K, Hen. Is this the Lord Talbot, uncle Gloster 6, When I was young (as yet I am not old), [Exeunt KING HENRY, GLOSTER, TALBOT, Ver. Now, sir, to you, that were so hot at sea, Disgracing of these colours 10 that I wear In honour of my noble lord of York- Bas. Villain, thou know'st, the law of arms is such, That, whoso draws a sword, 'tis present death 11; 6 Hanmer supplied the apparent deficiency in this line, by reading : Is this the fam'd Lord Talbot,' &c. ↑ Malone remarks that Henry was but nine months old when his father died, and never saw him.' The poet did not perhaps deem historical accuracy necessary. 8 Convinced. Vide note on page 17. 9 Rewarded. Vide note on page 56. 10 i. e. the badge of a rose. 11 By the ancient law before the conquest, fighting in the king's Or else this blow should broach thy dearest blood. I may have liberty to venge this wrong; ACT IV. SCENE I. The same. A Room of State. 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 pretend1 Malicious practices against his state: This shall ye do, so help you righteous God! [Exeunt Gov. and his Train. Enter SIR JOHN FASTOlfe. Fast. My gracious sovereign, as I rode from Calais, palace or before the king's judges was punished with death. And still by the Stat. 33 Hen. VIII. c. xii. 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. Stowe gives a circumstantial account of Sir Edmond Knevet being found guilty of this offence with the ceremonials for carrying the sentence into execution. He petitioned the king to take his left hand instead of his right; and the king was pleased to pardon him altogether. Annals. edit. 1605, p. 978. To pretend is to intend, to design. Thus in Macbeth :- To haste unto your coronation, A letter was deliver'd to my hands, Writ to your grace from the duke of Burgundy. Glo. To say the truth, this fact was infamous, 2 Warburton would read thy craven leg.' Craven is mean, dastardly. 3 The old copy has Poictiers instead of Patay. The battle of Poictiers was fought in 1357, the 31st of King Edward III. and the scene now lies in the 7th of King Henry V1. viz. 1428. The action happened (according to Holinshed) neere unto a village in Beausse called Pataie. From this battel departed, without any stroke striken, Sir John Fastolfe, the same yeere by his valiantnesse elected into the order of the garter. But for doubt of misdealing at this brunt, the duke of Bedford tooke from him the image of St. George and his garter, &c. Vol. ii. p. 601. Monstrelet mentions the degradation of Sir John Fastolfe. 4 Vide note 9 on p. 48; and note 4 on p. 65. But always resolute in most extremes 5. Be packing therefore, thou that wast a knight; Glo. What means his grace, that he hath chang'd [Reads. Mov'd with compassion of my country's wreck, Of such as your oppression feeds upon,— And join'd with Charles, the rightful king of France. O monstrous treachery! Can this be so; There should be found such false dissembling guile? K. Hen. What! doth my uncle Burgundy revolt? Glo. He doth, my lord; and is become your foe. K. Hen. Is that the worst, this letter doth contain? 5 i. e. in greatest extremities. More and most were used by our ancestors for greater and greatest. Vide note on Macbeth, Act. v. Sc. 4, p. 293. 6 See note on p. 68. Glo. It is the worst, and all, my lord, he writes. K. Hen. Why then, Lord Talbot there shall talk with him, And give him chastisement for this abuse:- I should have begg'd I might have been employ'd. K. Hen. Then gather strength, and march unto him straight: Let him perceive, how ill we brook his treason; Enter VERNON and BASSET. [Exit. Ver. Grant me the combat, gracious sovereign! Bas. And me, my lord, grant me the combat too! York. This is my servant; hear him noble prince! Som. And this is mine; Sweet Henry, favour him! K. Hen. Be patient, lords; and give them leave to speak. Say, gentlemen, What makes you thus exclaim? And wherefore crave you combat? or with whom? Ver. With him, my lord; for he hath done me wrong. Bas. And I with him; for he hath done me wrong. K. Hen. What is that wrong whereof you both complain? First let me know, and then I'll a swer you. Bas. Crossing the sea from England into France, This fellow here, with envious carping tongue, Upbraided me about the rose I wear; Saying the sanguine colour of the leaves Prevented is anticipated. Vide note on the Second Part of King Henry IV. Act i. Sc. 2, p. 260. |