A

And he first took exceptions at this badge, it be
Jw wolf

Pronouncing, that the palenefs of this Bow'r
HollwoT
Bewray'd the faintnefs of my mafter's heart.
York. Will not this malice, Somerfet, be left?
Som Your private grudge, my Lord of York, will out,
Though ne'er fo cunningly you fmother it.

K. Henry Good Lord! what madnefs rules in brainfick men!

When, for fo flight and frivolous a caufe,
Such factious emulations fhall arife!
Good coufins both of York and Somerfet,
Quiet yourselves, I pray, and be at peace.
York. Let this diffention first be try'd by fight,
And then your Highness fhall command a peace.
Som. The quarrel toucheth none but us alone;
Betwixt ourselves let us decide it then.

York. There is my pledge; accept it, Somerfet.
Ver. Nay, let it reft, where it began at firft.
Baf. Confirm it fo, mine honourable Lord.
Glou. Confirm it fo?-Confounded be your ftrife,
And perish ye with your audacious prate;
Prefumptuous vaffals! are you not asham'd
With this immodeft clamorous outrage
To trouble and disturb the King, and us?
And you, my Lords, methinks, you do not well
To bear with their perverfe objections:

Much lefs to take occafion from their mouths.
To raise a mutiny betwixt yourselves:

Let me perfuade you, take a better course.

Exe. It grieves his Highness. Good my Lords, be

friends.

K. Henry. Come hither you, that would be combatants.

Henceforth I charge you, as you love our favour, Quite to forget this quarrel and the caufe.

And you, my Lords, remember where we are, In France, amongst a fickle wavering nation; If they perceive diffention in our looks,

And that within ourselves we difagree,

How will their grudging ftomachs be provok'd
To wilful Difobedience, and Rebel?
Befide, what infamy will there arife,
When foreign Princes fhall be certify'd,
That for a toy, a thing of no regard,
King Henry's Peers and chief Nobility
Destroy'd themselves, and loft the realm of France?
O, think upon the Conqueft of my father,
My tender years, and let us not forego

That for a trifle, which was bought with blood.
Let me be Umpire in this doubtful ftrife.

I fee no reason, if I wear this rofe,

[Putting on a red rofe. That any one fhould therefore be fufpicious I more incline to Somerset, than York.

Both are my kinfmen, and I love them both.
As well they may upbraid me with my Crown,
Because, forfooth, the King of Scots is crown'd.
But your difcretions better can perfuade
Than I am able to inftruct or teach,

as

And therefore, as we hither came in peace,
So let us ftill continue peace and love..
Coufin of York, we inftitute your Grace
To be our Regent in thefe parts of France:
And, good my Lord of Somerfet, unite
Your troops of horfemen with his bands of foot;
And, like true fubjects, fons of your progenitors,
Go chearfully together, and digest

Your angry choler on your enemies.

Ourself, my Lord Protector, and the rest,
After fome refpite, will return to Calais;

From thence to England; where I hope ere long
To be prefented by your victories,

With Charles, Alanjon, and that trait'rous rout. [Flourish. Exeunt.

Manent

Manent York, Warwick, Exeter, and Vernon.

War. My Lord of York, I promise you, the King Prettily, methought, did play the orator.

York. And fo he did; but yet I like it not, In that he wears the badge of Somerfet.

War. Tufh, that was but his fancy, blame him not; I dare prefume, fweet Prince, he thought no harm. York. And, if I wis, he did.-But let it reft; Other affairs must now be managed.

Manet Exeter.

[Exeunt.

Exe. Well didft thou, Richard, to fupprefs thy voice: For had the paffion of thy heart burst out,

I fear, we fhould have feen decypher'd there
More ranc'rous fpight, more furious raging broils,
Than yet can be imagin'd or fuppos'd.

But howfoe'er, no fimple man that fees pai
This jarring difcord of Nobility,

This should'ring of each other in the Court,
This factious bandying of their favourites;
But that he doth prefage fome ill event...
'Tis much, when fcepters are in childrens' hands;
But more, when envy breeds unkind divifion :
There comes the ruin, there begins confufion. [Exit.

• In former editions, And if I wish he did.] By the Pointing reform'd, and a fingle Letter expung'd. I have reftor'd the Text to its Purity. And, if Iwis, he did.Warwick had faid, the King meant no harm in wearing Somerfer's Role: York teftily replies, Nay, if I "know any thing, he did think

66

harm."

T

This is followed by the fucceeding editors, and is indeed plaufible enough; but perhaps this fpeech may become intelligible enough without any change, only fuppofing it broken.

-

And if I will-Le did. or perhaps,

And if he did, I wish

SCENE

Tal.

Enter Talbot with trumpets and drum. Než tun di sci 1157 tud DO 3

TalG

A

O to the gates of Bourdeaux, trumpeter,
Summon their General unto the Wall.[Sounds.

Su

Enter General, aloft.

English John Talbot, Captains, calls you forth,
Servant in arms to Harry King of England;
And thus he would. -Open your city-gates,
Be humbled to us, call my Sovereign yours,
And do him homage as obedient fubjects,
And I'll withdraw me and my bloody pow'r.
But if you frown upon this proffer'd peace,
You tempt the fury of my three attendants,
Lean famine, quartering fteel, and climbing fire;
Who in a moment even with the earth

Shall lay your stately and air-braving tow'rs,
If you forfake the offer of our love.

4

Gen. Thou ominous and fearful owl of death,
Our nation's terror, and their bloody fcourge!
The period of thy tyranny approacheth.
On us thou canst not enter, but by death.
For, I proteft, we are well fortify'd;
And ftrong enough to iffue out and fight.
If thou retire, the Dauphin, well appointed,
Stands with the fnares of war to tangle thee.
On either hand thee, there are fquadrons pitch'd
To wall thee from the liberty of flight,
And no way canft thou turn thee for redrefs,
But death doth front thee with apparent spoil,

The common editions read,· T. Hanmer altered it to our.

the offer of their love. Sir

And

And pale deftruction meets thee in the face. 2 bar boc Ten thousand French have ta'en the facrament, tot To rive their dangerous artillery 1

Upon no chriftian foul but English Talbot.

Lo! there thou ftand'st, a breathing valiant man,
Of an invincible, unconquer'd fpirit:
This is the latest glory of thy praife,
That I thy enemy due thee withal;
For ere the glafs, that now begins to run,
Finish the procefs of his fandy hour,

M

Thefe eyes, that fee thee now well coloured,
Shall fee thee wither'd, bloody, pale and dead. →

[Drum afar off. Hark! hark! the Dauphin's drum, a warning bell, Sings heavy mufick to thy tim❜rous foul;

And mine fhall ring thy dire departure out.

7

[Exit from the walls. Tal. He fables not, I hear the enemy.. Out, fome light horfemen, and perufe their wings. O, negligent and heedlefs difcipline! How are we park'd, and bounded in a pale? A little herd of England's tim'rous Deer, Maz'd with a yelping kennel of French curs. If we be English Deer, be then in blood; Not rafcal like to fall down with a pinch, But rather moody, mad, and defp'rate Stags, Turn on the bloody hounds with heads of steel, And make the cowards ftand aloof at bay. Sell every ntan his life as dear as mine, And they thall find dear Deer of us, my friends.

3