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That nothing do but meditate on blood)
To fwearing and ftern looks, diffus'd attire,
And every thing that seems unnatural.
Which to reduce into our former favour
You are affembled; and my speech intreats
That I may know the let, why gentle peace
Should not expel these inconveniences,
And blefs us with her former qualities.

K. Henry. If, Duke of Burgundy, you would the peace, Whose want gives growth to th' imperfections

Which you have cited; you must buy that peace
With full accord to all our juft demands:

Whofe tenours and particular effects

You have enfchedul'd briefly in your hands.

Burg. The King hath heard them; to the which as yet There is no answer made.

K. Henry. Well then; the peace

Which you before fo urg'd, lyes in his anfwer.
Fr. King. I have as yet but with a cursory eye
O'er-glanc'd the articles; pleaseth your Grace
T'appoint fome of your council presently
To fit with us, once more with better heed
To re-furvey them; we will fuddenly
Pafs, or accept, and peremptory answer.

K. Henry. Brother, we fhall. Go, uncle Exeter,
And brother Clarence, brother Gloucester,
Warwick and Huntington, go with the King;
And take with you free pow'r to ratifie,
Augment, or alter, as your wifdoms best
Shall fee advantageable for our dignity,
And we'll confign thereto. Will you, fair fifter,
Go with the Princes, or ftay here with us?

Q. Ifa. Our gracious brother, I will go with them;
Haply a woman's voice may do fome good,

When articles too nicely urg'd be stood on,

K. Henry. Yet leave our coufin Catharine here with us; She is our capital demand, compris'd

Within the fore-rank of our articles.

Q. Ifa. She hath good leave.

SCENE

SCENE III.

Manent King Henry, Catharine and a Lady.

K. Henry. Fair Catharine, moft fair,

Will you vouchsafe to teach a soldier terms,

Such as will enter at a Lady's ear,

And plead his love-fuit to her gentle heart?

Cath. Your Majefty fhall mock at me, I cannot speak your England.

K. Henry. O fair Catharine, if you will love me foundly with your French heart, I will be glad to hear you confefs it brokenly with your English tongue. Do you like me, Kate?

Cath. Pardonnez moy, I cannot tell vat is like me.

K. Henry. An angel is like you, Kate, and you are like an angel.

Cath. Que dit-il, que je fuis femblable à les Anges? Lady. Ouy vrayment (fauf veftre grace) ainfi dit-il. K. Henry. I faid fo, dear Catharine, and I must not blush to affirm it.

Cath. O bon Dieu! les langues des hommes font pleines de tromperies.

K. Henry. What fays fhe, fair one? that tongues of men are full of deceits?

Lady. Ouy, dat de tongues of de mans is be full of de ceits dat is de Princes.

K. Henry. The Princess is the better English Woman. I'faith, Kate, my wooing is fit for thy understanding; I am glad thou canft fpeak no better English, for if thou could'ft thou would'ft find me fuch a plain King, that thou would't think I had fold my farm to buy my crown. I know no ways to mince it in love, but directly to say I love you; then if you urge me farther than to fay, do you in faith? I wear out my fuit. Giye me your anfwer, i'faith, do, and fo clap hands and a bargain; how fay you, Lady?

Cath. Sauf voftre bonneur, me understand well.

K. Henry. Marry, if you would put me to verfes, or to dance for your fake, Kate, why, you undid me; for the one I have neither words nor measure; and for the other I have no ftrength in measure, yet a reasonable meaVOL, V.

Y

fure

fure in ftrength. If I could win a Lady at leap-frog, or by vaulting into my faddle with my armour on my back; under the correction of bragging be it spoken, I should quickly leap into a wife. Or if I might buffet for my love, or bound my horfe for her favours, I could lay on like a butcher, and fit like a jack-an-apes, never off. But before God, Kate, I cannot look greenly, nor gafp out my eloquence, nor have I cunning in proteftation; only downright oaths, which I never ufe 'till urg'd, and never break for urging. If thou canft love a fellow of this temper, Kate, whofe face is not worth fun-burning; that never looks in his glafs for love of any thing he fees there; let thine eye be thy cook. I fpeak plain foldier; if thou canst love me for this, take me; if not, to fay to thee that I fhall die is true; but for thy love, by the Lord, no: yet I love thee too. And while thou liv'ft, dear Kate, take a fellow of plain and uncoined conftancy, for he perforce must do thee right, because he hath not the gift to woo in other places for thefe fellows of infinite tongue, that can rhime themselves into Ladies favours, they do always reason themfelves out again. What? a speaker is but a prater; a rhime is but a ballad; a good leg will fall, a ftraight back will ftoop, a black beard will turn white, a curl'd pate will grow bald, a fair face will wither, a full eye will wax hollow; but a good heart, Kate, is the fun and the moon; or rather the fun and not the moon; for it fhines bright and never changes, but keeps his courfe truly. If thou would'ft have fuch a one, take me, take a foldier; take a King: and what fay'st thou then to my love? fpeak, my fair, and fairly, I pray thee.

Cath. Is it poffible dat I fould love de enemy of France? K. Henry. No, it is not poffible that you fhould love the enemy of France, Kate; but in loving me you should love the friend of France; for I love France fo well that I will not part with a village of it: I will have it all mine; and, Kate, when France is mine and I am yours, then yours is France, and you are mine.

Cath. I cannot tell vat is dat.

K. Henry. No, Kate? I will tell thee in French, (which I am fure will hang upon my tongue like a new married

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wife about her husband's neck, hardly to be shook off) quand j'ay le poffeffion de France, & quand vous avés le pofSeffion de moi (let me fee, what then? St. Dennis be my fpeed!) Donc voftre eft France, & vous etes mienne.

It is as eafie for me, Kate, to conquer the kingdom as to speak fo much more French; I fhall never move thee in French, unless it be to laugh at me.

Cath. Sauf voftre bonneur, le François que vous parlez, eft meilleur que l'Anglois lequel je parle.

K. Henry. No, 'faith, is't not, Kate; but thy speaking of my tongue and I thine, most truly falfly, muft needs be granted to be much at one. But, Kate, doft thou underftand thus much English? canft thou love me?

Cath. I cannot tell.

K. Henry. Can any of your neighbours tell, Kate? I'll afk them. Come, I know thou lovest me; and at night when you come into your closet, you'll queftion this gentlewoman about me; and I know, Kate, you will to her difpraise those parts in me, that you love with your heart; but, good Kate, mock me mercifully, the rather, gentle Princefs, because I love thee cruelly. If ever thou beeft mine, Kate, (as I have a faving faith within me tells me thou fhalt) I get thee with scambling, and thou must therefore needs prove a good foldier-breeder: fhall not thou and I, between St. Dennis and St. George, compound a boy half French, half English, that fhall go to Conftantinople and take the Turk by the beard? fhall we not? what say'st thou, my fair Flower-de-luce?

Cath, I do not know dat.

K. Henry. No, 'tis hereafter to know, but now to promife; do but now promife, Kate, you will endeavour for your French part of fuch a boy; and for my English moiety take the word of a King and a batchelor. How answer. you, La plus belle Catharine du monde, mon tres chere & divine deeffe?

Cath. Your Majeftee ave fause Frenche enough to deceive the most fage damofel dat is en France.

K. Henry. Now fie upon my falfe French; by mine ho nour, in true English I love thee, Kate; by which honour I dare not fwear thou loveft me, yet my blood begins to Y 2

flatter

fatter me that thou doft, notwithstanding the poor and untempering effect of my vifage. Now befhrew my father's ambition, he was thinking of civil wars when he got me ; therefore was I created with a stubborn outfide, with an afpect of iron, that when I come to woo Ladies I fright them; but in faith, Kate, the elder I wax, the better I fhall appear. My comfort is, that old age (that ill layer up of beauty) can do no more fpoil upon my face. Thou haft me, if thou haft me, at the worft; and thou fhalt wear me, if thou wear me, better and better; and therefore tell me, moft fair Catharine, will you have me? Put off your maiden blushes, avouch the thoughts of your heart with the looks of an Emprefs, take me by the hand and fay, Harry of England, I am thine: which word thou fhalt no fooner blefs mine ear withal, but I will tell thee aloud, England is thine, Ireland is thine, France is thine, and Henry Plantagenet is thine; who tho' I fpeak it before his face, if he be not fellow with the best Kings, thou fhalt find the beft King of good fellows. Come, your anfwer in broken mufick; for thy voice is mufick and thy English broken: therefore, Queen of all, Catharine, break thy mind to me in broken English, wilt thou have me? Catb. Dat is as it fhall please le roy mon pere.

K. Henry. Nay, it will please him well, Kate; it shall please him, Kate.

Cath. Den it fhall alfo content me.

K. Henry. Upon that I kiss your hand, and I call you my Queen.

Cath. Laiflex, mon Seigneur, laissez, laissez, ma foy: je ne veus point que vous abbaissez vofire grandeur, en baifant le main d'une voftre indigne ferviteur, excusex moy. Je vous Supplie mon tres-puiffant Seigneur.

K. Henry. Then I will kifs your lips, Kate.

Cath. Les dames and damoifels pour eftre baifée devant leur noces il ne'ft pas le coutume de France.

K. Henry. Madam my interpreter, what fays fhe? Lady. Dat is not be de fashion pour le Ladies of France; I cannot tell what is baifer en English.

K. Henry. To kifs.

Lady. Your Majefty entendre bettre que moy.

K. Henry,

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