K. Hen, O Kate, nice customs courtesy to great kings. Dear Kate, you and I cannot be confined within the weak list of a country's fashion: we are the makers of manners, Kate; and the liberty that follows our places stops the mouth of all find-faults; as I will do yours, for upholding the nice fashion of your country in denying me a kiss: therefore, patiently and yielding [Kissing her. You have witchcraft in your lips, Kate: there is more eloquence in a sugar touch of them than in the tongues of the French council: and they should sooner persuade Harry of England than a general petition of monarchs. Here comes your father. Re-enter the FRENCH KING and his QUEEN, BURGUNDY, and other Lords. Bur. God save your majesty! my royal cousin, teach you our princess English? K. Hen. I would have her learn, my fair cousin, how perfectly I love her; and that is good English. Bur. Is she not apt? K. Hen. Our tongue is rough, coz, and my condition is not smooth; so that, having neither the voice nor the heart of flattery about me, I cannot so conjure up the spirit of love in her, that he will appear in his true likeness. Bur. Pardon the frankness of my mirth, if I answer you for that. If you would conjure in her, you must make a circle; if conjure up love in her in his true likeness, he must appear naked and blind. Can you blame her then, being a maid yet rosed over with the virgin crimson of modesty, if she deny the appearance of a naked blind boy in her naked seeing self? It were, my lord, a hard condition for a maid to consign to. K. Hen. Yet they do wink and yield, as love is blind and enforces. Bur. They are then excused, my lord, when they see not what they do. 33 K. Hen. Then, good my lord, teach your cousin to consent winking. Bur. I will wink on her to consent, my lord, if you will teach her to know my meaning: for maids, well summered and warm kept, are like flies at Bartholomew-tide, blind, though they have their eyes; and then they will endure handling, which before would not abide looking on. K. Hen. This moral ties me over to time and a hot summer; and so I shall catch the fly, your cousin, in the latter end and she must be blind too. Bur. As love is, my lord, before it loves. K. Hen. It is so: and you may, some of you, thank love for my blindness, who cannot see many a fair French city for one fair French maid that stands in my way. Fr. King. Yes, my lord, you see them perspectively, the cities turned into a maid; for they are all girdled with maiden walls that war hath never entered. 350 K. Hen. Shall Kate be my wife? K. Hen. I am content; so the maiden cities you talk of may wait on her: so the maid that stood in the way for my wish shall show me the way to my will. Fr. King. We have consented to all terms of reason. 359 K. Hen. Is't so, my lords of England? West. The king hath granted every article: His daughter first, and then in sequel all, According to their firm proposed natures. Exe. Only he hath not yet subscribed this: Where your majesty demands, that the King of France, having any occasion to write for matter of grant, shall name your highness in this form and with this addition, in French, Notre trèscher fils Henri, Roi d'Angleterre, Héritier de France; and thus in Latin, Præclarissimus filius noster Henricus, Rex Angliæ, et Hæres Franciæ. Fr. King. Nor this I have not, brother, so denied, But your request shall make me let it pass. Let that one article rank with the rest; Fr. King. Take her, fair son, and from her blood raise up Issue to me; that the contending kingdoms Of France and England, whose very shores look pale With envy of each other's happiness, May cease their hatred, and this dear conjunction 380 Plant neighborhood and Christian-like accord In their sweet bosoms, that never war advance His bleeding sword 'twixt England and fair France. All. Amen! K. Hen. Now, welcome, Kate: and bear me witness all, That here I kiss her as my sovereign queen. [Flourish. Q. Isa. God, the best maker of all marriages, Combine your hearts in one, your realms in one! As man and wife, being two, are one in love, So be there, 'twixt your kingdoms such a spousal, That never may ill office, or fell jealousy, Which troubles oft the bed of blessed marriage, Thrust in between the paction of these kingdoms, To make divorce of their incorporate league; That English may as French, French English men, Receive each other. God speak this Amen! All Amen! K. Hen. Prepare we for our marriage: on which day, My Lord of Burgundy, we'll take our oath, And all the peers', for surety of our leagues. 400 Then shall I swear to Kate, and you to me; And may our oaths well kept and prosperous be! [Sennet. Exeunt. EPILOGUE Enter CHORUS. Chor. Thus far, with rough and all-unable pen, Our bending author hath pursued the story, In little room confining mighty men. Mangling by starts the full course of their glory. Small time, but in that small most greatly lived This star of England: Fortune made his sword: By which the world's best garden be achieved, [ACT v. LORD TALBOT, afterwards Earl of Shrewsbury. JOHN TALBOT, his son. EDMUND MORTIMER, Earl of March. SIR JOHN FASTOLFE. SIR WILLIAM LUCY. SIR WILLIAM GLANSDALE. SIR THOMAS GARGRAVE. Mayor of London. WOODVILLE, Lieutenant of the Tower. SCENE I. VERNON, of the White-Rose or York faction. BASSET, of the Red-Rose or Lancaster faction. A Lawyer. Mortimer's Keepers. CHARLES, Dauphin, and afterwards King, of France. REIGNIER, Duke of Anjou, and titular King of Naples. DUKE OF BURGUNDY. BASTARD OF ORLEANS. Governor of Paris. Master-Gunner of Orleans, and his Son. An old Shepherd, father to Joan la Pucelle. MARGARET, daughter to Reignier, afterwards married to King Henry. COUNTESS OF AUVERGNE. JOAN LA PUCELLE, commonly called Joan Lords, Warders of the Tower, Heralds, Officers, SCENE-Partly in England, and partly in France. ACT I. Westminster Abbey. Dead March. Enter the Funeral of KING Bed. Hung be the heavens with black, yield Comets, importing change of times and states, ΙΟ Unto the French the dreadful judgment-day His thread of life had not so soon decay'd: His arms spread wider than a dragon's wings; Thy wife is proud; she holdeth thee in awe, More than God or religious churchmen may. 40 Glou. Name not religion, for thou lovest the flesh, And ne'er thoughout the year to church thou go'st Except it be to pray against thy foes. Bed. Cease, cease these jars, and rest your minds in peace: Let's to the altar: heralds, wait on us: Our isle be made a nourish of salt tears, Enter a Messenger. 50 all! Mess. My gracious lords, to add to your laments, Wherewith you now bedew King Henry's I must inform you of a dismal fight [hearse, Betwixt the stout Lord Talbot and the French. Win. What! wherein Talbot overcame? is't so? The circumstance I'll tell you more at large, Having full scarce six thousand in his troop, 65 No leisure had he to enrank his men; Mess. My honorable lords, health to you Speak softly, or the loss of those great towns Exe. How were they lost? what treachery was used? Mess. No treachery; but want of men and money. Among the soldiers this is muttered, Let not sloth dim your honors new-begot: Exe. Were our tears wanting to this funeral, These tidings would call forth their 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 will I lend the French instead of eyes, To weep their intermissive miseries. Enter to them another Messenger. Mess. Lords, view these letters full of bad mischance. He wanted pikes to set before his archers; Instead whereof sharp stakes pluck'd out of hedges 120 They pitched in the ground confusedly, Durst not presume to look once in the face. 140 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 : I'll hale the Dauphin headlong from his throne: His crown shall be the ransom of my friend; 150 Four of their lords I'll change for one of ours. Farewell, my masters; to my task will I; Bonfires in France forthwith I am to make, To keep our great Saint George's feast withal: Ten thousand soldiers with me I will take, Sound a flourish. Enter CHARLES, ALENÇON, and REIGNIER, marching with drum and Soldiers. Char. Mars his true moving, even as in the heavens So in the earth, to this day is not known: Alen. They want their porridge and their fat bull-beeves: ΙΟ Either they must be dieted like mules, Talbot is taken, whom we wont to fear: Now for the honor of the forlorn French! 20 [Exeunt. Here alarum; they are beaten back by the English with great loss. Re-enter CHARLES, ALENÇON, and REIGNIER. Char. Who ever saw the like? what men have I ! [fled, Dogs! cowards! dastards! I would ne'er have But that they left me 'midst my enemies. Reig Salisbury is a desperate homicide: He fighteth as one weary of his life. The other lords, like lions wanting food, Do rush upon us as their hungry prey. 30 Alen. Froissart, a countryman of ours, records, England all Olivers and Rowlands bred During the time Edward the Third did reign. More truly now may this be verified; For none but Samsons and Goliases It sendeth forth to skirmish. One to ten! Lean raw-boned rascals! who would e'er suppose They had such courage and audacity? Char. Let's leave this town; for they are hare-brain'd slaves, And hunger will enforce them to be more eager: 39 Reig. I think, by some odd gimmors or device, Their arms are set like clocks, still to strike on; Else ne'er could they hold out so as they do. By my consent, we'll even let them alone. Alen. Be it so. Enter the BASTARD of Orleans. Bast. Where's the Prince Dauphin? I have news for him. Char. Bastard of Orleans, thrice welcome to us. Bast. Methinks your looks are sad, your cheer appall'd: 50 Hath the late overthrow wrought this offence? [Exit Bastard.] 60 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 hath. Re-enter the BASTARD of Orleans, with JOAN LA PUCELLE. Reig. Fair maid, is't thou wilt do these wondrous feats? Puc. Reignier, is't thou that think'st to beguile me? Where is the Dauphin? Come, come from behind; My wit untrain'd in any kind of art. 80 |