, full of bad mischauce, France is revolted from the English quite; The bastard of Orleans with him is join'd; Exe. The Dauphin crowned king! all fy to O whither shall we fly from this reproach! Glo. We will not fly, but to our enemies' throats: Bedford, if thou be slack, I'll fight it out Bed. Gloster, why doubt'st thou of my for- An army have I muster'd in my thoughts Enter a third MESSENGER. 3 Mess. My gracious lords,-to add to your Wherewith bedew King Henry's I must inform you of a dismal fight, 3 Mess. O no; wherein lord Talbot was o'er thrown: The circumstance I'll tell you more at large Mess. My honourable lords, health to you He wanted pikes to set before his archers; all! Sad tidings bring I to you out of France, Speak softly; or the loss of those great towns Glo. Is Paris lost? is Rouen yielded up? Exe. How were they lost? what treachery was us'd? Mess. No treachery; but want of men money. Among the soldiers this is muttered,That here you maintain several factions; and Instead whereof, sharp stakes, pluck'd out of hedges, They pitched in the ground confusedly, him; Here, there, and every where, enrag'd he slew: And whilst a field should be despatch'd and Hence grew the general wreck and massacre; fought, You are disputing of your generals. Enclosed were they with their enemies : A base Walloon, to win the Dauphin's grace, One would have ling'ring wars, with little cost; Thrust Talbot with a spear into the back; There was a notion long prevalent, that life might be taken away by metrical charms. Nurse was auciently so spelt. Her, i e. England's. + I. c. Their miseries which have had only a them intermission. Whom all France, with their chief assembled | Alarums; Excursions; afterwards a Retreat. Re-enter CHARLES, ALENÇON, REIGNIER, and strength, Durst not presume to look once in the face. Bed. Is Talbot slain? then I will slay myself, For living idly here, in pomp and ease, Whilst such a worthy leader, wanting aid, Unto his dastard foe-man is betray'd. 3 Mess. O no, he lives; but is took prisoner, And lord Scales with him, and lord Hungerford: Most of the rest slaughter'd, or took, likewise. Bed. His ransom there is none but I shall pay: Pil hale the Dauphin headlong from his throne, His crown shall be the ransom of my friend; Four of their lords I'll change for one of our's. Farewell, my masters; to my task will I; 3 Mess. So you had need; for Orleans is besieg'd; The English army is grown weak and faint: SCENE II.-France.-Before Orleans. Enter CHARLES, with his Forces; ALENÇON, REIGNIER, and others. Char. Mars his true moving, even as in the heavens, So in the earth to this day is not known: Faintly besiege us one hour in a month. Alen. They want their porridge, and their fat bull-beeves: Either they must be dieted like mules, bere ? Talbot is taken, whom we wont to fear: Now for the honour of the forlorn French :- others. Char. Who ever saw the like? what men have [? Dogs! cowards! dastards;-I would ne'er have filed, But that they left me midst my enemies. Reig. Salisbury is a desperate homicide; Alen. Froissard, a countryman of our's, records, England all Olivers and Rowlands + bred, They had such conrage and audacity? Char. Let's leave this town; for they are hairbrain'd slaves, And hunger will enforce them to be more eager: Of old I know them; rather with their teeth The walls they'll tear down, than forsake the siege. Reig. I think, by some odd gimmals or de cheer appall'd ; Hath the late overthrow wrought this offence? And drive the English forth the bounds of The spirit of deep prophecy she hath, Speak, shall I call her in? Believe my words, Char. Go, call her in: [Exit BASTARD.] But, first, to try her skill, Reignier, stand thou as Dauphin in my place : Question her proudly, let thy looks be stern:By this means shall we sound what skill she bath. [Retires. Enter LA PUCELLE, BASTARD of Orleans, and others. Reig. Fair maid, is't thou wilt do these wond'rous feats ? Puc. Reignier, is't thou that thinkest to be. guile me? Where is the Dauphin ?-come, come from be. hind; know thee well, though never seen before. Be not amaz'd, there's nothing hid from me : In private will I talk with thee apart : I. e. The prey for which they are hungry. These were two of the most famous in Charle magne's list of peers. A gimmal is a piece of jointed work, where one piece moves within another; here it is taken at large for an engine. This was not in former times a term of reproach. Shakspeare mistakes the nine Sibylline books, for [Exeunt. I nire Sybils. Stand back, you lords, and give us leave awhile. Reig. She takes upon her bravely at first dash. Puc. Dauphin, I am by birth a shepherd's daughter, My wit untrain'd in any kind of art. Only this proof I'll of thy valour make,- Puc. I am prepar'd: here is my keen-edg'd Deck'd with five four-de-luces on each side The which at Touraine, in Saint Katharine's church-yard, Out of a deal of old iron I chose forth. Char. Then come o'God's name, I fear no woman. man. Puc. And, while I live, I'll ne'er fly from a [They fight. Char. Stay, stay thy hands, thou art an Amazon, And fightest with the sword of Deborah. Puc. Christ's mother helps me, else I were too weak. Char. Whoe'er helps thee, 'tis thou that must help me : Impatiently I burn with thy desire; My heart and hands thou hast at once subdu'd. Puc. I must not yield to any rites of love, trate thrall. Reig. My lord, methinks, is very long in talk, Alen. Doubtless he shrives this woman to her smock : Else ne'er could he so long protract his speech. Reig. Shall we disturb him, since he keeps no mean? Alen. He may mean more than we poor men 'do know: These women are shrewd tempters with their tongues. Reig. My lord, where are you? what devise you on? Shall we give over Orleans or no? Puc. Why, no, I say, distrustful recreants ! Fight till the last gasp; I will be your guard. Char. What she says, I'll confirm; we'll fight it out. Puc. Assign'd am I to be the English scourge. Be firmly persuaded of it. Which never ceaseth to enlarge itself, Char. Was Mahomet inspired with a dove! Reig. Woman, do what thou cau'st to save our honours; Drive them from Orleans, and be immortaliz❜d. Char. Presently we'll try :-Come let's away about it: No prophet will I trust, if she prove false. [Exeunt. SCENE III.-London.-Hill before the Tower. Enter, at the Gates, the Duke of GLOSTER, with his Serving-men, in blue coats. Glo. I am come to survey the Tower this day-; Since Henry's death, I fear, there is conveyance. Where be these warders, that they wait not here? Open the gates: Gloster it is that calls. [SERVANTS knock. 1 Ward. [Within.] Who is there that knocks so imperiously? 1 Serv. It is the noble Duke of Gloster. 2 Ward. [Within.] Whoe'er he be you may not be let in. 1 Serv. Answer you so the lord protector, villains? 1 Ward. [Within.] The Lord protect him! So we answer him: We do no otherwise than we are will'd. Glo. Who will'd you? or whose will stands but mine? There's none protector of the realm, but I.— Break up the gates, I'll be your warrantize : Shall I be flouted thus by dunghill grooms! SERVANTS rush at the Tower Gates. Enter, to the Gates, WOODVILLE, the Lieutenant. Wood. [Within.] What noise is this? what traitors have we here? Glo. Lieutenant, is it you, whose voice I bear? Open the gates: here's Gloster that would enter. The cardinal of Winchester forbids: 'fore me? Arrogant Winchester? that haughty prelate, Whom Harry, our late sovereign, ne'er could brook? Thou art no friend to God or to the king: Open the gates, or I'll shut thee out shortly. 1 Serv. Open the gates unto the lord protector; [quickly. Or we'll burst them open, if that you come not Enter WINCHESTER, Attended by a Trais ef Servants in tawny Coats. Win. How now, ambitious Humphry? what means this? Glo. Piel'd priest, || dost thou command me to be shut out? Out, tawny coats!-out, scarlet || bypocrite! Here a great Tumult. In the midst of it, Enter the MAYOR of London, and Officers. May. Fie, lords! that you, being supreme magistrates, Thus contumeliously should break the peace! Glo. Peace, mayor; thou know'st little of my wrongs: Here's Beaufort that regards nor God nor king, Hath here distrain'd the Tower to his use. Win. Here's Gloster too a foe to citizens: One that still motions war, and never peace, O'ercharging your free purses with large fines; That seeks to overthrow religion, Because he is protector of the realm; And would have armour here out of the Tower To crown himself king, and suppress the prince. Glo. I will not answer thee with words, but blows. [Here they skirmish again. May. Nought rest for me, in this tumultuous strife, But to make open proclamation :- Off. All manner of men assembled here in arms this day, against God's peace and the king's, we charge and command you, in his highness' name, to repair to your several dwelling-places; and not to wear, handle, or use any sword, weapon, or dagger, henceforward, upon pain of death. Glo. Cardinal, I'll be no breaker of the law: But we shall ineet, and break our minds at large. be sure: Win. Gloster, we'll meet; to thy dear coast Thy heart-blood I will have, for this day's work. May. I'll call for clubs, ¶ if you will not away: This cardinal is more hanghty than the devil. Glo. Mayor, farewell: thou dost but what thou may'st. Win. Abominable Gloster! guard thy head; For I intend to have it ere long. [Exit. M. Gun. Sirrah, thou know'st how Orleans And how the English have the suburbs won. is besieg'd; Son. Father, I know; and oft have shot at them, Howe'er, unfortunate, I miss'd my aim. M. Gun. But now thou shalt not. Be thou Chief master-gunner am I of this town; rul'd by me : Something I must do, to procure me grace: + The prince's espials have informed me, How the English, in the suburbs close inWont, through a secret gate of iron bars trench'd, In yonder tower, to overpeer the city; They may vex us, with shot or with assault. And fully even these three days have I watch'd, [Exit. Son. Father, I warrant you; take you no care; I'll never trouble you, if I may spy them. Sal. Talbot, my life, my joy, again return'd? [me Tal. The duke of Bedford had a prisoner, But oh! the treacherous Fastolfe wounds my heart: Sal. Yet tell'st thou not, how thou wert en tertain'd. Tal. With scoffs, and scorns, and contumelious taunts. In open market-place produc'd they me, Here, said they, is the terror of the French, To hurl at the beholders of my shame. In iron walls they deem'd me not secure ; That they suppos'd I could rend bars of steel, And spurn in pieces posts of adamant: Wherefore a guard of chosen shot I had, That walk'd about me every minute-while; And if I did but stir out my bed, Ready they were to shoot me to the heart. • Pride. + Favour. + Spiep. So stripped of honours. |