DRAMATIS PERSONÆ KING HENRY the Fifth. DUKE OF GLOUCESTER, brothers to the King. DUKE OF BEdford, DUKE OF EXETER, uncle to the King. DUKE OF YORK, cousin to the King. EARLS OF SALISBURY, WESTMORELAND, and WARWICK. BISHOP OF ELY. EARL OF CAMBRIDGE. LORD SCROOP. SIR THOMAS GREY. SIR THOMAS ERPINGHAM, Gower, Fluellen, Macmorris, JAMY, Officers in King Henry's army. BATES, COURT, WILLIAMS, Soldiers in the same. PISTOL, NYM, BARDOLPH. Boy. A Herald. CHARLES the Sixth, King of France. LEWIS, the Dauphin. DUKES OF Burgundy, OrleANS, and BOUrbon. RAMBURES and GRANDPRÉ, French Lords. MONTJOY, a French Herald. The Constable of France. Governor of Harfleur. Ambassadors to the King of England. ISABEL, Queen of France. KATHARINE, daughter to Charles and Isabel. ALICE, a lady attending on her. Hostess of a Tavern in Eastcheap, formerly Mistress Quickly, and now married to Pistol. Lords, Ladies, Officers, French and English Soldiers, Citizens, Messengers, and Attendants. Chorus. SCENE: England; afterwards France. THE LIFE OF KING HENRY THE FIFTH PROLOGUE. Enter Chorus. CHOR. O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend The brightest heaven of invention; A kingdom for a stage, princes to act, And monarchs to behold the swelling scene! Leash'd in like hounds, should famine, sword, and fire And let us, ciphers to this great accompt, B ΙΟ 20 Think, when we talk of horses, that you see them Who, prologue-like, your humble patience pray, ACT I. 30 [Exit. SCENE I. London. An Ante-chamber in the Enter the ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, and the CANT. My lord, I'll tell you; that self bill is urged, Which in the eleventh year o' the last king's reign Was like, and had indeed against us pass'd, But that the scambling and unquiet time Did push it out of further question. ELY. But how, my lord, shall we resist it now? CANT. It must be thought on. If it pass against us, We lose the better half of our possession: For all the temporal lands which men devout ΙΟ A hundred almshouses right well supplied; And to the coffers of the king beside, A thousand pounds by the year: thus runs the bill. 19 CANT. 'Twould drink the cup and all. ELY. But what prevention? CANT. The courses of his youth promised it not. The breath no sooner left his father's body, And whipp'd the offending Adam out of him; To envelope and contain celestial spirits. Never was such a sudden scholar made; With such a heady currance, scouring faults; So soon did lose his seat, and all at once, ELY. We are blessed in the change. 30 And, all-admiring, with an inward wish You would desire the king were made a prelate : 40 Hear him debate of commonwealth affairs, You would say it hath been all in all his study: List his discourse of war, and you shall hear The Gordian knot of it he will unloose, And the mute wonder lurketh in men's ears, To steal his sweet and honey'd sentences; So that the art and practic part of life 50 Which is a wonder how his grace should glean it, His companies unletter'd, rude, and shallow; Any retirement, any sequestration From open haunts and popularity. ELY. The strawberry grows underneath the nettle, And so the prince obscured his contemplation 59 CANT. It must be so; for miracles are ceased; And therefore we must needs admit the means How things are perfected. ELY. How now for mitigation of He seems indifferent; Or rather swaying more upon our part And in regard of causes now in hand, ELY. How did this offer seem received, my lord? Of his true titles to some certain dukedoms; ELY. What was the impediment that broke this off? CANT. Then go we in, to know his embassy; 80 89 [Exeunt. SCENE II. The same. The Presence Chamber. Enter KING HENRY, GLOUCESTER, BEDFORD, EXETER, WARWICK, WESTMORELAND, and Attendants. K. HEN. Where is my gracious Lord of Canterbury? EXE. Not here in presence. K. HEN. Send for him, good uncle. |