To barb'rous licence goas ftis ever common,
That men are merrieft, when they are from home.
But tell the Dauphin, I will keep my State, o
Be like a King, and fhew my fail of Greatnefs 2A
When I do brouze me in my throne of France.s
*For that I have laid by my Majefty, Greis end!
And plodded like a man for working days work.
But I will rife there with fosfull a glory, g
That I will dazzle all the eyes of France,
Yea, ftrike the Dauphin blind to look on us.
And tell the pleafant Prince, this mock of hist
Hath turn'd his balls to gun-ftones; and his foul
Shall ftand fore charged for the wafteful vengeance,
That shall fly with them. Many thoufand widows
Shall this his Mock mock out of their dear husbands,
Mock mothers from their fons, mock caftles down;
And fome are yet ungotten and unborn,

That fhall have caufe to curfe the Dauphin's fcorn.
But this lies all within the will of God,

4

To whom I do appeal and in whose name,
Tell you the Dauphin, I am coming on
To venge me as I may and to put forth
My rightful hand in a well-hallow'd caufe.

So get you hence in peace; and tell the Dauphin, A
His jeft will favour but of fhallow wit,

When thousands weep, more than did laugh at it. // -Convey them with fafe conduct-Fare ye wellie

[Exeunt Ambaffadors. Exe. This was a merry meffage.2.100 sp #6 K. Henry. We hope to make the Asender blush at it./ Therefore, my Lords, comiteno happy hour, si wol That may give furth'rance to our expeditions to For we have now no thoughts in us but France, 5'}} Save thofe to God, that rum before vdur bufinefs. bn A

For that I have laid by, &c.] To qualify myfelf for this undertaking, I have defcended from my ftation, and ftudied the arts of life in a lower character.

+ His balls to gun-ftones.] When ordnance was firt ufed, they difcharged balls not of iron but of stone.

There

Therefore, let our proportions for these warsali bra Be foon collected, and all things thought upon, woh That may with reafonable fwiftnefs add volo & 1gish More feathers to our wings; for, God before, vodT We'll chide this Dauphin at his father's doorgiwolle. Therefore let every man now tafk his thoughty W That this fair action may on foot be brought. [Exeunt. eil brow? & 295in Se A

Chorus.

OW all the youth of England are on fire, 2

And

In this place, in all the edi- rus being contiguous to that tions hitherto, is inferted the cho-Change. On the contrary, the rus which I have poftponed. That very concluding Lines vouch ab chorus manifeftly is intended to folutely against it. advertise the fpectators of the change of the fcene to Southamp ton, and therefore ought to be placed juft before that change, and not here, where the fcene is ftill continued in London.

POPE. Now all the Youth of England] I have replaced this Chorus here, by the Authority of the Old Folio's; and ended the first Aa, as the Poet certainly intended. Mr. Pope remov'd it, because (fays he) This Chorus manifeftly is intended to advertise the Spectators of the Change of the Scene to Southampton; and therefore ought to be placed just before that Change, and not here. 'Tis true, the Spectators are to be informed, that, when they next fee the King, they are to fuppofe him at Southampton. But this does not imply any Neceffity of this Cho

But, till the King come forth,
and not till then,
Unto Southampton do wé shift
our Scene.

For how abfurd is fuch a Notice,
if the Scene is to change, fo foon
as ever the Chorus quits the
Stage? Befides, unless this Cho
rus be prefixed to the Scene be-
twixt Nim, Bardolph, &c. We
fhall draw the Poet into another
Abfurdity. Pistol, Nim, and Bar
dolph are in this Scene talking of
going to the Wars in France:
But the King had but juft, at his
quitting the Stage, declar'd his
Refolutions of commencing this
War: And without the Interval
of an Act, betwixt that Scene
and the Comic Characters en-
tring, how could they with any
Probability be informed of this
intended Expedition?

THEOBALD.
I think

And filken dalliance in the wardrobe lies;
Now thrive the armourers, and honour's thought
Reigns folely in the breast of every man;
They fell the pasture now, to buy the horse;
Following the mirror of all Christian Kings,
With winged heels, as English Mercuries.
3 For now fits expectation in the air,
And hides a fword from hilts unto the point
With Crowns imperial, Crowns, and Coronets
Promis'd to Harry and his followers.
The French, advis'd by good intelligence
Of this moft dreadful preparation,
Shake in their fear; and with pale policy
Seek to divert the English purpofes.

O England! model to thy inward greatness,
Like little body with a mighty heart;

What might'ft thou do, that honour would thee do,
Were all thy children kind and natural !

But fee, thy fault France hath in thee found out';
A neft of hollow bofoms, which he fills

With treach rous crowns; and three corrupted men,
One, Richard Earl of Cambridge, and the fecond,
Henry Lord Scroop of Mafbam, and the third,

Sir Thomas Grey Knight of Northumberland,
Have for the gilt of France (O guilt, indeed!)
Confirm'd confpiracy with fearful France,

I think Mr. Pepe mistaken in tranfpofing this Chorus, and Mr. Theobald in concluding the act with it. The chorus evidently introduces that which follows, not comments on that which precedes, and, therefore rather be gins than ends the Act, and fo I have printed it. Dr. Warburson follows Mr. Pope.

3 For now fus expectation in the air,

71

And hides a word from hills

unto the point yndy With Crowns imperial, &c.] The imagery is wonderfully fine, and the thought exquifite. Expectation fitting in the air defigns the height of their ambition; and the Sword hid from the bilt 10 the point with Crowns and Coronets, that all fentiments of danger were loft in the thoughts of glory. WARBURTON.

And

1

4 And by their hands this grace of Kings mult die,
If hell and treafon hold their promifes, listu
Ere he take ship for France; and in Southamptonlľ
Linger your patience on, and well digeft
Th' abuse of distance, while we force a play,
The fum is paid, the traitors are agreed,
The King is fet from London, and the fcene
Is now tranfported, gentles, to Southampton
There is the play-houfe now, there must
you fit;
And thence to France fhall
we convey you
And bring you back, charming the narrow feas
To give you gentle pafs; for if we may,

grace

4 And by their hands this
of Kings must die,
If hell and treason hold their
promises,

Ere he take hip for France;
and in Southampton.
Linger your patience on, and
well digeft

Th' abufe of diftance, while we
force a play.

The fum is paid, the traitors are
agreed,

The King is fet from London,
and the Scene

Is now transported, gentles, to
Southampton:

There is the play-house now.]
I fuppofe every one that reads
thefe lines looks about for a
meaning which he cannot find.
There is no connection of fenfe
nor regularity of tranfition from
one thought to the other. It may
be fufpected that fome lines are
loft, and in that cafe the fenfe
is irretrievable. I rather think
the meaning is abfcured by an
accidental tranfpofition, which I
would reform thus:

1

6 We'll not offend one ftomach with our play. bn A 7 But, till the King come forth, and not till then, Unto Southampton do we fhift our fcene.

Before Quickly's Houfe in Eaftcheap. X9

Enter Corporal Nim, and Lieutenant Bardolph.
Bard.ELL met, Corporal Nim. 8

Nim. Good morrow, Lieutenant Bar

Bard. What, are Ancient Pistol and you friends yet? Nim. For my part, I care not. I fay little; but when time fhall ferve, there fhall be-miles.]But that