K. Hen. Is this the Lord Talbot, uncle Gloster,(101) That hath so long been resident in France? Glo. Yes, if it please your majesty, my liege. K. Hen. Welcome, brave captain and victorious lord! A stouter champion never handled sword. And in our coronation take your place. [Flourish. Exeunt all except Vernon and Basset. Ver. Now, sir, to you, that were so hot at sea, Disgracing of these colours that I wear In honour of my noble Lord of York, Dar'st thou maintain the former words thou spak'st? Ver. Sirrah, thy lord I honour as he is. Bas. Why, what is he? as good a man as York. [Strikes him. Bas. Villain, thou know'st the law of arms is such, I may have liberty to venge this wrong; When thou shalt see I'll meet thee to thy cost. Ver. Well, miscreant, I'll be there as soon as you; And, after, meet you sooner than you would. [Exeunt. (101) Is this the Lord Talbot, uncle Gloster,] See notes 37 and 87. (Here the folio happens to have the spelling "Gloucester;" but in the passages in the notes referred to it has "Gloster.") ACT IV. SCENE I. Paris. A room of state in the palace. Enter King HENRY, GLOSTER, Exeter, York, SUFFOLK, SOMERSET, WINCHESTER, WARWICK, TALBOT, the Governor of Paris, and other. Glo. Lord bishop, set the crown upon his head. Win. God save King Henry, of that name the sixth! [Governor kneels. That you elect no other king but him; This shall ye do, so help you righteous God! [Exeunt Governor and his Train. Enter Sir JOHN FASTOLFE. Fast. My gracious sovereign, as I rode from Calais, To haste unto your coronation, A letter was deliver'd to my hands, Writ to your grace from the Duke of Burgundy. [Presenting it. Tal. Shame to the Duke of Burgundy and thee! I vow'd, base knight, when I did meet thee next, (102) craven's leg,-] I suspect that the author wrote craven leg," though Boswell is pleased to say that "to take the epithet expressing cowardice from the person, and to apply it to his leg, is surely no very obvious improvement." (103) Patay,] The folio has "Poictiers."-The necessary correction was made by Capell (Notes, &c., vol. i. P. ii. p. 35). And that the French were almost ten to one,- In which assault we lost twelve hundred men; Glo. To say the truth, this fact was infamous, Much more a knight, a captain, and a leader. Tal. When first this order was ordain'd, my lords, K. Hen. Stain to thy countrymen, thou hear'st thy doom! Be packing, therefore, thou that wast a knight: Sent from our uncle Duke of Burgundy. Glo. What means his grace, that he hath chang'd his style? [Viewing the superscription. (104) in most extremes.] "i.e. in greatest extremities." STEEVENS.— Mr. Singer (Shakespeare Vindicated, &c., p. 142) remarks, "The substitution of 'worst extremes' [by Hanmer and Mr. Collier's Ms. Corrector], although specious, is doubtful: "-he might have said "is unquestionably wrong." (105) my lord protector,] So the second folio.-The first folio omits "my." (Compare elsewhere in Henry's speeches, "Ourself, my lord protector," &c., p. 66 ; And so, my lord protector," &c., p. 82; "Therefore, my lord protector," &c., p. 97.) 66 No more but, plain and bluntly, "To the King"} Or doth this churlish superscription Pretend some alteration in good will ?(106) What's here?-[Reads] "I have, upon especial cause,- Together with the pitiful complaints Of such as your oppression feeds upon,— Forsaken your pernicious faction, And join'd with Charles, the rightful King of France." That in alliance, amity, and oaths, There should be found such false dissembling guile? K. Hen. Why, then, Lord Talbot there shall talk with him, And give him chastisement for this abuse. My lord, how say you ?(107) are you not content? Tal. Content, my liege! yes, but that I'm prevented, 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, Tal. I go, my lord; in heart desiring still (106) Or doth this churlish superscription [Exit. "To pretend seems to be here used in its Latin sense, i.e. to hold out, to stretch forward. It may mean, however, as in other places, to design. Modern editors read portend." STEEVENS.-Walker (Crit. Exam., &c., vol. ii. p. 240) would also read "portend."-But it may be that "pretend" is used here as equivalent to portend,-the original author of this play having found the word not unfrequently so employed by earlier writers. See my note on Skelton's Works, vol. ii. p. 286. (107) My lord, how say you?] The folio has "How say you (my Lord)."-See Walker's Crit. Exam., &c., vol. iii. p. 120. Enter VERNON and BASSET. 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 answer you. Bas. Crossing the sea from England into France, Ver. And that is my petition, noble lord: Yet know, my lord, I was provok'd by him; York. Will not this malice, Somerset, be left? Som. Your private grudge, my Lord of York, will out, Though ne'er so cunningly you smother it. K. Hen. Good Lord, what madness rules in brain-sick men, When for so slight and frivolous a cause Such factious emulations shall arise!Good cousins both, of York and Somerset, |