V I.

KING HENRY THE SIXTH.

DUKE OF GLOSTER, Uncle to the KING, and Protector. DUKE OF BEDFORD, Uncle to the KING, and Regent of France.

THOMAS BEAUFORT, Duke of Exeter, Great Uncle to the KING.

HENRY BEAUFORT, Great Uncle to the KING; Bishop of
Winchester, and afterwards Cardinal.
JOHN BEAUFORT, Earl of Somerset, afterwards Duke.
RICHARD PLANTAGENET, Eldest Son of Richard, late
Earl of Cambridge: afterwards Duke of York.
EARLS OF WARWICK, SALISBURY, and SUFFOLK.
LORD TALBOT, afterwards Earl of Shrewsbury.
JOHN TALBOT, his Son.

EDMUND MORTIMER, Earl of March.

MORTIMER'S Keepers, and a Lawyer.

SIR JOHN FASTOLFE. SIR WILLIAM LUCY. SIR WILLIAM GLANSDALE. SIR THOMAS GARGRAVE. WOODVILLE, Lieutenant of the Tower, Mayor of London.

VERNON, of the White Rose, or York Faction.

ACT I.

SCENE I.-Westminster Abbey.

Dead March. The Corpse of King Henry the Fifth is dis-
covered, lying in state: attended on by the DUKES OF
BEDFORD, GLOSTER, and EXETER; the EARL OF WAR-
WICK, the BISHOP OF WINCHESTER, Heralds, &c.
Bed. Hung be the heavens with black, 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 Henry's death!
King Henry the fifth, too famous to live long!
England ne'er lost a king of so much worth.

Gio. 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 bent against their faces.
What should I say? his deeds exceed all speech:
He ne'er lift up his hand, but conquered.

Exe. We mourn in black: why mourn we not in

blood?

That plotted thus our glory's overthrow?
Or shall we think the subtle-witted French
Conjurors and sorcerers, that, afraid of him,
By magic verses have contriv'd his end?
Win. He was a king, bless'd of the King of kings.
Unto the French the dreadful judgment-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 it? 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 pro-
tector,

And lookest 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 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:-
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 be made a nourish of salt tears,

And none but women left to wail the dead.

Henry the fifth! thy ghost I invocate;

Speak softly; or the loss of those great towns
Will make him burst his lead, and rise from death.
Glo. Is Paris lost? is Rouen yielded up?
If Henry were recall'd to life again,

These news would cause him once more yield the ghost.

Exe. How were they lost? what treachery was us'd?

Mess. No treachery; but want of men and money.
Among the soldiers this is muttered,–
That here you maintain several factions;
And, whilst a field should be despatch'd and fought,
You are disputing of your generals:

One would have lingering wars, with little cost;
Another would fly swift, but wanteth wings;
A third man thinks, without expense at all,
By guileful fair words peace may be obtain’d.
Awake, awake, English nobility!

Let not sloth dim your honours, new-begot:
Cropp'd are the flower-de-luces in your arms;
Of England's coat one half is cut
away.

Exe. Were our tears wanting to this funeral,
These tidings would call for her 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 a second Messenger.

2 Mess. Lords, view these letters, full of bad mischance.

France is revolted from the English quite,
Except some petty towns of no import:
The Dauphin, Charles, is crowned king in Rheims;
The bastard of Orleans with him is join'd;
Reignier, duke of Anjou, doth take his part;
The duke of Alençon flieth to his side.

Exe. The Dauphin crowned king! ali fly to him! O, whither shall we fly from this reproach?

Glo. We will not fly, but to our enemies' throats:Bedford, if thou be slack, I'll fight it out.

Bed. Gloster, why doubt'st thou of my forward

The circumstance I'll tell you more at large.
The tenth of August last, this dreadful lord,
Retiring from the siege of Orleans,
Having full scarce six thousand in his troop,
By three-and-twenty thousand of the French
Was round encompassèd and set upon.
No leisure had he to enrank his men;
He wanted pikes to set before his archers;
Instead whereof, sharp stakes, pluck'd out of hedges,
They pitched in the ground confusedly,
To keep the horsemen off from breaking in.
More than three hours the figlit continued;
Where valiant Talbot, above human thought,
Enacted wonders with his sword and lance:
Hundreds he sent to hell, and none durst stand him;
Here, there, and every where, enrag'd he slew:
The French exclaim'd, the devil was in arms;
All the whole army stood agaz'd on him:
His soldiers, spying his undaunted spirit,
A Talbot! A Talbot! cried out amain,
And rush'd into the bowels of the battle.
Here had the conquest fully been seal'd up,
If sir John Fastolfe had not play'd the coward:
He, being in the vaward, (plac'd behind,
With purpose to relieve and follow them,)
Cowardly fled, not having struck one stroke.
Hence grew the general wreck and massacre;
Enclosed were they with their enemies:

A base Walloon, to win the Dauphin's grace,
Thrust Talbot with a spear into the back;
Whom all France, with their chief assembled

strength,

Durst not presume to look once in the face.

Bed. Is Talbot slain? then I will slay myself,
For living idly here in pomp and ease,
Whilst such a worthy leader, wanting aid,
Unto his dastard foemen is betray'd.

3 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:
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,
Whose bloody deeds shall make all Europe quake.
3 Mess. So you had need; for Orleans is besieg'd;
The English army is grown weak and faint:
The earl of Salisbury craveth supply,

And hardly keeps his men from mutiny,
Since they, so few, watch such a multitude.

Exe. Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry

Enter CHARLES, with his forces; ALENCON, REIGNIER, and others.

Char. Mars his true moving, even heavens,

as in the

So in the earth, to this day is not known:
Late did he shine upon the English side;
Now we are victors, upon us he smiles.
What towns of any moment but we have?
At pleasure here we lie, near Orleans;
Otherwhiles, the famish'd English, like pale ghosts.
Faintly besiege us one hour in a month.

Alen. They want their porridge, and their fat bull-beeves:

Either they must be dieted like mules,

And have their provender tied to their mouths,
Or piteous they will look, like drowned mice.

Reig. Let's raise the siege: why live we idly here?
Talbot is taken, whom we wont to fear:
Remaineth none but mad-brain'd Salisbury;
And he may well in fretting spend his gall,-
Nor men, nor money, hath he to make war.
Char. Sound, sound alarum! we will rush on
them.

Now for the honour of the forlorn French!
Him I forgive my death, that killeth me,
When he sees me go back one foot, or fly.

[Exeunt. Re-enter

Alarums: Excursions: afterwards a Retreat.
CHARLES, ALENÇON, REIGNIER, and others.
Char. Who ever saw the like? what men have
I!-

Dogs! cowards! dastards!-I would ne'er have fled,
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.

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 Goliasses,
It sendeth forth to skirmish.

One to ten!

Lean raw-bon'd rascals! who would e'er suppose
They had such courage and audacity?

Char. Let's leave this town; for they are harebrain'd slaves,

And hunger will enforce them to be more eager:
Of old I know them; rather with their teeth
The walls they'll tear down, than forsake the siege.
Reig. I think, by some odd gimmals, 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 e'en let them alone.

Alen. Be it so.

Be not dismay'd, for succour is at hand:
A holy maid hither with me I bring,
Which, by a vision sent to her from heaven,
Ordained is to raise this tedious siege.

And drive the English forth the bounds of France. The spirit of deep prophecy she hath,

Exceeding the nine sibyls of old Rome:

What's past and what's to come she can descry.
Speak, shall I call her in? Believe my words,
For they are certain and unfallible.

Char. Go, call her in. [Exit BASTARD.] 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.
[Retires.

Re-enter the Bastard of OrlEANS, with LA PUCELLE. Reig. Fair maid, is 't thou wilt do these wond'rous feats?

Puc. Reignier, is 't thou that thinkest to beguile me? Where is the Dauphin?-Come, come from behind; I know thee well, though never seen before. Be not amaz'd, there's nothing hid from me: In private will I talk with thee apart.― Stand back, you lords, and give us leave a while. Reig. She takes upon her bravely at first dash. Fuc. Dauphin, I am by birth a shepherd's daughMy wit untrain'd in any kind of art. [ter, Heaven and our Lady gracious hath it pleas'd To shine on my contemptible estate: Lo, whilst I waited on my tender lambs, And to sun's parching heat display'd my cheeks, God's mother deigned to appear to me, And, in a vision full of majesty, Will'd me to leave my base vocation, And free my country from calamity: Her aid she promis'd, and assur'd success:

In complete glory she reveal'd herself;

And, whereas I was black and swart before,
With those clear rays which she infus'd on me,
That beauty am I bless'd with, which you may see.
Ask me what question thou canst possible,
And I will answer unpremeditated:
My courage try by combat, if thou dar'st,
And thou shalt find that I exceed my sex.
Resolve on this,-thou shalt be fortunate,
If thou receive me for thy warlike mate.

Char. Thou hast astonish'd me with thy high

terms:

Only this proof I'll of thy valour make,—
In single combat thou shalt buckle with me;
And if thou vanquishest, thy words are true;
Otherwise, I renounce all confidence.

Puc. I am prepar'd: here is my keen-edg'd sword,
Deck'd with five flower-de-luces on each side;
The which at Touraine, in Saint Katharine's church-
yard,

Out of a great deal of old iron I chose forth.

Char. Then come, o' God's name; I fear no wo

man.

Impatiently I burn with thy desire;

My heart and hands thou hast at once subdu'd.
Excellent Pucelle, if thy name be so,
Let me thy servant, and not sov'reign, be:
'Tis the French Dauphin sueth to thee thus.

Puc. I must not yield to any rites of love,
For my profession's sacred, from above:
When I have chased all thy foes from hence,
Then will I think upon a recompense.

Char. Mean time look gracious on thy prostrate thrall.

Reig. My lord, methinks, is very long in talk. Alen. Doubtless he shrives this woman to her

Puc. Assign'd am I to be the English scourge.
This night the siege assuredly I'll raise:
Expect Saint Martin's summer, halcyon days,
Since I have entered into these wars.
Glory is like a circle in the water,
Which never ceaseth to enlarge itself,
Till by broad spreading, it disperse to naught.
With Henry's death the English circle ends;
Dispersed are the glories it included.
Now am I like that proud insulting ship,
Which Cæsar and his fortune bare at once.
Char. Was Mahomet inspirèd with a dove?
Thou with an eagle art inspired, then.
Helen, the mother of great Constantine,
Nor yet St Philip's daughters, were like thee.
Bright star of Venus, fall'n down on the earth,
How may I reverently worship thee enough?

Alen. Leave off delays, and let us raise the siege. Reig. Woman, do what thou canst to save our honours;

Drive them from Orleans, and be immortaliz'd.
Char. Presently we'll try:-come, let's away

about it:

I Ward. [Within.] The Lord protect him! so we answer him:

We do not otherwise than we are will'd.

Glo. Who willed you? or whose will stands but mine?

There's none protector of the realm but I.—
Break up the gates, I'll be your warrantize:
Shall I be flouted thus by dunghill grooms?

[GLOSTER'S serving-men rush at the Tower
gates.

Wood. [Within.] What noise is this? what traitors have we here?

Glo. Lieutenant, is it you whose voice I hear? Open the gates; here's Gloster that would enter. Wood. [Within.] Have patience, noble duke; I may not open;

The cardinal of Winchester forbids:
From him I have express commandment,
That thou, nor none of thine, shall be let in.
Glo. Faint-hearted Woodville, prizest him 'fore

me,

Arrogant Winchester, that haughty prelate,
Whom Henry, our late sov'reign, ne'er could brook?
Thou art no friend to God, or to the king:
Open the gates, or I'll shut thee out shortly.

I Serv. Open the gates unto the lord protector; Or we'll burst them open, if that you come not quickly.

[GLOSTER'S serving-men rush again at the Tower gates.

Enter WINCHESTER, attended by Servants in tawney coats. Win. How now, ambitious Humphrey! what means this?

Glo. Peel'd priest, dost thou command me to be

shut out?

Win. I do, thou most usurping proditor,
And not protector, of the king or realm.

Glo. Stand back, thou manifest conspirator,
Thou that contriv'dst to murder our dead lord;
Thou that giv'st whores indulgences to sin:
I'll canvass thee in thy broad cardinal's hat,
If thou proceed in this thy insolence.

Win. Nay, stand thou back; I will not budge a This be Damascus, be thou cursèd Cain, [foot: To slay thy brother Abel, if thou wilt.

Glo. I will not slay thee, but I'll drive thee back: Thy scarlet robes, as a child's bearing-cloth I'll use to carry thee out of this place.

Win. Do what thou dar'st; I'll beard thee to thy

face.

Glo. What! am I dar'd, and bearded to my Draw, men, for all this privilegèd place; [face?Blue coats to tawney coats.-Priest, beware your beard;

I mean to tug it, and to cuff you soundly:
Under
my feet I stamp thy cardinal's hat;
In spite of pope or dignities of church,
Here by the cheeks I'll drag thee up and down.
Win. Gloster, thou 'lt answer this before the pope.
Glo. Winchester goose! I cry-a rope! a rope!-
Now beat them hence, why do you let them stay?-
Thee I'll chase hence, thou wolf in sheep's array.—
Out, tawney coats!-out, scarlet hypocrite!

Here GLOSTER and his serving-men attack the other party; and enter in the hurly-burly the Mayor of London and his officers.

May. Fie, lords! that you, being supreme magis

trates,