SCENE IV. - Paris. A Room in the Palace.

Enter King HENRY, GLOSTER, WINCHESTER, YORK, SUFFOLK, SOMERSET, WARWICK, EXETER, VERNON, BASSET, &c. To them TALBOT and some of his Officers.

Hearing of your arrival in this realm,

I have awhile given truce unto my wars,

To do my duty to my sovereign:

In sign whereof, this arm that hath reclaim'd
To your obedience fifty fortresses,

Twelve cities, and seven walled towns of strength,
Besides five hundred prisoners of esteem
Lets fall his sword before your Highness' feet,
And with submissive loyalty of heart
Ascribes the glory of his conquest got

First to my God, and next unto your Grace.

King. Is this Lord Talbot, uncle Gloucester,

[Kneeling.

That hath so long been resident in France?
Glo. Yes, if it please your Majesty, my liege.
King. Welcome, brave captain and victorious lord!
When I was young,
as yet I am not old, –
I do remember1 how my father said
A stouter champion never handled sword.
Long since we were resolvèd of your truth,
Your faithful service, and your toil in war;
Yet never have you tasted our reward,
Or been reguerdon'd with so much as thanks,
Because till now we never saw your face :

Therefore stand up; and, for these good deserts,

1 Malone remarks that "Henry was but nine months old when his father

died, and never saw him."

2 Resolved, again, for assured or convinced. See page 13, note 9.

We here create you Earl of Shrewsbury;

And in our coronation take your place.

[Flourish. Exeunt all but VERNON and BASSET.

Ver. Now, sir, to you, that were so hot at sea, Disgracing of these colours 3 that I wear

In honour of my noble Lord of York,

Darest thou maintain the former words thou spakest?
Bas. Yes, sir; as well as you dare patronage
The envious barking of your saucy tongue
Against my lord the Duke of Somerset.

Ver. Sirrah, thy lord I honour as he is.
Bas. Why, what is he? as good a man as York.
Ver. Hark ye; not so: in witness, take ye that.

[Strikes him.

Bas. Villain, thou know'st the law of arms is such,
That whoso draws a sword, 'tis present death,4
Or else this blow should broach thy dearest blood.
But I'll unto his Majesty, and crave

I may have liberty to venge this wrong;

When thou shalt see I'll meet thee to thy cost.

Ver. Well, miscreant, I'll be there as soon as you ; And, after, meet you sooner than you would.

8 That is, the badge of a rose.

[Exeunt.

4 By the ancient law, fighting in the King's palace or before the King's judges was punished with death. And still malicious striking in the King's palace, whereby blood is drawn, is punishable by perpetual imprisonment, and fine at the King's pleasure, and also with loss of the offender's right hand.

ACT IV.

SCENE I. Paris. A Room of State in the Palace.

Enter King HENRY, GLOSTER, EXETER, YORK, SUFFOLK, SOMERSET, WINCHESTER, WARWICK, TALBOT, the Governor of Paris, and others.

Glo. Lord Bishop, set the crown upon his head.

Win. God save King Henry, of that name the sixth !
Glo. Now, governor of Paris, take your oath,

[Governor kneels.

That you elect no other king but him;
Esteem none friends but such as are his friends,
And none your foes but such as shall pretend 1
Malicious practices against his State :

This shall ye do, so help you righteous God! 2

[Exeunt Governor and his Train.

Enter Sir JOHN FASTOLFE.

Fast. My gracious sovereign, as I rode from Calais,

To haste unto your coronation,

A letter was deliver'd to my hands,

Writ to your Grace from th' Duke of Burgundy.

[Presenting it.

Tal. Shame to the Duke of Burgundy and thee !
I vow'd, base knight, when I did meet thee next,
To tear the garter from thy craven's leg, -
Which I have done, because unworthily
Thou wast installed in that high degree. —

[Plucks it off.

1 Pretend and pretence were often used in the sense of intend or purpose. See vol. i. page 196, note 4.

2 The crowning of King Henry at Paris took place December 17, 1431.

Pardon me, princely Henry, and the rest :
This dastard, at the battle of Patay,
When but in all I was six thousand strong,
And that the French were almost ten to one,
Before we met, or that a stroke was given,
Like to a trusty squire, did run away :
In which assault we lost twelve hundred men;
Myself, and divers gentlemen besides,
Were there surprised and taken prisoners.
Then judge, great lords, if I have done amiss;
Or whether that such cowards ought to wear
This ornament of knighthood, yea or no.

Glo. To say the truth, this fact was infamous,

And ill beseeming any common man,

Much more a knight, a captain, and a leader.

Tal. When first this order was ordain'd, my lords,

Knights of the Garter were of noble birth,
Valiant and virtuous, full of haughty courage,

Such as were grown to credit by the wars;
Not fearing death, nor shrinking for distress,
But always resolute in most extremes.3
He, then, that is not furnish'd in this sort
Doth but usurp the sacred name of knight,

Profaning this most honourable order,

And should - if I were worthy to be judge —

Be quite degraded, like a hedge-born swain

That doth presume to boast of gentle blood.

King. Stain to thy countrymen, thou hear'st thy doom! Be packing, therefore, thou that wast a knight: Henceforth we banish thee, on pain of death. ·

And now, my Lord Protector, view the letter

[Exit FASTOLFE.

8 Most extremes is greatest extremities. More and most were often used

for greater and greatest.

Sent from our uncle Duke of Burgundy.

Glo. What means his Grace, that he hath changed his style?

[Viewing the superscription.

No more but, plain and bluntly, To the King?

Hath he forgot he is his sovereign?

Or doth this churlish superscription
Portend some alteration in good-will?

What's here? [Reads.] I have, upon especial cause,-
Moved with compassion of my country's wreck,
Together with the pitiful complaints

-

Of such as your oppression feeds upon, —

Forsaken your pernicious faction,

And join'd with Charles, the rightful King of France.

O monstrous treachery! can this be so,

That in alliance, amity, and oaths,

There should be found such false dissembling guile?
King. What! doth my uncle Burgundy revolt?
Glo. He doth, my lord; and is become your foe.
King. Is that the worst this letter doth contain ?
Glo. It is the worst, and all, my lord, he writes.
King. Why, then Lord Talbot there shall talk with him,
And give him chastisement for this abuse.

My lord, how say you? are you not content?

Tal. Content, my liege! yes, but that I'm prevented,4

I should have begg'd I might have been employ'd.

King. Then gather strength, and march unto him straight : Let him perceive how ill we brook his treason,

And what offence it is to flout his friends.

Tal. I go, my lord; in heart desiring still You may behold confusion of your foes.

Enter VERNON and BASSET.

Ver. Grant me the combat, gracious sovereign!

4 Prevented in its old sense of anticipated or forestalled.

[Exit.