Kate; and the liberty that follows our places stops the mouth of all find-faults; as I will do yours, for upholding the nice fashion of your country in denying me a kiss: therefore, patiently and yielding. [Kissing her.] You have witchcraft in your lips, Kate: there is more eloquence in a sugar touch of them than in the tongues of the French council; and they should sooner persuade Harry of Eng. land than a general petition of monarchs. Here comes your father. Re-enter the FRENCH KING and his QUEEN, BURGUNDY, and other Lords. Bur. God save your majesty! my royal cousin, teach you our princess English? K. Hen. I would have her learn, my fair cousin, how perfectly I love her; and that is good English. Bur. Is she not apt? K. Hen. Our tongue is rough, coz, and my condition is not smooth; so that, having neither the voice nor the heart of flattery about me, I cannot so conjure up the spirit of love in her, that he will appear in his true likeness. Bur. Pardon the frankness of my mirth, if I answer you for that. If you would conjure in her, you must make a circle; if conjure up love in her in his true likness, he must appear naked and blind. Can you blame her then, being a maid yet rosed over with the virgin crimson of modesty, if she deny the appearance of a naked blind boy in her naked seeing self? It were, my lord, a hard condition for a maid to consign to. K. Hen. Yet they do wink and yield, as love is blind and enforces. Bur. They are then excused, my lord, when they see not what they do. 330 K. Hen. Then, good my lord, teach your cousin to consent winking. Bur. I will wink on her to consent, my lord, if you will teach her to know my meaning: for maids, well summered and warm kept, are like flies at Bartholomew-tide, blind, though they have their eyes; and then they will endure handling, which before would not abide looking on. K. Hen This moral ties me over to time and a hot summer, and so i shall catch the fly, your cousin, in the latter end and she must be blind too. Bur. As love is, my lord, before it loves. K. Hen. It is so and you may, some of you, thank love for my blindness, who cannot see many a fair French city for one fair French maid that stands in my way. Fr. King. Yes, my lord, you see them perspectively, the cities turned into a maid; for they are all girdled with maiden walls that war hath never entered. K. Hen. Shall Kate be my wife? Fr. King. So please you. 350 K. Hen. I am content; so the maiden cities you talk of may wait on her: so the maid that stood in the way for my wish shall show me the way to my will. Fr. King. We have consented to all terms of reason. K. Hen. Is't so, my lords of England? His daughter first, and then in sequel all, Ere. Only he hath not yet subscribed this: 359 Where your majesty demands, that the King of France, having any occasion to write for matter of grant, shall name your highness in this form and with this addition, in French, Notre trèscher fils Henri, Roi d'Angleterre, Héritier de France; and thus in Latin, Præclarissimus filius noster Henricus, Rex Angliæ, et Hæres Franciæ. Fr. King. Nor this I have not, brother, so denied, But your request shall make me let it pass. K. Hen. I pray you then, in love and dear alliance, Let that one article rank with the rest; And thereupon give me your daughter. Fr. King. Take her, fair son, and from her blood raise up Issue to me; that the contending kingdoms Of France and England, whose very shores look pale With envy of each other's happiness, May cease their hatred, and this dear conjunction Plant neighbourhood and Christian-like accord 330 In their sweet bosoms, that never war advance His bleeding sword 'twixt England and fair France. K. Hen. Now, welcome, Kate and bear me witness all, That here I kiss her as my sovereign queen. [Flourish. Q. Isa. God, the best maker of all marriages, That English may as French, French Englishmen, All. Amen! K. Hen. Prepare we for our marriage: on which day, And may our oaths well kept and prosperous be! EPILOGUE. Enter Chorus. 400 [Sennet. Exeunt. Chor. Thus far, with rough and all-unable pen, Mangling by starts the full course of their glory. 10 That they lost France and made his England bleed: Which oft our stage hath shown; and, for their sake, [Ex it. THE FIRST PART OF KING HENRY THE SIXTH. DRAMATIS PERSONÆ. KING HENRY the Sixth. EARL OF WARWICK. EARL OF SALISBURY. Duke of LORD TALBOT, afterwards Earl of JOHN TALBOT, his son. EDMUND MORTIMER, Earl of March. SIR WILLIAM LUCY. SIR WILLIAM GLANSDALE. WOODVILE, Lieutenant of the VERNON, of the White-Rose or MARGARET, daughter to Reignier, afterwards married to King Henry. COUNTESS OF AUVERGNE. JOAN LA PUCELLE, commonly Lords, Warders of the Tower, Fiends appearing to La Pucelle. SCENE: Partly in England, and partly in France. Dead March. Enter the Funeral of KING HENRY the Fifth, attended on by the DUKE OF BEDFORD, Regent of France; the DUKE OF GLOUCESTER, Protector; the DUKE OF EXETER, the EARL OF WARWICK, 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 Glou. England ne'er had a king until his time. His brandish'd sword did blind men with his beams: His sparkling eyes, replete with wrathful fire, 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. 10 Ece. We mourn in black: why mourn we not in blood? Henry is dead and never shall revive: Upon a wooden coffin we attend, And death's dishonourable victory Like captives bound to a triumphant car. Win. He was a king bless'd of the King of kings. So dreadful will not be as was his sight. 20 30 The battles of the Lord of hosts he fought: The church's prayers made him so prosperous. Glou. The church! where is it? Had not churchmen 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. Gloucester, whate'er we like, thou art protector And lookest to command the prince and realm. Thy wife is proud; she holdeth thee in awe, 40 Glou. Name not religion, for thou lovest the flesh, |