KING HENRY VI.

Appears, Act III. sc. 1; sc. 4. Act IV. sc. 1. Act V. sc. 1; sc. 5.

DUKE OF GLOSTER, uncle to the King, and Protector.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 3. Act III. sc. 1; sc. 4.

Act V. sc. 1; sc. 5.

Act IV. sc. 1.

DUKE OF BEDFORD, uncle to the King, and Regent of France.
Appears, Act I. sc. 1. Act II. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act III. sc. 2.

THOMAS BEAUFORT, Duke of Exeter, great uncle to the King.
Appears, Act I. sc. 1. Act III. sc. 1. Act IV. sc. 1. Act V. sc. 1; sc. 5.
HENRY BEAUFORT, great uncle to the King, Bishop of Winchester, and after-
wards Cardinal.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 3.

Act III. sc. 1. Act IV. sc. 1.
Act V. sc. 1; sc. 4.

JOHN BEAUFORT, Earl of Somerset; afterwards Duke.
Appears, Act II. sc. 4. Act III. sc. 1. Act IV. sc. 1; sc. 4.
RICHARD PLANTAGENET, eldest son of Richard, late Earl of Cambridge ;
afterwards Duke of York.

Appears, Act II. sc. 4; sc. 5. Act III. sc. 1. Act IV. sc. 1; sc. 3.
Act V. sc. 3; sc. 4.
EARL OF WARWICK.

Appears, Act I. sc. 1. Act II. sc. 4. Act III. sc. 1. Act IV. sc. 1.
Act V. sc. 4.

EARL OF SALISBURY.
Appears, Act I. sc. 4.

EARL OF SUFFOLK.

Appears, Act II. sc. 4. Act III. sc. 1. Act IV. sc. 1. Act V. sc. 3; sc. 5. LORD TALBOT, afterwards Earl of Shrewsbury.

Appears, Act I. sc. 4; sc. 5. Act II. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 3. Act III. sc. 2; sc. 3. Act IV. sc. 1; sc. 2; sc. 5; sc. 6; sc. 7.

Appears, Act III. sc. 2. Act IV. sc. 1.
SIR WILLIAM LUCY.

Appears, Act IV. sc. 3; sc. 4; sc. 7.

SIR WILLIAM GLANSDALE and SIR THOMAS GARGRAVE.

Appear, Act I. sc. 4.

Mayor of London.

Appears, Act I. sc. 3. Act III. sc. 1.

WOODVILLE, Lieutenant of the Tower.
Appears, Act I. sc. 3.

VERNON, of the White Rose, or York, faction.

Appears, Act II. sc. 4. Act III. sc. 4. Act IV. sc. 1.

BASSET, of the Red Rose, or Lancaster, faction.
Appears, Act III. sc. 4. Act IV. sc. 1.

CHARLES, Dauphin, and afterwards King, of France.

Appears, Act I. sc. 2; sc. 5; sc. 6.

Act IV. sc. 7.

Act II. sc. 1. Act III. sc. 2; sc. 3. Act V. sc. 2; sc. 4.

REIGNIER, Duke of Anjou, and titular King of Naples.

Appears, Act I. sc. 2; sc. 6.

DUKE Appears, Act II. sc. 1; sc. 2.

Act II. sc. 1. Act V. sc. 3; sc. 4.
OF BURGUNDY.

Act III. sc. 2; sc. 3. Act IV. sc. 7.
Act V. sc. 2.

Appears, Act II. sc. 3.

An old Shepherd, father to Joan la Pucelle.
Appears, Act V. sc. 4.

MARGARET, daughter to REIGNIER; afterwards married to King Henry.
Appears, Act V. sc. 3.
COUNTESS OF Auvergne.

Appears, Act II. sc. 3.

JOAN LA PUCELLE, commonly called Joan of Arc.

Appears, Act I. sc. 2; sc. 5; sc. 6. Act II. sc. 1. Act III. sc. 2; sc. 3. Act IV. sc. 7. Act V. sc. 2; sc. 3; sc. 4.

Fiends appearing to La Pucelle, Lords, Warders of the Tower, Heralds, Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, and several Attendants both on the English and French.

SCENE,-PARTLY IN ENGLAND, AND PARTLY IN FRANCE.

The First Part of Henry VI.' was originally printed, under that title, in the folio collection of 1623. Upon the authority, then, of the editors of that edition of Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies, published according to the true original Copies,' this drama properly finds a place in every modern edition of our poet's works. The question of the authenticity of the three parts of 'Henry VI.' is a very large one, embracing many details; but the reader will find some notice of the argument in the first volume of this edition, 'Life and Writings of William Shakspere,' chap. viii.

KING HENRY VI.-PART I.

ACT I.

SCENE I.-Westminster Abbey.

Dead march. Corpse of KING HENRY V. discovered, lying in state; attended on by the DUKES OF BEDFORD, GLOSTER, and EXETER; the EARL OF WARWICK, the BISHOP OF WINCHESTER, Heralds, &c.

BED. Hung be the heavens with black, yield day to night!
Comets, importing change of times and states,
Brandish your crystal tresses in the sky;

And with them scourge the bad revolting stars,
That have consented unto Henry's death!
King Henry the fifth, too famous to live long!
England ne'er lost a king of so much worth.

GLO. England ne'er had a king until his time.
Virtue he had, deserving to command:

His brandish'd sword did blind men with his beams;
His arms spread wider than a dragon's wings:
His sparkling eyes, replete with wrathful fire,
More dazzled and drove back his enemies,

Than mid-day sun, fierce bent against their faces.

What should I say? his deeds exceed all speech:

He ne'er lift up his hand but conquered.

EXE. We mourn in black: Why mourn we not in blood? Henry is dead, and never shall revive:

Upon a wooden coffin we attend;

And death's dishonourable victory
We with our stately presence glorify,

Like captives bound to a triumphant car.

What! shall we curse the planets of mishap,

That plotted thus our glory's overthrow?
Or shall we think the subtle-witted French
Conjurers and sorcerers, that, afraid of him,
By magic verses have contrived his end?

WIN. He was a king bless'd of the King of kings.
Unto the French the dreadful judgment-day

So dreadful will not be, as was his sight.

The battles of the Lord of hosts he fought:

The church's prayers made him so prosperous.

GLO. The church! where is it? Had not churchmen pray'd, His thread of life had not so soon decay'd;

None do you like but an effeminate prince,
Whom, like a schoolboy, you may over-awe.

WIN. Gloster, whate'er we like, thou art protector;
And lookest to command the prince and realm.
Thy wife is proud; she holdeth thee in awe,
More than God or religious churchmen may.

GLO. Name not religion, for thou lov'st the flesh;
And ne'er throughout the year to church thou go'st,
Except it be to pray against thy foes.

BED. Cease, cease these jars, and rest 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.

Posterity, await for wretched years,

When at their mothers' moisten'd eyes babes shall suck;

Our isle be made a nourish of salt tears,
And none but women left to wail the dead.
Henry the fifth! thy ghost I invocate;
Prosper this realm, keep it from civil broils!
Combat with adverse planets in the heavens!
A far more glorious star thy soul will make,
Than Julius Cæsar, or bright-

Enter a Messenger.

MESS. My honourable lords, health to you all!
Sad tidings bring I to you out of France,
Of loss, of slaughter, and discomfiture:
Guienne, Champaigne, Rheims, Orleans,
Paris, Guysors, Poictiers, are all quite lost.

BED. What say'st thou, man, before dead Henry's corse? Speak softly; or the loss of those great towns Will make him burst his lead, and rise from death. GLO. Is Paris lost? is Rouen yielded up?

If Henry were recall'd to life again,

These news would cause him once more yield the ghost.
EXE. How were they lost? what treachery was us'd?
MESS. No treachery; but want of men and money.
Amongst the soldiers this is muttered,—

That here you maintain several factions;

And, whilst a field should be despatch'd and fought,
You are disputing of your generals.

One would have ling'ring wars, with little cost;
Another would fly swift, but wanteth wings;
A third man thinks, without expense at all,
By guileful fair words peace may be obtain’d.
Awake, awake, English nobility!

Let not sloth dim your honours, new-begot:
Cropp'd are the flower-de-luces in your arms;
Of England's coat one half is cut away.

EXE. Were our tears wanting to this funeral,
These tidings would call forth her flowing tides.

BED. Me they concern; regent I am of France: Give me my steeled coat, I'll fight for France. Away with these disgraceful wailing robes! Wounds will I lend the French, instead of eyes, To weep their intermissive miseries.

Enter another Messenger.

2 MESS. Lords, view these letters, full of bad mischance: France is revolted from the English quite;

Except some petty towns of no import:

The dauphin Charles is crowned king in Rheims;

The bastard of Orleans with him is join'd;

Reignier, duke of Anjou, doth take his part;

The duke of Alençon flieth to his side.

EXE. The dauphin crowned king! all fly to him!

O, whither shall we fly from this reproach?

GLO. We will not fly, but to our enemies' throats:Bedford, if thou be slack, I'll fight it out.