%^
 
 JOAN CF ARO
 
 Copyright, 1 901 
 
 By 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY SOCIETY
 
 COLLEi 
 LIBRAf 
 
 HENRY VI.— Parts I., II., and III. i^^ i 
 
 Preface. 
 
 First Editions. (I.) The First Part of Henry the Sixth 
 was in all probability printed for the first time in the First 
 Folio. On November 8th, 1623, Blount & Jaggard en- 
 tered, among other copies of Shakespeare's works " not 
 formerly entered to other men," " the Thirde Parte of 
 Henry the Sixt," by which term they evidently referred to 
 the play which, chronologically considered, precedes the 
 Second and Third Parts. 
 
 The opening lines of the play are sufficient to render it 
 well-nigh certain that i Henry FA is not wholly Shake- 
 speare's ;* and there can be Httle doubt that " the hand of 
 the Great Master is only occasionally perceptible " therein. 
 Probably we have here an inferior production by sor^e un- 
 known dramatist,! writing about 1589, to which Shake- 
 speare made important " additions " in the year 1591 ; to 
 him may safely be assigned the greater part of Act IV. 
 ii.-vii., especially the Talbot episodes (Scene vii., in spite 
 of its rhyme, has the Shakespearian note, and is note- 
 worthy from the point of view of literary history) ; the 
 wooing of Margaret by Suffolk (V. iii.) has, too, some- 
 
 * Cp. Coleridge, " If you do not feel the impossibility of [these 
 lines] having been written by Shakespeare, all I dare suggest is, 
 that you may have ears, — for so has another animal, — but an ear 
 you can not have, me judice." 
 
 fDr. Furnivall sees at least four hands in the play; Mr. Fleay 
 assigns it to Peele, Marlowe, Lodge or Nash, and Shakespeare. 
 The attempt to determine the authorship is futile, owing to the 
 absence of all evidence on the point.
 
 Preface PARTS I.. II., AND III.. OF 
 
 thing of Shakespeare's touch ; finally, there is the Temple 
 Garden scene (11. iv.), which is certainly Shakespeare's, 
 though, judged by metrical peculiarities, it may well have 
 been added some years after 159/. We may be sure that 
 at no time in his career could he have been guilty of the 
 crude and vulgar presentment of Joan of Arc in the latter 
 part of the play. 
 
 (II.) The Second and Third Parts of Henry the Sixth, 
 forming together a two-section play, have come down to 
 us in two versions: — {a) The Folio version, authorized 
 by Shakespeare's editors; {h) a carelessly printed early 
 Quarto version, differing in many important respects from 
 (a) ; about 3240 lines in the Quarto edition appear either 
 in the same or an altered form in the Folio edition, while 
 about 2740 lines in the latter are entirely new.* The title- 
 pages of the first Quartos, corresponding to Parts I. and 
 11. respectively, are as follows: — (i.) "The First part of 
 the Con | tention betwixt the two famous houses of Yorke 
 I and Lancaster, with the death of the good | Duke Hum- 
 phrey I And the banishment and death of the Duke of | 
 Suffolk, and the Tragicall end of the proud Cardinall | of 
 Winchester, with the notable Rebellion | of lacke Cade: 
 And the Duke of Yorke's first claime vnto the \ Crozvne. 
 London. Printed by Thomas Creed, for Thomas Mill- 
 ington, I and are to be sold at his shop vnder Saint Peter's 
 I Church in Cornwall. 1594.! [Quarto i.] (ii.) ''The | 
 true Tragedie of Richard | Duke of Yorke, and the death 
 of I good King Henrie the Sixt, | ivith the zvhole conten- 
 tion betzveene \ the two Houses Lancaster | and Yorke, 
 as it was sundrie times | acted by the Right Honoura | 
 ble the Earle of Pembrooke his Seruants. | Printed at 
 London by P. S. for Thomas Milling- | ton, and are to 
 be sold at his shoppe vnder \ Saint Peter's Church in | 
 
 * ' Out of 3075 lines in Part II., there are 1715 new lines and 
 some 840 altered lines (many but very slightly altered), and some 
 520 old lines. In Part III., out of 2902 lines, there are about 
 1021 new lines, about 871 altered lines, and above loio old lines. 
 
 t Entered in the Stationers' Register, March 12th, 1593.
 
 KING HENRY VI. Preface 
 
 Cornwal, 1595." [Quarto i.] Second editions of both 
 (i.) and (ii. j appeared in 1600, and in 1619 a third edition 
 of the two plays together: — "The | Whole Contention I 
 betweene the two Famous | Houses, Lancaster and | 
 YoRKE. I With the Tragicall ends of the good Duke Hum- 
 frey, Richard Duke of Yorke, and King Henrie the Sixt. 
 Divided into two Parts : and newly corrected and en- 
 larged. Written by William Shakespeare, Gent. | Printed 
 at London, for T.P." [Quarto 3.] 
 
 (Both the First and Third Quartos have been repro- 
 duced by photolithography in the series of Quarto Fac- 
 similes issued under the superintendence of Dr. Furnivall ; 
 Nos. 23, 24, 37, 38.) In the comparison of Quartos i 
 and 3 one finds that the corrections are principally in Part 
 L ; in Part IL the alterations are almost all of single 
 words ; taken altogether, however, the changes are slight, 
 and are such '' as may have been made by a Reviser who 
 heard the Folio Play (2 Henry VI.) with a copy of 
 Quarto i or Quarto 2 in his hand, or who had a chance of 
 taking a note or two from the Burbage-play-house copy, 
 and then made further corrections at home." At all events. 
 Quarto 3 is a more correct copy of the older form of 2, 3 
 Henry VI. than we have in Quarto i, though its superior- 
 ity does not bring it much nearer to the Folio version.* 
 
 The Relation of the Quartos to 2 and 3 Henry VI. 
 
 The most cursory glance at the Quartos is enough to con- 
 vince one that scant justice has been done to the author 
 of the plays, and that the printers of the Quartos must 
 have had very careless copy before them. Probably many 
 errors may be referred to the indififerent reporters em- 
 ployed by the pirate publisher. 
 
 'Some by stenography drew 
 The plot, put it in print, scarce one word true') 
 
 * A condensed version of the three parts of Henry VI., in one 
 play, was prepared by Charles Kemble, and has recently been 
 printed for the first time in the Irving Shakespeare from the 
 unique copy in Mr. Irving's possession.
 
 Preface PARTS I.. 11.. AND III.. OF 
 
 so complained Thomas Heywood of the treatment to 
 which one of his productions had been subjected; he 
 complained, too, that '' plays were copied only by the ear," 
 '' publisht in savage and ragged ornaments/' But this 
 probable cause of much corruption in The Contention and 
 The True Tragedy will not account for (a) the inherent 
 weakness of a great part of both plays; {h) the un- 
 Shakespearian character of many important passages and 
 whole scenes. On the other hand, many of these latter 
 passages are to be found (it is true, often in an improved 
 form) in the Second and Third Parts of Henry VI., as 
 printed in the Folio. Hence arises the most complex of 
 Shakespearian problems, and scholars are divided on the 
 question ; their views may be grouped under four heads, 
 according as it is maintained ( i ) that Shakespeare was 
 the author of the four plays;* (2) that Shakespeare was 
 merely the reviser, retaining portions of his predecessor's 
 work, altering portions, and adding passages of his own ;f 
 (3) that the portions common to the old plays, and 2, 3 
 Henry VI., were Shakespeare's contribution to the origi- 
 nal dramas (by Marlowe, Greene, Shakespeare, and, per- 
 haps, Peele) ;| (4) that Marlowe, Greene, and, perhaps, 
 Peele, were the authors of the old plays, while Shake- 
 speare and Marlowe were the revisers, working as collab- 
 orators. The fourth view has been strenuously maintained 
 in an elaborate study of the subject, contributed to the 
 Transactions of the New Shakespeare Society,§ where 
 the Marlowan passages in the Quartos are definitely at- 
 tributed to Marlowe, the Greenish to Greene, and others 
 to Peele, while the Marlowan lines which occur for the 
 first time in 2, 3 Henry VI. are accounted for by assu- 
 
 * Cp. Knight's Essay on the subject in The Pictorial Shake- 
 speare. 
 
 t Malone, Variorum Shakespeare, 1821. Vol. XVIII. 
 
 t R. Grant White, Shakespeare, Vol. VII. Cp. Halliwell, First 
 Sketches of 2 and 3 Henry VI. ; Sh. Soc. Reprints, 1843 ; Swin- 
 burne, Stiid^j of Shakespeare ; etc. 
 
 § Miss Jane Lee, New Shak. Soc, 1876.
 
 KING HENRY VI. Preface 
 
 ming that Marlowe and Shakespeare jointly revised the 
 older plays ; so that in some cases we have Shakespeare 
 revising the work of Marlowe and Greene, at others 
 Shakespeare and Marlowe revising the works of Greene.* 
 It is undoubtedly true that many passages in The Con- 
 tention and The True Tragedie are reminiscent of Mar- 
 lowe and Greene, and that such a passage as 2 Henry VI. 
 Act IV. i. i-ii, which occurs for the first time in the Folio, 
 is also strongly Marlowan in character, but this and simi- 
 lar rhet.orical sketches may very well have been in exist- 
 ence before 1594, being omitted from the acting version of 
 the play, and hence not found in The Contention. Again, 
 
 * Miss Lee's conjectural table of Shakespeare's and Marlowe's 
 shares in 2, 3 Henry VI. is none the less of value, as indicating 
 the doubtful elements of the plays, though one may not accept her 
 final conclusions. It is here printed as simplified by Prof. Dowden 
 (Shakespeare Primer, p. 76; Cp. Shak. Soc. Trans., 1876, pp. 293- 
 303). "The table shows in detail how the revision was effected. 
 Thus " Act I. Sc. i. S., M. and G." means that in this scene Shake- 
 speare was revising the work of Marlowe and Greene ; " Act IV. 
 Sc. X. S. and M., G." means that here Shakespeare and Marlowe 
 were revising the work of Greene. 
 
 'Henry VI. Part II.— Act I. Sc. i. S., M. and G. ; Sc. ii. S., G. ; 
 Sc. iii. S., G. and M. ; Sc. iv. S., G. Act II. Sc. i. S., G. ; Sc. ii. 
 S., M. and (?) G.; Sc. iii. S. and (?) M., G.; Sc. iv. Sc, G. 
 Act III. Sc. i. S. and (?) M., M. and G.; Sc. ii. S. and M., 
 M. and G. ; Sc. iii. S., M. Act. IV. Sc. i. M., G. ; Sc. ii., iii., iv., 
 S., G. ; Sc. V. imreviscd, G. ; Sc. vi., vii., viii., ix. S., G. ; Sc. x. 
 S. and M., G. Act V. Sc. i. M. and S., M. and (?) G. ; Sc. ii. M. 
 and S., G. and M. ; Sc. iii. S., G. and M. 
 
 Henry VI. Part III.— Act. I. Sc. i. S., M. ; Sc. ii. M., M. ; Sc. 
 iii. unrevised, /If.; Sc. iv. S., M. and (?) G. Act II. Sc. i. M. 
 and (?) S., M. and (?) G.; Sc. ii. (?) M., M., G., and (?) P.; 
 Sc. iii. S. and M., M. ; Sc. iv. M., G.; Sc. v. S. and (?) M., G.', 
 Sc. vi. M., M. and G. Act III. Sc. i. S., G.\ Sc. ii., S., G. and 
 (?) M.; Sc. iii. (?) M., G. and (?) P. Act IV. Sc. i. S., G.; 
 Sc. ii. M., M.; Sc. iii. S., M. ; Sc. iv. S., G.: Sc. v. S., (?) G.; 
 Sc. vi., vii., S., G. ; Sc. viii. S., ( ?). Act V. Sc. i. M., G. and ( ?) 
 P.; Sc. ii. S.. M. and G.; Sc. iii. M., G. ; Sc. iv. S., G. and (?) F.; 
 Sc. v., vi. S., M. ; Sc. vii. unrevised, G."
 
 Preface PARTS L. II., AND III.. OF 
 
 the famous Jack Cade scene (Act IV. ii.) is common to 
 the Quarto and FoUo ; according to this fourth view it 
 must be attributed to Greene, but there is nothing in the 
 whole of his extant plays to justify the ascription. The 
 most striking speech in the whole of 2 and 3, Hcury 
 VI. — viz., York's '" She-zvolf of France hut zuorse than 
 zvolves of France," is to be found verbatim in the older 
 Quartos. That Marlowe was capable of this and of 
 higher efforts none will deny, but there is in the 
 speech, high-sounding as it is, a certain restraint and 
 sanitv, an absence of lyrical effect, which would make 
 one hesitate before assigning it to Marlowe, even if ex- 
 ternal evidence told in favour of, and not against, his au- 
 thorship. Weighing carefully all the evidence, one is in- 
 clined to see in the Quartos of 1594-5, a garbled short- 
 hand edition of an acting version, popular at the time, per- 
 haps chiefly by reason of Shakespeare's ' additions ' to 
 earlier plays, previously unsuccessful, possibly the work of 
 Marlowe and Greene, or of some clever disciple ; the cor- 
 rect copy of this pirated edition may have served as basis 
 for the revised version which Shakespeare subsequently 
 prepared, though he did not in this instance attempt a 
 thorough recast of his materials : the comparatively few 
 important ' additions ' which appear in the Folio version, 
 and only there, may be (i.) Shakespeare's contributions to 
 the older plays before 1594 ; or (ii.) the work of the origi- 
 nal author or authors, omitted from the acting version ; 
 or (iii.) new matter added by Shakespeare any time be- 
 tween 1594 and 1600 {e.g. 3 Henry VI., v., 11. 1-50).* 
 
 Date of Composition. (i.) There is no mention of 
 Henry VI. in Meres famous list in Palladis Tamia (1598), 
 although reference is there made to so doubtful a produc- 
 
 * The Cambridge editors put the matter cautiously : — " We can- 
 not agree with Malone on the one hand, that they (the old plays) 
 contain nothing of Shakespeare's, nor with Mr. Knight on the 
 other, that they are entirely his work; there are so many internal 
 proofs of his having had considerable shrire in their composition." 
 
 6
 
 KING HENRY VI. Preface 
 
 tion as Titus Andronicus; the omission must have been 
 due to the vexed question of authorship, and not to any 
 want of popularity on the part of the plays : as early as 
 1592 Xash in his "Pierce Peiinilcss" referred to the en- 
 thusiasm of Elizabethan playgoers for the Talbot scenes : 
 — '* Hozi.' would it haz'c joyed brave Talbot, the terror of 
 the French, to think that after he had been two hundred 
 years in his tomb he should triumph again on the stage, 
 and have his bones embalmed zi'ith the tears of ten thou- 
 sand spectators (at least at several times), zvho, in the 
 tragedian that represents his person, behold him fresh- 
 bleeding.'' There can be little doubt that i Henry l^I. is 
 here referred to, and especially the Shakespearian contri- 
 butions to the play. According to Henslowe's Diary 
 ' Henry (or Hary, Harey, etc.) the Sixth ' was performed 
 as a new play in March 1591 ; the repeated entries in 1592 
 fully bear out Nash's eulogy. If, as seems very probable, 
 Henslowe's '' Henry VI/' is identical with i Henry VI., 
 we have the actual date of Shakespeare's additions to an 
 old and crude ' chronicle drama,' the property of Lord 
 Strange's Company.* 
 
 (II.) To the same year as Nash's ''Pierce Penniless" 
 belongs Greene's posthumous tract ' The Groatszvorth of 
 Wit bought with a Million of Repentance.' \ At the end 
 of the pamphlet, published by Chettle before Dec. 1592, 
 occurs the famous address ' To those gentlemen his quon- 
 dam acquaintance,' etc.]] The three playmakers to whom 
 his remarks are directed have been identified as (i) 
 Christopher Marlowe, (2) Thom.as Nash (or possibly 
 Lodge), and (3) George Peele. The point of the whole 
 passage is its attack on players in general, and on one 
 player in particular, who was usurping the playwright's 
 
 '•= Shakespeare in all probability belonged to this Company ; in 
 1594 it was merged into the Lord Chamberlain's {vide Halli well's 
 Outlines of the Life of Shakespeare). 
 
 tQ. Shakspere Allusion-Books, Part I. Edited by C. M. 
 Ingleby for The New Shakespeare Society (1874). 
 
 X Vide quotation at the end of this Preface.
 
 Preface PARTS I., II.. AND III., OF 
 
 province.* The words ' tiger's heart zvrapt in a player's 
 hide ' parody the Hne ' O tiger's heart zvrapt in a zvoniav's 
 hide' which is to be found in both The True Tragedy and 
 3 Henry VI. (I. iv. 137). Some critics are of opinion 
 that Greene's allusion does not necessarily imply Shake- 
 speare's authorship of the passage in which the line oc- 
 curs ; this view, however, seems untenable, judging- by 
 the manner in which the quotation is introduced. Never- 
 theless the passage may perhaps show (i.) that Greene 
 himself had some share in The Contention; (ii.) that 
 Marlowe had likewise a share in it ; (iii.) that Greene and 
 Shakespeare could not have worked together; and (iv.) 
 that Alarlowe and Shakespeare may have worked to- 
 gether. One thing, however, it conclusively proves — viz., 
 Shakespeare's connexion with these plays before 1592. 
 Furthermore, in December of the same year, Chettle 
 apologised for the publication of Greene's attack on 
 Shakespeare : — " Myselfe have scene his demeanour no 
 lesse civill, than he exelent in the qualitie he professes ; be- 
 sides, divers of worship have reported his uprightness of 
 daling," etc.* It is not likely that the subject of this eul- 
 ogy could have been a notorious plagiarist;! if, as some 
 
 * Nash, in his "Apologie for Pierce Penniless," tells us that 
 Greene was " chief agent " of Lord Pembroke's Company. " for 
 he wrote more than four other." It is significant that the title- 
 page of Quarto i of " The True Tragedie " expressly states that 
 the play had been acted by this Company. 
 t Chettle's 'Kind-Heart's Dream.' 
 
 t One does not deny that Greene may possibly have given 
 Shakespeare ' the ground ' of these plays, as later on he gave him 
 the stuff for his Winter's Tale. " R. B. Gent." has the following 
 significant verse in a volume entitled Greene's Funeralls (pre- 
 served in the Bodleain Library) : — 
 
 " Greene is the pleasing object of an eye; 
 
 Greene pleased the eyes of all that looked upon him; 
 Greene is tJie ground of every painter's die; 
 
 Greene gave the ground to all that wrote upon him; 
 Nay more, the men that so eclipst his fame, 
 Purloined his plumes; can they deny the same?"
 
 KING HENRY VI. Preface 
 
 maintain, no line in the Quartos can justly be attributed to 
 Shakespeare, he would perhaps have merited Greene's 
 rancour. But '' it is not so, and it zcas not so, and God 
 forbid that it should be so! " 
 
 (III.) In 1599 Shakespeare concluded his Epilogue 
 to Henry V. with the following lines: — 
 
 " Henry the Sixth, in infant bands crowned King 
 Of France and England, did this King succeed; 
 
 Whose state so many had the managing. 
 That they lost France and made his England bleed: 
 
 Which oft our stage hath shown: and, for their sake, 
 In your fair minds let this acceptance take." 
 
 From these words we may infer (i.) that i Henry VI . 
 preceded Henry V.; (ii.) that probably the Second and 
 Third Parts of Henry J I. are also referred to ; (iii.) that 
 Shakespeare claimed in some degree these plays as his 
 own. 
 
 (IV.) Finally, the intimate connexion of 2, 3 Henry 
 J 'I. (and The Contention and The True Tragedie) with 
 the play of Richard HI., throws valuable light on the date 
 of composition, and confirms the external and internal 
 evidence for assigning Shakespeare's main contributions 
 to these plays to the year 159 1-2, or thereabouts (Cp. Pre- 
 face to 'Richard the Third '). 
 
 Sources of the Plot. The materials for i, 2, 3 Henry 
 I 'I., were mainly derived from (i.) Holinshed's Chron- 
 icles, and (ii.) Hall's Chronicle', the account of the civil 
 vars in the former work is merely an abridgement of the 
 !atter; the author's attention would therefore, naturally, 
 be directed to the chief history of the period covered by 
 the plays [cp. title-page of the first edition, 1548: — *' The 
 Union of the two noble and illustre Famelies of Lan- 
 castre and Yorke, being long in continual discension for 
 the croune of this noble realme, with all the actes done in 
 bothe the tymes of the princes, bothe of the one linage and 
 of the other, beginnyng at the tyme of Kyng Henry the
 
 Preface PARTS I., II.. AND III., OF 
 
 fowerth, the first Author of this division, and so success- 
 ively proceadyng to the reigne of the high and prudent 
 prince Kyng Henry the eighth, vndubitate flower and very 
 heire of both the sayd linages"].* Although in no part 
 of Henry VI. is Holinshed's Chronicles followed " with 
 that particularity which wx have in Shakespeare's later 
 historical plays," it is noteworthy that it is the primary 
 source of Part I., the secondary of Parts II. and III. 
 (On the historical aspect of the plays, cp. Commentaries 
 on the Historical Plays of Shakespeare, Courtenay ; War- 
 ner's English History in Shakespeare.) 
 
 Duration of Action. The time of the Pirst Part is 
 eight days, with intervals ; the Second Part covers four- 
 teen days, represented on the stage, with intervals sug- 
 gesting a period in all of, at the outside, a couple of years ; 
 in the Third Part twenty days are represented ; the whole 
 period is about twelve months. 
 
 Historic Time. Part I. deals with the period from 
 ''the death of Henry V., 31st August, 1422, to the treaty 
 of marriage between Henry VI. and Margaret, end of 
 1444." Part II. covers about ten years, from April 22nd, 
 1445, to May 23rd, 1455. P'^^'f I^^' commences " on the 
 day of the battle of St. Albans, 23rd May, 1455, and ends 
 on the day on which Henry VI.'s body was exposed in St. 
 Paul's, 22nd May, 1471. Queen Margaret, however, was 
 not ransomed and sent to France till 1475." {^P- Dan- 
 iel's '' Time Analysis," Nezv Shak. Soc, 1877-79.) 
 
 * Knight points out an excellent instance of HalTs influence, as 
 compared with Holinshed's ; in the latter's narrative of the inter- 
 view between Talbot and his son, before they both fell at the battle 
 of Chatillon, we have no dialogue, but simply, ' Many words he 
 used to persuade him to have saved his life.' In Hall we have 
 the very words which the Poet has paraphrased. 
 
 10
 
 KING HENRY VI. 
 
 Critical Comments. 
 I. 
 
 Argument. 
 
 I. The martial Henry V., conqueror of France, dies 
 in the culmination of his glory, leaving to his son, Henry 
 VI., the two sceptres of England and France. But the 
 young monarch, still in his minority, is surrounded by 
 warring nobles who lose sight of their country's foreign 
 interests in private broils. The French seize upon this 
 moment of English weakness to retake many of their 
 cities; and the Dauphin receives unexpected aid from 
 a shepherd's daughter, Joan la Pucelle, better known as 
 Joan of Arc, who first assists him to raise the siege of 
 Orleans, notwithstanding the valiant resistance of the 
 English general, Talbot. 
 
 II. While the French celebrate their victory with 
 feasting in Orleans, the English plan an attack, and by 
 a sudden night sortie retake the city. 
 
 In England, meanwhile, the violent feuds of Richard 
 Plantagenet, afterwards Duke of York, and John Beau- 
 fort, Earl, afterwards Duke of Somerset, whose parties 
 are distinguished by white and red roses, develop into 
 civil strife which was ere long to deluge the entire king- 
 dom with blood. 
 
 III. The French, througrh the strategy of Joan of Arc, 
 capture Rouen; but Talbot's forces in a desperate 
 charge retake the city. An English garrison is placed 
 on the walls, and Talbot proceeds with his army to Paris, 
 whither the young King Henry VI. has come for his 
 
 II
 
 Comments THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 second coronation. The King recognizes the merit of 
 his general by creating Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury. The 
 French Duke of Burgundy, who had been serving in 
 conjunction with the English army, and had set out 
 from Rouen a httle behind Talbot, is met by the Dau- 
 phin and persuaded to turn his allegiance to France. 
 
 IV. The intrepid Talbot and his son attempt to take 
 Bordeaux, but are entrapped by a greatly superior force 
 under the Dauphin. The personal quarrels of York and 
 Somerset cause them to deny reinforcements promised 
 to Talbot, and he is slain in a bloody battle. 
 
 V. The French on their side suffer a loss in the cap- 
 ture of Joan of Arc, who is cruelly condemned to death 
 at the stake for witchcraft. The war brings varying 
 fortunes to both sides, until at last overtures of peace 
 are made. The Dauphin consents to swear allegiance to 
 England and reign as viceroy ; while King Henry is in- 
 duced by the artful suggestions of the Earl of Suffolk 
 to forego a proposed matrimonial alliance with the 
 daughter of the Earl of Armagnac, and to solicit the 
 hand of Margaret, daughter of the Duke of Anjou. 
 
 McSpadden : Shakespearian Synopses. 
 
 II. 
 
 King Henry. 
 
 Shakspere does not hate King Henry ; he is as favour- 
 ably disposed to him as is possible; but he says, with 
 the same clear and definite expression in which the his- 
 torical fact uttered itself, that this saint of a feeble type 
 upcn the throne of England was a curse to the land and 
 to the time only less than a royal criminal as weak as 
 Henry would have been. 
 
 The heroic days of the fifth Henry, when the play 
 opens, belong to the past; but their memory survives in 
 the hearts and in the vigorous muscles of the great lords 
 
 12
 
 KING HENRY VI. Comments 
 
 and earls who surround the King. He only, who most 
 should have treasured and augmented his inheritance of 
 glory and of power, is insensible to the large responsibil- 
 ities and privileges of his place. He is cold in great af- 
 fairs; his supreme concern is to remain blameless. Free 
 from all greeds and ambitions, he yet is possessed by 
 egotism, the egotism of timid saintliness. His virtue is 
 negative, because there is no vigorous basis of manhood 
 within him out of which heroic saintliness might develop 
 itself. For fear of what is wrong, he shrinks from what 
 is right. This is not the virtue ascribed to the nearest 
 followers of " the Faithful and True " who in his right- 
 eousness doth judge and make war. Henry is passive in 
 the presence of evil, and weeps. He would keep his gar- 
 ments clean; but the garments of God's soldier-saints, 
 who do not fear the soils of struggle, gleam with a higher, 
 intenser purity. " His eyes were as a flame of fire, 
 and on his head were many crowns; . . . and the 
 armies which were in heaven followed him upon white 
 horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean." These 
 soldiers in heaven have their representatives in earth, 
 and Henry was not one of these. Zeal must come before 
 charity, and then when charity comes it will appear as a 
 self-denial. But Henry knows nothing of zeal ; and he 
 is amiable, not charitable. 
 
 DowDEN : Shakspere, 
 
 III. 
 
 Joan La Pucelle. 
 
 The representation given of Joan la Pucelle is grating 
 and disagreeable from our conviction that it is his- 
 torically false and unjust; this however was not the 
 conviction of Hall and Holinshed and their readers, 
 which was as distinctly the other way; and though such 
 glimpses of the truth appear in their narrative as would 
 well enable Shakespeare to divine and display the whole 
 
 13
 
 Comments THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 of it, to have done so would have involved a much more 
 extensive change of the old play than he took in hand. 
 Taking the character as it stands — the embodiment of 
 motives and disposition in harmony with deeds that 
 the chroniclers assert, as facts — it is hard to say that it is 
 other than consistent and natural. The world is now in 
 possession of numerous detailed examples of religious 
 enthusiasm and self-deception combining with ambitious 
 or political purpose in all their strange and mingling 
 manifestations both of the mind and body, and if we scru- 
 tinize the most fortunate of them the result is much the 
 same as the catastrophe of Joan even as represented in 
 the play. The false impressions and assumptions that 
 inflame the enthusiast work wonders in their strength, 
 but their weakness tells at last. The self-conviction of 
 the special choice and guidance and inspiration of 
 heaven suffers rude shocks in an extended course, as 
 rude as the blindest fatalism that hardens its purposes 
 by repetition of the phrase of a destiny, a mission, or a 
 star. Rarely indeed does the vainly exalted thought of 
 special heavenly protection escape reversal by as de- 
 pressing a belief of desertion and forsakenness, and a life 
 of heroism may easily close in vacillation, or despair, or 
 degrading attempt to keep up by foul means, or trickery, 
 the influence that only worked wonders, and was vic- 
 torious when it sprung spontaneously. Still the dram- 
 atist has been more tender to Joan in one respect than 
 the historians, and he rejects the fact they charge her 
 with, of shamefully slaughtering, out of spite and in cold 
 blood, her surrendered prisoner. 
 
 Lloyd : Critical Essays on the Plays of Shakespeare. 
 
 I abstain from making any remarks on the character 
 of Joan of Arc, as deUneated in i Henry VI. ; first, be- 
 cause I do not in my conscience attribute it to Shake- 
 speare, and, secondly, because in representing her ac- 
 cording to the vulgar English traditions, as half sorcer- 
 ess, half enthusiast, and, in the end, corrupted by pleas- 
 
 14
 
 KING HENRY VI. Comments 
 
 ure and ambition, the truth of history and the truth of 
 nature, justice and common sense, are equally violated. 
 Schiller has treated the character nobly, but in making 
 Joan the slave of passion, and the victim of love, instead 
 of the victim of patriotism, has committed, I think, a 
 serious error in judgement and feeling; and I cannot 
 sympathize with Madame de Stael's defence of him on this 
 particular point. There was no occasion for this devia- 
 tion from the truth of things, and from the dignity and 
 spotless purity of the character. This young enthusiast, 
 with her religious reveries, her simplicity, her heroism, 
 her melancholy, her sensibility, her fortitude, her per- 
 fectly feminine bearing in all her exploits (for though 
 she so often led the van of battle unshrinking, while 
 death was all around her, she never struck a blow, nor 
 stained her consecrated sword with blood — another 
 point in which Schiller has wronged her), this heroine 
 and martyr, over whose last moments we shed burning 
 tears of pity and indignation, remains yet to be treated 
 as a dramatic character. 
 
 Mrs. Jameson : Characteristics of Women, 
 
 Ah, yes! Even Shakespeare is guilty of injustice to- 
 wards this noble maiden who saved her country, and he 
 treats her in an unfriendly and unloving manner, even if 
 he does not proclaim himself her decided enemy. And 
 even if she saved her country with the aid of hell, she 
 still deserves respect and admiration. Or are the critics 
 right, who hold that those passages in which the maid 
 makes her appearance, as also Parts II. and III. of 
 Henry VI . are not by Shakespeare? They maintain 
 that he only revised this trilogy which he took from 
 older plays. I would gladly be of their opinion for the 
 sake of the Maid of Orleans, but their arguments are 
 untenable. In many parts these doubtful plays bear the 
 full impress of Shakespeare's genius. 
 
 Heine: Notes on Shakespeare Heroines. 
 15
 
 Comments THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 IV. 
 
 Lord Talbot. 
 
 " This is that terrible Talbot, so famous for his sword, 
 or rather whose sword was so famous for his arm that 
 used it; a sword with bad Latin upon it, but good steel 
 within it; which constantly conquered where it came, in 
 so much that the bare fame of his approach frighted the 
 French from the siege of Burdeaux/' 
 
 Such is the quaint notice which old Fuller, in his 
 Worthies, gives of Talbot. He is the hero of the play be- 
 fore us; and it is easy to see how his bold, chivalrous 
 bearing, and, above all, the manner of his death, should 
 have made him the favourite of the poet as well as of the 
 chroniclers. His name appears to have been a tradi- 
 tionary household word up to the time of Shakspere; 
 and other writers besides the chroniclers, rejoiced in al- 
 lusions to his warlike deeds. Edward Kerke, the com- 
 mentator on Spenser's Pastorals, thus speaks of him in 
 1579: " His nobleness bred such a terror in the hearts of 
 the French, that ofttimes great armies were defeated and 
 put to flight at the only hearing of his name : in so much 
 that the French women, to affray their children, would 
 tell them that the Talbot cometh." By a poetical license, 
 Talbot, in this act, is made to retake Orleans; whereas 
 in truth his defeat at the battle of Patay soon followed 
 upon the raising of the siege after the appearance of 
 Joan of Arc. 
 
 Knight : Pictorial Shakspere. 
 
 Lord Talbot is obviously the noblest character in the 
 whole play, a rough and vigorous knight; battle and 
 war, self-devoted patriotism, knightly honour and bra- 
 very, these have constituted his entire life ; all higher 
 ideas seem beyond him; he knows how to win a battle, 
 but not how to carry on a war; he is an excellent mili- 
 
 16
 
 KING HENRY VI. Comments 
 
 tary captain, but no general, no chief, because, although 
 valiant and even discreet and prudent (as is proved by 
 his interview with the Countess of Auvergne), he does 
 not possess either presence of mind, creative power, or a 
 clear insight into matters. This, together with the harsh- 
 ness and roughness of his virtue, which has in it some- 
 thing of the rage of the lion, is his weak point, and 
 proves the cause of his death. His power was not equal 
 to the complicated circumstances and the depravity of 
 the age; under the iron rod of chastisement, he became 
 equally unbending and iron; he is the representative 
 of the rage and ferocity of the war, to which he falls a 
 victim because he is wholly absorbed in it and therefore 
 unable to become the master in directing it. In such 
 davs, however, the honourable death of a noble charac- 
 ter proves a blessing; victory and pleasure are found in 
 death when life succumbs to the superior power of evil, 
 to the weight and misery of a decline which affects both 
 the nation and the state. 
 
 Ulrici : Shakspcarc's Dramatic Art. 
 
 Shakespeare's Early Hand. 
 
 Shakspeare's choice fell first on this period of Eng- 
 lish history, so full of misery and horrors of every kind, 
 because the pathetic is naturally more suitable than the 
 characteristic to a young poet's mind. We do not yet 
 find here the whole maturity of his genius, yet certainly 
 its whole strength. Careless as to the apparent un- 
 connectedness of contemporary events, he bestows little 
 attention on preparation and development : all the fig- 
 ures follow in rapid succession, and announce them- 
 selves emphatically for what we ought to take them; 
 from scenes where the effect is sufficiently agitating to 
 form the catastrophe of a less extensive plan, the poet 
 perpetually hurries us on to catastrophes still more 
 
 17
 
 Comm-nts THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 dreadful. The First Part contains only the first forming 
 of the parties of the White and Red Rose, under which 
 blooming ensigns such bloody deeds were afterwards per- 
 petrated; the varying results of the war in France prin- 
 cipally fill the stage. The wonderful saviour of her 
 country, Joan of Arc, is portrayed by Shakspere with 
 an Englishman's prejudices: yet he at first leaves it 
 doubtful whether she has not in reality a heavenly mis- 
 sion; she appears in the pure glory of virgin heroism; 
 by her supernatural eloquence (and this circumstance is 
 of the poet's invention) she wins over the Duke of Bur- 
 gundy to the French cause; afterwards, corrupted -by 
 vanity and luxury, she has recourse to hellish fiends, 
 and comes to a miserable end. To her is opposed Tal- 
 bot, a rough iron warrior, who moves us the more pow- 
 erfully, as, in the moment w^hen he is threatened with in- 
 evitable death, all his care is tenderly directed to save his 
 son, who performs his first deeds of arms under his eye. 
 After Talbot has in vain sacrificed himself, and the Maid 
 of Orleans has fallen into the hands of the English, the 
 French provinces are completely lost by an impolitic 
 marriage; and with this the piece ends. 
 , ScHLEGEL : Lectures on Dramatic Art and Literature. 
 
 If we separate all the scenes between York and Som- 
 erset, Mortimer and York, Margaret and Suffolk, and 
 read them by themselves, we feel that we are looking 
 upon a series of scenes which exhibit Shakespeare's 
 style in his historical plays just in the manner in which 
 we should have expected him to have written at the com- 
 mencement of his career. We see the skilful and witty 
 turn of speech and the germ of his figurative language; 
 we perceive already the fine clever repartees and the 
 more choice form of expression; in Mortimer's death- 
 scene and in the lessons of his deeply dissembled silent 
 policy, which while dying he transmits to York, we see, 
 with Hallam, all the genuine feeling and knowledge of 
 
 it5
 
 KING HENRY VI. Comments 
 
 human nature which belongs to Shakespeare in simi- 
 lar pathetic or political scenes in his other dramas ; all 
 . . . certainly in the germ which prefigures future 
 perfection. These scenes contrast decidedly with the 
 trivial, tedious war scenes and the alternate bombastic 
 and dull disputes between Ciloucester and Winchester ; 
 they adhere to the common highway of historical poetry, 
 though they have sufficient of the freshness of youthful 
 art to furnish Schiller in his Maid of Orleans with many 
 beautiful traits, and indeed with the principal idea of his 
 drama. 
 
 Gervinus : Shakespeare Commentaries. 
 
 IT
 
 DRAMATIS PERSONAE. 
 
 King Henry the Sixth. 
 
 Duke of Gloucester, 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 Winches- 
 ter, and afterwards Cardinal. 
 
 JcHN Beaufort, Earl, afterwards Duke, of Somerset. 
 
 Richard Plantagenet, son of Richard late Earl of Cambridge, 
 afterwards Duke of York. 
 
 Earl of Warwick. 
 
 Earl of Salisbury. 
 
 Earl of Suffolk. 
 
 Lord Talbot, afterwards Earl of Shrewsbury. 
 
 John Talbot, his son. 
 
 Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March. 
 
 Sir John Fastolfe. 
 
 Sir William Lucy. 
 
 Sir William Glansdale. 
 
 Sir Thomas Gargrave. 
 
 Mayor of London. 
 
 WooDviLE, Lieutenant of the Tower. 
 
 Vernon, of the White-Rose or York faction. 
 
 Basset, of the Red-Rose or Lancaster faction. 
 
 A Lawyer. Mortimer's Keepers. 
 
 Charles, Dauphin, and afterwards King, of France. 
 
 Reignier, Duke of Anjou, and titular King of Naples. 
 
 Duke OF Burgundy. 
 
 Duke of Alencon. 
 
 Bastard of Orleans. 
 
 Governor of Paris. 
 
 Master-Gunner of Orleans, and his Son. 
 
 General of the French forces in Bourdeaux. 
 
 A French Sergeant. A Porter. 
 
 An old Shepherd, father to Joan la Pucelle. 
 
 Margaret, daughter to Reignier, afterwards married to King 
 Henry. 
 
 Countess of Au\^rgne. 
 
 Joan la Pucelle, commonly called Joan of Arc. 
 
 Lords, Warders of the Tower, Heralds, Officers, Soldiers, 
 
 Messengers, and Attendants. 
 
 Fiends appearing to La Pucelle. 
 
 Scene : Partly in England, and partly in France.
 
 The First Part of 
 King Henry VI. 
 
 ACT FIRST. 
 Scene I. 
 
 Westminster Abbey. 
 
 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 Warzuick, 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 w^orth. 
 
 Glou. 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 ; 1 1 
 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. 
 
 21
 
 Act I. Sc. i. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 Exe. 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 20 
 
 We with our stately presence glorify, 
 Like captives bound to a triumphant car. 
 What ! shall we curse the planets of mishap 
 That plotted thus our glory's overthrow ? 
 Or shall we think the subtle-witted French 
 Conjurers and sorcerers, that afraid of him 
 By magic verses have contrived his end ? 
 
 Win. He was a king bless' d of the King of kings. 
 Unto the French the dreadful judgement-day 
 So dreadful will not be as was his sight. 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, 
 More than God or religious churchmen may. 40 
 
 Glou. Name not religion, for thou lovest 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 '11 offer up our arms ; 
 Since arms avail not now that Henry 's dead. 
 22
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act I. Sc. i. 
 
 Posterity, await for wretched years, 
 
 When at their mothers' moist eyes babes shall suck, 
 
 Our isle be made a nourish of salt tears, 50 
 
 And none but women left to wail the dead. 
 
 Henry the Fifth, thy ghost I invocate : 
 
 Prosper this realm, keep it from civil broils. 
 
 Combat with adverse planets in the heavens ! 
 
 A far more glorious star thy soul will make 
 
 Than Julius Caesar or bright — 
 
 Enter a Messenger. 
 
 Mess. My honourable lords, health to you all ! 
 Sad tidings bring I to you out of France, 
 Of loss, of slaughter and discomfiture : 
 Guienne, Champagne, Rheims, Orleans, 60 
 
 Paris, Guysors, Poictiers, are all quite lost. 
 
 Bed. What say'st thou, man, before dead Henry's corse? 
 Speak softly ; or the loss of those great towns 
 Will make him burst his lead and rise from death. 
 
 Glou. 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 used ? 
 
 Mess. No treachery ; but want of men and money. 
 
 Amongst the soldiers this is muttered, 70 
 
 That here you maintain several factions, 
 
 And whilst a field should be dispatch'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 thinks, without expense at all, 
 
 ^3
 
 Act I. Sc. i. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 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 ; 80 
 
 Of England's coat one half is cut away. 
 Exc. Were our tears wanting to this funeral, 
 
 These tidings would call forth their flowing tides. 
 Bed. Me they concern*; Regent I am of France. 
 
 Give me my steeled coat. I '11 fight for France. 
 
 Away with these disgraceful wailing robes ! 
 
 Wounds will I lend the French instead of eyes. 
 
 To weep their intermissive miseries. 
 
 Enter to them another Messenger. 
 
 Mess. Lords, view these letters full of bad mischance. 
 
 France is revolted from the English quite, 90 
 
 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 Alenqon flieth to his side. 
 Exe. The Dauphin crowned king ! all fly to him ! 
 
 O, whither shall we fly from this reproach ? 
 Gloit. \Nt will not fly, but to our enemies' throats. 
 
 Bedford, if thou be slack, I '11 fight it out. 
 Bed. Gloucester, why doubt'st thou of my forwardness ? 
 
 An army have I muster' d in my thoughts, 10 1 
 
 Wherewith already France is overrun. 
 
 Enter another Messenger. 
 
 Mess. My gracious lords, to add to your laments, 
 
 Wherewith you now bedew King Henry's hearse, 
 
 24
 
 KING HEiNRY VI. Act I. Sc. i. 
 
 I must inform you of a dismal fight 
 
 Betwixt the stout Lord Talbot and the French. 
 
 Will. What ! wherein Talbot overcame ? is 't so ? 
 
 Mess. O, no ; wherein Lord Talbot was o'erthrow^n : 
 The circumstance I '11 tell you more at large. 
 The tenth of August last this dreadful lord, no 
 
 Retiring from the siege of Orleans, 
 Having full scarce six thousand in his troop, 
 By three and twenty thousand of the French 
 Was round encompassed 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 fight continued; 120 
 
 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, enraged he flew : 
 The French exclaim'd, the devil was in arms ; 
 All the whole army stood agazed 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, 130 
 
 If Sir John Fastolfe had not play'd the coward : 
 He, being in the vaward, placed 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 : 
 
 25
 
 Act I. Sc. i. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 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. 140 
 
 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. 
 
 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 '11 hale the Dauphin headlong from his throne : 
 His crown shall be the ransom of my friend; 150 
 Four of their lords I '11 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. 
 
 Mess. So you had need ; for Orleans is besieged ; 
 The English army is grown weak and faint : 
 The Earl of Salisbury craveth supply, 
 And hardly keeps his men from mutiny, 160 
 
 Since they, so few, watch such a multitude. 
 
 Exe. Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry sworn, 
 Either to quell the Dauphin utterly. 
 Or bring him in obedience to your yoke. 
 
 Bed. I do remember it ; and here take my leave, 
 
 To go about my preparation. [Exit. 
 
 Gloii. I '11 to the Tower with all the haste I can. 
 To view the artillery and munition ; 
 26
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act I. Sc. ii. 
 
 And then I will proclaim young Henry king. [Exit. 
 Exe. To Eltham will I, where the young king is, 170 
 
 Being ordain 'd his special governor, 
 
 And for his safety there I '11 best devise. [Exit. 
 
 Win. Each hath his place and function to attend. 
 
 I am left out ; for me nothing remains. 
 
 But long I will not be Jack out of office : 
 
 The king from Eltham I intend to steal 
 
 And sit at chiefest stern of public weal. [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene II. 
 
 Erance. Before Orleans. 
 
 Sound a Eloiirish. Enter Charles, Alencon, and Reignier, 
 marching icitJi Drum and Soldiers. 
 
 Char. Mars his true moving, even as in the heavens 
 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, 10 
 
 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. 
 
 27
 
 Act I. Sc. ii. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 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 20 
 
 When he sees me go back one foot or fly. [Exeunt. 
 
 Here Alarum; they are beaten back by the English zvith 
 great loss. 
 
 Re-enter Charles, Alengon and Reignier. 
 
 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 30 
 
 During the time Edward the Third did reign. 
 
 More truly now may this be verified ; 
 
 For none but Samsons and Goliases 
 
 It sendeth forth to skirmish. One to ten ! 
 
 Lean raw-boned rascals ! who would e'er suppose 
 
 They had such courage and audacity ? 
 
 CJiar. Let 's leave this town ; for they are hare-brain'd 
 slaves. 
 And hunger will enforce them to be more eager : 
 Of old I know them ; rather with their teeth 
 The walls they '11 tear down than forsake the siege. 
 
 Reig. I think, by some odd gimmors or device 41 
 
 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 '11 even let them alone. 
 
 28
 
 KING HENRY VL Act I. Sc. ii. 
 
 AUn. Be it so. 
 
 Enter the Bastard of Orleans. 
 
 Bast, Where 's the Prince Dauphin ? I have news for him. 
 
 Char. Bastard of Orleans, thrice welcome to us. 
 
 Bast. Methinks your looks are sad, your cheer appall'd : 
 Hath the late overthrow wrought this offence? 
 Be not dismay'd, for succour is at hand : 50 
 
 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, 60 
 
 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. 
 
 Re-enter the Bastard of Orleans, zcith 
 Joan La Pucelle. 
 
 Reig. Fair maid, is 't thou wilt do these wondrous 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 amazed, there 's nothing hid from me: 
 
 In private will I talk with thee apart. 
 
 Stand back, you lords, and give us leave awhile. 70 
 Reig. She takes upon her bravely at first dash. 
 
 29
 
 Act I. Sc. ii. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 Puc. Dauphin, I am by birth a shepherd's daughter, 
 ]\I)' wit untrain'd in any kind of art. 
 Heaven and our Lady gracious hath it pleased 
 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, 80 
 
 And free my country from calamity : 
 Her aid she promised and assured success : 
 In com.plete glory she reveal'd herself ; 
 And, whereas I was black and swart before, 
 With those clear rays which she infused on me 
 That beauty am I bless' d with which you see. 
 Ask me what question thou canst possible, 
 And I will answer unpremeditated : 
 My courage try by combat, if thou darest, 
 And thou shalt find that I exceed my sex. 90 
 
 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 '11 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 prepared : here is my keen-edged sword, 
 Deck'd with five flower-de-luces on each side; 
 The which at Touraine, in Saint Katharine's church- 
 yard, roo 
 Out of a great deal of old iron I chose forth. 
 
 Char. Then come, o' God's name ; I fear no woman. 
 
 30
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act I. Sc. ii. 
 
 Puc. And while I live, I '11 ne'er fly from a man. 
 
 [Here they fight, and Joan La Pucelle overcomes. 
 Char. Stay, stay thy hands! thou art an Amazon, 
 
 And fightest with the sword of Deborah. 
 Puc. Christ's mother helps me, else I were too weak. 
 Char. Whoe'er helps thee, 'tis thou that must help me: 
 
 Impatiently I bum with thy desire ; 
 
 My heart and hands thou hast at once subdued. 
 
 Excellent Pucelle, if thy name be so, no 
 
 Let me thy servant and not sovereign 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. Meantime look gracious on thy prostrate thrall. 
 Reig. My lord, methinks, is very long in talk. 
 Alen. Doubtless he shrives this woman to her smock ; 
 
 Else ne'er could he so long protract his speech. 120 
 Reig. Shall we disturb him, since he keeps no mean ? 
 Alen. He may mean more than we poor men do know : 
 
 These women are shrewd tempters with their tongues. 
 Reig. My lord, where are you ? what devise you on ? 
 
 Shall we give over Orleans, or no? 
 Puc. Why, no, I say, distrustful recreants ! 
 
 Fight till the last gasp ; I will be your guard. 
 Char. What she says I '11 confirm : we '11 fight it out. 
 Puc. Assign'd am I to be the English scourge. 
 
 This night the siege assuredly I '11 raise : 130 
 
 Expect Saint Martin's summer, halcyon days. 
 
 Since I have entered into these wars. 
 
 Glory is like a circle in the water, 
 
 31
 
 Act I. Sc. iii. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 Which never ceaseth to enlarge itself 
 
 Till by broad spreading it disperse to nought. 
 
 With Henry's death the English circle ends ; 
 
 Dispersed are the glories it included. 
 
 Now am I like that proud insulting ship 
 
 Which Caesar and his fortune bare at once. 
 Char. Was Mahomet inspired with a dove? 140 
 
 Thou with an eagle art inspired then. 
 
 Helen, the mother of great Constantine, 
 
 Nor yet Saint Philip's daughters, were like thee. 
 
 Bright star of A^enus, 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 immortalized. 
 Char. Presently we '11 try : come, let 's away about it : 
 
 No prophet will I trust, if she prove false. 150 
 
 {Exeunt. 
 
 Scene III. 
 
 London. Before the Tower. 
 
 Enter the Ditke of Gloucester, zvith his Serving-men 
 in blue coats. 
 
 Glou. I am come to survey the Tower this day : 
 
 Since Henry's death, I fear, there is conveyance. 
 Where be these warders, that they wait not here ? 
 Open the gates ; 'tis Gloucester that calls. 
 First Warder. [ Within ] Who 's there that knocks so im- 
 periously ? 
 First Serz'. It is the noble Duke of Gloucester. 
 Second Warder. [Within] Who 'er he be, you may not be 
 let in. 
 
 32
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act I. Sc. lii. 
 
 First Serv. \'illains, answer you so the lord protector ? 
 
 First Warder, [ll^ithin] The Lord protect him! so we 
 answer him : 
 We do no otherwise than we are will'd. lo 
 
 Clou. Who willed you? or whose will stands but mine? 
 There 's none protector of the realm but L 
 Break up the gates, I '11 be your warrantize : 
 Shall I be flouted thus by dunghill grooms? 
 
 [Gloucester's men rush at the Tower Gates, and 
 Woodvile the Lieutenant speaks within. 
 
 Woodv. What noise is this? what traitors have we here? 
 
 Glou. Lieutenant, is it you whose voice I hear? 
 
 Open the gates ; here 's Gloucester that would 
 enter. 
 
 Woodv. Have patience, noble duke ; I may not open ; 
 The Cardinal of Winchester forbids : 
 From him I have express commandment 20 
 
 That thou nor none of thine shall be let in. 
 
 Glou. Faint-hearted Woodvile, prizest him 'fore me? 
 Arrogant Winchester, the haughty prelate, 
 Whom Henry, our late sovereign, ne'er could brook? 
 Thou art no friend to God or to the king : 
 Open the gates, or I '11 shut thee out shortly. 
 
 Serving-men. Open the gates unto the lord protector, 
 Or we '11 burst them open, if that you come not 
 quickly. 
 
 Enter to the Protector at the Tower Gates Winchester and 
 his men in tazvny coats. 
 
 Win. How now, ambitious Humphry ! what means this ? 
 Glou. Peel'd priest, dost thou command me to be shut out ? 
 Win. I do, thou most usurping proditor, 31 
 
 33
 
 Act I. Sc. iii. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 And not protector, of the king or realm. 
 
 Glou. Stand back, thou manifest conspirator, 
 
 Thou that contrivedst to murder our dead lord ; 
 Thou that givest whores indulgences to sin : 
 I '11 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 foot : 
 This be' Damascus, be thou cursed Cain, 
 To slay thy brother Abel, if thou wilt. 40 
 
 Gloii. I will not slay thee, but I '11 drive thee back : 
 Thy scarlet robes as a child's bearing-cloth 
 I '11 use to carry thee out of this place. 
 
 Win. Do what thou darest ; I beard thee to thy face. 
 
 Gloii. What ! am I dared and bearded to my face ? 
 Draw, men, for all this privileged place ; 
 Blue coats to tawny 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, 50 
 
 Here by the cheeks I '11 drag thee up and down. 
 
 Win. Gloucester, thou wilt answer this before the pope. 
 
 Glou. Winchester goose, I cry, a rope ! a rope ! 
 
 Now beat them hence ; why do you let them stay ? 
 Thee I '11 chase hence, thou wolf in sheep's array. 
 Out, tawny coats ! out, scarlet hypocrite ! 
 
 Here Gloucester's men heat out the CardinaVs men, and 
 enter in the hurly-burly the Mayor of London and' 
 his OMcers. 
 
 May. Fie, lords ! that you, being supreme magistrates, 
 
 Thus contumeliously should break the peace! 
 Glou. Peace, mayor ! thou know'st little of my wrongs ; 
 
 34
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act I. Sc. iii. 
 
 Here 's Beaufort, that regards nor God nor king, 
 Hath here distrain'd the Tower to his use. 6i 
 
 JVin. Here 's Gloucester, a foe to citizens, 
 
 One that still motions war and never peace, 
 
 O'ercharging your free purses with large fines, 
 
 That seek to overthrow religion, 
 
 Because he is protector of the realm, 
 
 And would have armour here out of the Tower, 
 
 To crown himself king and suppress the prince. 
 
 Gloii. I will not answer thee wath words, but blows. 
 
 [Here they skirmish again. 
 
 May. Nought rests for me in this tumultuous strife 70 
 But to make open proclamation : 
 Come officer ; as loud as e'er thou canst : 
 Cry. 
 
 Off. All manner of men assembled here in arms this 
 day against God's peace and the king's, we charge 
 and command you, in his highness' name, to repair 
 to your several dwelling-places ; and not to w^ear, 
 handle, or use any sword, weapon, or dagger, 
 henceforward, upon pain of death. 
 
 Glou. Cardinal, I '11 be no breaker of the law: 80 
 
 But we shall meet, and break our minds at large. 
 
 Win. Gloucester, we will meet ; to thy cost, be sure : 
 Thy heart-blood I will have for this day's w^ork. 
 
 May. I '11 call for clubs, if you will not aw^ay. 
 This cardinal 's more haughty than the devil. 
 
 Glou. Mayor, farewell : thou dost but what thou mayst. 
 
 Win. Abominable Gloucester, guard thy head ; 
 For I intend to have it ere long. 
 
 [Exeunt, severally Gloucester and Winchester 
 zvith their Serving-men. 
 
 35
 
 Act I. Sc. iv. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 May. See the coast clear'd, and then we will depart. 
 Good God, these nobles should such stomachs bear ! 
 I myself fight not once in forty year. 91 
 
 [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene IV. 
 
 Orleans. 
 Enter on the zvalls, a Master Gunner and his Boy. 
 
 M. Gun. Sirrah, thou know'st how Orleans is besieged, 
 And how the English have the suburbs won. 
 
 Boy. Father, I know ; and oft have shot at them, 
 Howe'er unfortunate I miss'd my aim. 
 
 M. Gun. But now thou shalt not. Be thou ruled by 
 me : 
 Chief master-gunner am I of this town ; 
 Something I must do to procure me grace. 
 The prince's espials have informed me 
 How the English, in the suburbs close intrench'd. 
 Wont through a secret grate of iron bars 10 
 
 In yonder tower to overpeer the city, 
 And thence discover how with most advantage 
 They may vex us with shot or with assault. 
 To intercept this inconvenience, 
 A piece of ordnance 'gainst it I have placed ; 
 And even these three days have I watch'd, 
 If I could see them. 
 
 Now do thou watch, for I can stay no longer. 
 If thou spy'st any, run and bring me word ; 
 And thou shalt find me at the governor's. [Exit. 20 
 
 Boy. Father, I warrant you ; take you no care ; 
 
 I '11 never trouble you, if I may spy them. [Exit. 
 
 36
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act I. Sc. iv. 
 
 Enter, on the turrets, the Lords Salisbury and Talbot, Sir 
 William Glansdale, Sir Thomas Gargrave, and others. 
 
 Sal. Talbot, my life, my joy, again return'd ! 
 How^ wert thou handled being prisoner ? 
 Or by what means got'st thou to be released? 
 Discourse, I prithee, on this turret's top. 
 
 Tal. The Duke of Bedford had a prisoner 
 
 Call'd the brave Lord Ponton de Santrailles ; 
 
 For him was I exchanged and ransomed. 
 
 But with a baser man of arms by far 30 
 
 Once in contempt they would have barter'd me : 
 
 Which I disdaining scorn'd, and craved death 
 
 Rather than I would be so vile-esteem'd. 
 
 In fine, redeem'd I was as I desired. 
 
 But, O ! the treacherous Fastolfe wounds my heart, 
 
 Whom with my bare fists I would execute, 
 
 If I now had him brought into my power. 
 
 Sal. Yet tell'st thou not how thou wert entertain'd. 
 
 Tal. With scoffs and scorns and contumelious taunts 
 
 In open market-place produced they me, 40 
 
 To be a public spectacle to all : 
 
 Here, said they, is the terror of the French, 
 
 The scarecrow that afifrights our children so. 
 
 Then broke I from the ofHcers that led me. 
 
 And with my nails digg'd stones out of the ground, 
 
 To hurl at the beholders of my shame : 
 
 My grisly countenance made others fly ; 
 
 None durst come near for fear of sudden death. 
 
 In iron walls they deem'd me not secure ; 
 
 So great fear of my name 'mongst them was spread 
 
 That they supposed I could rend bars of steel, 51 
 
 37
 
 Act I. Sc. iv. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 And spurn in pieces posts of adamant : 
 Wherefore a guard of chosen shot I had, 
 That walk'd about me every minute while ; 
 And if I did but stir out of my bed, 
 Ready they were to shoot me to the heart. 
 
 Enter the Boy zvith a linstock. 
 
 Sal. I grieve to hear what torments you endured, 
 
 But we wnll be revenged sufficiently. 
 
 Now it is supper-time in Orleans : 
 
 Here, through this grate, I count each one, 60 
 
 And view the Frenchmen how they fortify : 
 
 Let us look in ; the sight will much delight thee. 
 
 Sir Thomas Gargrave, and Sir William Glansdale, 
 
 Let me have your express opinions 
 
 Where is best place to make our battery next. 
 Gar. I think, at the north gate ; for there stand lords. 
 Glan. And I, here, at the bulwark of the bridge. 
 Tal. For aught I see, this city must be famish'd, 
 
 Or with light skirmishes enfeebled. 
 
 [Here they shoot. Salisbury and Gargrave fall. 
 Sal. O Lord, have mercy on us, wretched sinners ! 70 
 Gar. O Lord, have mercy on me, woful man ! 
 Tal. What chance is this that suddenly hath cross'd us ? 
 
 Speak, Salisbury ; at least, if thou canst speak : 
 
 How farest thou, mirror of all martial men ? 
 
 One of thy eyes and thy cheek's side struck off ! 
 
 Accursed tower ! accursed fatal hand 
 
 That hath contrived this woful tragedy ! 
 
 In thirteen battles Salisbury o'ercame ; 
 
 Henry the Fifth he first train'd to the wars ; 
 
 Whilst any trump did sound, or drum struck up, 80 
 
 38
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act I. Sc. iv. 
 
 His sword did ne'er leave striking in the field. 
 
 Yet livest thou, Salisbury? though thy speech doth 
 
 fail, 
 One eye thou hast, to look to heaven for grace : 
 The sun with one eye vieweth all the world. 
 Heaven, be thou gracious to none alive, 
 If Salisbury wants mercy at thy hands ! 
 Bear hence his body ; I will help to bury it. 
 Sir Thomas Gargrave, has thou any life ? 
 Speak unto Talbot ; nay, look up to him. 
 Salisbury, cheer thy spirit with this comfort ; 90 
 
 Thou shalt not die whiles — 
 He beckons with his hand and smiles on me, 
 As who should say ' When I am dead and gone, 
 Remember to avenge me on the French.' 
 Plantagenet, I will ; and like thee, Nero, 
 Play on the lute, beholding the towns burn : 
 Wretched shall France be only in my name. 
 
 [Here an alarum, and it thunders and lightens. 
 What stir is this ? what tumult 's in the heavens ? 
 Whence cometh this alarum, and the noise? 
 
 Enter a Messenger. 
 
 Mess. My lord, my lord, the French have gather'd head : 
 The Dauphin, with one Joan la Pucelle join'd, 10 1 
 A holy prophetess new risen up. 
 Is come with a great power to raise the siege. 
 
 [Here Salisbury lifteth himself up and groans. 
 
 Tal. Hear, hear how dying Salisbury doth groan ! 
 It irks his heart he cannot be revenged. 
 Frenchmen, I '11 be a Salisbury to you : 
 Pucelle or puzzel, dolphin or dogfish, 
 
 39
 
 Act I. Sc. V. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 Your hearts I '11 stamp out with my horse's heels, 
 And make a quagmire of your mingled brains. 
 Convey me SaHsbury into his tent, no 
 
 And then we '11 try what these dastard Frenchmen 
 dare. [Alarum. Exeunt. 
 
 Scene V. 
 
 The same. 
 
 Here an alarum again: and Talbot pursueth the Dauphin, 
 and driveth him: then enter Joan La Pucelle, dri- 
 ving Englishmen before her and exit after them: 
 then re-enter Talbot. 
 
 Tal. Where is my strength, my valour, and my force? 
 Our English troops retire, I cannot stay them : 
 A woman clad in armour chaseth them. 
 
 Re-enter La Pucelle. 
 
 Here, here she comes. I '11 have a bout with thee ; 
 Devil or devil's dam, I '11 conjure thee : 
 Blood will I draw on thee, thou art a witch. 
 And straightway give thy soul to him thou servest. 
 Puc. Come, come, 'tis only I that must disgrace thee. 
 
 [Here they fight. 
 Tal. Heavens, can you suffer hell so to prevail? 
 
 My breast I '11 burst with straining of my courage, lo 
 And from my shoulders crack my arms asunder. 
 But I will chastise this high-minded strumpet. 
 
 [They fight again. 
 Puc. Talbot, farewell ; thy hour is not yet come : 
 I must go victual Orleans forthwith. 
 
 [A short alarum : then enter the town 
 
 zvith soldiers. 
 
 40
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act i. Sc. v. 
 
 O'ertake me, if thou canst; I scorn thy strength. 
 Go, go, cheer up thy hungry-starved men ; 
 Help SaHsbury to make his testament : 
 This day is ours, as many more shall be. {Exit. 
 
 Tal. My thoughts are whirled like a potter's wheel ; 
 
 I know not where I am, nor what I do : 20 
 
 A witch, by fear, not force, like Hannibal, 
 Drives back our troops and conquers as she lists : 
 So bees with smoke and doves with noisome stench 
 Are from their hives and houses driven away. 
 They call'd us for our fierceness English dogs; 
 Now, like to whelps, we crying run away. 
 
 [A short alarum. 
 Hark, countrymen ! either renew the fight, 
 Or tear the lions out of England's coat ; 
 Renounce your soil, give sheep in lions' stead : 
 Sheep run not half so treacherous from the wolf, 3c 
 Or horse or oxen from the leopard. 
 As you fly from your oft-subdued slaves. 
 
 [Alarum. Here another skirmish. 
 It will not be : retire into your trenches : 
 You all consented unto Salisbury's death. 
 For none would strike a stroke in his revenge. 
 Pucelle is enter'd into Orleans, 
 In spite of us or aught that we could do. 
 O would I were to die with Salisbury ! 
 The shame hereof will make me hide my head. 
 
 [Exit Talbot. Alarum; retreat; Nourish. 
 
 41
 
 Act I. Sc. vi. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 Scene VI. 
 
 The same. 
 
 Enter, on the walls, La Pucelle, Charles, Reignier, 
 Alencon, and Soldiers. 
 
 Flic. Advance our waving colours on the walls ; 
 Rescued is Orleans from the English : 
 Tlius Joan la Pucelle hath perform'd her word. 
 
 Char. Divinest creature, Astrsea's daughter, 
 How shall I honour thee for this success ? 
 Thy promises are like Adonis' gardens 
 That one day bloom'd and fruitful were the next. 
 France, triumph in thy glorious prophetess ! 
 Recover'd is the town of Orleans : 
 More blessed hap did ne'er befall our state. lo 
 
 Reig. Why ring not out the bells aloud throughout the 
 town? 
 Dauphin, command the citizens make bonfires 
 And feast and banquet in the open streets. 
 To celebrate the joy that God hath given us. 
 
 Alen. All France will be replete with mirth and joy, 
 When they shall hear how we have play'd the men. 
 
 Char. 'Tis Joan, not we, by whom the day is won ; 
 For which I will divide my crown with her. 
 And all the priests and friars in my realm 
 Shall in procession sing her endless praise. 20 
 
 A statelier pyramis to her I '11 rear 
 Than Rhodope's or Memphis' ever was : 
 In memory of her when she is dead, 
 Her ashes, in an urn more precious 
 Than the rich-jewel'd coffer of Darius, 
 Transported shall be at high festivals 
 42
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act II. Sc. i. 
 
 Before the kings and queens of France. 
 
 No longer on Saint Denis will we cry, 
 
 But Joan la Pucelle shall be France's saint. 
 
 Come in, and let us banquet royally, 30 
 
 After this golden day of victory. 
 
 [Flourish. Exeunt. 
 
 ACT SECOND. 
 
 Scene I. 
 
 Before Orleans. 
 Enter a Sergeant of a band zvith tivo Sentinels. 
 
 Serg. Sirs, take your places and be vigilant : 
 If any noise or soldier you perceive 
 Near to the walls, by some apparent sign 
 Let us have knowledge at the court of guard. 
 
 First Sent. Sergeant, you shall. [Exit Sergeant.] Thus 
 are poor servitors, 
 When others sleep upon their quiet beds, 
 Constrained to watch in darkness, rain and cold. 
 
 Enter Talbot, Bedford, Burgundy, and forces, zvith sca- 
 ling ladders, their drums beating a dead march. 
 
 Tal. Lord Regent, and redoubted Burgundy, 
 By w^hose approach the regions of Artois, 
 Wallon and Picardy are friends to us, 10 
 
 This happy night the Frenchmen are secure, 
 Having all day caroused and banqueted : 
 Embrace we then this opportunitv, 
 As fitting best to quittance their deceit 
 Contrived by art and baleful sorcery. 
 
 43
 
 Act II. Sc. i. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 Bed. Coward of France ! how much he wrongs his fame, 
 Despairing of his own arm's fortitude, 
 To join with witches and the help of hell ! 
 
 Bur. Traitors have never other company. 
 
 But what 's that Pucelle whom they term so pure ? 
 
 Tal. A maid, they say. 
 
 Bed. A maid ! and be so martial ! 21 
 
 Bur. Pray God she prove not masculine ere long, 
 If underneath the standard of the French 
 She carry armour as she hath begun. 
 
 Tal. Well, let them practise and converse with spirits : 
 God is our fortress, in whose conquering name 
 Let us resolve to scale their flinty bulwarks. 
 
 Bed. Ascend, brave Talbot ; we will follow thee. 
 
 Tal. Not all together : better far, I guess. 
 
 That we do make our entrance several ways ; 30 
 
 That, if it chance the one of us do fail, 
 The other yet may rise against their force. 
 
 Bed. Agreed : I '11 to yond corner. 
 
 Bur. And I to this. 
 
 Tal. And here will Talbot mount, or make his grave. 
 Now, Salisbury, for thee, and for the right 
 Of English Henry, shall this night appear 
 How much in duty I am bound to both. 
 
 Sent. Arm ! arm ! the enemy doth make assault ! 
 
 [Cry: ' St. George; ' A Talbot.' 
 
 The French leap over the walls in their shirts. Enter, 
 several zuays, the Bastard of Orleans, Alengon, and 
 Reignier, half ready, and half unready. 
 
 Alcn. How now, my lords! what, all unready so? 
 
 Bast. Unready ! ay, and glad we 'scaped so well. 40
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act II. Sc. i. 
 
 Reig. 'Twas time, I trow, to wake and leave our beds, 
 Hearing alarums at our chamber-doors. 
 
 Alen. Of all exploits since first I followed arms, 
 Ne'er heard I of a warlike enterprise 
 More venturous or desperate than this. 
 
 Bast. I think this Talbot be a fiend of hell. 
 
 Rcig. If not of hell, the heavens, sure, favour him. 
 
 Alcn. Here cometh Charles : I marvel how he sped. 
 
 Bast. Tut, holy Joan was his defensive guard. 
 
 Enter Charles and La Pucelle. 
 
 Char. Is this thy cunning, thou deceitful dame? 50 
 
 Didst thou at first, to flatter us withal. 
 Make us partakers of a little gain, 
 That now our loss might be ten times so much ? 
 
 Puc. Wherefore is Charles impatient with his friend? 
 At all times will you have my power alike ? 
 Sleeping or w^aking must I still prevail. 
 Or will you blame and lay the fault on me? 
 Improvident soldiers ! had your watch been good. 
 This sudden mischief never could have falFn. 
 
 Char. Duke of Alengon, this was your default, 60 
 
 That, being captain of the watch to-night, 
 Did look no better to that weighty charge. 
 
 Alen. Had all your quarters been as safely kept 
 As that whereof I had the government. 
 We had not been thus shamefully surprised. 
 
 Bast. Mine was secure. 
 
 Reig. And so w^as mine, my lord. 
 
 Char. And, for myself, most part of all this night, 
 Within her quarter and mine own precinct 
 I was employ'd in passing to and fro, 
 
 45
 
 Act II. Sc. ii. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 About relieving of the sentinels : 70 
 
 Then how or which way should they first break in ? 
 Puc. Question, my lords, no further of the case, 
 
 How or which way : 'tis sure they found some place 
 But weakly guarded, where the breach was made. 
 And now there rests no other shift but this ; 
 To gather our soldiers, scatter'd and dispersed, 
 And lay new platforms to endamage them. 
 
 Alarum. Enter an English Soldier, crying, 'A Talbot! 
 a Talbot!' They iiy, leaving their clothes behind. 
 
 Sold. I '11 be so bold to take what they have left. 
 The cry of Talbot serves me for a sword ; 
 For I have loaden me with many spoils, 80 
 
 Using no other weapon but his name. [Exit. 
 
 Scene II. 
 
 Orleans. Within the town. 
 Enter Talbot, Bedford, Burgundy, a Captain, and others. 
 
 Bed. The day begins to break, and night is fled. 
 Whose pitchy mantle over-veil'd the earth. 
 Here sound retreat, and cease our hot pursuit. 
 
 [Retreat sounded. 
 
 Tal. Bring forth the body of old Salisbury, 
 And here advance it in the market-place. 
 The middle centre of this cursed town. 
 Now have I paid my vow unto his soul ; 
 For every drop of blood was drawn from him 
 There hath at least five Frenchmen died to-night. 
 And that hereafter ages may behold 10 
 
 What ruin happen'd in revenge of him, 
 
 46
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act II. Sc. li. 
 
 Within their chiefest temple I '11 erect 
 
 A tomb, wherein his corpse shall be interr'd : 
 
 Upon the which, that every one may read, 
 
 Shall be engraved the sack of Orleans, 
 
 The treacherous manner of his mournful death 
 
 And what a terror he had been to France. 
 
 But, lords, in all our bloody massacre 
 
 I muse we met not with the Dauphin's grace, 
 
 His new-come champion, virtuous Joan of Arc, 20 
 
 Nor any of his false confederates. 
 
 Bed. 'Tis thought. Lord Talbot, when the fight began. 
 Roused on the sudden from their drowsy beds, 
 They did amongst the troops of armed men 
 Leap o'er the w^alls for refuge in the field. 
 
 Bur. Myself, as far as I could well discern 
 
 For smoke and dusky vapours of the night, 
 
 Am sure I scared the Dauphin and his trull, 
 
 When arm in arm they both came swiftly running, 
 
 Like to a pair of loving turtle-doves 30 
 
 That could not live asunder day or night. 
 
 After that things are set in order here. 
 
 We '11 follow them with all the power we have. 
 
 Enter a Messenger. 
 
 Mess. All hail, my lords ! Which of this princely train 
 Call ye the warHke Talbot, for his acts 
 So much applauded through the realm of France? 
 
 Tal. Here is the Talbot : who would speak with him ? 
 
 Mess. The virtuous lady, Countess of Auvergne, 
 With modesty admiring thy renown. 
 By me entreats, great lord, thou wouldst vouchsafe 
 To visit her poor castle where she lies, 41 
 
 47
 
 Act II. Sc. iii. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 That she may boast she hath beheld the man 
 Whose glory fills the world with loud report. 
 
 Bur. Is it even so? Nay, then, I see our wars 
 Will turn unto a peaceful comic sport, 
 When ladies crave to be encounter'd with. 
 You may not, my lord, despise her gentle suit. 
 
 Tal. Ne'er trust me then ; for when a world of men 
 Could not prevail with all their oratory. 
 Yet hath a woman's kindness over-ruled : 50 
 
 And therefore tell her I return great thanks, 
 And in submission will attend on her. 
 Will not your honours bear me company ? 
 
 Bed. No, truly ; it is more than manners will : 
 And I have heard it said, unbidden guests 
 Are often welcomest when they are gone. 
 
 Tal. Well then, alone, since there 's no remedy, 
 I mean to prove this lady's courtesy. 
 Come hither, captain. [Whispers.] You perceive my 
 mind? 
 
 Capt. I do, my lord, and mean accordingly. 60 
 
 [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene III. 
 
 Auvergne. The Countess's castle. 
 Enter the Countess and her Porter. 
 
 Count. Porter, remember what I gave in charge ; 
 
 And when you have done so, bring the keys to me. 
 Port. iMadam, I will. [Exit. 
 
 Count. The plot is laid : if all things fall out right, 
 
 I shall as famous be by this exploit 
 
 As Scythian Tomyris by Cyrus' death. 
 
 48
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act II. Sc. iii. 
 
 Great Is the rumour of this dreadful knight. 
 
 And his achievements of no less account : 
 
 Fain would mine eyes be witness with mine ears, 
 
 To give their censure of these rare reports. lo 
 
 Enter Messenger and Talbot. 
 
 Mess. Madam, 
 
 According as your ladyship desired, 
 
 By message craved, so is Lord Talbot come. 
 
 Count. And he is welcome. What! is this the man? 
 
 Mess. Madam, it is. 
 
 Count. Is this the scourge of France? 
 
 Is this the Talbot, so much fear'd abroad 
 That with his name the mothers still their babes ? 
 I see report is fabulous and false : 
 I thought I should have seen some Hercules, 
 A second Hector, for his grim aspect, 20 
 
 . And large proportion of his strong-knit limbs. 
 Alas, this is a child, a silly dwarf ! 
 It cannot be this weak and writhled shrimp 
 Should strike such terror to his enemies. 
 
 Tal. Madam, I have been bold to trouble you ; 
 But since your ladyship is not at leisure, 
 I '11 sort some other time to visit you. 
 
 Count. What means he now ? Go ask him whither he goes. 
 
 Mess. Stay, my Lord Talbot ; for my lady craves 
 
 To know the cause of your abrupt departure. 30 
 
 Tal. Marry, for that she 's in a wrong belief, 
 I go to certify her Talbot 's here. 
 
 Re-enter Porter witli keys. 
 Count. If thou be he, then art thou prisoner. 
 
 49
 
 Act II. Sc. iii. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 Tal. Prisoner ! to whom ? 
 
 Count. To me, blood-thirsty lord ; 
 
 And for that cause I train'd thee to my house. 
 Long time thy shadow had been thrall to me, 
 For in my gallery thy picture hangs : 
 But now the substance shall endure the like, 
 And I will chain these legs and arms of thine, 
 That hast by tyranny these many years 40 
 
 Wasted our country, slain our citizens, 
 And sent our sons and husbands captivate. 
 
 Tal. Ha, ha, ha! 
 
 Count. Laughest thou, wretch? thy mirth shall turn to 
 moan. 
 
 Tal. I laugh to see your ladyship so fond 
 
 To think that you have aught but Talbot's shadow 
 Whereon to practise your severity. 
 
 Count. Why, art not thou the man? 
 
 Tal. I am indeed. 
 
 Count. Then have I substance too. 
 
 Tal. No, no, I am but shadow of myself : 50 
 
 You are deceived, my substance is not here ; 
 For what you see is but the smallest part 
 And least proportion of humanity : 
 I tell you, madam, were the whole frame here, 
 It is of such a spacious lofty pitch. 
 Your roof were not sufiBcient to contain 't. 
 
 Count. This is a riddling merchant for the nonce ; 
 He will be here, and yet he is not here : 
 How can these contrarieties agree? 
 
 Tal. That will I show you presently. 60 
 
 [Winds his horn. Drums strike up: a peal 
 
 of ordnance. Enter Soldiers, 
 
 so
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act II. Sc. iv. 
 
 How say you, madam ? are you now persuaded 
 
 That Talbot is but shadow of himself ? 
 
 These are his substance, sinews, arms and strength, 
 
 With which he yoketh your rebellious necks, 
 
 Razeth your cities and subverts your towns 
 
 And in a moment makes them desolate. 
 Count. Victorious Talbot! pardon my abuse: 
 
 I find thou art no less than fame hath bruited, 
 
 And more than may be gather 'd by thy shape. 
 
 Let my presumption not provoke thy wrath ; 70 
 
 For I am sorry that with reverence 
 
 I did not entertain thee as thou art. 
 Tal. Be not dismay'd, fair lady ; nor misconstrue 
 
 The mind of Talbot, as you did mistake 
 
 The outward composition of liis body. 
 
 What you have done hath not offended me ; 
 
 Nor other satisfaction do I crave, 
 
 But only, with your patience, that we may 
 
 Taste of your wine and see what cates you have ; 
 
 For soldiers' stomachs always serve them well. 80 
 Count. With all my heart, and think me honoured 
 
 To feast so great a warrior in my house. [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene IV. 
 
 London. The Temple-garden. 
 
 Enter the Earls of Somerset, Suffolk, and Warwick; 
 Richard Plantagenet, Vernon, and another Lazvyer. 
 
 Plan. Great lords and gentlemen, what means this silence? 
 
 Dare no man answer in a case of truth ? 
 Suf. Within the Temple-hall we were too loud ; 
 
 The garden here is more convenient. 
 
 51
 
 Act II. Sc. iv. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 Plan. Then say at once if I maintain'd the truth ; 
 
 Or else was wrangHng Somerset in the error? 
 Suf. Faith, I have been a truant in the law, 
 
 And never yet could frame my will to it ; 
 
 And therefore frame the law unto my will. 9 
 
 Sum. Judge you, my lord of Warwick, then, between us. 
 War. Between two hawks, wdiich flies the higher pitch ; 
 
 Between two dogs, which hath the deeper mouth ; 
 
 Between two blades, which bears the better temper ; 
 
 Between two horses, which doth bear him best ; 
 
 Between two girls, which hath the merriest eye ; 
 
 I have perhaps some shallow spirit of judgement: 
 
 But in these nice sharp quillets of the law, 
 
 Good faith, I am no wiser than a daw. 
 Plan. Tut, tut, here is a mannerly forbearance : 
 
 The truth appears so naked on my side 20 
 
 That any purblind eye may find it out. 
 Som. And on my side it is so well apparell'd, 
 
 So clear, so shining and so evident 
 
 That it will glimmer through a blind man's eye. 
 Plan. Since you are tongue-tied and so loath to speak, 
 
 In dumb significants proclaim your thoughts: 
 
 Let him that is a true-born gentleman, 
 
 And stands upon the honour of his birth, 
 
 If he suppose that I have pleaded truth. 
 
 From off this brier pluck a white rose with me. 30 
 Som. Let him that is no coward nor no flatterer, 
 
 But dare maintain the party of the truth. 
 
 Pluck a red rose from off this thorn with me. 
 War. I love no colours, and without all colour 
 
 Of base insinuating flattery 
 
 I pluck this white rose with Plantagenet. 
 
 52
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act II. Sc. iv. 
 
 Siif. I pluck this red rose with young Somerset, 
 And say withal I think he held the right. 
 
 Ver. Stay, lords and gentlemen, and pluck no more, 
 
 Till you conclude that he, upon whose side 40 
 
 The fewest roses are cropp'd from the tree, 
 Shall yield the other in the right opinion. 
 
 Som. Good Master Vernon, it is well objected: 
 If I have fewest, I subscribe in silence. 
 
 Plan. And I. 
 
 Ver. Then for the truth and plainness of the case, 
 I pluck this pale and maiden blossom here, 
 Giving my verdict on the white rose side. 
 
 So7fi. Prick not your finger as you pluck it off. 
 
 Lest bleeding you do paint the white rose red, 50 
 
 And fall on my side so, against your will. 
 
 Ver, If I, my lord, for my opinion bleed. 
 Opinion shall be surgeon to my hurt 
 And keep me on the side where still I am. 
 
 Som. Well, well, come on : who else ? 
 
 LaK'. Unless my study and my books be false, 
 The argument you held was wrong in you ; 
 
 [To Somerset. 
 In sign whereof I pluck a white rose too. 
 
 Plan. Now, Somerset, where is your argument? 
 
 Som. Here in my scabbard, meditating that 60 
 
 Shall dye your white rose in a bloody red. 
 
 Plan. Meantime your cheeks do counterfeit our roses ; 
 For pale they look with fear, as witnessing 
 The truth on our side. 
 
 Som. No, Plantagenet, 
 
 'Tis not for fear but anger that my cheeks 
 Blush for pure shame to counterfeit our roses, 
 
 53
 
 Act II. Sc. iv. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 And yet thy tongue will not confess thy error. 
 Plan. Hath not thy rose a canker, Somerset ? 
 Som. Hath not thy rose a thorn, Plantagenet ? 
 Plan. Ay, sharp and piercing, to maintain his truth ; 70 
 
 Whiles thy consuming canker eats his falsehood. 
 Som. Well, I '11 find friends to wear my bleeding roses. 
 
 That shall maintain what I have said is true, 
 
 Where false Plantagenet dare not be seen. 
 Plan. Now, by this maiden blossom in my hand, 
 
 I scorn thee and thy fashion, peevish boy. 
 Snf. Turn not thy scorns this way, Plantagenet. 
 Plai:. Proud Pole, I will, and scorn both him and thee. 
 Snf. I '11 turn my part thereof into thy throat. 
 Som, Away, away, good William de la Pole ! 80 
 
 We grace the yeoman by conversing with him. 
 War. Now, by God's will, thou wrong'st him, Somerset ; 
 
 His grandfather was Lionel Duke of Clarence, 
 
 Third son to the third Edward King of England : 
 
 Spring crestless yeoman from so deep a root ? 
 Plan. He bears him on the place's privilege. 
 
 Or durst not, for his craven heart, say thus. 
 Som. By him that made me, I '11 maintain my words 
 
 On any plot of ground in Christendom. 
 
 Was not thy father, Richard Earl of Cambridge, 90 
 
 For treason executed in our late king's days ? 
 
 And, by his treason, stand'st not thou attainted. 
 
 Corrupted, and exempt from ancient gentry ? 
 
 His trespass yet lives guilty in thy blood ; 
 
 And, till thou be restored, thou art a yeoman. 
 Plan. My father was attached, not attainted, 
 
 Condemn'd to die for treason, but no traitor ; 
 
 And that I '11 prove on better men than Somerset, 
 
 54
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act II. Sc. iv. 
 
 Were growing time once ripen'd to my will. 
 
 For your partaker Pole and you yourself, lOO 
 
 I '11 note you in my book of memory, 
 
 To scourge you for this apprehension : 
 
 Look to it well and say you are well-warn'd. 
 
 Som. Ah, thou shalt find us ready for thee still ; 
 And know us by these colours for thy foes, 
 For these my friends in spite of thee shall wear. 
 
 Plan. And, by my soul, this pale and angry rose. 
 As cognizance of my blood-drinking hate, 
 Will I for ever and my faction wear. 
 Until it wither with me to my grave, no 
 
 Or flourish to the height of my degree. 
 
 Siif. Go forward and be choked with thy ambition ! 
 
 And so farewell until I meet thee next. {Exit. 
 
 Som. Have with thee, Pole. Farewell ambitious Richard. 
 
 [Exit. 
 
 Plan. How I am braved and must perforce endure it ! 
 
 War. This blot that they object against your house 
 Shall be wiped out in the next parliament 
 Call'd for the truce of Winchester and Gloucester ; 
 And if thou be not then created York, 
 I will not live to be accounted Warwick. 120 
 
 Meantime, in signal of my love to thee, 
 Against proud Somerset and William Pole, 
 Will I upon thy party wear this rose : 
 And here I prophesy : this brawl to-day, 
 Grown to this faction in the Temple-garden, 
 Shall send between the red rose and the white 
 A thousand souls to death and deadly night. 
 
 Plan. Good Master Vernon, I am bound to you. 
 That you on my behalf would pluck a flower. 
 
 55
 
 Act II. Sc. V. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 Ver. In your behalf still will I wear the same. 130 
 
 Lazi'. And so will I. 
 
 Plan. Thanks, gentle sir. 
 
 Come, let us four to dinner : I dare say 
 
 This quarrel will drink blood another day. [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene V. 
 
 The Tozver of London. 
 Enter Mortimer, brought in a chair, and Gaolers. 
 
 Mor. Kind keepers of my weak decaying age, 
 
 Let dying ^lortimer here rest himself. 
 
 Even like a man new haled from the rack, 
 
 So fare my limbs with long imprisonment ; 
 
 And these grey locks, the pursuivants of death, 
 
 Nestor-like aged in an age of care, 
 
 Argue the end of Edmund Mortimer. 
 
 These eyes, like lamps whose wasting oil is spent. 
 
 Wax dim, as drawing to their exigent ; 
 
 Weak shoulders, overborne with burthening grief, 
 
 And pithless arms, like to a wither'd vine 1 1 
 
 That droops his sapless branches to the ground : 
 
 Yet are these feet, whose strengthless stay is numb. 
 
 Unable to support this lump of clay. 
 
 Swift-winged with desire to get a grave, 
 
 As witting I no other comfort have. 
 
 But tell me, keeper, will my nephew come ? 
 Eirst Gaol. Richard Plantagenet, my lord, will come : 
 
 We sent unto the Temple, unto his chamber ; 
 
 And answer was return'd that he will com.e. 20 
 
 Mor. Enough : my soul shall then be satisfied. 
 
 Poor gentleman ! his wrong doth equal mine. 
 
 56
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act II. Sc. v. 
 
 Since Henry Monmouth first began to rcio^n, 
 
 Before whose glory I was great in arms, 
 
 This loathsome sequestration have I had ; 
 
 And even since then hath Richard been obscured, 
 
 Deprived of honour and inheritance. 
 
 But now the arbitrator of despairs, 
 
 Just death, kind umpire of men's miseries, 
 
 With sweet enlargement doth dismiss me hence : 30 
 
 I would his troubles likewise were expired. 
 
 That so he might recover what was lost. 
 
 Enter Richard Plantagenet. 
 
 First Gaol. My lord, your loving nephew now is come. 
 
 Mor. Richard Plantagenet, my friend, is he come ? 
 
 Plan. Ay, noble uncle, thus ignobly used, 
 
 Your nephew, late despised Richard, comes. 
 
 Mor. Direct mine arms I may embrace his neck, 
 And in his bosom spend my latter gasp : 
 O, tell me when my lips do touch his cheeks. 
 That I may kindly give one fainting kiss. 40 
 
 And now declare, sweet stem from York's great stock, 
 Why didst thou say of late thou wert despised ? 
 
 Plan. First, lean thine aged back against mine arm ; 
 And, in that ease, I '11 tell thee my disease. 
 This day, in argument upon a case. 
 Some words there grew 'twixt Somerset and me ; 
 Among which terms he used his lavish tongue 
 And did upbraid me with my father's death : 
 Which obloquy set bars before my tongue. 
 Else with the like I had requited him. 50 
 
 Therefore, good uncle, for my father's sake, 
 In honour of a true Plantagenet 
 
 57
 
 Act II. Sc. V. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 And for alliance sake, declare the cause 
 
 My father, Earl of Cambridge, lost his head. 
 
 Mor. That cause, fair nephew, that imprison'd me 
 And hath detain'd me all my flowering youth 
 Within a loathsome dungeon, there to pine, 
 Was cursed instrument of his decease. 
 
 Plan. Discover more at large what cause that was. 
 
 For I am ignorant and cannot guess. 60 
 
 Mor. I will, if that my fading breath permit, 
 
 And death approach not ere my tale be done. 
 
 Henry the Fourth, grandfather to this king, 
 
 Deposed his nephew Richard, Edward's son, 
 
 The first-begotten and the lawful heir 
 
 Of Edward king, the third of that descent : 
 
 During whose reign the Percies of the north. 
 
 Finding his usurpation most unjust, 
 
 Endeavour'd my advancement to the throne : 
 
 The reason moved these warlike lords to this 70 
 
 Was, for that — young King Richard thus removed, 
 
 Leaving no heir begotten of his body — 
 
 I was the next by birth and parentage; 
 
 For by my mother I derived am 
 
 From Lionel Duke of Clarence, the third son 
 
 To King Edward the Third ; whereas he 
 
 From John of Gaunt doth bring his pedigree, 
 
 Being but fourth of that heroic line. 
 
 Cut mark : as in this haughty great attempt 
 
 They laboured to plant the rightful heir, 80 
 
 I lost my liberty and they their lives. • 
 
 Long after this, when Henry the Fifth, 
 
 Succeeding his father Bolingbroke, did reign. 
 
 Thy father. Earl of Cambridge, then derived 
 
 S8
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act II. Sc. v. 
 
 From famous Edmund Langley, Duke of York, 
 
 Marrying my sister that thy mother was, 
 
 Again in pity of my hard distress 
 
 Levied an army, weening to redeem 
 
 And have install'd me in the diadem : 
 
 But, as the rest, so fell that noble earl 90 
 
 And was beheaded. Thus the Mortimers, 
 
 In whom the title rested, were suppress' d. 
 
 Plan. Of which, my lord, your honour is the last. 
 
 Mor. True ; and thou seest that I no issue have. 
 And that my fainting words do warrant death : 
 Thou art my heir ; the rest I wish thee gather : 
 But yet be wary in thy studious care. 
 
 Plati. Thy grave admonishments prevail with me : 
 But yet, methinks, my father's execution 
 Was nothing less than bloody tyranny. 100 
 
 Mor. With silence, nephew, be thou politic : 
 Strong-fixed is the house of Lancaster, 
 And like a mountain not to be removed. 
 But now thy uncle is removing hence ; 
 As princes do their courts, when they are cloy'd 
 With long continuance in a settled place. 
 
 Plan. O, uncle, would some part of my young years 
 Might but redeem the passage of your age ! 
 
 Mor. Thou dost then wrong me, as that slaughterer doth 
 Which giveth many wounds when one will kill. no 
 Mourn not, except thou sorrow for my good ; 
 Only give order for my funeral : 
 And so farewell, and fair be all thy hopes, 
 And prosperous be thy life in peace and war ! [Dies. 
 
 Plan. And peace, no war, befall thy parting soul ! 
 In prison hast thou spent a pilgrimage, 
 
 59
 
 Act III. Sc. i. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 And like a hermit overpass'd thy days. 
 
 Well, I will lock his counsel in my breast ; 
 
 And what I do imagine let that rest. 
 
 Keepers, convey him hence, and I myself 120 
 
 Will see his burial better than his life. 
 
 [Exeunt Gaolers, bearing out the body of Mortimer. 
 Here dies the dusky torch of Mortimer, 
 Choked with ambition of the meaner sort : 
 And for those wrongs, those bitter injuries, 
 Which Somerset hath offer'd to my house, 
 I doubt not but with honour to redress ; 
 And therefore haste I to the parliament, 
 Either to be restored to my blood. 
 Or make my ill the advantage of my good. [Exit. 
 
 ACT THIRD. 
 Scene I. 
 
 London. The Parliament-house. 
 
 Flourish. Enter King, Exeter, Gloucester, Warzvick 
 Somerset, and Suffolk; the Bishop of Winchester, 
 Richard Plantagenet, and others. Gloucester offers 
 to put up a bill; Winchester snatches it, tears it. 
 
 Win. Comest thou with deep premeditated lines, 
 With written pamphlets studiously devised, 
 Humphrey of Gloucester? If thou canst accuse, 
 Or aught intend'st to lay unto my charge. 
 Do it without invention, suddenly ; 
 As I with sudden and extemporal speech 
 Purpose to answer what thou canst object. 
 
 60 --—
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act III. Sc. i. 
 
 Glou. Presumptuous priest! this place commands my 
 patience, 
 Or thou shouldst find thou hast dishonour'd me. 
 Think not, although in writing I preferr'd lo 
 
 The manner of thy vile outrageous crimes. 
 That therefore I have forged, or am not able 
 Verbatim to rehearse the method of my pen : 
 No, prelate ; such is thy audacious wickedness, 
 Thy lewd, pestiferous and dissentious pranks. 
 As very infants prattle of thy pride. 
 Thou art a most pernicious usurer, 
 Froward by nature, enemy to peace ; 
 Lascivious, wanton, more than well beseems 
 A man of thy profession and degree ; 20 
 
 And for thy treachery, what 's more manifest ? 
 In that thou laid'st a trap to take my life, 
 As well at London-bridge as at the Tower. 
 Beside, I fear me, if thy thoughts were sifted. 
 The king, thy sovereign, is not quite exempt 
 From envious malice of thy swelling heart. 
 
 Win. Gloucester, I do defy thee. Lords, vouchsafe 
 To give me hearing what I shall reply. 
 If I were covetous, ambitious or perverse, 
 As he will have me, how am I ss poor ? 30 
 
 Or how haps it I seek not to advance 
 Or raise myself, but keep my wonted calling? 
 And for dissension, who preferreth peace 
 More than I do ? — except I be provoked. 
 No, my good lords, it is not that ofifends ; 
 It is not that that hath incensed the duke: 
 It is, because no one should sway but he ; 
 No one but he should be about the king ; 
 61
 
 Act III. Sc. i. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 And that engenders thunder in his breast, 
 
 And makes him roar these accusations forth. 40 
 
 But he shall know I am as good — 
 GIou. As good! 
 
 Thou bastard of my grandfather ! 
 Jl'i]i. Ay, lordly sir; for what are you, I pray, 
 
 But one imperious in another's throne? 
 Clou. Am I not protector, saucy priest ? 
 Win. And am not I a prelate of the church ? 
 Gloti. Yes, as an outlaw in a castle keeps 
 
 And useth it to patronage his theft. 
 Win. Unreverent Gloster ! 
 GIou. Thou art reverent 
 
 Touching thy spiritual function, not thy life. 50 
 
 Win. Rome shall remedy this. 
 War. Roam thither, then. 
 
 Soin. My lord, it were your duty to forbear. 
 War. Ay, see the bishop be not overborne. 
 Soni. Methinks my lord should be religious, 
 
 And know the office that belongs to such. 
 War. Methinks his lordship should be humbler ; 
 
 It fitteth not a prelate so to plead. 
 Som. Yes, when his holy state is touch'd so near. 
 War. State holy or unhallow'd, what of that ? 
 
 Is not his grace protector to the king ? 60 
 
 Plan. [Aside] Plantagenet, I see, must hold his tongue. 
 
 Lest it be said ' Speak, sirrah, when you should ; 
 
 Must your bold verdict enter talk with lords ? ' 
 
 Else would I have a fling at Winchester. 
 King. Uncles of Gloucester and of Winchester, 
 
 The special watchmen of our English weal, 
 
 I would prevail, if prayers might prevail, 
 62
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act III. Sc. i. 
 
 To join your hearts in love and amity. 
 
 O, what a scandal is it to our crown, 
 
 That two such noble peers as ye should jar ! 70 
 
 BeHeve me, lords, my tender years can tell 
 
 Civil dissension is a viperous worm 
 
 That gnaws the bowels of the commonwealth. 
 
 [A noise linthin, ' Doz<.'n zvith the tazvny-coats ! ' 
 What tumult 's this ? 
 War. An uproar, I dare warrant. 
 
 Begun through malice of the bishop's men. 
 
 [A noise again, ' Stones! stones! ' 
 
 Enter Mayor. 
 
 May. O, my good lords, and virtuous Henry, 
 Pity the city of London, pity us ! 
 The bishop and the Duke of Gloucester's men, 
 Forbidden late to carry any weapon, 
 Have fill'd their pockets full of pebble stones, 80 
 
 And banding themselves in contrary parts 
 Do pelt so fast at one another's pate 
 That many have their giddy brains knock'd out : 
 Our windows are broke down in every street. 
 And we for fear compell'd to shut our shops. 
 
 Enter Serving-men, in skirmish, zvith bloody pates. 
 
 King. We charge you, on allegiance to ourself, 
 
 To hold your slaughtering hands and keep the peace. 
 Pray, uncle Gloucester, mitigate this strife. 
 
 First Serz'. Nay, if we be forbidden stones, we '11 fall 
 
 to it with our teeth. 90 
 
 Sec. Serv. Do what ye dare, we are as resolute. 
 
 [Skirmish again. 
 
 63
 
 Act III. Sc. i. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 GloiL You of my household, leave this peevish broU 
 
 And set this unaccustom'd fight aside. 
 Third Sen'. ]\Iy lord, we know your grace to be a man 
 
 Just and upright ; and, for your royal birth, 
 
 Inferior to none but to his majesty: 
 
 And ere that we will suffer such a prince, 
 
 So kind a father of the commonweal, 
 
 To be disgraced by an inkhorn mate, 
 
 We and our wives and children all will fight, lOO 
 
 And have our bodies slaughter'd by thy foes. 
 First Serv. Ay, and the very parings of our nails 
 
 Shall pitch a field when we are dead. [Begin again. 
 Gloii. Stay, stay, I say ! 
 
 And if you love me, as you say you do, 
 
 Let me persuade you to forbear awhile. 
 King. O, how this discord doth afflict my soul ! 
 
 Can you, my Lord of Winchester, behold 
 
 My sighs and tears and will not once relent? 
 
 Who should be pitiful, if you be not ? 
 
 Or who should study to prefer a peace, no 
 
 If holy churchmen take delight in broils? 
 IVar. Yield, my lord protector ; yield, Winchester ; 
 
 Except you mean with obstinate repulse 
 , To slay your sovereign and destroy the realm. 
 
 You see what mischief and what murder too 
 
 Hath been enacted through your enmity; 
 
 Then be at peace, except ye thirst for blood. 
 Win. He shall submit, or I will never yield. 
 Glou. Compassion on the king commands me stoop ; 
 
 Or I would see his heart out, ere the priest 120 
 
 Should ever get that privilege of me. 
 War. Behold, my Lord of Winchester, the duke 
 
 64
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act III. Sc. i. 
 
 Hath banish' d moody discontented fury, 
 
 As by his smoothed brows it doth appear : 
 
 Why look you still so stern and tragical ? 
 Glou. Here, Winchester, I offer thee my hand. 
 King. Fie, uncle Beaufort ! I have heard you preach 
 
 That malice was a great and grievous sin-; 
 
 And will n®t you maintain the thing you teach. 
 
 But prove a chief offender in the same ? 130 
 
 War. Sweet king ! the bishop hath a kindly gird. 
 
 For shame, my Lord of Winchester, relent ! 
 
 What, shall a child instruct you what to do? 
 Win. Well, Duke of Gloucester, I will yield to thee ; 
 
 Love for thy love and hand for hand I give. 
 Glou. [Aside] Ay, but, I fear me, with a hollow heart. — 
 
 See here, my friends and loving countrymen ; 
 
 This token serveth for a flag of truce 
 
 Betwixt ourselves and all our followers : 
 
 So help me God, as I dissemble not ! 140 
 
 Win. [Aside] So help me God, as I intend it not ! 
 King. O loving uncle, kind Duke of Gloucester, 
 
 How joyful am I made by this contract ! 
 
 Away, my masters ! trouble us no more ; 
 
 But join in friendship, as your lords have done. 
 First Serv. Content : I '11 to the surgeon's. 
 Sec. Sen: And so will I. 
 
 Third Scrv. And I will see what physic the tavern 
 
 affords. [Exeunt Serving-men, Mayor, etc. 
 
 War. Accept this scroll, most gracious sovereign, 
 
 W^hich in the right of Richard Plantagenet 150 
 
 We do exhibit to your majesty. 
 Glou. Well urged, my Lord of Warwick : for, sweet prince, 
 
 An if your grace mark every circumstance, 
 
 65
 
 Act III. Sc. i. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 You have great reason to do Richard right ; 
 
 Especially for those occasions 
 
 At Eltham place I told your majesty. 
 King. And those occasions, uncle, were of force : 
 
 Therefore, my loving lords, our pleasure is 
 
 That Richard be restored to his blood. 
 War. Let Richard be restored to his blood ; i6o 
 
 So shall his father's wrongs be recompensed. 
 Win. As will the rest, so willeth Winchester. 
 King. If Richard will be true, not that alone 
 
 But all the whole inheritance I give 
 
 That doth belong unto the house of York, 
 
 From whence you spring by lineal descent. 
 Plan. Thy humble servant vows obedience 
 
 And humble service till the point of death. 
 King. Stoop then and set your knee against my foot ; 
 
 And, in reguerdon of that duty done, 170 
 
 I gird thee with the valiant sword of York : 
 
 Rise, Richard, like a true Plantagenet, 
 
 And rise created princely Duke of York. 
 Plan, And so thrive Richard as thy foes may fall 
 
 And as my duty springs, so perish they 
 
 That grudge one thought against your majesty ! 
 All. Welcome, high prince, the mighty Duke of York ! 
 Som. [Aside] Perish, base prince, ignoble Duke of York! 
 Gloii. Now will it best avail your majesty 
 
 To cross the seas and to be crown'd in France : 180 
 
 The presence of a king engenders love 
 
 Amongst his subjects and his loyal friends. 
 
 As it disanimates his enemies. 
 King. When Gloucester says the word, King Henry goes ; 
 
 For friendly counsel cuts off many foes. 
 
 66
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act III. Sc. ii. 
 
 Glou. Your ships already are in readiness. 
 
 [Sennet. Flourish. Exeunt all but Exeter. 
 
 Exe. Ay, we may marcii in England or in France, 
 Not seeing what is likely to ensue. 
 This late dissension grown betwixt the peers 
 Bums under feigned ashes of forged love, 190 
 
 And will at last break out into a flame : 
 As fester'd members rot but by degree, * 
 
 Till bones and flesh and sinews fall away, 
 So will this base and envious discord breed. 
 And now I fear that fatal prophecy 
 Which in the time of Henry named the fifth 
 Was in the mouth of every sucking' babe ; 
 That Henry born at Monmouth should win all 
 And Henry born at Windsor lose all : 
 Which is so plain, that Exeter doth wish 200 
 
 His days may finish ere that hapless time. [Exit. 
 
 Scene II. 
 
 France. Before Rouen. 
 
 Enter La Pxicelle disguised, i^ith four Soldiers ivith sacks 
 upon tJicir backs. 
 
 Puc. These are the city gates, the gates of Rouen, 
 Through which our policy must make a breach : 
 Take heed, be wary how you place your words ; 
 Talk like the vulgar sort of market men 
 That come to gather money for their corn. 
 If we have entrance, as I hope we shall, 
 And that we find the slothful watch but weak, 
 I '11 by a sign give notice to our friends. 
 That Charles the Dauphin may encounter them. 
 
 6;
 
 Act III. Sc. ii. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 First Sol. Our sacks shall be a mean to sack the city, lo 
 And we be lords and rulers over Rouen ; 
 Therefore we '11 knock. [Knocks. 
 
 Watch. [IVithin] Qui est la? 
 
 P^ic. Paysans, pauvres gens de France; 
 
 Poor market folks that come to sell their corn. 
 
 Watch. Enter, go in ; the market bell is rung. 
 
 Piic. Mow, Rouen, I '11 shake thy bulwarks to the ground. 
 
 {Exeunt. 
 
 Enter Charles, the Bastard of Orleans, Alengon, Reignier, 
 and forces. 
 
 Char. Saint Denis bless this happy stratagem ! 
 
 And once again we '11 sleep secure in Rouen. 
 Bast. Here enter'd Pucelle and her practisants ; 20 
 
 Now she is there, how will she specify 
 ^4\^here is the best and safest passage in ? 
 Reig. By thrusting out a torch from yonder tower ; 
 
 Which, once discern'd, shows that her meaning is 
 
 No way to that, for weakness, which she enter'd. 
 
 Enter La Pucelle on the top, thrusting out a torch burning, 
 
 Puc. Behold, this is the happy wedding torch 
 That joineth Rouen unto her countrymen, 
 But burning fatal to the Talbotites ! [Exit. 
 
 Bast. See, noble Charles, the beacon of our friend ; 
 
 The burning torch in yonder turret stands. 30 
 
 Char. Now shine it like a cemet of revenge, 
 A prophet to the fall of all our foes ! 
 
 Reig. Defer no time, delays have dangerous ends : 
 Enter, and cry ' The Dauphin ! ' presently, 
 And then do execution on the watch. 
 
 [Alarum. Exeunt. 
 
 68
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act III. Sc. ii. 
 
 An alarum. Enter Talbot in an excursion. 
 
 Tal. France, thou shalt rue this treason with thy tears, 
 If Talbot but survive thy treachery. 
 Pucelle, that witch, that damned sorceress. 
 Hath wrought this heUish mischief unawares, 
 That hardly we escaped the pride of France. 40 
 
 [Exit. 
 
 An alarum: excursions. Bedford, brought in sick in a 
 chair. Enter Talbot and Burgundy zvithoiit: zcithin 
 La Pucelle, Charles, Bastard, Alengon, and Reignier 
 on the zvalls. 
 
 Piic. Good morrow, gallants ! want ye corn for bread ? 
 I think the Duke of Burgundy will fast 
 Before he '11 buy again at such a rate : 
 'Twas full of darnel ; do you like the taste ? 
 
 Bur. Scoff on, vile fiend and shameless courtezan! 
 I trust ere long to choke thee with thine own, 
 And make thee curse the harvest of that corn. 
 
 Char. Your grace may starve perhaps before that time. 
 
 Bed. O, let no words, but deeds, revenge this treason ! 
 
 Puc. What will you do, good grey-beard? break a lance. 
 And run a tilt with death within a chair? 51 
 
 Tal. Foul fiend of France, and hag of all despite, 
 Encompass'd with thy lustful paramours ! 
 Becomes it thee to taunt his valiant age, 
 And twit with cowardice a man half dead ? 
 Damsel, I '11 have a bout with you again, 
 Or else let Talbot perish with this shame. 
 
 Puc. Are ye so hot, sir? yet, Pucelle, hold thy peace; 
 If Talbot do but thunder, rain will follow. 
 
 [The English zvhisper together in cauncil. 
 69
 
 Act III. Sc. li. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 God speed the parliament ! who shall be the speaker? 
 Tal. Dare ye come forth and meet us in the field ? 6l 
 
 Piic. Belike your lordship takes us then for fools, 
 
 To try if that our own be ours or no. 
 Tal. I speak not to that railing Hecate, 
 
 But unto thee, Alencon, and the rest ; 
 
 Will ye, like soldiers, come and fight it out? 
 Alen. Signior, no. 
 Tal. Signior, hang ! base muleters of France ! 
 
 Like peasant foot-boys do they keep the walls. 
 
 And dare not take up arms like gentlemen. 70 
 
 Piic. Away, captains ! let 's get us from the walls ; 
 
 For Talbot means no goodness by his looks. 
 
 God be wi' you, my lord ! we came but to tell you 
 
 That we are here. [Exeunt from the walls. 
 
 Tal. And there will we be too, ere it be long, 
 
 Or else reproach be Talbot's greatest fame ! 
 
 Vow, Burgundy, by honour of thy house, 
 
 Prick'd on by public wrongs sustain'd in France, 
 
 Either to get the town again or die : 
 
 And I, as sure as English Henry lives, 80 
 
 And as his father here was conqueror. 
 
 As sure as in this late-betrayed town 
 
 Great Coeur-de-lion's heart was buried, 
 
 So sure I swear to get the town or die. 
 Bur. My vows are equal partners with thy vows. 
 Tal. But, ere we go, regard this dying prince. 
 
 The valiant Duke of Bedford. Come, my lord, 
 
 We will bestow you in some better place, 
 
 Fitter for sickness and for crazy age. 
 Bed. Lord Talbot, do not so dishonour me : 90 
 
 Here will I sit before the walls of Rouen 
 70
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act III. Sc. ii. 
 
 And will be partner of your weal or woe. 
 
 Bur. Courageous Bedford, let us now persuade you. 
 
 Bed. Not to begone from hence ; for once I read 
 That stout Pen dragon in his litter sick 
 Came to the field and vanquished his foes : 
 Methinks I should revive the soldiers' hearts, 
 Because I ever found them as myself. 
 
 Tal. Undaunted spirit in a dying breast ! 
 
 Then be it so : heavens keep old Bedford safe ! loo 
 And now no more ado, brave Burgundy, 
 But gather we our forces out of hand 
 And set upon our boasting enemy. 
 
 [Exeunt all but Bedford and Attendants. 
 
 An alarum: excursions. Enter Sir John FastolfS and 
 
 a Captain. 
 ♦ 
 Cap. Whither away, Sir John Fastolfe, in such haste ? 
 
 Fast. Whither away ! to save myself by flight : 
 We are like to have the overthrow again. 
 
 Cap. What ! will you fly, and leave Lord Talbot ? 
 
 Fast. Ay, 
 
 All the Talbots in the world, to save my life. [Exit. 
 
 Cap. Cowardly knight ! ill fortune follow thee ! [Exit. 
 
 Retreat: excursions. La Pucelle, Alengon, and 
 * Charles fly. 
 
 Bed. Now, quiet soul, depart when heaven please, no 
 
 For I have seen our enemies' overthrow. 
 What is the trust or strength of foolish man ? 
 They that of late were daring with their scoflfs 
 Are glad and fain by flight to save themselves. 
 [Bedford dies, and is carried in by tzvo in his chair. 
 
 71
 
 Act III. Sc. ii. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 An alarum. Re-enter Talho.t, Burgundy, and the rest. 
 
 Tal. Lost, and recover'd in a day again ! 
 
 This is a double honour, Burgundy : 
 
 Yet heavens have glory for this victory ! 
 Bur. Warlike and martial Talbot, Burgundy 
 
 Enshrines thee in his heart, and there erects 
 
 Thy noble deeds as valour's monuments. 120 
 
 Tal. Thanks, gentle duke. But where is Pucelle now ? 
 
 I think her old familiar is asleep : 
 
 Now where 's the Bastard's braves, and Charles his 
 gleeks ? 
 
 What, all amort ? Rouen hangs her head for grief 
 
 That such a valiant company are fled. 
 
 Now will we take some order in the town, 
 
 Placing therein some expert officers. 
 
 And then depart to Paris to the king, 
 
 For there young Henry with his nobles lie. 
 Bur. What wills Lord Talbot pleaseth Burgundy. 130 
 
 Tal. But yet, before we go, let 's not forget 
 
 The noble Duke of Bedford late deceased, 
 
 But see his exequies fulfiU'd in Rouen : 
 
 A braver soldier never couched lance, 
 
 A gentler heart did never sway in court; 
 
 But kings and mightiest potentates must die, 
 
 For that 's the end of human misery. [Exeunt. 
 
 72
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act III. Sc. iii. 
 
 Scene III. 
 
 The plains near Rouen. 
 
 Enter Charles, the Bastard of Orleans, Alengon, 
 La Pucelle, and forces. 
 
 Piic. Dismay not, princes, at this accident, 
 
 Nor grieve that Rouen is so recovered : 
 
 Care is no cure, but rather corrosive, 
 
 For things that are not to be remedied. 
 
 Let frantic Talbot triumph for a while 
 
 And like a peacock sweep along his tail ; 
 
 We '11 pull his plumes and take away his train, 
 
 If Dauphin and the rest will be but ruled. 
 Char. We have been guided by thee hitherto, 
 
 And of thy cunning had no diffidence : lo 
 
 One sudden foil shall never breed distrust. 
 Bast. Search out thy wit for secret policies, 
 
 And we will make thee famous through the world. 
 Alen. We '11 set thy statue in some holy place, ^ 
 
 And have thee reverenced like a blessed saint : 
 
 Employ thee then, sweet virgin, for our good. 
 Puc. Then thus it must be ; this doth Joan devise : 
 
 By fair persuasions mix'd with sugar'd words 
 
 We will entice the Duke of Burgundy 
 
 To leave the Talbot and to follow us. 20 
 
 Char. Ay, marry, sweeting, if we could do that, 
 
 France were no place for Henry's warriors ; 
 
 Nor should that nation boast it so with us, 
 
 But be extirped from our provinces. 
 Alen. For ever should they be expulsed from France, 
 
 And not have title of an earldom here. 
 Piic. Your honours shall perceive how I will work 
 
 73
 
 Act III. Sc. iii. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 To bring this matter to the wished end. 
 
 [Dntin sounds afar off. 
 Hark ! by the sound of drum you may perceive 
 Their powers are marching unto Paris-ward. 30 
 
 Here sound an English march. Enter, and pass orer 
 at a distance, Talbot and his forces. 
 
 There goes the Talbot, with his colours spread, 
 And all the troops of English after him. 
 
 French inarch. Enter the Duke of Burgundy and forces. 
 
 Now in the rearward comes the duke and his: 
 
 Fortune in favour makes him lag behind. 
 
 Summon a parley ; we will talk with him. 
 
 [Trumpets sound a parley. 
 Char. A parley with the Duke of Burgundy ! 
 Bur. Who craves a parley with the Burgundy ? 
 Puc. The princely Charles of France, thy countryman. 
 Bur. What say'st thou, Charles? for I am marching hence. 
 Char. Speak, Pucelle, and enchant him with thy words. 40 
 Puc. Brave Burgundy, undoubted hope of France ! 
 
 Stay, let thy humble handmaid speak to thee. 
 Bur. Speak on ; but be not over-tedious. 
 Puc. Look on thy country, look on fertile France, 
 
 And see the cities and the towns defaced 
 
 By wasting ruin of the cruel foe. 
 
 As looks the mother on her lowly babe 
 
 When death doth close his tender dying eyes, 
 
 See, see the pining malady of France ; 
 
 Behold the wounds, the most unnatural wounds, 50 
 
 Which thou thyself hast given her woful breast. 
 
 O, turn thy edged sword another way ; 
 
 74
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act 111. Sc. iii. 
 
 Strike those that hurt, and hurt not those that help. 
 One drop of blood drawn from thy country's bosom 
 Should grieve thee more than streams of foreign gore : 
 Return thee therefore with a flood of tears, 
 And wash away thy country's stained spots. 
 
 Bur. Either she hath bewitch'd me with her words, 
 Or nature makes me suddenly relent. 
 
 Piic. Besides, all French and France exclaims on thee, 60 
 Doubting thy birth and lawful progeny. 
 Who join'st thou with but with a lordly nation 
 That will not trust thee but for profit's sake ? 
 When Talbot hath set footing once in France 
 And fashion'd thee that instrument of ill. 
 Who then but English Henry will be lord, 
 And thou be thrust out like a fugitive ? 
 Call we to mind, and mark but this for proof, 
 W^as not the Duke of Orleans thy foe ? 
 And was he not in England prisoner ? 70 
 
 But when they heard he was thine enemy. 
 They set him free without his ransom paid. 
 In spite of Burgundy and all his friends. 
 See, then, thou fight'st against thy countrymen 
 And join'st with them will be thy slaughter-men. 
 Come, come, return ; return, thou wandering lord ; 
 Charles and the rest will take thee in their arms. 
 
 Bur. I am vanquished ; these haughty words of hers 
 Flave batter'd me like roaring cannon-shot. 
 And made me almost yield upon my knees. 80 
 
 Forgive me, country, and sweet countrymen, 
 And, lords, accept this hearty kind embrace : 
 My forces and my power of men are yours : 
 So farewell, Talbot ; I '11 no longer trust thee. 
 
 75
 
 Act III. Sc. iv. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 Puc. [Aside] Done like a Frenchman : turn, and turn 
 
 again ! 
 Char. Welcome, brave duke ! thy friendship makes us fresh. 
 Bast. And doth beget new courage in our breasts. 
 Alen. Pucelle hath bravely play'd her part in this, 
 
 And doth deserve a coronet of gold. 
 Char. Now let us on, my lords, and join our powers, 90 
 
 And seek how we naay prejudice the foe. [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene IV. 
 
 Paris. The palace. 
 
 Enter the King, Gloucester, Bishop of Winchester, York, 
 Suffolk, Somerset, Warunck, Exeter: Vernon, Bas- 
 set, and others. To them zvith his Soldiers, Talbot. 
 
 Tal. My gracious prince, and honourable peers, 
 Hearing of your arrival in this realm, 
 I have awhile given truce unto my wars, 
 To do my duty to my sovereign : 
 In sign whereof, this arm, that hath reclaim'd 
 To your obedience fifty fortresses, 
 Twelve cities and seven walled towns of strength, 
 Beside five hundred prisoners of esteem, 
 Lets fall his sword before your highness' feet, 
 And with submissive loyalty of heart 10 
 
 Ascribes the glory of his conquest got 
 First to my God and next unto your grace. [Kneel. 
 
 King. Is this the Lord Talbot, uncle Gloucester, 
 That hath so long been resident in France ? 
 
 Clou. Yes, if it please your majesty, my liege. 
 
 King. Welcome, brave captain and victorious lord ! 
 
 76
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act III. Sc. iv. 
 
 When I was young, as yet I am not old, 
 
 I do remember how my father said 
 
 A stouter champion never handled sword. 
 
 Long since we were resolved of your truth, 20 
 
 Your faithful service and your toil in war ; 
 
 Yet never have you tasted our reward. 
 
 Or been reguerdon'd with so much as thanks, 
 
 Because till now we never saw your face : 
 
 Therefore, stand up : and, for these good deserts, 
 
 We here create you Earl of Shrewsbury ; 
 
 And in our coronation take your place. 
 
 [Sennet. Flourish. Exeunt all but 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 : — 30 
 
 Barest thou maintain the former words thou spakest ? 
 
 Bas. Yes, sir ; as well as you dare patronage 
 The envious barking of your saucy tongue 
 Against my lord the Duke of Somerset. 
 
 Ver. Sirrah, thy lord I honour as he is. 
 
 Bas. Why, what is he ? as good a man as York. 
 
 Ver. Hark ye ; not so : in witness, take ye that. 
 
 [Strikes him. 
 
 Bas. Villain, thou know'st the law of arms is such 
 That whoso draws a sword, 'tis present death, 
 Or else this blow should broach thy dearest blood. 
 But I '11 unto his majesty, and crave 41 
 
 I may have liberty to venge this wrong ; 
 When thou shalt see I '11 meet thee to thy cost. 
 
 Ver. Well, miscreant, I '11 be there as soon as you ; 
 And, after, meet you sooner than you would. 
 
 [Exeunt. 
 
 77
 
 Act IV. Sc. i. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 ACT FOURTH. 
 Scene I. 
 
 Paris. A hall of state. 
 
 Enter the King, Gloucester, Bishop of Winchester, York, 
 Suffolk, Somerset, Warzvick, Talbot, Exeter, the 
 Governor of Paris, and others. 
 
 Glou. Lord Bishop, set the crown upon his head. 
 
 IVin. God save King Henry, of that name the sixth ! 
 
 Glou. Now, governor of Paris, take your oath, 
 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 pretend 
 Malicious practices against his state : 
 This shall ye do, so help you righteous God ! 
 
 Enter Sir John Fastolfe. 
 
 Fast. My gracious sovereign, as I rode from Calais, 
 
 To haste unto your coronation, lo 
 
 A letter was deliver'd to my hands, 
 
 Writ to your grace from the Duke of Burgundy. 
 
 Tai Shame to the Duke of Burgundy and thee ! 
 
 I vow'd, base knight, when I did meet thee next, 
 To tear the garter from thy craven's leg, 
 
 [Plucking it off. 
 Which I have done, because unworthily 
 Thou wast installed in that high degree. 
 Pardon me. princely Henry, and the rest : 
 This dastard, at the battle of Patay, 
 When but in all I was six thousand strong 20 
 
 And that the French were almost ten to one, 
 
 78
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act IV. Sc. i. 
 
 Before we met or that a stroke was given. 
 Like to a trusty squire did run away : 
 In which assault w^e lost twelve hundred men ; 
 Myself and divers gentlemen beside 
 Were there surprised and taken prisoners. 
 Then judge, great lords, if I have done amiss ; 
 Or whether that such cowards ought to wear 
 This ornament of knighthood, yea or no. 
 
 Clou. To say the truth, this fact was infamous 30 
 
 And ill beseeming any common man, 
 i\Iuch more a knight, a captain and a leader. 
 
 Tal. \Mien first this order was ordain'd, my lords, 
 Knights of the garter were of noble birth. 
 Valiant and virtuous, full of haughty courage, 
 Such as were grown to credit by the wars ; 
 Not fearing death, nor shrinking for distress, 
 But always resolute in most extremes. 
 He then that is not furnish'd in this sort 
 Doth but usurp the sacred name of knight, 40 
 
 Profaning this most honourable order, 
 And should, if I were worthy to be judge. 
 Be quite degraded, like a hedge-born swain 
 That doth presume to boast of gentle blood. 
 
 King. Stain to thy countrymen, thou hear'st thy doom ! 
 Be packing, therefore, thou that wast a knight : 
 Henceforth we banish thee, on pain of death. 
 
 [Exit Fastolfe. 
 And now, my lord protector, view the letter 
 Sent from our uncle Duke of Burgundy. 
 
 Glou. What means his grace, that he hath changedhis style ? 
 No more but, plain and bluntly, ' To the king ! ' 51 
 Hath he forgot he is his sovereign ? 
 
 79
 
 Act IV. Sc. i. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 Or doth this churHsh superscription 
 
 Pretend some alteration in good will? 
 
 What 's here? [Reads] ' I have, upon especial cause, 
 
 Moved with compassion of my country's wreck. 
 
 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.' 
 
 monstrous treachery ! can this be so, 6i 
 That in alliance, amity and oaths, 
 
 There should be found such false dissembling guile? 
 King. What! doth my uncle Burgundy revolt? 
 Glou. He doth, my lord, and is become your foe. 
 King. Is that the worst this letter doth contain ? 
 Gloii. It is the worst, and all, my lord, he writes. 
 King. Why, then, Lord Talbot there shall talk with him, 
 
 And give.him chastisement for this abuse. 
 
 How say you, my lord ? are you not content ? 70 
 Tal. Content, my liege ! yes, but that I am prevented, 
 
 1 should have begg'd I might have been employ'd. 
 King. Then gather strength, and march unto him straight : 
 
 Let him perceive how ill we brook his treason, 
 And what offence it is to flout his friends. 
 Tal. I go, my lord, in heart desiring still 
 
 You may behold confusion of your foes. [Exit. 
 
 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. 80 
 Som. And this is mine : sweet Henry, favour him. 
 King. Be patient, lords ; and give them leave to speak. 
 
 80
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act IV. Sc. i. 
 
 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. 
 
 King. What is that wrong whereof you both complain ? 
 First let me know, and then I '11 answer you. 
 
 Bas. Crossing the sea from England into France, 
 
 This fellow here, with envious carping tongue, 90 
 
 Upbraided me about the rose I wear ; 
 
 Saying, the sanguine colour of the leaves 
 
 Did represent my master's blushing cheeks, 
 
 When stubbornly he did repugn the truth 
 
 About a certain question in the law 
 
 Argued betwixt the Duke of York and him ; 
 
 With other vile and ignominious terms : 
 
 In confutation of which rude reproach, 
 
 And in defence of my lord's worthiness, 
 
 I crave the benefit of law of arms. i<X) 
 
 [ Vr. And that is my petition, noble lord : 
 
 For though he seem with forged quaint conceit 
 To set a gloss upon his bold intent, 
 Yet know, my lord, I was provoked by him ; 
 And he first took exceptions at this badge, 
 Pronouncing that the paleness of this flower 
 Bewray'd the faintness of my master's heart. 
 
 York. Will not this malice, Somerset, be left ? 
 
 Soiu. Your private grudge, my Lord of York, wall out. 
 Though ne'er so cunningly you smother it. no 
 
 King. Good Lord, what madness rules in brainsick men, 
 When for so slight and frivolous a cause 
 Such factious emulations shall arise ! 
 Good cousins both, of York and Somerset, 
 Si
 
 Act IV. Sc. i. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 Quiet yourselves, I pray, and be at peace. 
 Yo7'k. Let this dissension first be tried by fight, 
 
 And then your highness shaU command a peace. 
 Soni. The quarrel toucheth none but us alone; 
 
 Betwixt ourselves let us decide it then. 
 York. There is my pledge; accept it, Somerset. 120 
 
 Ver. Nay, let it rest where it began at first. 
 Bas. Confirm it so, mine honourable lord. 
 Gloti. Confirm it so ! Confounded be your strife ! 
 
 And perish ye, wath your audacious prate! 
 
 Presumptuous vassals, are you not ashamed 
 
 With this immodest clamorous outrage 
 
 To trouble and disturb the king and us ? 
 
 And you, my lords, methinks you do not well 
 
 To bear with their perverse objections ; 
 
 Much less to take occasion from their mouths 130 
 
 To raise a mutiny betwixt yourselves : 
 
 Let me persuade you take a better course. 
 Exe. It grieves his highness : good my lords, be friends. 
 King. Come hither, you that would be combatants : 
 
 Henceforth I charge you, as you love our favour, 
 
 Quite to forget this quarrel and the cause. 
 
 And you, my lords, remember where we are; 
 
 In France, amongst a fickle wavering nation : 
 
 If they perceive dissension in our looks 
 
 And that within ourselves we disagree, 140 
 
 How will their grudging stomachs be provoked 
 
 To wilful disobedience, and rebel ! 
 
 Beside, what infamy will there arise, 
 
 When foreign princes shall be certified 
 
 That for a toy, a thing of no regard. 
 
 King Henry's peers and chief nobility 
 82
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act IV. Sc. i. 
 
 Destroy'd themselves, and lost the realm of France ! 
 
 O, think upon the conquest of my father, 
 
 My tender years, and let us not forgo 
 
 That for a trifle that was bought with blood! 150 
 
 Let me be umpire in this doubtful strife. 
 
 I see no reason, if I wear this rose, 
 
 [Putting on a red rose. 
 That any one should therefore be suspicious 
 I more incline to Somerset than York : 
 Both are my kinsmen, and I love them both: 
 As well they may upbraid me with my crown, 
 Because, forsooth, the king of Scots is crown'd. 
 But your discretions better can persuade 
 Than I am able to instruct or teach : 
 And therefore, as we hither came in peace, 160 
 
 So let us still continue peace and love. 
 Cousin of York, we institute your grace 
 To be our regent in these parts of France : 
 And, good my Lord of Somerset, unite 
 Your troops of horsemen with his bands of foot ; 
 And, like true subjects, sons of your progenitors. 
 Go cheerfully together and digest 
 Your angry choler on your enemies. 
 Ourself, my lord protector and the rest 
 After some respite will return to Calais ; 170 
 
 From thence to England ; where I hope ere long 
 To be presented, by your victories, 
 With Charles, Alengon and that traitorous rout. 
 
 [Flourish. Exeunt all but York, IVarzvick, 
 Exeter and Vernon. 
 War. My Lord of York, I promise you, the king 
 Prettily, methought, did play the orator. 
 
 83
 
 Act IV. Sc. ii. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 York. And so he did ; but yet I like it not, 
 In that he wears the badge of Somerset. 
 
 War. Tush, that was but his fancy, blame him not ; 
 I dare presume, sweet prince, he thought no harm. 
 
 York. An if I wist he did, — but let it rest ; i8o 
 
 Other affairs must now be managed. 
 
 [Exeunt oil but Exeter. 
 
 Exe. Well didst thou, Richard, to suppress thy voice; 
 For, had the passions of thy heart burst out, 
 I fear we should have seen decipher'd there 
 More rancorous spite, more furious raging broils, 
 Than yet can be imagined or supposed. 
 But howsoe'er, no simple man that sees 
 This jarring discord of nobility, 
 This shouldering of each other in the court. 
 This factious bandying of their favourites, 190 
 
 But that it doth presage some ill event. 
 'Tis much when sceptres are in children's hands ; 
 But more when envy breeds unkind division ; 
 There comes the ruin, there begins confusion. 
 
 [Exit. 
 
 Scene II. 
 
 Before Boiirdeaiix. 
 
 Enter Talbot, with trump and drum. 
 
 Tal. Go to the gates of Bourdeaux, trumpeter ; 
 Summon their general unto the wall. 
 
 Trumpet sounds. Enter General and others, aloft. 
 
 English John Talbot, captains, calls you forth. 
 Servant in arms to Harry King of England ; 
 
 84
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act IV. Sc. ii. 
 
 And thus he would : Open your city-gates ; 
 Be humble to us ; call my sovereign yours, 
 And do him homage as obedient subjects ; 
 And I '11 withdraw me and my bloody power : 
 But, if you frown upon this proffer'd peace. 
 You tempt the fury of my three attendants, lo 
 
 Lean famine, quartering steel, and climbing fire ; 
 Who in a moment even with the earth 
 Shall lay your stately and air-braving towers. 
 If you forsake the offer of their love. 
 Gen, Thou ominous and fearful owl of death. 
 Our nation's terror and their bloody scourge ! 
 The period of thy tyranny approacheth. 
 On us thou canst not enter but by death ; 
 For, I protest, we are well fortified 
 And strong enough to issue out and fight : 20 
 
 If thou retire, the Dauphin, well appointed. 
 Stands with the snares of war to tangle thee : 
 On either hand thee there are sqwadrons pitch'd, 
 To wall thee from the liberty of flight ; 
 And no way canst thou turn thee for redress, 
 But death doth front thee with apparent spoil, 
 And pale destruction meets thee in the face. 
 Ten thousand French have ta'en the sacrament 
 To rive their dangerous artillery 
 Upon no Christian soul but English Talbot. 30 
 
 Lo, there thou stand'st, a breathing valiant man, 
 Of an invincible unconquer'd spirit! 
 This is the latest glory of thy praise 
 That I, thy enemy, due thee withal ; 
 For ere the glass, that now begins to run. 
 Finish the process of his sandy hour, 
 
 85
 
 Act IV. Sc. iii. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 These eyes, that see thee now well coloured, 
 Shall see thee wither'd, bloody, pale and dead. 
 
 [Driwi afar off. 
 Hark ! hark ! the Dauphin's drum, a warning bell, 
 Sings heavy music to thy timorous soul ; 40 
 
 And mine shall ring thy dire departure out. 
 
 [Exeunt General, etc. 
 Tal. He fables not ; I hear the enemy : 
 
 Out, some light horsemen, and peruse their wings. 
 
 O, negligent and heedless discipline ! 
 
 How are we park'd and bounded in a pale, 
 
 A little herd of England's timorous deer, 
 
 Mazed with a yelping kennel of French curs! 
 
 If we be English deer, be then in blood ; 
 
 Not rascal-like, to fall down with a pinch, 
 
 But rather, moody-mad and desperate stags, 50 
 
 Turn on the bloody hounds with heads of steel 
 
 And make the cowards stand aloof at bay : 
 
 Sell every man his life as dear as mine, 
 
 And they shall find dear deer of us, my friends. 
 
 God and Saint George, Talbot and England's right, 
 
 Prosper our colours in this dangerous fight ! 
 
 [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene III. 
 
 Plahis in Gascony. 
 
 Enter a Messenger that meets York. Enter York with 
 trumpet and many Soldiers. 
 
 York. Are not the speedy scouts return'd again. 
 That dogg'd the mighty army of the Dauphin ? 
 
 Mess. They are return'd, my lord, and give it out 
 
 That he is march'd to Bourdeaux with his power, 
 
 86
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act IV. Sc. iii. 
 
 To fight with Talbot : as he march'd along, 
 By your espials were discovered 
 Two mightier troops than that the Dauphin led, 
 Which join'd with him and made their march for 
 Bourdeaux. 
 York. A plague upon that villain Somerset, 
 
 That thus delays my promised supply lo 
 
 Of horsemen, that were levied for this siege ! 
 
 Renowned Talbot doth expect my aid, 
 
 And I am lowted by a traitor villain. 
 
 And cannot help the noble chevalier : 
 
 God comfort him in this necessity ! 
 
 If he miscarry, farewell wars in France 
 
 Enter Sir William Lucy. 
 
 Lucy. Thou princely leader of our English strength 
 Never so needful on the earth of France, 
 Spur to the rescue of the noble Talbot, 
 • Who now is girdled with a waist of iron, 20 
 
 And hemm'd about with grim destruction : 
 To Bourdeaux, warlike duke ! to Bourdeaux, York ! 
 Else, Farewell Talbot, France, and England's honour. 
 
 York. O God, that Somerset, who in proud heart 
 Doth stop my cornets, were in Talbot's place ! 
 So should we save a valiant gentleman 
 By forfeiting a traitor and a coward. 
 Mad ire and wrathful fury makes me weep, 
 That thus we die, while remiss traitors sleep. 
 
 Lucy. O, send some succour to the distress'd lord! 30 
 
 York. He dies, we lose ; I break my warlike word ; 
 
 We mourn, France smiles ; we lose, they daily get ; 
 All 'long of this vile traitor Somerset. 
 
 87
 
 Act IV. Sc. iv. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 Lucy. Then God take mercy on brave Talbot's soul ; 
 And on his son young John, who two hours since 
 I met in travel towards his warhke father! 
 This seven years did not Talbot see his son ; 
 And now they meet where both their lives are done. 
 
 York. Alas, what joy shall noble Talbot have 
 
 To bid his young son welcome to his grave ? 40 
 
 Away ! vexation almost stops my breath, 
 
 That sunder'd friends greet in the hour of death. 
 
 Lucy, farewell : no more my fortune can. 
 
 But curse the cause I cannot aid the man. 
 
 Maine, Blois, Poictiers, and Tours, are won away, 
 
 'Long all of Somerset and his delay. 
 
 [Exit, zvith his soldiers. 
 
 Lucy. Thus, while the vulture of sedition 
 
 Feeds in the bosom of such great commanders, 
 
 Sleeping neglection doth betray to loss 
 
 The conquest of our scarce cold conqueror, 50 
 
 That ever living man of memory, 
 
 Henry the Fifth : whiles they each other cross, 
 
 Lives, honours, lands and all hurry to loss. [Exit. 
 
 Scene IV. 
 
 Other plains in Gascony. 
 
 Enter Somerset, with his army; a Captain of Talbot's 
 zvith him. 
 
 Som. It is too late ; I cannot send them now : 
 This expedition was by York and Talbot 
 Too rashly plotted : all our general force 
 Might with a sally of the very town 
 Be buckled with : the over-daring Talbot
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act IV. Sc. iv. 
 
 Hath sullied all his gloss of former honour 
 By this unheedful, desperate, wild adveniure: 
 York set him on to fight and die in shame, 
 That, Talbot dead, great York might bear the name. 
 Cap. Here is Sir William Lucy, who with me lo 
 
 Set from our o'er-match'd forces forth for aid. 
 
 Enter Sir IVilliain Lucy. 
 
 Som. How now, Sir William! whither were you sent? 
 
 Lucy. Whither, my lord ? from bought and sold Lord Talbot ; 
 Who, ring'd about with bold adversity. 
 Cries out for noble York and Somerset, 
 To beat assailing death from his weak legions : 
 And whiles the honourable captain there 
 Drops bloody sweat from his war-wearied limbs. 
 And, in advantage lingering, looks for rescue. 
 You, his false hopes, the trust of England's honour, 
 Keep off aloof with worthless emulation. 21 
 
 Let not your private discord keep away 
 The levied succours that should lend him aid, 
 While he, renowned noble gentleman, 
 Yields up his life unto a world of odds : 
 Orleans the Bastard, Charles, Burgundy, 
 Alengon, Reignier, compass him about, 
 And Talbot perisheth by your default. 
 
 Som. York set him on ; York should have sent him aid. 
 
 Lucy. And York as fast upon your grace exclaims ; 30 
 Swearing that you withhold his levied host. 
 Collected for this expedition. 
 
 Som. York lies : he might have sent and had the horse : 
 I owe him little duty, and less love ; 
 And take foul scorn to fawn on him by sending. 
 
 89
 
 Act IV. Sc. V. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 Lucy. The fraud of England, not the force of France, 
 Hath now entrapp'd the noble-minded Talbot : 
 Never to England shall he bear his life ; 
 But dies, betray'd to fortune by your strife. 
 
 Som, Come, go ; I will dispatch the horsemen straight : 40 
 Within six hours they will be at his aid. 
 
 Lticy. Too late comes rescue : he is ta'en or slain ; 
 For fly he could not, if he would have fled ; 
 And fly would Talbot never, though he might. 
 
 Som. If he be dead, brave Talbot, then adieu ! 
 
 Lucy. His fame lives in the world, his shame in you. 
 
 [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene V. 
 
 The English camp near Bourdeaux. 
 Enter Talbot and John his son. 
 
 Tal. O young John Talbot ! I did send for thee 
 
 To tutor thee in stratagems of war. 
 
 That Talbot's name might be in thee revived. 
 
 When sapless age and weak unable limbs 
 
 Should bring thy father to his drooping chair. 
 
 But, O malignant and ill-boding stars ! 
 
 Now thou art come unto a feast of death, 
 
 A terrible and unavoided danger : 
 
 Therefore, dear boy, mount on my swiftest horse ; 
 
 And I '11 direct thee how thou shalt escape 10 
 
 By sudden flight : come, dally not, be gone. 
 John. Is my name Talbot ? and am I your son ? 
 
 And shall I fly? O, if you love my mother. 
 
 Dishonour not her honourable name. 
 
 To make a bastard and a slave of me ! 
 
 The world will say. he is not Talbot's blood, 
 90
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act IV. Sc. v. 
 
 That basely fled when noble Talbot stood. 
 Tal. Fly, to revenge my death, if I be slain. 
 John. He that flies so will ne'er return again. 
 Tal. If we both stay, we both are sure to die. 20 
 
 John. Then let me stay ; and, father, do you fly : 
 
 Your loss is great, so your regard should be ; 
 
 My worth unknow^n, no loss is known in me. 
 
 Upon my death the French can little boast ; 
 
 In yours they will, in you all hopes are lost. 
 
 Flight cannot stain the honour you have won ; 
 
 But mine it w411, that no exploit have done : 
 
 You fled for vantage, every one will swear ; 
 
 But, if I bow, they '11 say it w^as for fear. 
 
 There is no hope that ever I \\\\\ stay, 30 
 
 If the first hour I shrink and run away. 
 
 Here on my knee I beg mortality, 
 
 Rather than life preserved with infamy. 
 Tal. Shall all thy mother's hopes lie in one tomb ? 
 John. Ay, rather than I '11 shame my mother's womb. 
 Tal. Upon my blessing, I command thee go. 
 John. To fight I wdll, but not to fly the foe. 
 TaL Part of thy father may be saved in thee. 
 John. No part of him but \n\\\ be shame in me. 
 Tal. Thou never hadst renown, nor canst not lose it. 40 
 John. Yes, your renow^ned name : shall flight abuse it ? 
 Tal. Thy father's.charge shall clear thee from that stain. 
 John. You.cannot witnesstfor.me, being slain. 
 
 If death be so apparent, then both fly. 
 TaL And leave my followers here to fight and die ? 
 
 My age was never tainted with such shame. 
 John. And shall my youth be guilty of such blame? 
 
 No more can I be sever'd from your side, 
 
 91
 
 Act IV. Sc. vi. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 Than can yourself yourself in twain divide: 
 Stay, go, do what you will, the like do I ; 50 
 
 For live I will not, if my father die. 
 Tal. Then here I take my leave of thee, fair son, 
 Born to eclipse thy life this afternoon. 
 Come, side by side together live and die ; 
 And soul with soul from France to heaven fly. 
 
 [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene VI. 
 
 A Held of battle. 
 
 Alarum : excursions, zvherem Talbot's Son is hemmed 
 about, and Talbot rescues him. 
 
 Tal. Saint George and victory ! fight, soldiers, fight : 
 The regent hath with Talbot broke his word. 
 And left us to the rage of France his sword. 
 Where is John Talbot ? Pause, and take thy breath ; 
 I gave thee life and rescued thee from death. 
 
 John. O, twice my father, twice am I thy son ! 
 
 The life thou gavest me first was lost and done, 
 Till with thy warlike sword, despite of fate. 
 To my determined time thou gavest new date. 
 
 Tal. When from the Dauphin's crest thy sword struck fire, 
 It warm'd thy father's heart with proud desire 11 
 Of bold-faced victory. Then leaden age, 
 Quicken'd with youthful spleen and warlike rage, 
 Beat down Alenc^on, Orleans, Burgundy, 
 And from the pride of Gallia rescued thee. 
 The ireful bastard Orleans, that drew blood 
 From thee, my boy, and had the maidenhood 
 Of thy first fight, I soon encountered, 
 92
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act IV. Sc. vi. 
 
 And interchanging blows I quickly shed 
 Some of his bastard blood ; and in disgrace 20 
 
 Bespoke him thus ; ' Contaminated base 
 And misbegotten blood I spill of thine, 
 Mean and right poor, for that pure blood of mine. 
 Which thou didst force from Talbot, my brave boy : ' 
 Here, purposing the Bastard to destroy, 
 Came in strong rescue. Speak, thy father's care, 
 Art thou not weary, John ? how dost thou fare ? 
 Wilt thou yet leave the battle, boy, and fly, 
 Now, thou art seal'd the son of chivalry? 
 Fly, to revenge my death when I am dead : 30 
 
 The help of one stands me in little stead. 
 O, too much folly is it, well I wot, 
 To hazard all our lives in one small boat ! 
 If I to-day die not with Frenchmen's rage, 
 To-morrow I shall die with mickle age: 
 By me they nothing gain an if I stay ; 
 'Tis but the shortening of my life one day : 
 In thee thy mother dies, our household's name. 
 My death's revenge, thy youth, and England's fame : 
 All these and more we hazard by thy stay ; 40 
 
 All these are saved if thou wilt fly away. 
 John. The sword of Orleans hath not made me smart ; 
 These words of yours draw life-blood from my heart : 
 On that advantage, bought with such a shame, 
 To save a paltry life and slay bright fam.e. 
 Before young Talbot from old Talbot fly, 
 The coward horse that bear* me fall and die ! 
 And like me to the peasant boys of France, 
 To be shame's scorn and subject of mischance! 
 Surely, by all the glory you have won, 50 
 
 93
 
 Act IV. Sc. vii. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 An if I fly, I am not Talbot's son : 
 Then talk no more of flight, it is no boot ; 
 If son to Talbot, die at Talbot's foot. 
 Tal. Then follow thou thy desperate sire of Crete, 
 Thou Icarus ; thy life to me is sweet : 
 If thou wilt fight, fight by thy father's side ; 
 And, commendable proved, let 's die in pride. 
 
 [Exeunt. 
 
 Scene VII. 
 
 'Another part of the Held. 
 Alarum', excursions. Enter old Talbot led by a Servant. 
 
 Tal. Where is my other life ? mine own is gone ; 
 
 O, where 's young Talbot ? where is valiant John ? 
 
 Triumphant death, smear'd with captivity, 
 
 Young Talbot's valour makes me smile at thee : 
 
 When he perceived me shrink and on my knee, 
 
 His bloody sword he brandish'd over me, 
 
 And, like a hungry lion, did commence 
 
 Rough deeds of rage and stern impatience ; 
 
 But when my angry guardant stood alone. 
 
 Tendering my ruin and assail'd of none, 10 
 
 Dizzy-eyed fury and great rage of heart 
 
 Suddenly made him from my side to start 
 
 Into the clustering battle of the French ; 
 
 And in that sea of blood my boy did drench 
 
 His over-mounting spirit, and there died. 
 
 My Icarus, my blossom, in his pride. 
 
 Serv. O my dear lord, lo, where your son is borne ! 
 
 Enter Soldiers, with the body of young Talbot. 
 Tal. Thou antic death, which laugh'st us here to scorn, 
 
 94
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act IV. Sc. vii. 
 
 Anon, from thy insulting tyranny, 
 
 Coupled in bonds of perpetuity, 20 
 
 Two Talbots, winged through the lither sky, 
 
 In thy despite shall 'scape mortality. 
 
 O thou, whose wounds become hard-favour'd death, 
 
 Speak to thy father ere thou yield thy breath ! 
 
 Brave death by speaking, wliether he will or no ; 
 
 Imagine him a Frenchman and thy foe. 
 
 Poor boy ! he smiles, methinks, as who should say, 
 
 Had death been French, then death had died to-dav. 
 
 Come, come and lay him in his father's arms : 
 
 My spirit can no longer bear these harms. 30 
 
 Soldiers, adieu ! I have what I would have. 
 
 Now my old arms are young John Talbot's grave. 
 
 [Dies. 
 
 Enter Charles, AIchqou, Burgundy, Bastard, 
 La Pucelle, and forces. 
 
 Char. Had York and Somerset brought rescue in. 
 We should have found a bloody day of this. 
 
 Bast. How the young whelp of Talbot's, raging-wood. 
 Did flesh his puny sword in Frenchmen's blood ! 
 
 Puc. Once I encounter'd him, and thus I said : 
 
 ' Thou maiden youth, be vanquish'd by a maid : ' 
 
 But with a proud majestical high scorn. 
 
 He answer'd thus : ' Young Talbot was not born 40 
 
 To be the pillage of a giglot wench : ' 
 
 So, rushing in the bowels of the French, 
 
 He left me proudly, as unworthy fight. 
 
 Bur. Doubtless he would have made a noble knight: 
 See, where he lies inhearsed in the arms 
 Of the most bloody nurser of his harms ! 
 
 Bast. Hew them to pieces, hack their bones asunder, 
 
 95
 
 Act IV. Sc. vii. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 Whose life was England's glory, Gallia's wonder. 
 Char. O, no, forbear! for that which we have fled 
 
 During the life, let us not wrong it dead. 50 
 
 Enter Sir Williaui Lucy, attended; Herald of the 
 French preceding. 
 
 Lucy. Herald, conduct me to the Dauphin's tent, 
 
 To know who hath obtain'd the glory of the day. 
 Char. On what submissive message art thou sent? 
 Lucy. Submission, Dauphin ! 'tis a mere French word ; 
 
 We English warriors wot not what it means. 
 
 I come to know what prisoners thou hast ta'en, 
 
 And to survey the bodies of the dead. 
 CJiar. For prisoners ask'st thou? hell our prison is. 
 
 But tell me whom thou seek'st. 
 Lucy. But where 's the great Alcides of the field, 60 
 
 Valiant Lord Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, 
 
 Created, for his rare success in arms. 
 
 Great Earl of Washford, Waterford and \^alence ; 
 
 Lord Talbot of Goodrig and Urchinfield, 
 
 Lord Strange of Blackmere, Lord Verdun of Alton, 
 
 Lord Cromwell of Wlngfield, Lord Furnival of 
 Sheffield, 
 
 The thrice-victorious Lord of Falconbridge ; 
 
 Knight of the noble order of Saint George, 
 
 Worthy Saint Michael and the Golden Fleece ; 
 
 Great marshal to Henry the Sixth 70 
 
 Of all his wars within the realm of France ? 
 Puc. Here is a silly stately style indeed! 
 
 The Turk, that two and fifty kingdoms hath, 
 
 Writes not so tedious a style as this. 
 
 Him that thou magnifiest with all these titles 
 
 96
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act V. Sc. i. 
 
 Stinking and fly-blown lies here at our feet. 
 
 Lucy. Is Talbot slain, the Frenchmen's only scourge, 
 Your kingdom's terror and black Nemesis ? 
 O, were mine eyeballs into bullets turn'd. 
 That I in rage might shoot them at your faces ! 80 
 O, that I could but call these dead to life ! 
 It were enough to fright the realm of France : 
 Were but his picture left amongst you here, 
 It would amaze the proudest .of you all. 
 Give me their bodies, that I may bear them hence 
 And give them burial as beseems their worth. 
 
 Puc. I think this upstart is old Talbot's ghost, 
 
 He speaks with such a proud commanding spirit. 
 For God's sake, let him have 'em ; to keep them here, 
 They would but stink, and putrefy the air. 90 
 
 Char. Go, take their bodies hence. 
 
 Lucy. I '11 bear them hence ; but from their ashes shall 
 be rear'd 
 A phoenix that shall make all France afeard. 
 
 Char. So we be rid of them, do with 'em what thou wait. 
 And now to Paris, in this conquering vein : 
 All will be ours, now bloody Talbot 's slain. 
 
 [Exeunt. 
 
 ACT FIFTH. 
 Scene I. 
 
 London. The palace. 
 
 Sennet. Enter King, Gloucester, and Exeter. 
 
 King. Have you perused the letters from the pope, 
 
 The emperor, and the Earl of Armagnac ? 
 Gloii, I have, my lord : and their intent is this 
 
 97
 
 Act V. Sc. i. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 They humbly sue unto your excellence 
 
 To have a godly peace concluded of 
 
 Between the realms of England and of France. 
 
 King. How doth your grace affect their motion ? 
 
 Glou. \A'ell, my good lord ; and as the only means 
 To stop effusion of our Christian blood 
 And stablish quietness on every side. lo 
 
 King. Ay, marry, uncle ; for I always thought 
 It was both impious and unnatural 
 That such immanity and bloody strife 
 Should reign among professors of one faith. 
 
 Glou. Beside, my lord, the sooner to effect 
 And surer bind this knot of amity. 
 The Earl of Armagnac, near knit to Charles, 
 A man of great authority in France, 
 Proffers his only daughter to your grace 
 In marriage, with a large and sumptuous dowry. 20 
 
 King. Marriage, uncle ! alas, my years are young ! 
 And fitter is my study and my books 
 Than wanton dalliance with a paramour. 
 Yet call the ambassadors ; and, as you please, 
 So let them have their answers every one : 
 I shall be well content with any choice 
 Tends to God's glory and my country's weal. 
 
 Enter Winchester in Cardinals Jiabit, a Legate 
 and tzvo Ambassadors. 
 
 Exe. What ! is my Lord of Winchester install'd. 
 And call'd unto a cardinal's degree? 
 Then I perceive that v/ill be verified 30 
 
 Henry the Fifth did sometim.e prophesy, 
 * If once he come to be a cardinal, 
 98
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act V. Sc. i. 
 
 He '11 make his cap co-equal with the crown/ 
 
 King. My lords ambassadors, your several suits 
 Have been consider'd and debated on. 
 Your purpose is both good and reasonable ; 
 And therefore are we certainly resolved 
 To draw conditions of a friendly peace ; 
 Which by my Lord of Winchester we mean 
 Shall be transported presently to France. 40 
 
 Clou. And for the proffer of my lord your master, 
 I have inform'd his highness so at large, 
 As liking of the lady's virtuous gifts 
 Her beauty and the value of her dower, 
 He doth intend she shall be England's queen. 
 
 King. In argument and proof of which contract, 
 Bear her this jewel, pledge of my affection. 
 And so, my lord protector, see them guarded 
 And safely brought to Dover ; where inshipp'd 
 Commit them to the fortune of the sea. 50 
 
 [Exeunt all but Winchester and Legate. 
 
 Win. Stay, my lord legate : you shall first receive 
 The sum of money which I promised 
 Should be deliver'd to his holiness 
 For clothing me in these grave ornaments. 
 
 Leg. I will attend upon your lordship's leisure. 
 
 Win. [Aside] Now Winchester will not submit, I trow. 
 Or be inferior to the proudest peer. 
 Humphrey of Gloucester, thou shalt well perceive 
 That, neither in birth or for authority, 
 The bishop will be overborne by thee : 60 
 
 I '11 either make thee stoop and bend thy knee. 
 Or sack this country with a mutiny. [Exeu}it. 
 
 99
 
 Act V. Sc. ii. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 Scene II. 
 
 France. Plains in Anjou. 
 
 Enter Charles, Burgundy, Alengon, Bastard, Reignier, 
 La Pucelle, and forces. 
 
 Char. These news, my lords, may cheer our drooping 
 spirits : 
 
 'Tis said the stout Parisians do revolt 
 
 And turn again unto the warlike French. 
 Alen, Then march to Paris, royal Charles of France, 
 
 And keep not back your powers in dalliance. 
 Puc. Peace be amongst them, if they turn to us ; 
 
 Else, ruin combat with their palaces ! 
 
 Enter Scout. 
 
 Scout. Success unto our valiant general. 
 
 And happiness to his accomplices ! 
 Char. What tidings send our scouts? I prithee, speak. lo 
 Scout. The English army, that divided was 
 
 Into two parties, is now conjoin'd in one, 
 
 And means to give you battle presently. 
 Char. Somewhat too sudden, sirs, the warning is ; 
 
 But we will presently provide for them. 
 Bur. I trust the ghost of Talbot is not there : 
 
 Now he is gone, my lord, you need not fear. 
 Puc. Of all base passions, fear is most accursed. 
 
 Command the conquest, Charles, it shall be thine, 
 
 Let Henry fret and all the world repine. 20 
 
 Char. Then on, my lords ; and France be fortunate ! 
 
 [Exeunt. 
 
 100
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act V. Sc. iii. 
 
 Scene III. 
 
 Before Anglers, 
 
 Alarum. Excursions. Enter La Pucelle. 
 
 Pitc. The regent conquers, and the Frenchmen fly. 
 Now help, ye charming spells and periapts ; 
 And ye choice spirits that admonish me, 
 And give me signs of future accidents. [Thunder. 
 You sp'eedy helpers, that are substitutes 
 Under the lordly monarch of the north, 
 Appear and aid me in this enterprise. 
 
 Enter Fiends. 
 
 This speedy and quick appearance argues proof 
 
 Of your accustom'd diligence to me. 
 
 Now, ye familiar spirits, that are cuU'd lo 
 
 Out of the powerful regions under earth. 
 
 Help me this once, that France may get the field. 
 
 [They zvalk, and speak not. 
 O, hold me not with silence over-long ! 
 Where I was wont to feed you with my blood, 
 I '11 lop a member off and give it you 
 In earnest of a further benefit. 
 So you do condescend to help me now. 
 
 [They hang their heads. 
 No hope to have redress ? My body shall 
 Pay recompense, if you will grant my suit. 
 
 [They shake their heads. 
 Cannot my body nor blood-sacrifice 20 
 
 Entreat you to your wonted furtherance? 
 Then take my soul, my body, soul and all. 
 Before that England give the French the foil. 
 
 [They depart. 
 
 lOI
 
 Act V. Sc. iii. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 See, they forsake me ! Now the time is come 
 
 That France must vail her lofty-plumed crest, 
 
 And let her head fall into England's lap. 
 
 My ancient incantations are too weak. 
 
 And hell too strong- for me to buckle with : 
 
 Now, France, thy glory droopeth to the dust. [Exit. 
 
 Excursions. Rc-cntcr La PuccUc -fighting Jian.d to hand 
 Zi'ith York; La PuccUc is taken. The French fly. 
 
 York. Damsel of France, I think I have you fast: 30 
 
 Unchain your spirits now with spelling charms, 
 And try if they can gain your liberty. 
 A goodly prize, fit for the devil's grace ! 
 See, how^ the ugly witch doth bend her brows, 
 As if with Circe she would change my shape ! 
 
 Puc. Changed to a worser shape thou canst not be. 
 No shape but his can please your dainty eye. 
 No shape but his can please your dainty eye. 
 
 Puc. A plaguing mischief light on Charles and thee ! 
 
 And may ye both be suddenly surprised 40 
 
 By bloody hands, in sleeping on your beds ! 
 
 York. Fell banning hag, enchantress, hold thy tongue ! 
 
 Puc. I prithee, give me leave to curse awhile. 
 
 York. Curse, miscreant, when thou comest to the stake. 
 
 [Exeunt. 
 
 Alarum. Enter Suffolk, zvith Margaret in his hand. 
 
 Siif. Be what thou wilt, thou art my prisoner. 
 
 [Ga.':es on her. 
 
 fairest beauty, do not fear nor fly ! 
 
 For I will touch thee but with reverent hands ; 
 
 1 kiss these fingers for eternal peace, 
 
 102
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act V. Sc. iii. 
 
 And lay them gently on thy tender side. 
 
 Who art thou ? say, that I may honour thee. 50 
 
 Mar. Margaret my name, and daughter to a king, 
 The King of Naples, whoso'er thou art. 
 
 Suf. An earl I am, and Suffolk am I call'd. 
 Be not offended, nature's miracle. 
 Thou art allotted to be ta'en by me : 
 So doth the swan her downy cygnets save. 
 Keeping them prisoner underneath her wings. 
 Yet, if this servile usage once offend, 
 Go and be free again as Suffolk's friend. 
 
 [She is going. 
 
 stay ! I have no power to let her pass ; 60 
 My hand would free her, but my heart says no. 
 
 As plays the sun upon the glassy streams, 
 Twinkling another counterfeited beam. 
 So seems this gorgeous beauty to mine eyes. 
 Fain would I woo her, yet I dare not speak : 
 
 1 11 call for pen and ink, and write my mind. 
 Fie, de la Pole ! disable not thyself ; 
 
 Hast not a tongue ? is she not here ? 
 
 Wilt thou be daunted at a woman's sight ? 
 
 Ay, beauty's princely majesty is such, 70 
 
 Confounds the tongue and makes the senses rough. 
 Mar. Say, Earl of Suffolk, — if thy name be so — 
 
 What ransom must I pay before I pass ? 
 
 For I perceive I am thy prisoner. 
 Siif. How canst thou tell she will deny thy suit, 
 
 Before thou make a trial of her love ? 
 Mor. Why speak'st thou not? what ransom must I pay? 
 Siif. She 's beautiful and therefore to be woo'd ; 
 
 She is a woman, therefore to be won. 
 103
 
 Act V. Sc. iii. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 Mar. Wilt thou accept of ransom ? yea, or no. 80 
 
 Siif. Fond man, remember that thou hast a wife ; 
 
 Then how can Margaret be thy paramour? 
 Mar. I were best to leave him, for he will not hear. 
 Suf. There all is marr'd ; there lies a cooling card. 
 Mar. He talks at random ; sure, the man is mad. 
 Siif. And yet a dispensation may be had. 
 Mar. And yet I would that you would answer me. 
 Suf. I '11 win this Lady Margaret. For whom ? 
 
 Why, for my king : tush, that 's a wooden thing ! 
 Mar. He talks of wood : it is some carpenter. 90 
 
 Suf. Yet so my fancy may be satisfied, 
 
 And peace established between these realms. 
 
 But there remains a scruple in that too ; 
 
 For though her father be the King of Naples, 
 
 Duke of Anjou and Maine, yet is he poor. 
 
 And our nobility will scorn the match. 
 Mar. Hear ye, captain, are you not at leisure? 
 Sitf. It shall be so, disdain they ne'er so much : 
 
 Henry is youthful and will quickly yield. 
 
 Madam, I have a secret to reveal. 100 
 
 Mar. What though I be enthrall'd ? he seems a knight, 
 
 And will not any way dishonour me. 
 Suf. Lady, vouchsafe to listen what I say. 
 Mar. Perhaps I shall be rescued by the French ; 
 
 And then I need not crave his courtesy. 
 Suf. Sweet madam, give me hearing in a cause — 
 Mar. Tush, women have been captivate ere now. 
 Suf. Lady, wherefore talk you so? 
 Mar. I cry you mercy, 'tis but Quid for Quo. 
 Siif. Say, gentle princess, would you not suppose no 
 
 Your bondage happy, to be made a queen ? 
 
 104
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act V. Sc. iii. 
 
 Mar. To be a queen in bondage is more vile 
 
 Than is a slave in base servility ; 
 
 For princes should be free. 
 Suf. And so shall you, 
 
 If happy England's royal king be free. 
 Mar. AA'hy, what concerns his freedom unto me? 
 Suf. I '11 undertake to make thee Henry's queen, 
 
 To put a golden sceptre in thy hand 
 
 And set a precious crown upon thy head, 
 
 If thou wilt condescend to be my — 
 Mar. What? 120 
 
 Suf. His love. 
 
 Mar. I am unworthy to be Henry's wife. 
 Suf. No, gentle madam ; I unworthy am 
 
 To woo so fair a dame to be his wife, 
 
 And have no portion in the choice myself. 
 
 How say you, madam, are ye so content? 
 Mar. An if my father please, I am content. 
 Siif. Then call our captains and our colours forth. 
 
 And, madam, at your father's castle walls 
 
 We '11 crave a parley, to confer with him. 130 
 
 A parley sounded. Enter Reignier on the walls. 
 
 See, Reignier, see, thy daughter prisoner! 
 Reig. To whom ? 
 Suf. To me. 
 
 Reig. Suffolk, what remedy? 
 
 I am a soldier, and unapt to weep, 
 
 Or to exclaim on fortune's fickleness. 
 Siif. Yes, there is remedy enough, my lord : 
 
 Consent, and for thy honour give consent, 
 
 Thy daughter shall be w^edded to my king ; 
 
 105
 
 Act V. Sc. iii. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 Whom I with pain have woo'd and won thereto ; 
 
 And this her easy-held imprisonment 
 
 Hath gain'd thy daughter princely liberty. 140 
 
 Reig. Speaks Suffolk as he thinks? 
 Sitf. Fair Margaret knows 
 
 That Suffolk doth not flatter, face, or feign. 
 Rcig. Upon thy princely warrant, I descend 
 
 To give thee answer of thy just demand. 
 
 [Esif from the walls. 
 Siif. And here I will expect thy coming. 
 
 Trumpets sound. Enter Reiguier, helozv. 
 
 Reig. Welcome, "brave earl, into our territories: 
 Command in Anjou what your honour pleases. 
 
 Suf. Thanks, Reignier, happy for so sweet a child. 
 Fit to be made companion with a king : 
 What answer makes your grace unto my suit? 150 
 
 Reig. Since thou dost deign to woo her little worth 
 To be the princely bride of such a lord ; 
 Upon condition I may quietly 
 Enjoy mine own, the country IMaine and Anjou, 
 Free from oppression or the stroke of war, 
 My daughter shall be Henry's, if he please. 
 
 Suf. That is her ransom ; I deliver her ; ' 
 
 And those two counties I will undertake 
 Your grace shall well and quietly enjoy. 
 
 Reig. And I again, in Henry's royal name, 160 
 
 As deputy unto that gracious king, 
 Give thee her hand, for sign of plighted faith. 
 
 Suf. Reignier of France, I give thee kingly thanks, 
 Because this is in traffic of a king. 
 Aside] And yet, methinks, I could be well content 
 
 106
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act V. Sc. iii. 
 
 To be mine own attorney in this case. 
 
 I '11 over then to England with this news, 
 
 And make this marriage to be solemnized. 
 
 So farewell, Reignier : set this diamond safe 
 
 In golden palaces, as it becomes. 170 
 
 Reig. I do embrace thee, as I would embrace 
 
 The Christian prince, King Henry, were he here. 
 Mar. Farewell, my lord : good wishes, praise and prayers 
 
 Shall Suffolk ever have of Margaret. \^Going. 
 
 Stif. Farewell, sweet madam : but hark you, Margaret ; 
 
 No princely commendations to my king? 
 Mar. Such commendations as becomes a maid, 
 
 A virgin and his servant, say to him. 
 Suf. Words sweetly placed and modestly directed. 
 
 But, madam, I must trouble you again; 180 
 
 No loving token to his majesty? 
 Mar. Yes, my good lord, a pure unspotted heart. 
 
 Never yet taint with love, I send the king. 
 Suf. And this withal. [Kisses her. 
 
 Mar. That for thyself : I will not so presume 
 
 To send such peevish tokens to a king. 
 
 [Exeunt Reignier and Margaret. 
 Suf. O, wert thou for myself ! But, Suffolk, stay ; 
 
 Thou mayst not wander in that labyrinth ; 
 
 There Minotaurs and ugly treasons lurk. 
 
 Solicit Henry with her wondrous praise : 190 
 
 Bethink thee on her virtues that surmount, 
 
 And natural graces that extinguish art ; 
 
 Repeat their semblance often on the seas. 
 
 That, when thou comest to kneel at Henry's feet, 
 
 Thou mayest bereave him of his w4ts with wonder. 
 
 [Exit. 
 
 107
 
 Act V. Sc. iv. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 Scene IV. 
 
 Camp of the Duke of York in Anjoii. 
 Enter York, Warzvick, and others, 
 York. Bring- forth that sorceress condemn'd to burn. 
 
 Enter La Pucelle, guarded, and a Shepherd. 
 
 Shep, Ah, Joan, this kills thy father's heart outright! 
 
 Have I sought every country far and near, 
 
 And, now it is my chance to find thee out, 
 
 Must I behold thy timeless cruel death? 
 
 Ah, Joan, sweet daughter Joan, I '11 die with thee ! 
 Puc. Decrepit miser ! base ignoble wretch ! 
 
 I am descended of a gentler blood : 
 
 Thou art no father nor no friend of mine. 
 Shep. Out, out ! My lords, an please you, 'tis not so ; lo 
 
 I did beget her, all the parish knows : 
 
 Her mother liveth yet, can testify 
 
 She was the first fruit of my bachelorship. 
 War. Graceless ! wilt thou deny thy parentage ? 
 York. This argues what her kind of life hath been, 
 
 Wicked and vile ; and so her death concludes. 
 Shep. Fie, Joan, that thou wilt be so obstacle ! 
 
 God knows thou art a collop of my flesh ; 
 
 And for thy sake have I shed many a tear : 
 
 Deny me not, I prithee, gentle Joan. 20 
 
 Puc. Peasant, avaunt ! You have suborn'd this man. 
 
 Of purpose to obscure my noble birth. 
 Shep. 'Tis true, I gave a noble to the priest 
 
 The morn that I was wedded to her mother. 
 
 Kneel down and take my blessing, good my girl. 
 
 Wilt thou not stoop ? Now cursed be the time 
 
 io8
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act V. Sc. iv. 
 
 Of thy nativity ! I would the milk 
 
 Thy mother gave thee when thou suck'dst her breast, 
 
 Had been a little ratsbane for thy sake ! 
 
 Or else, when thou didst keep my lambs a-field, 30 
 
 I wish some ravenous wolf had eaten thee ! 
 
 Dost thou deny thy father, cursed drab? 
 
 O, burn her, bum her ! hanging is too good. [Exit. 
 
 York. Take her away ; for she hath lived too long. 
 To fill the world with vicious quaiities. 
 
 Puc. First, let me tell you whom you have condemn'd : 
 Not me begotten of a shepherd swain. 
 But issued from the progeny of kings ; 
 Virtuous and holy ; chosen from above, 
 By inspiration of celestial grace, 40 
 
 To work exceeding miracles on earth. 
 I never had to do with wicked spirits : 
 But you, that are polluted with your lusts, 
 Stain'd with the guiltless blood of innocents, 
 Corrupt and tainted with a thousand vices. 
 Because you want the grace that others have, 
 You judge it straight a thing impossible 
 To compass wonders but by help of devils. 
 No, misconceived ! Joan of Arc hath been 
 A virgin from her tender infancy, 50 
 
 Chaste and immaculate in very thought ; 
 Whose maiden blood, thus rigorously effused, 
 Will cry for vengeance at the gates of heaven. 
 
 York. Ay, ay : away with her to execution ! 
 
 War. And hark ye, sirs ; because she is a maid, 
 Spare for no faggots, let there be enow : 
 Place barrels of pitch upon the fatal stake, 
 That so her torture may be shortened. 
 109
 
 Act V. Sc. iv. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 Puc. Will nothing turn your unrelenting hearts ? 
 
 Then, Joan, discover thine infirmity, 60 
 
 That warranteth by law to be thy privilege. 
 
 I am with child, ye bloody homicides : 
 
 Murder not then the fruit within my womb. 
 
 Although ye hale me to a violent death. 
 York. Now heaven forfend ! the holy maid with child ! 
 War. The greatest miracle that e'er ye wrought : 
 
 Is all your strict preciseness come to this ? 
 York. She and the Dauphin have been juggling: 
 
 I did imagine what would be her refuge. 
 War. Well, go to ; we '11 have no bastards live ; 70 
 
 Especially since Charles must father it. 
 Puc. You arc deceived ; my child is none of his * 
 
 It was Alengon that enjoyed my love. 
 York. Alengon ! that notorious Machiavel ! 
 
 It dies, an if it had a thousand lives. 
 Puc. O, give me leave, I have deluded you : 
 
 'Twas neither Charles nor yet the duke I named. 
 
 But Reignier, king of Naples, that prevail'd. 
 War. A married man ! that 's most intolerable. 
 York. Why, here 's a girl ! I think she knows not well, 80 
 
 There were so many, whom she may accuse. 
 War. It 's sign she hath been liberal and free. 
 York. And yet, forsooth, she is a virgin pure. 
 
 Strumpet, thy words condemn thy brat and thee : 
 
 Use no entreaty, for it is in vain. 
 Puc. Then lead me hence; with whom I leave my 
 curse : 
 
 May never glorious sun reflex his beams 
 
 Upon the country where you make abode ; 
 
 But darkness and the gloomy shade of death
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act V. Sc. iv. 
 
 Environ you, till mischief and despair 90 
 
 Drive you to break your necks or hang yourselves ! 
 
 [Exit, guarded. 
 York. Break thou in pieces and consume to ashes, 
 Thou foul accursed minister of hell ! 
 
 Enter Cardinal Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester, attended. 
 
 Car. Lord regent, I do greet your excellence 
 With letters of commission from the king. 
 For know, my lords, the states of Christendom, 
 Moved with remorse of these outrageous broils, 
 Have earnestly implored a general peace 
 Betwixt our nation and the aspiring French ; 
 And here at hand the Dauphin and his train 100 
 
 Approacheth, to confer about some matter. 
 
 York. Is all our travail turn'd to this effect? 
 After the slaughter of so many peers. 
 So many captains, gentlemen and soldiers, 
 That in this quarrel have been overthrown. 
 And sold their bodies for their country's benefit, 
 Shall we at last conclude effeminate peace? 
 Have we not lost most part of all the towns. 
 By treason, falsehood and by treachery, 
 Our great progenitors had conquered? no 
 
 O, Warwick, Warwick ! I foresee with grief 
 The utter loss of all the realm of France. 
 
 War. Be patient, York : if we conclude a peace. 
 
 It shall be with such strict and severe covenants 
 As little shall the Frenchmen gain thereby. 
 
 Enter Charles, Alencon, Bastard, Reignier, and others. 
 
 Char. Since, lords of England, it is thus agreed 
 
 III
 
 Act V. Sc. iv. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 That peaceful truce shall be proclaim'd in France, 
 We come to be informed by yourselves 
 What the conditions of that league must be. 
 
 York. Speak, Winchester ; for boiling choler chokes 
 
 The hollow passage of my poison'd voice, 121 
 
 By sight of these our baleful enemies. 
 
 Car. Charles, and the rest, it is enacted thus : 
 That, in regard King Henry gives consent, 
 Of mere compassion and of lenity. 
 To ease your country of distressful war. 
 And suffer you to breathe in fruitful peace, 
 You shall become true liegemen to his crown : 
 And, Charles, upon condition thou wilt swear 
 To pay him tribute, and submit thyself, 130 
 
 Thou shalt be placed as viceroy under him, 
 And still enjoy thy regal dignity. 
 
 Alen. Must he be then as shadow of himself? 
 Adorn his temples with a coronet, 
 And yet, in substance and authority, 
 Retain but privilege of a private man? 
 This proffer is absurd and reasonless. 
 
 Char. Tis known already that I am possess'd 
 With more than half the Gallian territories, 
 And therein reverenced for their lawful king: 140 
 Shall I, for lucre of the rest unvanquish'd, 
 Detract so much from that prerogative. 
 As to be caird but viceroy of the whole? 
 No, lord ambassador, I '11 rather keep 
 That which I have than, coveting for more, 
 Be cast from possibility of all. 
 
 York. Insulting Charles ! hast thou by secret means 
 Used intercession to obtain a league, 
 112
 
 KING KENRY VI. Act V. Sc. iv. 
 
 And, now the matter grows to compromise, 
 
 Stand'st thou aloof upon comparison ? 150 
 
 Either accept the title thou usurp'st, 
 
 Of benefit proceeding- from our king 
 
 And not of any challenge of desert, 
 
 Or we will plague thee with incessant wars. 
 Reig. My lord, you do not well in obstinacy 
 
 To cavil in the course of this contract : 
 
 If once it be neglected, ten to one 
 
 We shall not find like opportunity. 
 Alen. To say the truth, it is your policy 
 
 To save your subjects from such massacre 160 
 
 And ruthless slaughters, as are daily seen, 
 
 By our proceeding in hostility ; 
 
 And therefore take this compact of a truce. 
 
 Although you break it when your pleasure serves. 
 War. How say'st thou, Charles ? shall our condition stand ? 
 Char. It shall; 
 
 Only reserved, you claim no interest 
 
 In any of our towns of garrison. 
 York. Then swear allegiance to his majesty, 
 
 As thou art knight, never to disobey 170 
 
 Nor be rebellious to the crown of England, 
 
 Thou, nor thy nobles, to the crown of England. 
 
 So, now dismiss your army when ye please ; 
 
 Hang up your ensigns, let your drums be still. 
 
 For here we entertain a solemn peace. [^Exciint. 
 
 "3
 
 Act V. Sc. V. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 Scene V. 
 
 London. The royal palace. 
 
 Enter Suffolk in conference zvith the King, Gloucester 
 and Exeter. 
 
 King. Your wondrous rare description, noble earl, 
 Of beauteous Margaret hath astonish'd me : 
 Her virtues graced with external gifts 
 Do breed love's settled passions in my heart : 
 And like as rigour of tempestuous gusts 
 Provokes the mightiest hulk against the tide. 
 So am I driven by breath of her renown, 
 Either to suffer shipwreck or arrive 
 Where I may have fruition of her love. 
 
 Snf. Tush, my good lord, this superficial tale lO 
 
 Is but a preface of her worthy praise ; 
 The chief perfections of that lovely dame, 
 - ■ Had I sufficient skill to utter them, 
 
 Would make a volume of enticing lines, 
 
 Able to ravish any dull conceit : 
 
 And, which is more, she is not so divine, 
 
 So full-replete with choice of all delights. 
 
 But with as humble lowliness of mind 
 
 She is content to be at your command ; 
 
 Command, I mean, of virtuous chaste intents, 20 
 
 To love and honour Henry as her lord. 
 
 King. And otherwise will Henry ne'er presume. 
 Therefore, my lord protector, give consent 
 That Margaret may be England's royal queen. 
 
 Glou. So should I give consent to flatter sin. 
 
 You know, my lord, your highness is betrothM 
 Unto another lady of esteem : 
 
 114
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act V. Sc. v. 
 
 How shall we then dispense with that contract, 
 And not deface your honour with reproach ? 
 
 Siif. As doth a ruler with unlawful oaths ; 30 
 
 Or one that, at a triumph having vow'd 
 To try his strength, forsaketh yet the lists 
 By reason of his adversary's odds : 
 A poor earl's daughter is unequal odds. 
 And therefore may be broke without offence. 
 
 Gloii. Why, what, I pray, is ^Margaret more than that ? 
 Her father is no better than an earl. 
 Although in glorious titles he excel. 
 
 Suf. Yes, my lord, her father is a king, 
 
 The King of Naples and Jerusalem ; 40 
 
 And of such great authority in France, 
 As his alliance \w\\\ confirm our peace, 
 And keep the Frenchmen in allegiance. 
 
 Clou. And so the Earl of Armagnac may do, 
 Because he is near kinsman unto Charles. 
 
 Exc. Beside, his wealth doth warrant a liberal dower, 
 \Miere Reignier sooner will receive than give. 
 
 Suf. A dower, my lords ! disgrace not so your king, 
 That he should be so abject, base and poor, 
 To choose for wealth and not for perfect love. 50 
 Henry is able to enrich his queen. 
 And not to seek a queen to make him rich : 
 So worthless peasants bargain for their wives. 
 As market-men for oxen, sheep, or horse. 
 Marriage is a matter of more worth 
 Than to be dealt in by attorneyship ; 
 Not whom we will, but whom his grace affects. 
 Must be companion of his nuptial bed : 
 And therefore, lords, since he affects her most, 
 
 115
 
 Act V. Sc. V. THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 It most of all these reasons bindeth us, 60 
 
 In our opinions she should be preferr'd. 
 For what is wedlock forced but a hell, 
 An age of discord and continual strife? 
 Whereas the contrary bringeth bliss, 
 And is a pattern of celestial peace. 
 Whom should we match with Henry, being a king, 
 But Margaret, that is daughter to a king ? 
 Her peerless feature, joined with her birth, * 
 Approves her fit for none but for a king : 
 Her valiant courage and undaunted spirit, 70 
 
 More than in women commonly is seen. 
 Will answer our hope in issue of a king ; 
 For Henry, son unto a conqueror. 
 Is likely to beget more conquerors. 
 If with a lady of so high resolve 
 As is fair Margaret he be link'd in love. 
 Then yield, my lords ; and here conclude with me 
 That Margaret shall be queen, and none but she. 
 King. Whether it be through force of your report, 
 
 My noble Lord of Suffolk, or for that 80 
 
 My tender youth was never yet attaint 
 
 With any passion of inflaming love, 
 
 I cannot tell ; but this I am assured, 
 
 I feel such sharp dissension in my breast, 
 
 Such fierce alarums both of hope and fear. 
 
 As I am sick with working of my thoughts. 
 
 Take, therefore, shipping ; post, my lord, to France ; 
 
 Agree to any covenants, and procure 
 
 That Lady Margaret do vouchsafe to come 
 
 To cross the seas to England, and be crown'd 90 
 
 King Henry's faithful and anointed queen : 
 
 tt6
 
 KING HENRY VI. Act V. Sc. v. 
 
 For your expenses and sufficient charge, 
 
 Among the people gather up a tenth. 
 
 Be gone, I say ; for, till you do return, 
 
 I rest perplexed with a thousand cares. 
 
 And you, good uncle, banish all offence : 
 
 If you do censure me by what you were. 
 
 Not what you are, I know it will excuse 
 
 This sudden execution of my will. 
 
 And so, conduct me where, from company, loo 
 
 I may revolve and ruminate my grief. [Exit. 
 
 Glou. Ay, grief, I fear me, both at first and last. 
 
 [Exeunt Gloucester and Exeter. 
 
 Suf. Thus Suffolk hath prevail'd ; and thus he goes, 
 As did the youthful Paris once to Greece, 
 With hope to find the like event in love. 
 But prosper better than the Trojan did. 
 Margaret shall now be queen, and rule the king; 
 But I will rule both her, the king and realm. [Exit. 
 
 117
 
 THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 Glossary, 
 
 Accidents, events; V. iii. 4. 
 Accomplices, fellows in arms; 
 
 V. ii. 9- 
 Admonishments, instructions ; 
 
 II. V. 98. 
 Advantage, occasion ; II, v. 129. 
 Affects, cares for, loves; V. v. 
 
 57- 
 
 Agascd on, aghast at, gazing 
 with amazement at ; I. i. 126. 
 
 Alcides, Hercules; IV. vii. 60. 
 
 Alliance, relationship; II. v. 53. 
 
 Amaze, throw into consterna- 
 tion; IV. vii. 84. 
 
 Amort; "all a.," quite deject- 
 ed; III. ii. 124. 
 
 Antic, buffoon (Folios i, 2, 
 " antique " ; Folios 3. 4, " an- 
 tic k") ; IV. vii. 18. 
 
 Apparell'd, dressed; II. iv. 22. 
 
 Apparent, evident, plain; II. 
 
 i- 3- 
 
 Apprehension, conception of me 
 (Theobald, " reprehension " ; 
 Vaughan, '' misapprehension " 
 for " this ap.") ; II. iv. 102. 
 
 Argue, show, prove ; II. v. 7. 
 
 Argument, token; V. i. 46. 
 
 Arms, coat of arms ; I. i. 80. 
 
 As, that ; III. i. 16. 
 
 Astrcea, goddess of justice (Fo- 
 lios 2, 3, 4, " bright As- 
 trcea ") : I. vi. 4. 
 
 Attached, arrested; II. iv. 96. 
 
 Attaint, tainted; V. v. 81. 
 
 Attainted, tainted, disgraced; 
 
 II. iv. 92; convicted of capital 
 treason, II. iv. 96. 
 Attorneyship, discretional 
 agency of another ; V. v. £6. 
 
 Banding, uniting in troops; III. 
 i. 81. 
 
 Banning, cursing; V. iii. 42. 
 
 Bay; " stand at b.," a term of 
 the chase, " when the game is 
 driven to extremity and turns 
 against its pursuers " ; IV. 
 ii. 52. 
 
 Beard; " b. thee to thy face," 
 set thee at defiance ; I. iii. 44. 
 
 Beacon; III. ii. 29. (Cp. illus- 
 tration.) 
 
 From a XVth century specimen. 
 
 iiB
 
 KING HENRY VI. 
 
 Glossary 
 
 Bearing-cloth, the cloth or 
 mantle in which the child was 
 carried to the font ; I. iii. 42. 
 
 Bearing Cloth 
 
 From a French print {c. 1600 a.d.) 
 
 by Bonnart. 
 
 Benefit; " of b.," used in its le- 
 gal sense of property be- 
 stowed by the favour of an- 
 other ; V. iv. 152. 
 
 Beside, besides; III. i. 24. 
 
 Best; " I were best," it were 
 better for me ; V. iii. 83. 
 
 Bestow, place, lodge; III. ii. 88. 
 
 Bewray' d, betrayed; IV. i. 107. 
 
 Bishop; "the b. and the D. of 
 Gloucester's men"; i.e. bish- 
 op's men (Hanmer, "Bish- 
 op's") ; III. i. 78. 
 
 Blood; " in b.." in perfect 
 health and vigour ; a techni- 
 cal term of the chase; IV. ii. 
 48. 
 
 Blue coats, blue was the ordi- 
 nary colour of the livery of 
 serving-men ; I. iii. 47. 
 
 Boot; "it is no b.," it is no 
 
 profit, use ; IV. vi. 52. 
 Bought and sold, betrayed; 
 
 IV. iv. 13. 
 Bounds, boundaries, limits; I. 
 
 ii. 54. 
 Bow, depart (Collier MS., 
 
 "■iy"; Long MS., "go"; 
 
 Vaughan, " budge ") ; IV, v. 
 
 29. 
 Braved, defied; II. iv. 115. 
 Break, broach (Pope "tell"); 
 
 I. iii. 81. 
 Break up, break open (Gray 
 
 conjectured "Break ope"); 
 
 I. iii. 13. 
 
 Bruited, noised abroad; II. iii. 
 
 68. 
 Buckle with, join in close fight 
 
 with ; I. ii. 95. 
 Bull-beeves, oxen, beef; I. ii. 9. 
 
 Canker, canker-worm; II. iv. 
 
 68. 
 Canvass, toss as in a canvass, 
 
 "toss in a blanket"; I. iii. 
 
 36. 
 Cap, Cardinal's hat ; V. i. 33. 
 Captivate, captive ; II. iii. 42. 
 Cates, delicacies, dainties; II. 
 
 iii. 79. 
 Censure, judgement, opinion; 
 
 II. iii. 10. 
 
 , judge; V. v. 97. 
 
 Challenge, claim ; V. iv. 153. 
 
 Charge, expense, cost ; V. v. 92. 
 
 Cheer, countenance ; I. ii. 48. 
 
 Circumstance, circumstances, 
 details ; I. i. 109. 
 
 Clubs; " I '11 call for clubs " ; 
 " in any public affray the cry 
 was ' Clubs ! clubs ! ' by way 
 
 119
 
 Glossary 
 
 THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 of calling for persons with 
 clubs to part the combatants " 
 (Nares) ; I. iii. 84. 
 
 Coat, coat of arms; I. i. 81. 
 
 Cognizance, badge; II. iv. 108. 
 
 Collop, slice of meat ; V. iv. 
 18. 
 
 Colours i pretence (with play 
 upon the two senses of the 
 word) ; II. iv. 34. 
 
 Commandment, command ; 
 quadrisyllabic (Folios i, 2, 3, 
 " comniandement ") ; I. iii. 
 20. 
 
 Conceit, invention, IV. i. 102 ; 
 understanding, V. v. 15. 
 
 Consented unto, conspired to 
 bring about ; I. i. 5. 
 
 Contemptible, mean, low; I. ii. 
 75. 
 
 Contumcliously, contemptuous- 
 ly; I. iii. 58. 
 
 Conveyance, dishonest prac- 
 tices; I. iii. 2. 
 
 Cooling card, " something to 
 damp or overwhelm the 
 hopes of an expectant " ; V. 
 iii. 84, 
 
 Cornets, horsemen, cavalry; 
 IV. iii. 25. 
 
 Corrosive, fretting, giving pain 
 (Folios 2, 3, " corrasive" ; 
 Boswell, "a corrosive") ; 
 III. iii. 3. 
 
 Court of guard, main guard- 
 house; II. i. 4. 
 
 Crazy, decrepit, weak ; III. ii. 
 89. 
 
 Crestless, with no right to coat- 
 armour ; II. iv. 85. 
 
 Cunning, skill; III. iii. 10. 
 
 Damascus ; alluding to the an- 
 cient belief that it was nea.- 
 the place where Cain killed 
 Abel ; I. iii. 39. 
 
 Darnel, a kind of weed, rye 
 grass, which is thought to be 
 injurious to the eyes; hence 
 the old proverb, lolio victi- 
 tare (to feed on darnel) ; 
 " tares " in Matthew xiii. 25, 
 should perhaps properly be 
 rendered "darnels"; III. ii. 
 44. 
 
 Dead (Folio 2, "dread"); I. 
 iii. 34. 
 
 Dearest, most precious ; III. iv. 
 40. 
 
 Denis ; " Saint Denis," the pa- 
 tron saint of France ; I. vi. 28. 
 
 Determined, limited; IV. vi. 9. 
 
 Devise on, lay schemes 
 (Vaughan, "decide")', I. ii. 
 124. 
 
 DiMdencc, distrust, suspicion ; 
 III. iii. 10. 
 
 Digest, vent (Folio 2, " dis- 
 gest") ; IV. i. 167. 
 
 Disable, disparage, undervalue ; 
 V. iii. 67. 
 
 Discover, tell ; II. v. 59. 
 
 Disease, cause of uneasiness, 
 trouble ; II. v. 44. 
 
 Dismay not, be not dismayed; 
 III. Hi. I. 
 
 Distrain'd, taken possession of; 
 I. iii. Oi. 
 
 Drooping chair, chair fit for de- 
 clining age; IV. v. 5. 
 
 Due, endue ( ? give as thy due) 
 (Folios, "dew"; Collier, 
 " 'due") ; IV. ii. 34. 
 
 120
 
 KING HENRY VI. 
 
 Glossary 
 
 Dumb signiUcants, sign?, indi- 
 cations (Pope, " d. signifi- 
 cance ") ; II. iv. 26. 
 
 Effused, shed ; V. iv. 52. 
 Emulation, rivalry, contention; 
 
 IV. iv. 21. 
 Endamage, injure; II. i. 77. 
 Enrank, place in order, battle 
 
 array ; I. i. 115. 
 Entertain, maintain, keep (Col- 
 lier MS., " enterchange") \ 
 
 V. iv. 175. 
 
 Envy, enmity ; IV. i. 193. 
 
 Espials, spies ; I, iv. 8. 
 
 Exempt, cut off, excluded; 11. 
 iv. 93. 
 
 Exequies, obsequies, funeral 
 rites; III. ii. 133. 
 
 Exigent, end (Vaughan, " ex- 
 eunt") ; II. v. 9. 
 
 Expulsed, expelled ; III. iii. 25. 
 
 Extirped, extirpated ; III. iii, 
 
 24- 
 
 Extremes ; " most ex.," greatest 
 extremities of danger (Han- 
 mer, "worst ex.") ; IV. i. 38. 
 
 Face, lie with effrontery ; V. iii. 
 
 142. 
 Familiar, familiar spirit; III. 
 
 ii. 122. 
 Fancy, love; V. iii. 91. 
 Fashion (Pope, "passion" ; 
 
 Theobald. " faction ") ; II. iv. 
 
 Feature, make, form ; V. v. 68. 
 
 Flesh, initiate ; IV. vii. 36. 
 
 Flozver-de-luccs, the white lil- 
 ies, the emblem of France ; I. 
 i. 80. 
 
 Fond, foolish ; II. iii. 45. 
 
 Foot-boys, lackeys. ITT. ii. 69. 
 
 Forged, counterfeit ; IV. i. 102. 
 
 Forlorn, utterly wretched, re- 
 ferring to former wretched- 
 ness (Collier MS., "for- 
 borne ") ; I. ii. 19. 
 
 Forth, forth from, from out ; I. 
 ii. 54. 
 
 Fortune, fate; IV. iv. 39. 
 
 France his Sivord, France's 
 sword, i.e., the sword of the 
 King of France (Rowc, 
 "France's") ', IV. vi. 3. 
 
 Froissart (Folios, " Froy- 
 sard ") ; I. ii. 29. 
 
 Giglot, wanton ; IV. vii. 41. . 
 Gimmors, gimcracks, curious 
 
 contrivances (Folios 2, 3, 4, 
 
 " Gimmalls") ; I. ii. 41. 
 Gird, rebuke; III. i. 131. 
 , invest (Folios i. 2, 
 
 "gyrt"; Folio 3, ''girt"); 
 
 III. i. 171. 
 Gleeks ; '* Charles his g.," i.e. 
 
 Charles's scoffs (Folios, 
 
 " glikes ") ; III. ii. 123. 
 Gloss, specious appearance ; IV. 
 
 i. 103. 
 Goliases, Goliaths ; I. ii. ZZ- 
 Graceless, profligate ; V. iv. 14. 
 Grave, dignified (Collier, 
 
 " brave") ; V. i. 54. 
 Grisly, grim, terrible ; I. iv. 47. 
 Guardant, guard, sentinel ; IV. 
 
 vii. 9. 
 
 Halcyon days (Folios i, 2, 
 "Halcyons days"):, calm 
 days ; halcyon is the old name 
 of the King-fisher. In Hol- 
 land's Pliny occurs the fol-
 
 Glossary 
 
 THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 lowing illustrative passage : — 
 " They lay and sit about mid- 
 winter when days be short- 
 est; and the times whiles 
 they are broody is called 
 Halcyon days, for during 
 that season the sea is calm 
 and navigable, especially on 
 the coast of Sicily*' (Bk. X., 
 ch. xxxii.) ; I. ii, 131. 
 
 Hand; " out of h.," directly, at 
 once; III. ii. 102. 
 
 Haughty, high-spirited, adven- 
 turous ; II. V. 79. 
 
 Have with thee, I'll go with 
 you; II. iv. 114. 
 
 Head, armed force ; I. iv. 100. 
 
 Heart-blood, heart's blood; I. 
 lii. 83. 
 
 Heavens, technically the upper 
 part of the stage (overhung 
 with black when a tragedy 
 was enacted) ; I. i. i. 
 
 His; ' his beams ' \ its ; 1. i. 10. 
 
 Hungry-starved, starved with 
 hunger ; so Folios i, 2, 3 ; Fo- 
 lio 4, '" hungry-starved " ; 
 R o w e , " hunger-starved " ; 
 Boswell, "hungry, starved"; 
 I. iv. 5. 
 
 Icarus, the son of Daedalus, 
 " sire of Crete," who, at- 
 tempting to follow his fa- 
 ther's example and fly on 
 wings, was drowned in the 
 sea ; I. vi. 55. 
 
 Inimanity, ferocity; V. i. 13. 
 
 Inkhorn mate, bookish man 
 (used contemptuously) ; III. 
 i. 99. 
 
 Insulting, exulting; I. ii. 138. 
 
 Intermissive, having a tempo- 
 rary cessation ; I. i. 88. 
 Irks, grieves ; I. iv. T05. 
 
 Juggling{tY\sy\\2ih\c) ; V. iv. 68. 
 Kindly, appropriate; III. i. 131. 
 
 Latter, last (Folio 4, "later"; 
 Pope, "latest"); II. v. 38. 
 
 Lie, dwell (Pope, "lyes"); 
 III. ii, 129. 
 
 Lift, lifted (old form of past 
 tense) ; I. i. 16. 
 
 Like, liken, compare (Hanmer, 
 '' leave me to " ; Vaughan. 
 " take me so") ; IV. vi. 48. 
 
 Linstock, a stick to hold the 
 gunner's match ; I. iv. 56. 
 
 Lither, soft, pliant; IV. vii. 21. 
 
 Leaden, laden; II. i. 80. 
 
 'Long of, because of (Folios, 
 "long of"); IV. iii. 33. 
 
 Lowly, brought low, lying low 
 (Warburton, " lovely ") ; III. 
 iii. 47. 
 
 Lowted, made a fool of 
 ( Grey, " floiited " ; Nichol- 
 son, " loiter' d " ; Vaughan, 
 "letted") ; IV. iii. 13. 
 
 Machiavel, used proverbially 
 for a crafty politician (here 
 an anachronism) ; V. iv. 74. 
 
 Malice, hatred. III. i. 128; en- 
 mity, ill-will, IV. i. 108. 
 
 Manifest, obvious, evident ; I. 
 iii. ZZ- 
 
 Mean, moderation, medium, I. 
 ii. 121. 
 
 Mean, means, instrument ; III. 
 ii. 10.
 
 KING HENRY VI. 
 
 Glossary 
 
 Method; "the m. of my pen," 
 i.e. the order in which I 
 wrote it down (Vaughan, 
 " thetn off my pen," or, " the 
 method of them"); III. i. 
 
 13- 
 
 Mickle, great, much (Theo- 
 bald, " milky ") ; IV. vi. 35. 
 
 Minotaurs, alluding to the 
 monsters in the Cretan Laby- 
 rinth; V. iii. 189. 
 
 Miscarry, be lost, die ; IV. iii. 
 16. 
 
 Misconceived, misjudging one; 
 V. iv. 49. 
 
 Munition, ammunition; 1. i. 
 
 168. 
 Muse, marvel, wonder ; II. ii. 
 
 19. 
 
 Neglection, neglec" ; IV. iii. 49. 
 
 Nephew, used loosely for 
 cousin (Rowe, "cousin"); 
 II. V. 64. 
 
 Ncstir-like, i.e. like Nestor, 
 the oldest and wisest hero be- 
 fore Troy ; II. v. 6. 
 
 Noble, a gold coin of the value 
 of six shillings and eight 
 pence ; V. iv. 23. 
 
 From an original speci ren of Edward III.'s reig^. 
 
 Miser, miserable wretch ; V. iv. 
 
 7- 
 
 Monarch of the North, Lucifer 
 (as in Milton), or perhaps 
 the devil Zimimar, mentioned 
 by Reginald Scot as " the 
 king of the north " ; V. iii. 6. 
 
 Mortality, death ; IV. v. 32. 
 
 Motion, offer, proposal ; V. i. 7. 
 
 Mouth, bark, bay ; II. iv. 12. 
 
 Muleters, mule-drivers (Rowe, 
 "muleteers") ; III. ii. 68. 
 
 Nourisli, probably = " nurse " 
 (often spelt " norice," or 
 " nurice " in older English) ; 
 Theobald conjectured 
 " nourice," the French spell- 
 ing. Steevens states that a 
 stew, in which fish are pre- 
 served, was anciently called a 
 " nourish " (Pope, " marish," 
 the older form of marsh) ; 
 I. i. 50. 
 
 123
 
 Glossary 
 
 THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 Objected ; " well o.," well pro- 
 posed ; II. iv. 43. 
 
 Obloquy, disgrace; II. v. 49. 
 
 Obstacle, a vulgar corruption 
 of "obstinate" (Walker, 
 "obstinate") ; V. iv. 17. 
 
 Olivers and Rowlands, alluding 
 to the two most famous of 
 Charlemagne's peers ; I. ii. 
 30. 
 
 Order; " take some o.," make 
 the necessary dispositions, 
 take measures ; III. ii. 126. 
 
 Ordnance, a small gun, can- 
 non; I. iv. 15. • 
 
 Otherwiles, at other times ; I. 
 ii. 7. 
 
 Overpeer, look down on; I. iv. 
 II. 
 
 Packing; " be p.," go away, 
 
 make haste ; IV. i. 46. 
 Partaker, confederate; II. iv. 
 
 100. 
 Parties, parts, sides (Pope, 
 
 "parts") ; V. ii. 12. 
 Party, part, side; II. iv. ^2. 
 Patronage, maintain, make 
 
 good; III. i. 48. 
 Pebble (Folios i, 2, " pccblc"; 
 
 Folios 3, 4, "peble")] III. 
 
 i. 80. 
 PeeVd, shaven (Folios. 
 
 " PieVd " ; Grey, " Pied " ; 
 
 Collier, " Pill'd") ; I. iii. 30. 
 Peevish, silly, childish ; II. iv. 
 
 76. 
 Pendragon, the father of King 
 
 Arthur; III. ii. 95. 
 Periapts, amulets ; V. iii. 2. 
 Period, end ; IV. ii. 17. 
 Peruse, examine; IV. ii. 43. 
 
 Pitch, height; II. iii. 55. 
 
 Pitch a Held; " from the cus- 
 tom of planting sharp staves 
 in the ground against the 
 hostile horse came the sig- 
 nification of marshalling, ar- 
 ranging in a military sense " 
 (Schmidt) ; III. i. 103. 
 
 Pithless, without pith, strength- 
 less ; II V. II. 
 
 Platforms, plans, schemes ; II. 
 i. 77. 
 
 Play'd, played the part ; I. vi. 
 16. 
 
 Post, hasten, speed ; V. v. 87. 
 
 Potter's ivheel; I. v. 19. {Cp. 
 illustration.) 
 
 From a figure on the badge worn by the 
 Master of the Guild of Potters at 
 Mayence (c. 1600), in the Londes- 
 borough collection. 
 
 Practisants, fellow plotters 
 (Hanmer, "partisans") ; III. 
 ii. 20. 
 
 Practise, contrive, plot; II. i. 
 
 25. 
 Preferr'd, presented ; III. i. 10. 
 Presently, immediately; I. ii. 
 
 149. 
 
 124/
 
 KING HENRY VI. 
 
 Glossary 
 
 Pretend, mean, indicate (Rowe, 
 
 "Portend") ; IV. i. 54. 
 Prevented, anticipated; IV. i. 
 
 71. 
 
 Proditor, traitor; I. iii. 31. 
 
 Proper, handsome, comely ; V. 
 iii. Z7. 
 
 Purblind, half blind; II. iv. 21. 
 
 Pursuivants, forerunners, in- 
 ferior heralds; II. v. 5. 
 
 Puzzel, hussy ; I. iv. 107. 
 
 Pyramis, pyramid (Rowe, 
 "pyramid") ; I. vi. 21. 
 
 Quaint, fine, pleasant ; IV. i. 
 102. 
 
 Quell, destroy; I. i. 163. 
 
 Qui est la (Malone's emenda- 
 tion of " Che la " of the 
 Folios ; Rowe, " Qui va 
 laf") ; III. ii. 13. 
 
 Quillets, tricks in argument, 
 subtleties; II. iv. 17. 
 
 Quittance, requite, retaliate ; 
 
 II. i. 14. 
 
 Raging-zvood, raving mad ; IV. 
 vii. 35- 
 
 Rascal-like, like lean and 
 worthless deer ; IV. ii. 49. 
 
 Reflex, let shine, reflect (War- 
 burton, "reflect") ; V. iv. 87. 
 
 Regard; "your r. " ; i.e. care 
 for your own safety; IV. v. 
 22. 
 
 Reguerdon, reward; III, i. 170. 
 
 Remorse, pity ; V. iv. 97. 
 
 Repugn, oppose ; IV. i. 94. 
 
 Resolved, convinced, satisfied ; 
 
 III. iv. 20. 
 
 Rests, remains ; II. i. 75. 
 
 Revolve on, be assured of; I. 
 
 ii. 91. 
 Rive, discharge (Johnson, 
 
 "drive"; V a u g h a n, 
 
 "rain"); IV. ii. 29. 
 Rope; " a rope ! a rope ! " a 
 
 cry often taught to parrots, 
 
 in order to turn a joke 
 
 against the passer-by ; I. iii. 
 
 53- 
 Ruin, fall ; IV. vii. 10. 
 
 Scruple, doubtful perplexity; 
 V. iii. 93. 
 
 Secure, unsuspecting, confi- 
 dent ; II. i. II. 
 
 Shot, marksmen ; I. iv. 53. 
 
 Sirrah, an appellation ad- 
 dressed to inferior persons ; 
 III. i. 62. 
 
 Smeared, stained, smirched 
 (Vaughan, "snared") ; IV. 
 vii. 3. 
 
 Solicit, rouse, stir up, vide 
 Note ; V. iii. 190. 
 
 Sort, choose ; II. iii. 27. 
 
 Spend, expend, vent; I, ii. 16. 
 
 Spleen, fire, impetuosity; IV. 
 vi. 13. 
 
 Stand, withstand, resist ; I. i. 
 123. 
 
 Stern; " chiefest stern," high- 
 est place ; I. i. 177. 
 
 Still, continually ; I. iii. 62,. 
 
 Stomachs, resentment ; I. iii. 
 90. 
 
 Subscribe, submit, yield ; II. iv. 
 44. 
 
 Szvart, sv/arthy, dark-complex- 
 ioned : I. ii. 84. 
 
 Szveeting, a term of endear- 
 ment ; III. iii. 21. 
 
 X2S
 
 Glossary 
 
 THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 Taint, tainted; V. iii. 183. 
 
 Talbotitcs, name given to the 
 English in contempt (Theo- 
 bald's emendation of Folios. 
 " Talhonitcs " ; H a n m e r, 
 "Talhotines") ; III. ii. 28. 
 
 Tawny coats, coats of a yellow- 
 ish dark colour, the usual 
 livery of ecclesiastical at- 
 tendants ; I. iii. 47. 
 
 Temper, quality, hardness ; II. 
 iv. 13. 
 
 Tendering, having care for 
 (T y r w h i 1 1, " Tending " ; 
 Beckett, "Fending"); IV. 
 vii. 10. 
 
 Timeless, untimely ; V. iv. 5. 
 
 To, compared to, to equal ; III. 
 ii. 25. 
 
 Tomyris, the Queen of the 
 Massagetoe, by whom Cyrus 
 was slain; II. iii. 6. 
 
 Toy, trifle; IV. i. 145. 
 
 Traffic, transaction; V. iii. 164. 
 
 Train' d, lured; II. iii. 35. 
 
 TnMm/j/i, tournament ; V. v. 31. 
 
 Unable, weak, impotent ; IV. 
 V. 4. 
 
 Unaccustom'd, unusual, ex- 
 traordinary; III. i. 93. 
 
 Unavoided, inevitable ; IV. v. 8. 
 
 Unawares, by surprise ; III. ii. 
 
 39. 
 Unfallihle, infallible, certain 
 (Rowe, "infallible") ; I. ii. 
 
 59. 
 Unkind, unnatural ; IV. i. 193. 
 Unready, undressed; II. i. 39. 
 
 Vail, lower, let fall (Folios i. 
 2, "vale") ', V. iii. 25. 
 
 J^antagc, advantage, " for v." 
 to take your time ; IV. v. 28. 
 
 Vaward, vanguard ; Folios, 
 " Vauward " ; Theobald conj. 
 " rercward" (but probably 
 " vaward " := " in the front 
 line of his own troop"); I. 
 i. 132. 
 
 Walloon, a native of the bor- 
 der-country between the 
 Netherlands and France 
 (Folios I, 2, " Wallon") ; I. 
 
 i. 137- 
 Warrantize, surety; I. iii. 13. 
 JVashford, an old name of 
 
 Wexford, in Ireland ; IV. vii. 
 
 63- _ 
 Weening, deeming, thinking ; 
 
 II. V. 88. 
 Where, whereas (Pope, 
 
 "While"); V. V. 47. 
 Will'd, commanded ; I. iii. 10. 
 Winchester goose, a cant term 
 
 for a swelling in the groin, 
 
 the result of disease ; I. iii. 
 
 53.^ 
 
 Witting, knowing; II. v. 16. 
 
 Wont, are wont, accustomed 
 (Folios, "Went"; Vaughan, 
 "Won"; H a n m e r, 
 
 " Watch ") ; I. iv. 10. 
 
 Wooden; "a w. thing.'' "an 
 awkward business, not likely 
 to succeed" (Steevens) ; V. 
 iii. 89. 
 
 Worthless, unworthy; IV. iv. 
 21. 
 
 Wot, know; IV. vi. 32. 
 
 Writhled, wrinkled; II. iii. 23. 
 
 Yield, admit ; II. iv. 42. 
 
 26
 
 KING HENRY VI. Notes 
 
 Critical Notes. 
 
 BY ISRAEL GOLLANCZ. 
 
 I. i. 3. ' crystal,' unnecessarily changed by Hanmer to ' crisped ' ; 
 Warbiirton, ' cristed ' or ' crested ' ; Roderick, ' tristful tresses in 
 the sky.' or ' tresses in the crystal sky.' 
 
 I. \.' 6. 'King Henry the Fifth'; Pope, 'Henry the Fifth'; 
 Walker, ' King Henry Fifth ' ; Pope's reading has been generally 
 followed by modern editors. 
 
 I. i. 12. ' wrathful ' ; Rowe, ' awful.' 
 
 I. i. 24. 'glory's'; Folios, 'Glories.' 
 
 I. i. 27. 'By magic verses have contrived his end'; alluding to 
 the old notion " that life might be taken away by metrical 
 charms" (Johnson). Folios 2, 3, 4, 'Verse'; Pope, 'verse have 
 thus.' 
 
 I. i. 33. 'had not'; Vaughan proposed 'had but' (but cp. lines 
 
 41-43). 
 
 I. i. 49. 'moist'; so Folios 2, 3. 4; Folio i, ' moistned.' 
 
 I. i. 56. 'or bright '; various attempts have been made to 
 
 fill up the blank, which some editors explain as due to the inability 
 of the compositor to read the name in the MS. ; Francis Drake, 
 Berenice, Cassiopeia, Alexander, etc., have been suggested. 
 Probably the speech is interrupted by the entrance of the mes- 
 senger. 
 
 I. i. 60. ' Rheinis'; Folios, ' Rkeimes'; evidently intended as a 
 dissyllable; but Capell's ' Rheims, Roan,' derives some support 
 from the fact that Roan, i.e. Rouen, is mentioned by Gloucester m 
 line 65 (Cambridge ed.). 
 
 I. i. 65. 'Rouen'; Folio i, 'Roan.' 
 
 I. i. 76. 'A third'; Folios 2, 3, 4, 'A third man'; Walker, 'A 
 third one'; Delius, 'A third thinketh'; Keightley, 'A third thinks 
 that':; Dyce, 'And a third thinks,' etc. Surely a simpler solution 
 of the difficulty is to read ' third ' as a dissyllable with a trilled r. 
 
 I. i. 78. 'Awake, awake'; Folio 2, 'Awake, azvay.' 
 
 I. i. 83. 'their'; Theobald's emendation; Folios, 'her'; Anon, 
 conj., ' our.' 
 
 127
 
 Notes THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 I, i, 94. ' Reignicr'; Rowe's emendation of 'Reynold' of the 
 Folios. 
 
 I. i. 95. 'The Duke of Alengon'; Walker omits 'of/ to im- 
 prove the rhythm of the line. 
 
 I. i. 96. ' croivned ' ; Rowe's emendation ; ' crozvn'd,' the reading 
 of the Folios. 
 
 I. i. 124. 'flezv! Rowe's correction; Folios, 'slew.' 
 
 I. i. 128. 'A Talbot! a Talbot! cried out amain.' The line has 
 been variously emended as being defective, metrically. Pone, 'A 
 Talbot! Talbot! cried'', Seymour, 'A Talbot! cried, a Talbot!'', 
 Vaughan, 'Talbot! a Talbot! cried.' If, however, 'cried' is read 
 as a dissyllable, the movement of the line is parallel to that of 
 ' prevent it, resist it, let it not be so,' in Richard II. iv., and no cor- 
 rection seems necessary — 
 
 A Talbot! \ A Talbot! \ cri \ ed out \ amain | . 
 
 I. i. 131. 'Sir John Fastolfe'; Theobald's emendation here and 
 elsewhere of Folios, 'Sir John Falstaffe'; but in all probability 
 Falstaff was the popular form of the name, and it is questionable 
 whether the text should be altered here. " He was a lieutenant- 
 general, deputy regent to the Duke of Bedford in Normandy, and 
 a Knight of the Garter." 
 
 I. i. 176. 'steal,' Mason's conjecture; Folio, 'send'; Keightley, 
 'fetch: 
 
 I. ii. I. 'Mars his true moving ' ; cp. " You are as ignorant in the- 
 true movings of my muse as the astronomers ape in the true mov- 
 ings of Mars, which to this day they could not attain to," quoted 
 by Steevens from one of Nash's prefaces to ' Gabriel Harvey's 
 Hunt's Up,' 1596. Kepler's work on Mars {Comment, de Motibus 
 Stcllce Martis) was published in 1609. 
 
 I. ii. 13. 'live'; Capell, 'sit'; Walker, 'lie.' 
 
 I. ii. 30. ' bred ' ; Folios, ' breed.' 
 
 I. ii. 56. 'nine sibyls of old Rome.' The number of the Sibyls 
 is variously given as three, four, seven, ten; possibly the 'nine' is 
 liere due to confusion with the nine Sibylline books. 
 
 I. ii. 86. 'which you see,' reading of Folios 2, 3, 4; Folio i, 
 ' wliich you may see.' 
 
 I. ii. 99. ' iive ' ; Folios, ' fine.' 
 
 I. ii. loi. 'Out of a great deal of old iron'; Dyce's conjecture, 
 ' out of a deal old iron,' seems the best of the emendations pro- 
 posed. 
 
 I. ii. 103. ' ne'er Hy from a man ' ; so Folio i ; Folios 2, 3, 4, 
 
 128
 
 KING HENRY VI. 
 
 Notes 
 
 ' ne're Uye no man') Collier MS., 'ne'er -fly from no man'; there 
 was probably some jingle intended: — 
 
 Char. Then come, o' God's name; I fear no woman. 
 Puc. And while I live, I'll ne'er Uy from no man. 
 I. ii. io8. ' thy desire ' = desire for thee. 
 
 I. ii. 131. 'Expect Saint Martin's summer'; "expect prosperity 
 after misfortune, like fair weather at Martlemas, after winter has 
 begun" (Johnson). St. Martin's Day is November nth. 
 
 I. ii. 138. ' That proud insulting ship, Which Cccsar and his for- 
 tune bare at once,' evidently suggested by the following passage in 
 North's translation of Plutarch's " Life of Caesar " : — '' Caesar 
 hearing that, straight discovered himself unto the master of 
 the pynnace, who at first was amazed when he saw him ; but 
 CaL'sar, then taking him by the hand, said unto him, good fellow, 
 be of good cheer, . . . and fear not, for thou hast Ccesar and his 
 fortune with thee." 
 
 I. ii. 140. 'Mahomet inspired with a dove'; cp. "he (Ma- 
 homet) used to feed (a dove) with wheat out of his ear; which 
 dove, when it was hungry, lighted on Mahomet's shoulder, and 
 thrust its bill in to find its breakfast ; Mahomet persuading the 
 rude and simple Arabians that it was the Holy Ghost that gave 
 him advice'" (Raleigh's "History of the World"), I. i. vi. 
 
 I. ii. 143. 'Saint Philip's* daughters' ; "the four daughters of 
 Philip mentioned in the ActsV (Hanmer). 
 
 I. ii. 145. ' reverently worship ' ; 
 Capell, ' ever zvorship ' ; Steevens, 
 'reverence, worship'; Dyce (Collier* 
 MS.), 'reverent zvorship'; the last 
 seems the only plausible reading. 
 
 I. ii. 148. ' Orleans' Folios, ' Or- 
 leance ' ; Capell, ' hence' 
 
 I. iii. 4. ' 'tis Gloucester ' ; Pope's 
 emendation; Folios, ''tis Gloster'; 
 Steevens, 'it is Gloster' etc.; cp. 1. 
 62 below, where Folios similarly 
 read ' Gloster.' 
 
 I. iii. 29. 'ambitious Humphry' ; 
 Folio 4, 'ambition' ; 'Humphry,' 
 Theobald's emendation ; Folio i. 
 ' Vmpheir ' ; Folios 2, 3, 4, ' Umpire.' 
 I. iii. 35. ' indulgence to sin ' ; " the 
 public stews were formerly under the 
 
 Th- Duke of Gloster. 
 From a XVIIth century engrav- 
 ing, the original of which was at 
 that time in a painted window 
 at Greenwich. 
 
 129
 
 Notes THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 jurisdiction of the bishop of Winchester" (Pope). 
 
 I. iii. 72. ' as e'er thou canst; Cry ' ; FoHos, ' as e'er thou 
 canst, cry'-, Collier MS., 'as thou canst cry.' 
 
 I. iii. 82. ' cost,' Folios 2, 3, 4, ' dcare cost.' 
 
 I. iii, 88. 'it ere long'', so Folios i, 2; Folios 3, 4, 'it e're he 
 7o«g ■* ;»Capell, 'it, ere't he long'; Collier MS., 'it off, ere long'; 
 Orson, ' at it.' 
 
 I. iv. 22. '' on tJie turrets/ Folios, ' in an upper chamber of a 
 tower' (Malone). 
 
 I. iv. 2y. 'Duke'; Theobald's emendation of ' Earle' of the 
 Folios. 
 
 I. iv. ^^. ' so vile-esteem'd ' ; Pope, ' so vilde esteentd ' ; Folios, 
 ' so pil'd estecm'd ' ; Capell, ' so pill'd cstccm'd ' ; Mason, ' so ill- 
 esteeni'd/ etc. 
 
 L iv. 95. 'like thee, Nero,' Malone; Folio i, 'like thee'; Folio 
 2, 'Nero like will'; Folios 3, 4, 'Nero like, will'; Pope, 'Nero- 
 like/ etc. 
 
 I. iv. loi. Joan la Puccllc'; Folios, 'Joan de Puacl' (and else- 
 where). 
 
 I. V. 6. 'Blood will I draw on thee, thou art a zvitch'; "the 
 superstition of those times taught that he that could draw the 
 witch's blood was free from her power " (Johnson). 
 
 I. V. 21. 'like Hannibal! who, in order to escape, devised the 
 stratagem of fixing lighted twigs to the horns of oxen. {Cp. Livy, 
 xxii. 16.) 
 
 I. V. 30. ' treacherous from ' ; so Folios 3, 4 ; Folios t, 2, ' treach- 
 .erous from'; Pope, ' tim'rous from.' 
 
 I. vi. 2. 'English' (trisyllabic), so Folio i; Folios 2, 3, 4, 
 ' English wolves ' ; Staunton, ' English dogs.' 
 
 I. vi. 6. 'Adonis' gardens.' "The proverb alluded to seems al- 
 ways to have been used in a bad sense, for things which make a 
 fair show for a few days, and then wither away ; but the author 
 of this play, desirous of making a show of his learning, without 
 considering its propriety, has made, the Dauphin apply it as an 
 encomium" (Blakeway). Cp. Faerie Queen, III. vi. 29; Folio i, 
 ' Garden.' 
 
 I. vi. 22. ' Than Rhodope's or Memphis',' Hanmer's emendation; 
 Folios, 'or Memphis'; (Tapell's 'of Memphis' has been generally 
 adopted. Pliny, writing of the pyramids near Memphis, records 
 that " the fairest and most commended for workmanship was built 
 at the cost and charges of one Rhodope, a verie strumpet." 
 
 I. vi. 25. ' the rich-jewel'd coffer of Darius ' ; referred to by 
 
 130
 
 KING HENRY VI. 
 
 Notes 
 
 Plutarch in his "Life of Alexander," as the " preciousest thing. 
 and the richest that was gotten of all spoyls and riches, taken at 
 the overthrow of Darius ... he said he would put the Iliads 
 of Homer into it, as the worthiest thing." 
 
 II. i. 8. ' redoubted Burgundy ' ; Duke of Burgundy, surnamed 
 Philip the Good. 
 
 II. i. 29. 'all together'; Rowe's emendation of 
 Folios. 
 
 II. i. 40. ' ay, and glad ' ; Folios, ' I and glad ' ; Pope, ' / am 
 glad.' ^ 
 
 II. i. 63. 'your quarters' ; 'your 
 ' our ' ; ' quarters ' ; so Folios i. 2, 3 : 
 
 II. ii. 20. 'Arc,' Rowe's emendation of 'Acre' of Folios. 
 
 II. ii. 38. ' Auvergne ' ; Rowe's emendation of Folio i, 
 'Ouergne'; Folios 2, 3, ' Auergnc' ; Folio 4, ' Avergne.' 
 
 II. iii. 49. ' / substance ' ; Vaughan proposed to read, 7 shadozv, 
 aye and substance.' 
 
 II. iv. 6. 'in the error' \ Johnson (adopted by Capell), ' i' the 
 right' ; Hudson, 'in error.' 
 
 altogether ' of 
 
 so Folio I ; Folios 2, 3, 
 Folio 4, ' Quarter: 
 
 The Temple Garden. 
 From Aggas's woodcut Ma_p 0/ London, preserved in Guildhall. 
 
 131
 
 Notes THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 II. iv. 83. ' His grandfather was Lionel, Duke of Clarence ' ; this 
 is erroneous ; Duke Lionel was his maternal great-great-grand- 
 father. 
 
 11. iv. 91. 'executed' ; Pope, 'headed'; Steevens, 'execute' 
 (probably to be read as a dissyllable). 
 
 II. iv. 117. 'wiped' \ Folios 2, 3, 4, ' wip't' ; Folio i, ' whipt.' 
 
 II. iv. 127. 'a thousand'; Collier MS., 'Ten thousand.' 
 
 II. iv. 132. 'gentle sir'; so Folios 2, 3, 4; Folio i, 'gentle.' 
 Anon conj. 'gentlemen.' 
 
 11. iv. The Temple Garden. (Cp. illustration.) 
 
 II. V. ' enter Mortimer ' ; Edmund Mortimer served under 
 Henry V. in 1422, and died in his castle in Ireland in 1424. 
 
 II. V. 6. 'an age of care'; Collier MS., 'a cage of care.' 
 
 II. V. 74. 'For by my mother I derived am'; 'mother' should 
 strictly be ' grandmother,' i.e. his father's mother. 
 
 II. V. 113. 'fair he all'; Theobald, 'fair befal.' 
 
 II. V. 123. ' choked with ambition of the meaner sort,' i.e. 
 " shifted by the ambition of those whose right to the crown was 
 inferior to his own " (Clarke). 
 
 II. V. 129, 'ill the advantage'; 'ill,' Theobald's emendation of 
 ' zuiW of the Folios. Collier MS., 'will the advancer.' 
 
 III. i. 53. 'Ay, see'; Rowe's emendation of ' /, see' of the 
 Folios ; Hanmer, ' I 'II see.' 
 
 III. i. 142. ' kind ' ; Pope, ' gentle ' ; Capell, ' kind, kind ' ; Collier 
 MS., 'and kind'; probably the line should be read: — 
 
 " O loving ihicle. \\ Kind Duke \ of Gloucester." 
 
 III. i. 199. 'lose,' should lose; Folio i. 'loose'; Folios 2, 3, 4, 
 ' should lose.' 
 
 III. ii. 14. ' Paysans, pauvres gens de France' ; Rowe's emenda- 
 tion of Folios, ' Peasauns la pouure,' etc. 
 
 III. ii. 40. ' the pride ' ; Theobald, ' the prise ' ; Hanmer, ' being 
 prize ' ; Jackson, ' the bride ' ; Vaughan, ' the gripe.' 
 
 HI. ii. 52. "all despite'; Collier MS., 'hell's despite.' 
 
 HI. ii. ys- 'God be wi' you'; Rowe's emendation of Folios, 
 ' God b' uy.' 
 
 HI. ii. 118. 'and martial'; Collier MS., 'and matchless' ; 
 Vaughan, ' unmatchable.' 
 
 HI. iii. 85. 'Done like a Frenchman: turn, and turn again'; 
 "the inconstancy of the French was always a subject of satire, I 
 have read a dissertation to prove that the index of the wind upon 
 
 132
 
 KING HENRY VI. Notes 
 
 our steeples was made in form of a cock to ridicule the French 
 for their frequent changes" (Johnson). 
 
 III. iv. i8. '/ do remember' ; "Henry was. but nine months 
 old when his father died, and never even saw him " (Malone). 
 
 III. iv. 38. ' the lazv of arms is such ' ; "By the ancient law 
 before the Conquest, fighting in the king's palace, or before the 
 king's judges, was punished with death. And by Statute Z3, 
 Henry VIII., 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 the loss of the offender's 
 right hand " (Blackstone). 
 
 IV. i. 19, 'at the battle of Patay ' ; Capell's emendation (adopted 
 by Malone) of ' Poictiers' of the Folios. The battle of Poictiers 
 was fought 1357; the date of the present scene is 1428. 
 
 IV. i. 180. ' And if I wist he did' Capell ; Folios, ' And if I wish 
 he did'; Rowe, 'And if I wish he did. — '; Theobald (in text), 
 'An if I zuis lie did. — ' ', (in note), 'And if I wis, he did. — ' ; 
 Johnson, 'And if — / wish — he did — ' or 'And if he did, — / wish — ' ; , 
 Steevens, 'And, if I wist, he did, — .' 
 
 IV. ii. 14. ' their love '; Hanmer, ' our love.* 
 
 IV. ii. 22. ' war ' ; Capell, ' death.' 
 
 IV. ii. 26. ' spoil ' ', Vaughan, ' steel.' 
 
 IV. iii. 51. ' That ever living man of memory' i.e. that overman 
 of living memory. Lettsom, ' man of ever-living.' 
 
 IV. iv. 16. ' legions' Rowe's emendation of Folios ' Regions.' 
 
 IV. iv. 19. ' in advantage lingering ' ; Staunton, ' in disadvantage 
 ling'ring ' ; Lettsom, ' m disvantage lingering ' ; Vaughan, ' disad- 
 vantage ling'ring.' Johnson explains the phrase, " Protracting his 
 resistance by the advantage of a strong post " ; Malone, " Endeav- 
 ouring by every means, with advantage to himself, to linger out 
 the action." 
 
 IV. iv. 31. 'host'; so Folios 3, 4; Folios i, 2, ' hoast'; Theo- 
 bald's conjecture (adopted by Hanmer), 'horse/ 
 
 IV. iv. 42. 'rescue: he is'; Folios i, 2, 'rescue, he is'; Folios 
 3, 4, 'rescue, if he is'; Rowe (ed. i), 'rescue, if he's'; (ed. 2), 
 ' rescue, he 's'; Pope, ' rescue now, he 's.' 
 
 IV. V. 39. 'shame'; Walker, ' sham'd.' 
 
 IV. vi. 44. ' On that advantage,' so the Folios ; Tljeobald con- 
 jectured 'On that bad vantage,' but subsequently read, 'Out on 
 that vantage'; Hanmer, 'Oh! what advantage'; Vaughan, 'Oh 
 hated vantage! ' etc. 
 
 133
 
 Notes THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 IV. vii. 3. 
 
 'Triumphant Death, smeai-'d zvith captivity. 
 Young Talbot's valour makes me smile at tJiee'; 
 
 the phrase ' smear' d with captivity' has not been clearly ex- 
 plained; at first sight it is difficult to determine its exact force, 
 and whether the words refer to Death or to the speaker (Talbot). 
 Leo explains that ' Death is supposed to go triumphantly over the 
 battle field, smeared with the terrible aspect of captivity ' ; but 
 possibly the reference is to the Christian belief that Christ took 
 Death captive. Death the Victor is, from this point of view, 
 Death the Victim; it is. as it were, unconsciousiy smeared {i.e. 
 smirched) with the wretched (not the terrible) aspect of captivity. 
 IV. vii. 60. ' But where 's' ; so Folios ; Rowe, ' Where is ' ; Lett- 
 som proposed 'First, where 's.' 
 
 IV. vii. 70. 'Henry'; so Folio i; Folios 2, 3, 4, 'our King 
 Henry.' The line is probably to be read : — 
 
 ' Great mareshal to Henery the Sixth.' 
 
 V. i. 17. 'Knit,' the reading of the Folios; Pope first suggested 
 ' kin,' which was also adopted by Theobald. Hanmer, Warburton, 
 and Johnson; Capell restored 'knit' which was adopted by 
 Steevens and Malone. The Cambridge editions see in 'knit' "a 
 conceit suggested by the * Knot of amity ' in the preceding line." 
 
 V. i. 21. 'Marriage, uncle! alas, my years are young!' Pope 
 reads, 'Marriage, alas! my years are yet too young'; Capell, 
 ' Marriage, good uncle! alas, my years are young ' ; Walker, ' Mar- 
 riage, uncle, 'las my years are young.' 
 
 V. i. 21. 'My years are young'; "His majesty was, however, 
 twenty-four years old " (Malone). 
 
 V. i. 49. 'where inshipp'd' ; the reading of Folio 4; Folios i, 2, 
 'wherein ship'd'; Folio 3, 'wherein shipp'd.' 
 
 V. iii. 10. 'speedy and quick'; Pope, 'speedy quick'; Walker, 
 ' speed and quick.' ' argues ' ; Vaughan, ' urges.' 
 
 V. iii. 10. ' cull'd'; Collier MS.. ' call'd.' 
 
 V. iii. II. 'regions'; Folios, 'Regions' ; Warburton. 'legions.' 
 
 V. iii. 48, 49. 'I kiss . . . side'; Capell and other editors 
 transpose these lines : — ' And lay . . . side. I kiss . . . [kiss- 
 ing her hand] . . . peace.' 
 
 V. iii. 57. ' Keeping them prisoner underneath her zvings ' ; 
 Folios I, 2, 'prisoner'; Folios 3, 4, 'prisoners'; Vaughan, ' pris- 
 
 134
 
 KING HENRY VI. Notes 
 
 oned'; 'her wings' Folios 3, 4; Folio i, 'his zvings'; Folio 2, 
 ' hir wings ' ; Vaughan, ' its wings.' 
 
 V. iii. 63. 'Twinkling another counterfeited beam'; Vaughan, 
 'Kindling another counterfeited beam'; or 'Twinkling in other 
 counterfeited beams.' 
 
 V. iii. 68. 'Hast not a tongue? is she not here?' Anon, conj., 
 'tongue to speak f 'here?'; Folio i, 'heere?'; Folios 2, 3, 4, 
 ' heere thy prisoner'; Keightley, 'here alone'; Lettsom, 'here in 
 place,' or 'here beside thee'; Vaughan. 'present here.' 
 
 V. iii. 71. 'makes the senses rough'; so the Folios; Hanmer, 
 'makes the senses crouch'; Capell, 'make . . . crouch'; Jack- 
 son, 'makes the senses touch'; Collier MS., 'mocks the sense of 
 touch.' 
 
 V. iii. 78,79. 'She's beautiful, and tJierefore to be woo'd,' etc. 
 These lines were evidently proverbial ; cp. Richard III., I. ii. 228, 
 230, and Titus Andronicus, II. i. 82, 83. 
 
 V. iii. 108. 'Lady'; Capell, 'Nay, hear me, lady'; Collier MS., 
 'Lady, pray tell me'; Lettsom, 'Lady, szveet lady'; Dyce, '/ 
 prithee, lady.' 
 
 V. iii. 145. 'And here I will expect thy coming'; Dyce, 'here, 
 my lord'; Folio 4, 'coming'; Folios i, 2, 3, ' comming' ; Capell, 
 'coming, Reignier'; Collier MS., 'coming down'; Anon, conj., 
 'coming, king'; Anon, conj., 'communing.' 
 
 V. iii. 154. 'country' ; so the Folios; Theobald, 'counties' ; 
 Capell, ' countries ' ; Malone, ' county.' 
 
 V. iii. 179. 'modestly' ; Folio i, ' modestie.' 
 
 V. iii. 192. 'And natural'; Perring, 'Maid-natural' ; Capell, 
 'And'; Folio i, 'Mad'; Folios 2, 3, 4, 'Made'; Pope, 'Her'; 
 Collier, "Mid'; Jackson conj. 'Man'; Barry, 'Made'; Vaughan, 
 ' Mild: 
 
 V. iv. 2>7- 'Not me begotten'; Anon, conj., 'Me, not begotten'; 
 Malone, 'Not one begotten'; Anon conj., 'Not mean-begotten.' 
 
 V. iv. 49. 'No, misconceived! ' so Steevens; Folios, i. 2, 3, 
 ' IVo misconceived,' Folio 4, 'no misconceived Joan'; Capell, 'No, 
 misconceivers'; Vaughan, 'No, misconceited! ' 
 
 V. iv. 121. ' Poison'd' ; Theobald, ' prison' d.' 
 
 V. iv. 150. ' Stand' st thou aloof upon comparison?' "Do you 
 stand to compare your present state, a state which you have 
 neither right nor power to maintain, with the terms which we 
 offer? " (Johnson). 
 
 V. V. 39. ' Yes, my lord ' ; so Folio i ; Folios 2, 3, 4, ' Yes, my 
 good lord'; Anon, conj., 'Yes, yes, my lord,' or 'Why, yes, my 
 
 135
 
 Notes 
 
 THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 lord'; Dyce, ' O, yes, my lord'; Vaughan, 'Yes, my lord — 
 more.' 
 
 V. V, 55. ' Marriage ' ; so Folio i ; Folios 2, 3, 4, read ' But 
 marriage ' ; perhaps we should read ' marriage.' 
 
 V. V. 64. ' bringeth,' the reading of Folio i ; Folios 2, 3, 4, 
 ' hrmgeth forth'; perhaps the difficulty of the line is due to the 
 quadrisyllabic nature of the word ' contrary ' = ' conterary.' 
 
 V. V. 90. ' To cross' ; Walker, ' Across.' 
 
 Joan la Pucelle (I. iv. loi, etc. 
 From the painting in the Town Hail of Rouen. 
 
 136
 
 KING HENRY VI. 
 
 Explanatory Notes. 
 
 The Explanatory Notes in this edition have been specially selected and 
 adapted, with emendations after the latest and best authorities, from the 
 most eminent Shakespearian scholars and commentators, including Johnson, 
 Malone, Steevens, Singer, Dyce, Hudson, White, Furness, Dowden, and 
 others. This method, here introduced for the first time, provides the best 
 annotation of Shakespeare ever embraced in a single edition. 
 
 ACT FIRST. 
 Scene I. 
 
 [1-7.] These opening lines — which Coleridge more than inti- 
 mates that only asinine stupidity could attribute to Shakespeare — 
 might, as well as other passages in the three parts of Henry VI., 
 have provoked from Greene taunts of the author's ability "to 
 bumbast out a blanke verse," and here at the outset we give the 
 well-known literary curiosity left by the great Poet's fellow 
 dramatist : — 
 
 To those Gentlemen, his Quondam acquaintance, that spend their 
 
 wits in making Plaics, R. G. zvisheth a better exercise, 
 
 and wisdom to prevent his extremities. 
 
 Thou famous gracer of Tragedians, . . . young Juvenall, that 
 byting Satyrist, . . . and thou no less deserving than the other 
 two. . . . Base-minded men al three of you, if by my miserie ye 
 be not warned, for unto none of you (like me) sought those burres 
 to cleave: those Puppets (I mean) that speake from our mouths, 
 those anticks garnisht in our colours. Is it not strange that I, to 
 whom they all have been beholding; is it not like that you, to 
 whom they all have been beholding, shall (were ye in that case 
 that I am now) be both at once of them forsaken? Yes, trust 
 them not : for there is an upstart Crow, beautified with our 
 feathers, that with his Tygers heart wrapt in a Players hide, 
 supposes he is as well able to bumbast out a blanke verse as the 
 best of you; and being an absolute Johannes fac totum, is in his 
 own conceit the onely Shake-scene in a countrie. O that I might 
 
 137
 
 THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 intreate your rare wits to be imployed in more profitable courses : 
 and let these Apes imitate your past excellence, and never more 
 acquaint them with your admired inventions. 
 
 — Greene's Groatsworth of Wit, bought zvitli a Million of 
 Repentance {written before his death [1592], and 
 published at his dying request). 
 
 Brandes says that " the allusion to Shakespeare's name is un- 
 equivocal, and the words about the tiger's heart point to the 
 outburst. ' O Tyger's hart wrapt in a serpents hide ! ' which is 
 found in two places : first in the play called The True Tragedie of 
 Richard Duke of Yorke, and the Death of the good King Henrie 
 the Sixt, and then (with ' womans ' substituted for * serpents '), in 
 the third part of King Henry VI., founded on the True Tragedie, 
 and attributed to Shakespeare. It is preposterous to interpret this 
 passage as an attack upon Shakespeare in his quality as an actor; 
 Greene's words, beyond all doubt, convey an accusation of literary 
 dishonesty. Everything points to the belief that Greene and 
 Marlowe had collaborated in the older play, but that the former 
 saw with disgust the success achieved by Shakespeare's adapta- 
 tion of their text." 
 
 I. Hung be the heavens with black : — The upper part of the 
 stage was in Shakespeare's time technically called the heavens, 
 and was used to be hung with black when tragedies were per- 
 formed. 
 
 3. your crystal tresses : — The epithet crystal was often applied 
 to comets by the old writers. So in a sonnet by Lord Sterline, 
 1604: " Whenas those crystal comets whiles appear." 
 
 17. [Exeter.] Thomas Beaufort, Duke of Exeter, was son to 
 John of Ghent by Catharine Swynford ; born out of wedlock, but 
 legitimated along with three other children in the time of Richard 
 II. Of course therefore he was great-uncle to King Henry VI. 
 At the death of Henry V. he was appointed governor of the infant 
 king, which office he held till his death in 1425. The dramatist, 
 however, prolongs his life till 1444, the period of Part I. Hol- 
 inshed calls him " a right sage and discreet counsellor." The 
 name Beaufort was derived from the place of his birth, which was 
 Beaufort Castle in France. 
 
 28. {Winchester.] Henry Beaufort, known in history as "the 
 great Bishop of Winchester." was brother to the Duke of Exeter. 
 At this time he held the office of chancellor, and was associated 
 with Exeter in the governing of the infant sovereign. The quar- 
 
 138
 
 KING HENRY VI. Notes 
 
 rel between him and his nephew, the Duke of Gloucester, did not 
 break out till 1425, though it had been brewing in secret for some 
 time. In 1427 he was adv.inced by Pope Martin to the office of 
 cardinal. The matter is related by Holinshed. 
 
 Scene II. 
 
 I et seq. In the second Scene Shakespeare brings us at once 
 into the heart of the extraordinary circumstances in which the 
 final discomfiture of the English commenced — the appearance of 
 Joan of Arc before Orleans, and the marvellous success which 
 attended that appearance. There was a real interval of nearly 
 seven years between the events of the first Scene and of the 
 second. Henry V. died on the 31st of August, 1422; Joan of Arc 
 entered Orleans in April, 1429. Here, then, begins fhe true 
 dramatic action of this play. The preceding Scene is in the 
 nature of a prologue, and is the keynote of what is to follow. 
 
 30. Olivers and Roivlands : — These were two of the most 
 famous in the list of Charlemagne's twelve peers; and their 
 exploits are the theme of old romances. From the equally 
 doughty and unheard-of exploits of these champions arose the 
 saying of Giving a Rowland for an Oliver, for giving a person as 
 good as he brings. 
 
 98-101. sword . . . chose forth : — This is taken from the 
 chronicler : " Then at the Dolphins sending by hir assignement, 
 from Saint Katharins church of Fierbois in Touraine, where she 
 never had beene, in a secret place there among old iron, ap- 
 pointed she hir sword to be sought out and brought hir, that with 
 five floure delices was graven on both sides, wherewith she fought, 
 and did manie slaughters by hir owne hands." 
 
 150. [Exeunt.] The matter of this Scene is thus related by 
 Holinshed: "In time of this siege at Orleance, French stories 
 saie, unto Charles the Dolphin at Chinon was caried a yoong 
 wench of an eighteene yeeres old called Joan Arc, borne at 
 Domprin upon Meuse in Loraine. Of favour was she counted 
 likesome, of person stronglie made and manlie, of courage great, 
 hardie, and stout withall, an understander of counsels though 
 she were not at them, great semblance of chastitie both of bodie 
 and behaviour, the name of Jesus in hir mouth about all hir 
 businesses, humble, obedient, and fasting diverse daies in the 
 weeke. Unto the Dolphin in his gallerie when first she was 
 brought, and he shadowing himselfe behind, setting other gaie 
 
 139
 
 Notes THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 lords before him to trie hir cunning, she pickt him out alone, 
 who thereupon had her to the end of the gallerie, where she held 
 him an houre in secret and private talke, that of his privie 
 chamber was thought verie long, and therefore would have 
 broken it off; but he made them a sign to let hir saie on." 
 
 Scene III. 
 
 34. to murder our dead lord : — One of Gloucester's charges 
 against Cardinal Beaufort was that, when Henry V, was Prince 
 of Wales, the Cardinal plotted for his assassination in the palace 
 of Westminster, where the prince was lodged. 
 
 39, 40. This be Damascus, etc. : — The allusion here is well ex- 
 plained by a passage in The Travels of Sir John Mandevillc : " In 
 that place where Damascus was founded. Kayn sloughe Abel his 
 brother." And Ritson has another of like drift from the Fuly- 
 chronicon: "Damascus is as much as to say shedding of blood; 
 for there Chaym slew Abel, and hid him in the sand." 
 
 47. Blue coats to tawny coats : — It appears from this, that 
 Gloucester's servants wore blue coats, and Winchester's tazvny. 
 Such was the usual livery of servants in the Poet's time, and long 
 before. Stowe informs us that on a certain occasion the Bishop 
 of London " was attended on by a goodly company of gentlemen 
 in tawny coats." 
 
 91. [Exeunt.] The account of this stormy brawl, as given in 
 the old chronicles, runs substantially thus : The duke being 
 absent a while, the bishop caused the Tower to be garrisoned, and 
 committed to the care of Richard Woodville, with orders " to 
 admit no one more powerful than himself." The duke, at his 
 return, demanding lodgings in the Tower, and being refused, 
 forthwith ordered the mayor to close the gates of the city against 
 the bishop, and to furnish him with five hundred horsemen, that 
 he might visit in safety the young King at Eltham. The next 
 morning the bishop's retainers undertook to burst open the gate 
 on the bridge, and placed archers in the houses on each side of 
 the road, declaring that, as their lord was excluded from the city; 
 so they would keep the duke from leaving it. 
 
 Scene IV. 
 
 95. Plantagenet: — This looks as if the dramatist thought Salis- 
 bury's name Plantagenet, while in fact it was Thomas Montacute. 
 
 140
 
 KING HENRY VI. Notes 
 
 " This earle." says Holinshed, " was the man at that time by whose 
 wit, strength, and policie, the English name was much terrible to 
 the French ; which of himselfe might both appoint, command, and 
 doo all things in manner at his pleasure ; for suerlie he was both 
 painefull, diligent, and ready to withstand all dangerous chances 
 that were in hand, prompt in counsell. and of courage invincible; 
 so that in no one man men put more trust, nor any singular per- 
 son wan the harts so much of all men." 
 
 ACT SECOND. 
 Scene I. 
 
 8. redoubted Burgundy : — This duke succeeded to the title in 
 1419, at which time his father was murdered. The murder was 
 one of the darkest deeds done in that land of perfidy and blood. 
 In pursuance of a special arrangement the victim went to confer 
 with the Dauphin at Montereau. At his coming he found that 
 three barriers, each having a gate, had been, drawn across the 
 bridge, and was told that the Dauphin had been waiting for him 
 more than an hour. Having with twelve attendants passed two 
 of the gates, which were quickly locked behind him, he there bent 
 his knee to the Dauphin, who had come forth to meet him; and, 
 while addressing him in that posture, was struck in the face 
 with an axe by one of the Dauphin's servants, and before he 
 could make any defence, a multitude of wounds laid him dead on 
 the ground. This rare piece of atrocity had the effect of binding 
 his son Philip in close alliance with England, which was further 
 strengthened and prolonged by the marriage of Bedford with his 
 sister in 1423. Her death, which occurred in 1432, greatly loos- 
 ened the bonds between her brother and the regent. At length, 
 under the mediation of the pope, a congress of English, French, 
 and Burgundian ambassadors was held at Arras in 1435, which 
 ended in a reconciliation of Burgundy and the Dauphin, who had 
 then succeeded to the crown of France. The Poet represents 
 the detaching of Burgundy from England to have been brought 
 about by Joan of Arc ; for which the only historical ground is 
 that Joan wrote a letter to the duke urging upon him the course 
 which he afterwards took. 
 
 78. [They fly.] This retaking of Orleans is a fiction of the 
 dramatist's. In fact, little advance was made towards taking the 
 
 141
 
 Notes THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 city after the death of Salisbury; though (according to Holin- 
 shed) Talbot, Fastolfe, and others, " caused bastilles to be made 
 round about the citie, and left nothing unattempted. that might 
 advance their purpose." Thenceforth the siege was turned into 
 a blockade, but supplies and reinforcements were still received 
 into the place. After Joan and her convoy entered the town, 
 which was in April, 1429, the English did not stir from their en- 
 trenchments ; and in May they gave over and withdrew. 
 
 Scene II. 
 
 38. Countess of Auvergne: — As Ulrici has observed, the drama- 
 tist required a definite centre for the war represented in this play, 
 which centre was after all furnished historically by the life and 
 death of Talbot ; and Ulrici adds : " In order to bring this centre 
 more prominently forward, and to throw more glory upon the 
 English popular hero, Shakespeare has also interwoven the story 
 of the Countess of Auvergne, which the Chronicles have left unre- 
 ported, but which popular tradition probably put into the Poet's 
 hands. At all events, the story has quite the character of a tra- 
 ditional anecdote." 
 
 Scene III. 
 
 [The Countess's castle.] Hudson says that "of whole scenes, 
 the third in Act II., between old Talbot and the Countess of 
 Auvergne, is in the conception and the execution a genuine stroke 
 of Shakespearian art, full of dramatic spirit, and making a strong 
 point of stage effect in the most justifiable sense." 
 
 Scene IV. 
 
 [The Temple-garden.] Hudson says that in this Scene "we 
 have a concentration of true dramatic life issuing in a series of 
 forcible and characteristic flashes, where every word tells with 
 singular effect both as a development of present temner and a 
 germ of many tragic events. And. on the higher principles of art, 
 how fitting it was that this outburst of smothered rage, this dis- 
 tant ominous grumbling of the tempest, should be followed by the 
 subdued and plaintive tones that issue from the prison of the 
 aged Mortimer, where we have the very spring and cause of the 
 
 142
 
 KING HENRY VI. Notes 
 
 gathering storm discoursed in a strain of melancholy music and 
 a virtual sermon of revenge and slaughter breathed from dying 
 lips," Herford calls this " the most Shakespearian scene of all, 
 which, in fact, links the first part most signally with the sequel," 
 but he adds that it " cannot be conclusively held to have been de- 
 signed as such a link; for the situation is repeated (with far in- 
 ferior power) in 2 Henry VL, 11. ii., where Warwick once more 
 listens to the case for York. It is more plausible to suppose that 
 II. iv. was originally designed to give cohesion to the Talbot play, 
 by explaining the animosity of Somerset to which Talbot owes 
 his fall." 
 
 I. [Plantagenet.] This Richard Plantagenet was son of the 
 earl of Cambridge who was overtaken in a plot against the life 
 of Henry V., and executed at Southampton, That earl was a 
 younger brother of Edward Duke of York, who fell at the battle 
 of Agincourt, and had no child to succeed him. So that on his 
 father's side Richard was grandson to Edmund of Langley, the 
 fourth son of Edward III. His mother was Anne, sister of Ed- 
 mund Mortimer, Earl of March, and great-granddaughter to 
 Lionel, Duke of Clarence, who was the second son of Edward HI. 
 In 1425, the fourth year of Henry VL, Richard was restored to 
 the rights and titles that had been forfeited by his father, and was 
 made Duke of York. After the death of Bedford, in 1435, he suc- 
 ceeded him as regent of France; was recalled two years later, and 
 appointed again in 1441. Some three years after, being supplanted 
 in that office by his rival, the Duke of Somerset, he took the gov- 
 ernment of Ireland instead, from whence he began to stretch forth 
 his hand to the crown. 
 
 10. [Somerset.] The Earl of Somerset at this time was John 
 Beaufort, grandson to John of Ghent by Catharine Swynford, and 
 of course nephew to the Duke of Exeter and the Bishop of Win- 
 chester. He was afterwards advanced to the rank of duke, and 
 died in 1432, leaving his title to his brother Edmund; his only 
 surviving child being Margaret, who was married to the Earl of 
 Richmond, and thence became the mother of Henry VII. So that 
 there were two Dukes of Somerset in the time of this play, though 
 the author does not distinguish them; or rather he prolongs the 
 life of John several years beyond its actual date. 
 
 II, [IVarzvick.] This Earl of Warwick was Richard Beau- 
 champ, surnamed the Good. He was esteemed the greatest of the 
 captains formed in the great school of Henry V. After the death 
 of Exeter, he was appointed governor of the young King in 1426. 
 
 143
 
 Notes THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 When York was first recalled from the regency of France, in 1437, 
 Warwick succeeded him, with the title of Lieutenant-general and 
 Governor of France, and died at Rouen in May, 1439. The 
 dramatist, however, keeps him alive till the end of the play, or at 
 least does not distinguish him from Henry, who succeeded him. 
 
 86. the place's privilege: — It does not appear that the Temple 
 had any privilege of sanctuary at this time, being then, as now, the 
 residence of law students. The author might imagine it to have 
 derived some such privilege from the Knights Templars, or 
 Knights Hospitalers, both religious orders, its former inhabitants. 
 It is true, blows may have been prohibited by the regulations of 
 the society : the author perhaps did not much consider the matter, 
 but represents it as suited his purpose. 
 
 Scene V. 
 
 [Enter Mortimer.'] This Scene is at variance with history, Ed- 
 mund Mortimer, Earl of March, who was trusted and employed by 
 Henry V. throughout his reign, died of the plague in his own cas- 
 tle at Trim, in Ireland, in 1424, being then only thirty-two years 
 old. His uncle. Sir John Mortimer, was indeed a prisoner in the 
 Tower, and was executed not long before the Earl of March's 
 death, being charged with an attempt to make his escape in order 
 to stir up an insurrection in Wales, The dramatist was led into 
 error by the popular historians of his time, whose accounts dis- 
 agree. Hall says that the Earl of March " was ever kepte in the 
 eourte under such a keeper that he could neither do nor attempt 
 any thyng agaynste the kyng wythout his knowledge, and died 
 without issue." 
 
 88. Levied an army: — This is another departure from history. 
 Cambridge levied no army, but was apprehended at Southampton 
 the night before Henry sailed from that town for France, on the 
 information of this very Earl of March. 
 
 96. Thou art my heir, etc.: — I acknowledge you to be my heir; 
 the legal consequences growing from this I wish you to infer for 
 yourself. 
 
 ACT THIRD. 
 Scene I. 
 
 [bill] Gloucester offers to put up articles of accusation, called a 
 bill. This Parliament was held in 1426 at Leicester, though here 
 
 144
 
 KING HENRY VI. Notes 
 
 represented to have been held in London. King Henry was now 
 in the fifth year of his age. In the first Parliament, which was 
 held at London shortly after his father's death, his mother. Queen 
 Katharine, brought the young King from Windsor to the metropo- 
 lis, and sat on the throne with the infant in her lap. 
 
 Scene II. 
 
 40. Pride here signifies haughty pozver. So, afterwards, in IV. 
 vi. 15 : " And from the p)'ide of Gallia rescued thee." The gen- 
 eral sentiment of the English respecting Joan of Arc is very well 
 shown in that the regent, soon after the coronation at Rheims, 
 wrote to Charles VIL, complaining that " he had, by the allure- 
 ment of a dcvclish witch, taken upon him the name, title, and dig- 
 nitie of the King of France," and challenging him to a trial of 
 the question by private combat. Divers other choice vitupera- 
 tive epithets are stuck upon the heroic maiden by the old chroni- 
 clers, such as " false miscreant," and " a damnable sorcerer sub- 
 orned by Satan." 
 
 114. [Bedford dies.] This scene of feigning, fighting, jesting, 
 dying, and running away, is a fiction of the dramatist's ; though 
 there are several passages in the war in France, that might have 
 furnished a hint and basis for it. The regent died quietly in his 
 bed at Rouen, September 14, 1435, and was buried in the cathedral. 
 It is said that some years after Louis XL, being urged to remove 
 his bones and deface his monument, replied, " I will not war with 
 the remains of a prince who was once a match for your fathers 
 and mine ; and who, were he now alive, would make the proudest 
 of us tremble. Let his ashes rest in peace, and may the Almighty 
 have mercy on his soul ! " 
 
 Scene III. 
 
 Ulrici has the following remarks, which, as he says, genius sub- 
 stantially adopts and particularly applies to Henry VI. : " Shake- 
 speare's deviations from actual history, more especially those in 
 regard to chronology, which he might otherwise have avoided, 
 were made with a view of giving a vivid representation of both the 
 inner and the outer connection of the greater whole, and of the 
 ideal character, the ethical significance of the events in the several 
 parts. These deviations refer only to points in which he has 
 differed from the chronicles and popular histories of his day, to 
 
 145
 
 Notes THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 the exclusion of all such corrections as have been gained by mod- 
 ern investigations. It was only such sources that Shakespeare 
 zvisJicd to and could follow, owing to the character of dramatic 
 poetry, which is necessarily popular; he could not have adopted 
 the results of learned historiography even though — what was not 
 generally the case— these had existed at his time." 
 
 ACT FOURTH. 
 Scene I. 
 
 I. tJie crown : — The crowning of King Henry at Paris took 
 place December 17, 143 1. Concerning that event Holinshed has 
 the following : " To speake with what honour he was received 
 into the citie of Paris, what pageants were prepared, and how 
 richlie the gates, streets, bridges on everie side were hanged with 
 costlie clothes of arras and tapestrie, it would be too long a 
 processe, and therefore I doo heere pass it over with silence." 
 Nevertheless the occasion was but poorly attended save by for- 
 eigners, none of the higher French nobility gracing it with their 
 presence. 
 
 Scene II. 
 
 II. Lean famine, etc.: — This figure was much used by the old 
 poets. It occurs in the Prologue to Act I., of Henry V., line 7. So, 
 likewise, in the answer of Henry V. to the citizens of Rouen, when 
 he was besieging that city in 1419, as reported in Holinshed : " That 
 the goddesse of battell called Bellona, had three handmaidens ever 
 of necessitie attending upon hir, as blood, fire, and famine. And 
 whereas it laie in his choise to use them all three, yea, two, or 
 one of them, at his pleasure, he had appointed onlie the meekest 
 of those three damsels to punish them of that citie, till they were 
 brought to reason." 
 
 49. rascal-like : — This use of rascal is well explained by a 
 passage from Verstegan's Restitution of Decayed Intelligence, 
 1605 : " As before I have showed how the ill names of beasts, in 
 their most contemptible state, are in contempt applied to women ; 
 so is rascall, being the name of an ill-favoured, leane, and worth- 
 lesse deere, commonly applied unto such men as are held of no 
 credit or worth," The figure is kept up by using heads of steel 
 for lances, referring to the deer's horns. 
 
 146
 
 KING HENRY VI. Notes 
 
 Scene III. 
 
 46. 'Long all of Somerset: — On the death of Bedford in 1435, 
 York succeeded him in the regency of France. In 1437 he was 
 superseded by Warwick, who died about two years after, and 
 York was reappointed. In this office Somerset took special pains 
 to cross and thwart him. The effects of their enmity are strongly 
 stated by Holinshed : " Although the Duke of York was worthie, 
 both for birth and courage, of this honour and preferment, yet so 
 disdeined of the Duke of Summerset, that by all means possible 
 sought his hindrance, as one glad of his losse, and sorie of his 
 well dooing: by reason whereof, yer the Duke of York could get 
 his despatch, Paris and diverse other of the cheefest places in 
 France were gotten by the French king. The Duke of York, per- 
 ceiving his evill will, openlie dissembled that which he inwardlie 
 minded, either of them working things to the others displeasure, 
 till, through malice and division betweene them, at length by mor- 
 tal warre they were both consumed, with almost all their whole 
 lines and offspring." 
 
 Scene IV. 
 
 13. bought and sold: — This expression seems to have been pro- 
 verbial; intimating that foul play had been used. So in King 
 John, V. iv. 10: " Fly, noble English, you are bought and sold." 
 
 Scene VII. 
 
 32. young John Talbot's grave : — The battle in which the Tal- 
 bots fell is known in history as the battle of Chatillon, the name 
 of a fortress not far from Bordeaux, and took place in July, 1453. 
 The occasion was this : The preceding year, while England was 
 torn with civil war, all France having been lost, the people of 
 Guienne, impatient of French tyranny, sent over a deputation, 
 offering to renew their allegiance, and soliciting the aid of an 
 army. The invitation was gladly accepted, and the command 
 given to the veteran Earl of Shrewsbury. The old hero used such 
 energy and despatch, that he took possession of Bordeaux and the 
 surrounding country before the French could interpose any hin- 
 drance. The next spring, while he was extending his conquests, 
 a French army invested Chatillon, which he had before taken and 
 fortified. Talbot, hastening to its relief, surprised and defeated a 
 
 147
 
 Notes THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 large body of the enemy; whereupon the French retired into an 
 intrenched camp lined with three hundred pieces of cannon. He 
 then ordered an assault, and the enemy began to waver, when the 
 arrival of a new body of men turned the day against him. 
 
 ACT FIFTH. 
 Scene I. 
 
 29. a cardinars degree : — Beaufort's preferment to this rank 
 having happened about fifteen years back, it may seem strange 
 that Exeter should now for the first time wonder at it as some- 
 thing new. This, however, is quite in keeping with other things 
 here, such as the alleged youth of the King, who was at this time 
 twenty-three years old. The point is thus stated by Coleridge : 
 " The history of our ancient kings — the events of their reigns, I 
 mean — are like stars in the sky ; whatever the real interspaces may 
 be, and however great, they seem close to each other. The stars — 
 the events — strike us and remain in our eye, little modified by the 
 difference of dates." 
 
 Scene III. 
 
 I. [Pucelle.] The manner in which the writer of this play 
 delineates this Joan of Arc in Act I. has been held to be one of the 
 proofs that Shakespeare was not the author. " But," observes 
 Knight, " however the dramatist may have represented this ex- 
 traordinary woman as a sorceress, and made her accuse herself of 
 licentious conduct, he has fallen very far short of the injustice 
 of the English chroniclers, who, no doubt, represented the tradi- 
 tionary opinions of the English nation." 
 
 6. The monarch of the north was Zimimar, one of the four prin- 
 cipal devils invoked by witches. The north was supposed to be 
 the particular habitation of bad spirits. Milton assembles the 
 rebel angels in the north. 
 
 30. [La Pucelle is taken.] The capture of Joan occurred in 
 May, 1430, twelve years before the event of the first Scene of this 
 Act, and more than five years before the death of Bedford, and 
 while Burgundy was yet in alliance with the English. The latter 
 undertaking to reduce the city of Compeigne, Joan went with an 
 army to raise the siege. On the march she met and routed a force 
 of Burgundians, and, having taken Franquet, their leader, had 
 
 148
 
 KING HENRY VL Notes 
 
 him beheaded on the spot. Reinforcements pouring in from all 
 sides,* she was soon forced to retreat, herself taking the rear- 
 guard, and repeatedly turning upon the pursuers, and keeping 
 them off : till, at last, her men being broken, she was pulled from 
 her horfee by an archer, and, lying on the ground, surrendered 
 herself. The heroine was then conducted to John of Luxemburg, 
 who some months after sold her into the hands of the regent. 
 
 62-64. As plays, etc. : — This comparison, made between things 
 sufficiently unlike, is intended to express the softness and delicacy 
 of Lady Margaret's beauty, which delighted, but did not dazzle ; 
 which was bright, but gave no pain by its lustre. Sidney, in his 
 Astrophel and Stella, supports this explanation : — 
 
 " Lest if no vaile these brave gleams did disguise, 
 They, sunlike, should more dazzle than delight." 
 
 Scene IV. 
 
 74. Machiavcl : — The character of Machiavelli seems to have 
 made so very deep an impression on the dramatic writers of the 
 age, that he is many times introduced by them, notwithstanding 
 the anachronism. So in The Valiant Welshman, 1615: "Read 
 Machiavel ; princes that would aspire must mock at hell." 
 
 92,93. consume to ashes, etc.: — Joan of Arc was burnt, as "an 
 agent of the devil," at Rouen, May 30. 1431. The inhuman sen- 
 tence was the result of an ecclestiastical trial, at which the Bishop 
 of Beauvais presided, she having been taken in his diocese. Yet 
 the violence of her enemies was not so cruel as the neglect of 
 those who oug^t to have been her friends. The matter is thus 
 stated by Lingard: "If ever prince were indebted to a subject, 
 Charles VIL was indebted to Joan of Arc. She had dispelled the 
 terror with which success had invested the English arms, had 
 reanimated the courage of the French soldiery, and had firmly 
 established the King on the throne of his ancestors. Yet, from 
 the moment of her captivity she appears to have been forgotten. 
 We read not of any sum offered for her ransom, or attempt made 
 to alleviate the rigour of her confinement, or notice taken of her 
 trial and execution." 
 
 175. a solemn peace: — This peace, which was in reality but a 
 truce, was negotiated by Suffolk, who had been sent as ambassador 
 for that purpose, an instrument having been first signed by the 
 King and approved by the Parliament, authorizing <him to conduct 
 
 149
 
 Notes THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 the treaty to the best of his abiHties, and pardoning beforehand 
 every error of judgement into which he might fall. The meeting 
 of ambassadors was at Tours in February, 1444; where many 
 things were moved for a final peace, but the best they could come 
 to was a truce for eighteen months. 
 
 [Scene V. 
 
 25-29. So should I give, etc. : — " Although this mariage," says 
 Holinshed, " pleased the King and diverse of his councell, yet 
 Humfrie Duke of Glocester. protector of the realme, was much 
 against it, alledging that it should be both contrarie to the lawes 
 of God, and dishonourable to the prince, if he should breake that 
 promise and contract of mariage, made by ambassadours suffi- 
 ciently instructed thereto, with the daughter of the Earle of 
 Arminacke, upon conditions both to him and his realme as much 
 profitable as honourable. But the duke's words could not be 
 heard, for the earles dooings were onelie liked and allowed." 
 
 103. Suffolk . . . goes: — Suffolk set forth on this expedi- 
 tion in October. 1444. Thus stands the account in Holinshed: 
 " The Earle of Sufifolke was made Marquesse of Suffolke, which 
 marquesse, with his wife and manie honourable personages of men 
 and women, richlie adorned both with apparell and jewels, having 
 with them manie costlie chariots and gorgeous horslitters, sailed 
 into France for the conveiance of the nominated queene into the 
 realme of England. For King Reiner, hir father, for all his long 
 stile, had too short a pursse to send his daughter honourablit to 
 the King hir spouse." 
 
 150
 
 KING HENRY VI. Questions 
 
 Questions on 1 Henry VL 
 
 1. What are some of the contemporary allusions to this play 
 that help to establish its date? 
 
 2. What are some of the arguments against the sole Shake- 
 spearian authorship of the play ? 
 
 3. Who have been suggested as collaborators ? 
 
 ACT FIRST. 
 
 4. What is there un-Shakespearian about the opening lines of 
 the play? 
 
 5. How are events of the preceding play, Henry V ., continued 
 in this one? 
 
 6. Criticise the manner in which the news brought by the mes- 
 sengers is delivered. Is it compatible with reality? 
 
 7. What is the situation presented in the first Scene? What 
 offices are held respectively by Bedford and Gloucester? What 
 threat is made by Winchester? 
 
 8. What is the condition of the French fortunes when Joan la 
 Pucelle appears? 
 
 9. What traits of character are here attributed to her that are 
 at variance with the Joan of tradition ? 
 
 10. Indicate the effect of Sc. ii. In what way does it contribute 
 to the development of the plot? How does it differ from the ac- 
 count given by the old chroniclers ? 
 
 11. From Sc. iv. what do you gather of Talbot's reputation? 
 What traits of character does he display ? 
 
 12. What is there un-Shakespearian about the battle-scene? 
 
 13. What effect does the dramatist wish to produce by bringing 
 Joan into personal conflict with Talbot? 
 
 14. What was the contemporaneous opinion of the English con- 
 cerning the secret of Joan's military success? 
 
 151
 
 THE FIRST PART OF 
 ACT SECOND. 
 
 15. Are the events presented in Sc. i. historically true? 
 
 16. How does the episode of the Countess of Auvergne (Sc. ii.) 
 illustrate the weak side of Talbot's nature? 
 
 17. Comment on the dramatic effectiveness of Sc. iii. Is the 
 matter reported in the chronicles? Has it any literary precedent? 
 Is the plot in any way assisted by it? 
 
 18. Sc. iv. has been regarded of undoubted Shakespearian 
 authorship. What do you see in it to support the view ? 
 
 19. What was the point of dispute between Plantagenet and 
 Somerset? Where has Shakespeare presented a picture of the 
 condemnation of Richard Earl of Cambridge? 
 
 20. Who was the Mortimer presented in Sc. v. ? What previous 
 plays have dealt with him? 
 
 21. Considered as an episode, what is the effect of Sc. v. ? Con- 
 sidered structurally, is this Scene a necessary part of the present 
 play? Is its value more apparent from a consideration of the 
 series of plays dealing with the Henrys? 
 
 22. What does Sc. v. contribute to the enveloping atmosphere of 
 Henry V 1. 1 
 
 ACT THIRD. 
 
 23. What is the dramatic purpose of the quarrel between Win- 
 chester and Gloucester in Sc. i.? In this Scene how are the for- 
 tunes of Plantagenet advanced? 
 
 24. In the speech of Exeter with which the Scene closes what is 
 foreshadowed ? 
 
 25. Was the taking of Rouen by the French through strategy 
 an historic fact? 
 
 26. Explain Joan's taunt (ii. 44) that the corn v^sls full of darnel. 
 
 27. What is lacking in the presentation of the cowardice of Sir 
 John Fastolfe to support the belief that he is Shakespeare's crea- 
 tion? 
 
 28. What is Joan's status among the French at the point of the 
 story marked by Sc. iii. ? 
 
 29. Is her persuasion of the Duke of Burgundy convincing? 
 What point of the rising action does this Scene mark? 
 
 30. Show what is effected by Sc. iv. 
 
 152
 
 KING HENRY VI. . Questions 
 
 ACT FOURTH. 
 
 31. How is the crowning of Henry in Sc. i. shown to be a mere 
 travesty ? 
 
 32. Show how Sc. i. is managed to secure a cumulative effect. 
 What does the entrance of Gloucester into the dispute (line 123) 
 serve to recall so that all the elements of internal strife confront- 
 ing Henry are brought to a focus in the Scene? 
 
 SS. Is youth the only excuse for the King's inadequacy? 
 
 34. What resemblance do you note between Talbot's speech be- 
 fore Bordeaux, at the beginning of Sc. ii., and that of Henry V. 
 before Harfleur? What bearing may this have upon the question 
 of the genuineness of the passage? 
 
 35. Support by reasons your belief, if so you judge them, that 
 lines 42-56 are Shakespearian. Comment on the elaborate figure 
 here used. Do you find many such in this play? 
 
 36. How do Scs. iii. and iv. show that the cause of England is 
 more jeopardized by the strife among her nobles than by the 
 power of France? 
 
 Sy. Explain the allusion of Sir William Lucy (iii. 47) to the 
 vulture of sedition. 
 
 38. Taking Scs. vi. and vii. as examples, may we deduce a pos- 
 sible law of Shakespeare's earlier aesthetic creed concerning the 
 harmony of sentiment and versification? Consider this in connec- 
 tion with the comedies of this approximate date — Love's Labour's 
 Lost, Comedy of Errors, and Two Gentlemen of Verona. 
 
 39. What effect has the death of Talbot on the English cause in 
 France? 
 
 40. What temper as conquerors is displayed by the French? 
 
 ACT FIFTH. 
 
 41. What defect in the King does Sc. i. reveal that may be 
 taken as the reason of his failure in France? What is his reply 
 when marriage is proposed? 
 
 42. To what position does Winchester attain? How did he 
 secure his preferment? What does his closing speech foreshadow? 
 
 43. Why is the final triumph of the English depicted from the 
 French point of view ? 
 
 44. Does Sc. iii. present a new phase of Joan's spiritual develop- 
 
 153
 
 Questions . THE FIRST PART OF 
 
 ment? State what it is and what the dramatist intends to convey 
 thereby. 
 
 45. Considering Henry VI. as a unit, does Margaret contribute 
 anything to the action? How does she serve as a link between 
 this and the succeeding parts of the trilogy? 
 
 46. How does the Shepherd of Sc. iv. differ from the portraits 
 of countrymen that Shakespeare has elsewhere furnished? What 
 trick of speech bears some resemblance to one frequently em- 
 ployed by him? 
 
 47. Does Joan in Sc. iv. exhibit any of the traits of those who 
 have accomplished considerable through belief in a supernatural 
 assistance, and who seek to maintain their rank and reputation 
 after they have felt the power withdrawn ? 
 
 48. In the presentation of this character does the play follow 
 the belief of the English regarding the real character of Joan, as 
 presented by Hall and HoHnshed? 
 
 49. State the reason why this character is so repellent to mod- 
 ern readers. 
 
 50. Indicate the situation that the final Scene of this play pro- 
 poses for the action of Part II. of the trilogy. 
 
 For general questions see end of 3 Henry VI. 
 
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 UNIVERSITY OF CALlhUHNlA-LUi mimuc 
 
 L 009 978 335 9