I shall be well content with any choice, Tends to God's glory and my country's weal.

Enter a Legate and two Ambassadors, with WINCHESTER, now CARDINAL BEAUFORT, in a Cardinal's habit.

EXE. [Aside.] What! is my lord of Winchester install'd,

And call'd unto a cardinal's degree?
Then I perceive that will be verified,

Henry the fifth did sometime prophecy,

If once he come to be a cardinal,

He'll make his cap co-equal with the crown.

K. HEN. My lords ambassadors, your several

suits

Have been consider'd and debated on.
Your purpose is both good and reasonable;
And, therefore, are we certainly resolv'd
To draw conditions of a friendly peace;
Which by my lord of Winchester we mean
Shall be transported presently to France.

GLO. And for the proffer of my lord your

master,

I have inform'd his highness so at large,

As-liking of the lady's virtuous gifts,
Her beauty, and the value of her dower,-
He doth intend she shall be England's queen.

K. HEN. In argument and proof of which contract,

Bear her this jewel, [To the Amb.] pledge of my affection.

And so, my lord protector, see them guarded, And safely brought to Dover; where, inshipp'd, Commit them to the fortune of the sea.

[Exeunt KING HENRY and Train; GLOUCESTER, EXETER, and Ambassadors. CAR. Stay, my lord legate; you shall first receive The sum of money which I promised Should be deliver'd to his holiness For clothing me in these grave ornaments.

LEG. I will attend upon your lordship's leisure.

[Exit.

CAR. Now Winchester will not submit, I trow, Or be inferior to the proudest peer. Humphrey of Gloster, thou shalt well perceive, That, neither in birth, or for authority, The bishop will be overborne by thee: I'll either make thee stoop and bend thy knee, Or sack this country with a mutiny. [Exit.

SCENE II.-France. Plains in Anjou. Enter CHARLES, BURGUNDY, ALENÇON, LA PUCELLE, and Forces, marching.

CHAR. These news, my lords, may cheer our drooping spirits:

'Tis said the stout Parisians do revolt, And turn again unto the warlike French.

ALEN. Then march to Paris, royal Charles of
France,

And keep not back your powers in dalliance.
Puc. Peace be amongst them, if they turn to us.
Else, ruin combat with their palaces!

Enter a Scout,

SCOUT. Success unto our valiant general, And happiness to his accomplices!

CHAR. What tidings send our scouts? I pr'ythee, speak.

SCOUT. The English army, that divided was
Into two parts,* is now conjoin'd in one,
And means to give you battle presently.

CHAR. Somewhat too sudden, sirs, the warning is; But we will presently provide for them.

BUR. I trust, the ghost of Talbot is not there; Now he is gone, my lord, you need not fear.

Puc. Of all base passions, fear is most accurs'd:

Command the conquest, Charles, it shall be thine, Let Henry fret, and all the world repine. CHAR. Then on, my lords; and France be fortunate! [Exeunt.

[They hang their heads. ?-My body shall will grant my suit.

[They shake their heads.

Cannot my body nor blood-sacrifice,
Entreat you to your wonted furtherance?
Then take my soul,-my body, soul, and all,
Before that England give the French the foil.
[They depart.
Now the time is come,

See! they forsake me.
That France must vail her lofty-plumed crest,
And let her head fall into England's lap.
My ancient incantations are too weak,
And hell too strong for me to buckle with:-
Now, France, thy glory droopeth to the dust.

[Exit.

Alarums. Enter French and English, fighting.
LA PUCELLET and YORK fight hand to hand.
LA PUCELLE is taken.(2) The French fly.
YORK. Damsel of France, I think I have you
fast:

Unchain your spirits now with spelling charms,
And try if they can gain your liberty.—
A goodly prize, fit for the devil's grace!
See, how the ugly witch doth bend her brows,
As if, with Circe, she would change my shape!
Puc. Chang'd to a worser shape thou canst
not be.

YORK. O, Charles the Dauphin is a proper man; No shape but his can please your dainty eye.

Puc. A plaguing mischief light on Charles,
and thee!

And may ye both be suddenly surpriz'd
By bloody hands, in sleeping on your beds!
YORK. Fell banning hag, enchantress, hold thy
tongue!

Puc. I pr'ythee, give me leave to curse a while.
YORK. Curse, miscreant, when thou comest to
the stake.
[Exeunt.

As plays the sun upon the glassy streams,
Twinkling another counterfeited beam,

So seems this gorgeous beauty to mine eyes.
Fain would I woo her, yet I dare not speak:
I'll call for pen and ink, and write my mind:
Fie, De la Poole! disable" not thyself;
Hast not a tongue? is she not here thy prisoner?"
Wilt thou be daunted at a woman's sight?
Ay; beauty's princely majesty is such, [rough.
Confounds the tongue, and makes the senses
MAR. Say, earl of Suffolk,-if thy name be so,-
What ransom must I pay before I pass ?
For I perceive I am thy prisoner.

SUF. How canst thou tell she will deny thy suit, Before thou make a trial of her love? [Aside. MAR. Why speak'st thou not? what ransom must I pay?

SUF. She's beautiful, and therefore to be woo'd: She is a woman, therefore to be won. [Aside. MAR. Wilt thou accept of ransom-yea, or no? SUF. Fond man! remember that thou hast a wife; Then how can Margaret be thy paramour?

[Aside.

If happy England's royal king be free.
MAR. Why, what concerns his freedom unto
SUF. I'll undertake to make thee Henry's
queen;

To put a golden sceptre in thy hand,
And set a precious crown upon thy head,
If thou wilt condescend to be my-

MAR. I am unworthy to be Henry's wife.
SUF. No, gentle madam; I unworthy am
To woo so fair a dame to be his wife,
And have no portion in the choice myself.
How say you, madam; are ye so content?
MAR. An if my father please, I am content.
SUF. Then call our captains and our colours
forth!-

And, madam, at your father's castle-walls
We'll crave a parley, to confer with him.

[Troops come forward.

A Parley sounded.

Enter REIGNIER, on the walls.

a Disable-] That is, disparage. See note (e), p. 168. b Is she not here thy prisoner?] The last two words of this line are omitted in the first folio.

c Ay beauty's princely majesty is such,

Confounds the tongue, and makes the senses rough.] This is a troublesome passage. Hanmer, for rough, reads crouch. Mr. Collier's annotator, for "makes the senses rough." proposes "mocks the se ise of touch;" and Mr. Singer's corrector, "wakes the sense's touch."

d Wooden-] As we now say blockish. So in Lily's Galathea,

1592:-"Would I were out of these woods, for I shall have but wooden luck;" and in Sidney's Astrophel and Stella (both quoted by Steevens):

"Or, seeing, have so woodden wits as not that worth to know." e Lady, wherefore talk you so?] Mr. Collier's annotator remedies the imperfection of this line by inserting "pray tell me." f 'Tis but quid for quo.] Falstaff, it will be recollected, adopts the same effective course to reprove the Chief Justice for his "disease of not listening," in the "Second Part of Henry IV." Act I. Sc. 2.

Whom I with pain have woo'd and won thereto;
And this her easy-held imprisonment
Hath gain'd thy daughter princely liberty.
REIG. Speaks Suffolk as he thinks?
SUF.
Fair Margaret knows,
That Suffolk doth not flatter, face, or feign.
REIG. Upon thy princely warrant, I descend,
To give thee answer of thy just demand.

[Exit from the walls. SUF. And here I will expect thy coming.

Trumpets sounded. Enter REIGNIER, below.

REIG. Welcome, brave earl, into our territories; Command in Anjou what your honour pleases. SUF. Thanks, Reignier, happy for so sweet a child,

Fit to be made companion with a king:
What answer makes your grace unto my suit?

REIG. Since thou dost deign to woo her little worth,

To be the princely bride of such a lord;
Upon condition I may quietly
Enjoy mine own, the county Maine and Anjou,
Free from oppression or the stroke of war,
My daughter shall be Henry's, if he please.

SUF. That is her ransom,-I deliver her;
And those two counties I will undertake,
Your grace shall well and quietly enjoy.

REIG. And I again,-in Henry's royal name, As deputy unto that gracious king,— Give thee her hand, for sign of plighted faith. SUF. Reignier of France, I give thee kingly thanks,

[Aside.

Because this is in traffic of a king :-
And yet, methinks, I could be well content
To be mine own attorney in this case.—
I'll over then to England with this news,
And make this marriage to be solemniz'd:
So, farewell, Reignier: set this diamond safe
In golden palaces, as it becomes.

REIG. I do embrace thee, as I would embrace The Christian prince, king Henry, were he here. MAR. Farewell, my lord: good wishes, praise,

and prayers, Shall Suffolk ever have of Margaret.

[Going.

SUF. Farewell, sweet madam! But hark you,

you again,—

But, madam, I must trouble
No loving token to his majesty?
[heart,
MAR. Yes, my good lord; a pure unspotted
Never yet taint with love, I send the king.

SUF. And this withal.
[Kisses her.
MAR. That for thyself;-I will not so presume
To send such peevisha tokens to a king.

[Exeunt REIGNIER and MARGARET. SUF. O, wert thou for myself!-But, Suffolk, stay;

Thou may'st not wander in that labyrinth;
There Minotaurs and ugly treasons lurk.
Solicit Henry with her wond'rous praise:
Bethink thee on her virtues that surmount;
And natural graces that extinguish art;
Repeat their semblance often on the seas,
That, when thou com'st to kneel at Henry's feet,
Thou may'st bereave him of his wits with wonder.

either And, or "Her," another substitution of the commentators, much better suited to the context.

e Decrepit miser!] Miser here does not imply avarice; but means a miserable caitiff; a sense it so commonly bore formerly that examples are needless.

d So obstacle!] An old vulgar corruption of obstinate.