Kinsj rtnnr the Sixth,

Dukt / Cfoster, unde to <A« trin»•, and protector.

Old* of Bedford, tmcis ;» .Ac king and regent

of France. Thomas Be&ufcxt, duke of Exeter, great tmele to

the king. Henry Beaufort, great uncle to the kin', bishop of

Winchester, and yierwards cardinal. John Beaufort, earl of Simerset; aftertcards duke. Richard Planlagcnet, elttest son of Richard, late

eirl of Cambridge; afterwards duke of York. Earl of Warwick. Earl of Salisbury.

Earl of Suffolk.

Ijird Talbot, afterwards Mt» of Shrewsbury.
John Talbot, his son.
Edmund Mortimer, earl of March.
Mortimer's keeper and a lawyer.
Sir John Fastolfe. Sir William Lucy.

Sir William Glansdale. Sir Thomas Garyrrave.
Mayor of London. Woodville, licut. of the Tower.

Vemon, of the white rose, or York factum.
Basset, c/ the red rose, or Lancaster faction.
Charles, dauphin, and afterwards king of France.
Rcignier, duke ofAnjou, and titular king ofJCapLs.
Duke of Burgundy. Duke of Alenfon.

Gorernor of Paris. Bastard of Orleans.

Master-gtinner of Orleans, and his son.
General of the French forces in Bourdtaux.
A French Sergeant. A Porter.

An old shepherd, father to Joan la Pucellt.

Margaret, dm* *hter to Rcignier; afterwards mat

tied to Kin^ Henry. Countess of Aurergne. Joan la Pucelle, commonly called Joan of Arc.

Fiends appearing to La Pucelle, lords, warden of the Tower, heralds, officers, soldiers, messengers, and several attendants, both on thi English and French.

Scene, partly in England, and partly in Franc*.

ACT I.

9CE-VE I.—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, fyc.

Bedford,

HUNG be the heavens with black,1 yield day to night!

Comets, importing change of times and states,
Brandish your crystal tresses in the sky;
And with them scourge the bad revolting stars,
That have consented unto Henrv's death!
Henry the Fifth, too famous to live long!
England ne'er lost a king of so much worth.

Glo. England ne'er had a king, until his time.
Virtue he had, deserving to command:
His brandish'd sword did blind men with his beams;
His arms spread wider than a dragon's wings;
His sparkling eyes, replete with wrathful fire,
More dazzled and drove back his enemies.
Than mid-day sun, fierce lient against their faces.
What should I sav? his deeds exceed all speech:
He ne'er lift up his hand, but conquered.

Ece. We mourn in black; Why mourn we not in blood? Henry is dead, and never shall revive: Cpon a wooden colfin we attend; And death's dishonourable victory We with our stately presence glorify, Like captives bound to a triumphant car. What! shall we curse the planets of mishap,

(1) Alii ilirij; to our ancient stage-practice when t tragedy was to be acted.

That plotted thus our glory's overthrow?
Or shall we think the subtle-witted French
Conjurers and sorcerers, that, afraid of him,
By magic verses' have coutriv'd his end 7

I ('in. He was a king blessed of the King of kings.
Unto the French the dreadful judTment-day
So dreadful will not be, as was his sight.
The battles of the Lord of hosts he fought:
The church's prayers made him so prosperous.

Glo. The church! where is it7 Had not church men pray'd, His thread of life had not so soon decay'd: None do You like but an effeminate prince, Whom, like a school-boy, you may over-awe.

Win. Gloster, whate'er we like, thou art protector; And lookrst to command the prince and realm. Thy wife is proud; she holdeth thee in awe, More than God, or religious churchmen, may.

Glo. Name not religion, for thou lov'st the flesh; And ne'er throughout the year to church thou goit, Except it be to pray against thy foes.

Bed. Cease, cease these jars, and rest your minds in peace! Let's to Hi. altar:—Heralds, wait on us:— Instead of gold, we'll offer up our arms; Since arms avail not, now that Henry's dead.— Posterity, await for wretched years, When at their mothers' moist eyes babes shall suck, Our isle b.' made a nourish1 of salt tears. And none but women left to wail the dead.— Henry the Fifth! thy ghost I invocate; Prosper this realm, keep it from civil broils! Combat with adverse planets in the heavens I

(2) There was a notion long prevalent, that life might be taken away by metrical charms. (S) Nurse was anciently so spelt.