1 Even fo our houfes, and ourselves, our children, When a council is felected to retire apart, and confer upon the preliminaries of peace, the queen of France, who is prefent at the treaty, is afked by Henry, whether the chufes to go with the plenipotentiaries, or would stay where fhe is? Ifabel. Our gracious brother, I will go with them; When articles too nicely urged be stood on. What Ifabel fays upon this occafion is very true. Men may be fometimes too sturdy with one another, even in matters of mere punctilio, or of trifling concern; each too proud or obftinate to recede; when the interpofition of a woman may remove the difficulty, or compose the ferment, without either of the parties appearing to give up to the other. The interfering of a woman, in difputes between men, is feldom an indifferent matter. It generally renders them either more gentle, or more refractory. Shakespeare appears to be fo fond of the perfonage of Henry, that though he has already raifed him to the highest pitch in our admiration and esteem, he continues to recommend him to us still further, by introducing him in a new character and fituation, that of a lover and a courtier. He did the fame for Falftaff before, in the Merry Wives of Windfor, at the request of Queen Elizabeth; but here he enters a volunteer in the fervice. Had any other writer ventured on fuch an attempt, he would have rendered him a quite different man from himDiffused for flevenly. felf, 279 felf, as Racine has mifreprefented Achilles; but Henry continues to be the fame perfon ftill, only appearing in new circumstances; the fame humour, playful fpirit, and careless eafe, remain in his courtfhip, as may be feen in his rallying of Falftaff, replying to Mountjoy, or exchanging gages with the foldier. It is neceffary to tranfcribe the intire dialogue between him and his mistress, to fupport my obfervation, as well as for the entertainment of my Reader. Henry, Catharine, and a French Lady. Henry. Fair Catharine, moft fair, Will you vouchsafe to teach a foldier terms, And plead his love-fuit to her gentle heart? Catharine. Your majesty shall mock at me, I cannot speak your England. Henry. O, fair Catharine, if you will love me foundly with your French heart, I will be glad to hear you confefs it brokenly with your English tongue. Do you like me, Kate ?. Catharine. Pardonnez moy. I cannot tell what is like me. Henry, I faid fo, dear Catharine, and I must not blush to affirm it. Catharine. O, bon Dieu, les langues des hommes font pleines de tromperies. Henry. What fays fhe, fair one? that tongues of men are full of deceit ? Lady. Ouy, dat de tongues of de mans is be full of deceits. Dat is de princefs. Henry. The princess is the better English woman. I'faith, Kate, my wooing is fit for thy understanding; I am glad thou canst speak no better English; for, if thou could't, thou would find'st me fuch a · plain king, that thou would'st think I had fold my farm, to buy a crown, I know no ways to mince it in love, but directly to say, I love you; then, if you urge further than to say, do you, in faith? I -wear out my fuit. Give me your anfwer; i'faith do; and so clap hands, and a bargain. How fay you, lady ? Catharine. Sauf votre honneur, me understand well. Henry. Marry, if you put me to verfes, or to dance for your fake, Kate, why you undid me; for the one I have neither words, nor measure; and for the other, I have as little addrefs. If I could T4. win win a lady at leap frog, or by volting into my faddle, with my armour on my back, under the correction of bragging be it fpoken, I fhould quickly leap into matrimony. Or if I might buffet for my love, or bound my horfe for her favours, I could lay on like a butcher, and fit like a jack-a-napes †, never off. But, before God, Kate, I cannot look greenly, nor gafp out my eloquence, nor have I cunning in proteftation; only downright oaths, which I never ufe, till urged, and never break, for urging 1. If thou canft love a fellow of this temper, Kate, whole face is not worth funburning, that never looks in his glafs for love of any thing he fees there, let thine eye be thy cook. I fpeak plain foldier; if thou canft love me for this, take me; if not, to say to thee that I fhall die, 'tis true; but or thy love, by the Lord, no; yet I love thee And while thou liveft, Kate, take a fellow of plain and uncoined conftancy, for he perforce muft do thee right, because he hath not the gift to woo in other places; for thofe fellows of infinite tongue, that can rhyme themselves into ladies favours, they d alway's reafon themfelves out again . What? a fpeaker is but a prater; a rhyme is but a ballad; a good leg will fall, a ftraight back will stoop, a black beard will turn white, a curled pate will grow bald, a fair face will wither, a full eye will wax hollow; but a good heart, Kate, is the fun and the moon; or rather the fun, and not the moon; for it fhines bright, and never changes, but keeps his courfe truly. If thou would't have fuch a one, take me; take a foldier; take a king. And what fay'st thou then to my love? Speak, my fair, and fairly, I pray thee. too. Catharine. Is it poffible dat I should love de enemy of France? Henry. No, it is not poffible that you should love the enemy of France, Kate; but in loving me you fhould love the friend of France; for I love France fo well, that I will not part with a village of it; I will have it all mine; and, Kate, when France is mine, and I am yours, then yours is France, and you are mine. Catharine. I cannot tell vat is dat. Henry. No, Kate? I will tell thee in French, which I am fure will hang upon my tongue, like a bride about her husband's neck, *Velting, for vaulting. I have taken the liberty of fpelling the word fo, to diftinguish it from the builder's term, according to an observation I have made on it, in another place. To volt comes from voltiger, to fly and it is not pedantry to stick closely to an etymology, when a deviation from it confounds the sense. See Series of Letters, vol. vi. page 45. † A monkey. This paffage was fo clear to all the Commentators, I fuppofe, that they have hot given us any note upon it; but I think it needs explanation. The fenfe of it I take to be this: I never swear, except when urged by paffion; but the oath once taken, I never urge the rafhnefs of it as an excufe for its breach. By this epithet, the poet means to compare fincerity to bullion-gold, before it is alloyed for coinage. The editors differ about the word, but Shakespeare explains it in this fenfe, before he finishes the sentence---because be bath not the gift to suco in other places--or gold is not fo current as when turned into specie. Reason themselves out again. The finding success so easy, tempts them to pur fue more conquefts, forfaking their former. hardly hardly to be hook off-Quand j'ay le* poffeffion de France, & quand vous avez le poffeffion de moi-Let me fee-What then? St. Dennis be my fpeed-Donc votre eft France, & vous etes mienne. It is as eafy for me, Kate, to conquer the kingdom, as to fpeak fo much more French. I fhall never move thee in French, unless it be to laugh at me. Catharine. Sauf votre honneur, le Francois que vous parlez ef meillea, que l'Anglois lequel je parle. Henry. No, faith, it's not, Kate; but thy fpeaking of my tongue, and I thine, moft truly falfely, muft needs be granted to be much at one. But, Kate, doft thou understand so much English? Canft thou love me? Catharine. I cannot tell. Henry. Can any of your neighbours tell, Kate? I'll afk them.. Come, I know thou loveft me; and at night when you come into your clofet, you'll queftion this gentlewoman about me; and I know, Kate, you will to her difpraise those parts in me, that you like beft; but, good Kate, mock me mercifully; the rather, gentle Princess, because I love thee cruelly. If ever thou beeft mine, Kate, as I have faving faith within me tells me thou fhalt, I get thee with feambling t, and thou muft, therefore, needs prove a good foldier-breeder-Shall not thou and I, between St. Dennis and St. George, compound a boy half French, half English, that shall go to Conftantinople, and take the Turk by the beard? Shall we not? What fay't thou, my fair Flower-de-Luce. Catharine. I do not know dat. Henry. No, 'tis hereafter to know, but now to promise. Do but now promife, Kate, you will endeavour for your French part of fuch a boy; and, for my English moiety, take the word of a king and a bachelor. How answer you, le plus belle Catharine du monde, mon tres chere & divine deeffe? Catharine. Your majeftee ave faufe French enough to deceive de most fage damoisel ‡ dat is en France. Henry. Now, fy upon my falfe French; by mine honour, in true English, 1 love thee, Kate; by which honour I dare not swear thou lovest me; yet my blood begins to flatter me that thou doft, notwithstanding the poor and untempting effect of my vifage. Now, befhrew my father's ambition, he was thinking of civil wars when he got me; therefore was I created with a ftubborn outfide, with an afpect of iron, that when I come to woo ladies, I fright them; but in faith, Kate, the elder I wax, the better I fhall *Le, for la. Henry is made to speak falfe French, throughout, to humour Kate's falfe English. Scambling, riotoufly-Alluding to the war which was the prelude to his courtship. I have fpelt the word as I found it in the Text. appear. appear. My comfort is, that old age, that ill layer up of beauty, can do no more fpoil upon my face. Thou haft me, if thou haft me, at the worft; and thou shalt wear me, if thou wear me, better and better; and therefore, tell me, most fair Catharine, will you have me? Put off your maiden blushes, avouch, the thoughts of your heart, with the looks of an emprefs; take me by the hand, and fay, Harry of England, I am thine; which word thou fhalt no fooner bless mine ear withal, but I will tell thee aloud, England is thine, Ireland is thine, France is thine, and Henry Plantagenet is thine; who, though I fpeak it before his face, if he be not fellow with the beft king, thou fhalt find the beft king of good fellows. Come, your answer in broken mufic; for thy voice is mufic, and thy English broken-Therefore, queen of all, Catharine, break thy mind to me in broken English, wilt thou have me? Catharine. Dat is as it shall please le roy mon pere. Henry. Nay, it will please him well, Kate-It fhall please him, Kate. Catharine. Den it fhall alfo content me. Henry Upon that I kiss your hand, and call you my queen. Catharine. Laiez, mon Seigneur, laissez, laissez-Ma foy, je ne veux point que vous abaiffiez votre grandeur, en baifant la main de Votre indigne ferviteuro*; excusez moy, je vous fupplie, mon tres puiffant Seigneur. Henry. Then I will kifs your lips, Kate. Catharine. Les dames & demoiselles ne faut pas etre baisees devant leur nopges-Il n'eft pas la coutume de France. Henry. Madam my interpreter, what says she ? Lady. Dat it is not be de fashon pour les ladies of France-I cannot tell what is baifer, en English. Henry. To kifs, Mademoiselle. Lady. Your majefty entendre better que moy. Henry. 'Tis not a fashion for the maids of France to kif before they are married, would the say? Lady. Ouy, vrayement. Henry. O, Kate, nice cuftoms curtfie to great folks. Dear Kate, you and I cannot be confined within the weak lift of a country's fashion-We are the makers of manners, Kate; and the liberty that follows our places, ftops the mouth of all find-faults; as I will do yours for the upholding the nice fashion of your country, in denying me a kifs-Therefore-patiently, and yielding-[Kiffing her.] You have witchcraft in your lips, Kate; there is more eloquence in a touch of them, than in all the tongues of There is no fuch modern French word, in the feminine gender. the |