KING HENRY THE SIXTH.

(PART I.)

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

KING HENRY TIR SIXTH.
DUKE OP GLOSTER, Uncle to the Kixo, and Protector.
DUKE OF BEDFORD, Uncle to the KING, and Regent of

France.
HOMAS BEAUFORT, Duke of Exeter, great Uncle to the

Kixo.
HENRY BEAUFORT, great Uncle to the KING, Bishop of

Winchester, and afterwards Cardinal.
JOHN BEAUFORT, Earl of Somerset, afterwards Duke.
RICHARD PLANTAGENET, eldest Son of Richard late Earl of

Cambridge, afterwerde 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 PASTOLPE.
SIR WILLIAM LUCY.
8IR WILLIAM GLANSVALE
SIR THOMAS GARGRAVE.
Mayor of London.

WOODVILLE, Lieutenant 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 King of Naples.
DUKE OF BURGUNDY.
DUKE OP ALENCON.
Governor of Paris.
BASTARD OF ORLEANS.
Master Gunner of Orleans, and his Son.
General of the French Forces in Bordeaux.
A French Serjeant.
A Porter.
An old Shepherd, Father to JOAN LA PUCELLE.

MARGARET, Daughter to REIONIZR, afterwards married to

KING BENRY.
COUNTESS OF AUVERGNE.
JOAN LA PUCELLE, commonly called JOAN OT ARC.

Fiends appearing to LA POCELLE, Lords, Wardens of the Tower,

Heralds, Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and several Attendants both on the English and French.

Scene I.-Westminster Abbey. | Brandish your crystal tresses in the sky,

And with them scourge the bad revolting stars Dead march. Corpse of King Henry the Fifth

That have consented unto Henry's death: discovered, lying in state ; attended on by the

Henry the Fifth, too famous to live long! Dukes op BEDFORD, Gloster, and Exeter;

England ne'er lost a king of so much worth. the EARL OF WARWICK, the BISHOP OF Win

Glo. England ne'er had a king until his time. CHESTER, Heralds, &c.

Virtue he had deserving to command : Bed. Hung be the heavens with black, yield His brandished sword did blind men with his day to night!

beams; Comets, importing change of times and states, | His arms spread wider than a dragon's wings;

His sparkling eyes, replete with wrathful fire, | Of loss, of slaughter, and discomfiture :
More dazzled and drove back his enemies Guienne, Champaigne, Rheims, Orleans,
Than mid-day sun fierce bent against their faces. | Paris, Guysors, Poictiers, are all quite lost.
What should I say? his deeds exceed all speech: Bed. What say'st thou, man, before dead
He ne'er lift up his hand but conqueréd.

Henry's corse ? Exe. We mourn in black: why mourn we not Speak softly, or the loss of those great towns in blood ?

Will make him burst his lead and rise from Henry is dead, and never shall revive:

death. Upon a wooden coffin ve attend;

Glo. Is Paris lost? is Rouen yielded up? And death's dishonourable victory

If Henry were recalled to life again, We with our stately presence glorify,

These news would cause him once more yield Like captives bound to a triumphant car.

the ghost. What, shall we curse the planets of mishap

Exe. How were they lost; what treachery That plotted thus our glory's overthrow?

was used ? Or shall we think the subtle-witted French

Mess. No treachery; but want of men and Conjurors and sorcerers, that, afraid of him,

money. By magic verses have contrived his end?

Among the soldiers this is mutteréd :Win. He was a king blessed of the King of That here you maintain several factions, kings.

And, whilst a field should be despatched and Unto the French the dreadful judgment day

fought, So dreadful will not be, as was his sight.

You are disputing of your generals. The battles of the Lord of hosts he fought: One would have lingering wars, with little cost; The church's prayers made him so prosperous. Another would fly swift, but wanteth wings; Glo. The church! where is it? Had not church A third man thinks, without expense at all, men prayed,

By guileful fair words peace may be obtained. His thread of life had not so soon decayed. Awake, awake, English nobility! None do you like but an effeminate prince, Let not sloth dim your honours new begot. Whom, like a schoolboy, you may overawe. Cropped are the flower-de-luces in your arms : Win. Gloster, whate'er we like, thou art pro of England's coat one half is cut away. tector,

Exe. Were our tears wanting to this funeral, And lookest to command the prince and realm. These tidings would call forth her flowing tides. Thy wife is proud: she holdeth thee in awe

Bed. Me they concern: regent I am of France: More than God or religious churchmen may. Give me my steeléd coat, I 'll fight for France. Glo. Name not religion, for thou lov'st the Away with these disgraceful wailing robes! flesh;

Wounds I will lend the French, instead of eyes, And ne'er throughout the year to church thou To weep their intermissive miseries.

go'st, Except it be to pray against thy foes.

Enter another Messenger. Bed. Cease, cease these jars, and rest your 2nd Mess. Lords, view these letters, full of bad minds in peace!

mischance : Let's to the altar :-Heralds, wait on us : France is revolted from the English quite, Instead of gold, we 'll offer up our arms;

Except some petty towns of no import. Since arms avail not, now that Henry's dead. The Dauphin Charles is crowned king in Posterity, await for wretched years,

Rheims; When at their mothers' moist eyes babes shall The Bastard of Orleans with him is joined; suck,

Reignier, Duke of Anjou, doth take his part; Our isle be made a nourish of salt tears,

The Duke of Alençon flieth to his side. And none but women left to wail the dead. Exe. The Dauphin crownéd king! all fly to Henry the Fifth, thy ghost I invocate ! Prosper this realm, keep it from civil broils : O whither shall we fly from this reproach? Combat with adverse planets in the heavens ! Glo. We will not fly but to our enemies' A far more glorious star thy soul will make

throats.Than Julius Cæsar or bright

Bedford, if thou be slack, I'll fight it out.

Bed, Gloster, why doubt'st thou of my forEnter a Messenger.

wardness? Mess. My honourable lords, health to you all! An army have I mustered in my thoughts, Sad tidings bring I to you out of France,

Wherewith already France is overrun.

him!

To wh

Enter a third Messenger.

To keep our great St. George's feast withal. 3rd Mess. My gracious lords (to add to your Ten thousand soldiers with me I will take, laments

Whose bloody deeds shall make all Europe quake. Wherewith you now bedew King Henry's hearse), 3rd Mess. So you had need: for Orleans is I must inform you of a dismal figh!

besieged ; Betwixt the stout Lord Talbot and the French The English army is grown weak and faint.

Win. What! wherein Talbot overcame: is 't so? The Earl of Salisbury craveth supply,
3rd Mess. O no: wherein Lord Talbot was o'er And hardly keeps his men from mutiny,
thrown.

Since they, so few, watch such a multitude.
The circumstance I'll tell you more at large : Exe. Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry
The tenth of August last, this dreadful lord,

sworn, Retiring from the siege of Orleans,

Either to quell the Dauphin utterly, Having full scarce six thousand in his troop, Or bring him in obedience to your yoke. By three-and-twenty thousand of the French Bed. I do remember it; and here take my Was round encompasséd and set upon.

leave, No leisure had he to enrank his men :

To go about my preparation.

[Exit. He wanted pikes to set before his archers ;

Glo. I'll to the Tower, with all the haste I can, Instead whereof, sharp stakes, plucked out of To view the artillery and munition: hedges,

And then I will proclaim young Henry king. They pitched in the ground confusedly,

[Exit. To keep the horsemen off from breaking in.

Exe. To Eltham will I, where the young More than three hours the fight continued ;

King is, Where valiant Talbot, above human thought, I

Being ordained his special governor : Enacted wonders with his sword and lance.

And for his safety there I'll best devise. [Exit. Hundreds he sent to hell, and none durst stand

Win. Each hath his place and function to him :

attend : Here, there, and everywhere, enraged he slew.

I am left out; for me nothing remains.
The French exclaimed, the devil was in arms: But long I will not be Jack-out-of-office:
All the whole army stood agazed on him : The King from Eltham I intend to send,
His soldiers, spying his undaunted spirit, And sit at chiefest stern of public weal.
“A Talbot! a Talbot !" cried out amain,

[Exit. Scene closes.
And rushed into the bowels of the battle.
Here had the conquest fully been sealed up,
If Sir John Fastolfe had not played the coward :
He, being in the vaward (placed behind

Scene II.- France. Before Orleans. With purpose to relieve and follow them), Cowardly fled, not having struck one stroke.

Enter Charles, with his Forces; ALENCON, Hence grew the general wreck and massacre :

REIGNIER, and others. Encloséd were they with their enemies.

Char. Mars his true moving (even as in the A base Walloon, to win the Dauphin's grace,

heavens Thrust Talbot with a spear into the back; So in the earth) to this day is not known. Whom all France, with their chief assembled Late did he shine upon the English side : strength,

Now we are victors; upon us he smiles. Durst not presume to look once in the face. What towns of any moment but we have

Bed. Is Talbot slain ? then I will slay myself, At pleasure here we lie near Orleans; For living idly here, in pomp and ease,

Otherwhiles the famished English, like pale Whilst such a worthy leader, wanting aid,

ghosts, Unto his dastard foemen is betrayed.

Paintly besiege us one hour in a month. 3rd Mess. O no, he lives, but is took prisoner : Alen. They want their porridge and their fat And Lord Scales with him, and Lord Hungerford :

bull-beeves : Most of the rest slaughtered or took likewise. Either they must be dieted like mules,

Bed. His ransom there is none but I shall pay : And have their provender tied to their mouths, I'll hale the Dauphin headlong from his throne; Or piteous they will look, like drowned mice. His crown shall be the ransom of my friend : Reig. Let's raise the siege : why live we idly Four of their lords I'll change for one of ours.

here? Farewell, my masters; to my task will I : Talbot is taken, whom we wont to fear: Bonfires in France forthwith I am to make, | Remaineth none but mad-brained Salisbury,