THE

LIFE

O F

King HENRY V.

P3

1

PROLOGUE.

For a Mufe of fire, that would afcend
The brightest heaven of invention,

A kingdom for a ftage, Princes to act,
And Monarchs to behold the fwelling Scene!
Then fhould the warlike Harry, like himself,
Affume the port of Mars, and at his heels,
Leafht in like bounds, fhould famine, fword and fire
Crouch for employments. Pardon, gentles all,
The flat unraifed fpirit that bath dar'd
On this unworthy Scaffold to bring forth
So great an object. Can this Cock-pit hold
The vafty field of France? or may we cram
Within this wooden O, the very cafkes
That did affright the air, at Agincourt?
O, pardon; fince a crooked figure may
Atteft in little place a million

And let us, cyphers to this great accompt,
On your imaginary forces work.

Suppofe within the girdle of thefe walls
Are now confin'd two mighty monarchies;
Whole bigb up-reared, and abutting fronts
The perilous narrow ocean parts afunder.
Piece out our imperfections with your thoughts:
Into a thousand parts divide one man,
And make imaginary puissance:

Think, when we talk of borfes, that you fee them
Printing their proud hoofs i' th' receiving earth.
For 'tis your thoughts that now muft deck our Kings,
Carry them bere and there, jumping o'er times,
Turning th' accomplishment of many years
Ito an bour-glafs; for the which fupply,
Admit me Chorus to this hiftory;

Who, prologue-like, your bumble patience pray,
Gently to bear, kindly to judge, our Play,

Dri

KING HENRY the Fifth.

}

Brothers to the King.

Duke of GLOUCESTER,
Duke of BEDFORD,
Duke of CLARENCE,
Duke of YORK,

Duke of EXETER, Uncles to the King.

Earl of SALISBURY,

Earl of WESTMORLAND.

Earl of WARWICK.

Arch-Bishop of CANTERBURY.

Bishop of ELY.

Earl of CAMBRIDGE,

Lord SCROOP of Mafham, Confpirators against the King

Sir THOMAS GRAY,

Sir THOMAS ERPINGHAM,

GOWER,

FLUELLEN,

MACKMORRIS,

JAMY,

Nym, Bardolph, Piftol, Boy, formerly Servants to Falstaff,

now Soldiers in the King's Army.

Bates, Court, Williams, Soldiers.

CHARLES, King of France.

The DAUPHIN.

Duke of BURGUNDY.

Conftable, Orleans, Rambures, Bourbon, Grandpree, French

Lords.

Governor of Harfleur.

MOUNTJOY, a Herald.

AMBASSADORS to the King of England.

ISABEL, Queen of France.

CATHARINE, Daughter to the King of France.
ALICE, a Lady attending on the Princess Catharine.

Hoftefs QUICKLY, Piftol's Wife.

Lords, Meffengers, French and English Soldiers, with other Attendants.

The Scene at the beginning of the Play lyes in England, but afterwards wholly in France.

THE