KING Henry VI.

Duke of Gloucefter, Uncle to the King, and Protector.

Duke of Bedford, Uncle to the King, and Regent of France. Cardinal Beauford, Bishop of Winchester, and Uncle likewife to

the King Duke of Exeter.

Duke of Somerset.

Earl of Warwick.

Earl of Salisbury.

Earl of Suffolk.

Lord Talbot.

Toung Talbot, his Soni

Richard Plantagenet, afterwards Duke of York.

Mortimer, Earl of March.

Sir John Faftolfe.

Woodvile, Lieutenant of the Tower.

Lord Mayor of London.

Sir Thomas Gargrave.

Sir William Glanfdale.

Sir William Lucy.

Vernon, of the White Rofe, or York Faction.

Baffet, of the Red Rofe, or Lancaster Faction.

Charles, Dauphin, and afterwards King of France.
Reignier, Duke of Anjou, and Titular King of Naples.
Duke of Burgundy.

Duke of Alanfon.

Baftard of Orleans.

Governor of Paris.

Master Gunner of Orleans.

Boy, his Son.

An old Shepherd, Father to Joan la Pucelle.

Margaret, Daughter to Reignier, and afterwards Queen to King Henry.

Countess of Auvergne.

Joan la Pucelle, a Maid pretending to be inspir'd from Heaven, and fetting up for the Championess of France,

Fiends, attending her.

Lords, Captains, Soldiers, Messengers, and several Attendants both on the English and French.

The SCENE is partly in England, and partly in France.

The

The FIRST PART of (1)

King HENRY VI.

A C T I.

SCENE, 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, and the Earl of Warwick, the Bishop of Winchester, and the Duke of Somerset.

H

BED FOR D.

UNG be the heav'ns with black, yield day to night!

Comets, importing change of times and ftates,

Brandifh

your crystal treffes in the sky; And with them fcourge the bad revolting stars,

That have confented unto Henry's death!
Henry the Fifth, too famous to live long!

England

(1) The first Part of K. HENRY VI.] The Hiftorical Transactions, contain'd in this Play, take in the Compass of above 30 Years, I must observe, however, that our Author, in the

England ne'er loft a King of fo much worth.
Glou. England ne'er had a King until his time:
Virtue he had, deferving to command.

His brandifh'd fword did blind men with its beams;
His arms spread wider than a Dragon's wings:
His fparkling eyes, repleat with awful fire,
More dazzled and drove back his enemies,
Than mid-day fun fierce bent against their faces.
What should I fay? his deeds exceed all fpeech:
He never lifted up his hand, but conquer'd.

Exe. We mourn in black; why mourn we not in
blood?

Henry is dead, and never fhall revive :
Upon a wooden coffin we attend :
And death's dishonourable victory
We with our stately prefence glorifie,
Like captives bound to a triumphant car.
What? fhall we curfe the planets of mishap,
That plotted thus our glory's overthrow ?
Or fhall we think the fubtle-witted French
Conj'rers and forc'rers, that, afraid of him,
By magick verse have thus contriv'd his end?
Win. He was a King, bleft of the King of Kings.
Unto the French, the dreadful judgment-day
So dreadful will not be as was his fight.

The battles of the Lord of hofts he fought;
The church's pray'rs made him fo profperous.

Glou. The church? where is it? had not church-men pray'd,

His thread of life had not fo foon decay'd.

None do you like but an effeminate Prince,

Whom, like a School-boy, you may over-awe.

Win. Glofter, whate'er we like, thou art Protector.. And lookeft to command the Prince and realm; Thy wife is proud; fhe holdeth thee in awe, More than God, or religious church men may. Glou. Name not religion, for thou lov'ft the flesh;

three Parts of K. Henry VI. has not been very precife to the Date and Difpofition of his Facts; but frequently shuffed them, backwards and forwards, out of Time,

And

And ne'er throughout the year to church thou go'st,
Except it be to pray against thy foes.

Bed. Ceafe, cease these jars, and reft your minds in

peace:

Let's to the altar heralds, wait on us ;

:

Instead of gold we'll offer up our arms,
Since arms avail not now that Henry's dead!
Pofterity await for wretched years,

When at their mothers' moift eyes babes fhall fuck;
Our ifle be made a nourice of falt tears, (2)
And none but women left to 'wail the dead!
Henry the Fifth thy ghoft I invocate;
Profper this realm, keep it from civil broils,
Combat with adverse planets in the heavens !
A far more glorious ftar thy foul will make,
Than Julius Cæfar, or bright-

Enter a Meffenger.

Me. My honourable lords, health to you all;
Sad tidings bring I to you out of France,
Of lofs, of flaughter, and difcomfiture;

Guienne, Champaign, and Rheims, and Orleans,
Paris, Guyfors, Poitiers, are all quite loft.

Bed. What fay'ft thou, man, before dead Henry's coarse?

Speak foftly, or the lofs of thofe great towns

Will make him burst his lead, and rife from death.
Glou. Is Paris loft, and Roan yielded up?

If Henry were recall'd to life again,

These news would cause him once more yield the ghost. Exe. How were they loft? what treachery was us'd? Me. No treachery, but want of men and mony. Amongst the foldiers this is muttered,

(2) Our Ifte be made a Marish of falt Tears,] Thus it is in both the Impreffions by Mr. Pope: upon what Authority, I cannot fay. All the old Copies read, a Nourish: and confidering it is faid in the Line immediately preceding, that Babes fball fuck at their Mothers moift Eyes, it feems very probable that our Author wrote, a Nourice: i. e. that the whole Ifle fhould be one common Nurse, or Nourisher, of Tears: and those be the Nourishment of its miserable Issue.