who were the followers of his young acts, to every one of whom he gave rich gifts, and then commanded that as many as would change their manners, as he intended to do, should abide with him at court; and to all that would persevere in their former like conversation, he gave express commandment, upon pain of their heads, never after that day to come in his presence.' This heroic king fought and won the celebrated battle of Agincourt, on the 25th October, 1415; married the Princess Katherine, daughter of Charles VI. of France and Isabella of Bavaria, his queen, in the year 1420; and died at Vincennes, near Paris, in the midst of his military glory, August 31st, 1422, in the thirty-fourth year of his age, and the tenth of his reign, leaving an infant son, who succeeded to the throne under the title of Henry VI. The famous Whittington was for the third time Lord Mayor of London in this reign, A.D. 1419. Thomas Chaucer, son of the great poet, was speaker of the House of Commons, which granted the supplies to the king for his invasion of France. (c) Bedford,] John, Duke of Bedford, was the third son of King Henry IV., and his brother, Henry V., left to him the Regency of France. He died in the year 1435. This duke was accounted one of the best generals of the royal race of Plantaganet. King Lewis XI. being counselled by certain envious persons to deface his tomb, used these, indeed, princely words:-" What honor shall it be to us, or you, to break this monument, and to pull out of the ground the bones of him, whom, in his life time, neither my father nor your progenitors, with all their puissance, were once able to make fly a foot backward? Who by his strength, policy, and wit, kept them all out of the principal dominions of France, and out of this noble Dutchy of Normandy? Wherefore I say first, God save his soul, and let his body now lie in rest, which, when he was alive, would have disquieted the proudest of us all; and for his tomb, I assure you, it is not so worthy or convenient as his honor and acts have deserved."— Vide Sandford's History of the Kings of England. (D) Gloster,] Humphrey, Duke of Gloster, was the fourth son of King Henry IV., and on the death of his brother, Henry V., became Regent of England. It is generally supposed he was strangled. His death took place in the year 1446. (E) Exeter,] Shakespeare is a little too early in giving Thomas Beaufort the title of Duke of Exeter; for when Harfleur was taken, and he was appointed governor of the town, he was only Earl of Dorset. He was not made Duke of Exeter till the year after the battle of Agincourt, November 14, 1416. Exeter was half brother to King Henry IV., being one of the sons of John of Gaunt, by Catherine Swynford. (F) Archbishop of Canterbury,] The Archbishop's speech in this scene, explaining King Henry's title to the crown of France, is closely copied from Holinshed's chronicle, page 545. "About the middle of the year 1414, Henry V., influenced by the persuasions of Chichely, Archbishop of Canterbury, by the dying injunction of his royal father, not to allow the kingdom to remain long at peace, or more probably by those feelings of ambition, which were no less natural to his age and character, than consonant with the manners of the time in which he lived, resolved to assert that claim to the crown of France which his great grandfather, King Edward the Third, had urged with such confidence and success."-Nicolas's History of the Battle of Agincourt. (0) - the law Salique,] According to this law no woman was permitted to govern or be a Queen in her own right. The title only was allowed to the wife of the monarch. This law was imported from Germany by the warlike Franks. The (H) Tennis-balls, my liege.] Some contemporary historians affirm that the Dauphin sent Henry the contemptuous present, which has been imputed to him, intimating that such implements of play were better adapted to his dissolute character than the instruments of war, while others are silent on the subject. circumstance of Henry's offering to meet his enemy in single combat, affords some support to the statement that he was influenced by those personal feelings of revenge to which the Dauphin's conduct would undoubtedly have given birth. (1) Enter BARDOLPH, NYM, PISTOL, Mrs. QUICKLY, and BoY.] These followers of Falstaff figured conspicuously through the two parts of Shakespeare's Henry IV. Pistol is a swaggering, pompous braggadocio; Nym a boaster and a coward; and Bardolph a liar, thief, and coward, who has no wit but in his nose. Enter CHORUS. Cho. Now all the youth of England are on fire, O England!-model to thy inward greatness, What might'st thou do, that honour would thee do, But see thy fault France hath in thee found out With treacherous crowns; and three corrupted men,— 2 1 which he fills] i.e., the King of France. Richard, earl of Cambridge;] Was Richard de Coninsbury, younger son of Edmund of Langley, Duke of York. He was father of Richard, Duke of York, father of Edward the Fourth. 3 Henry lord Scroop of Masham,] Was third husband of Joan Duchess of York (she had four), mother-in-law of Richard, Earl of Cambridge. 5 the gilt of France,] i.e., golden money. . -this grace of kings] i.e., he who does the greatest honor to By the same phraseology the usurper in Hamlet is called the vice of kings, i.e., the opprobrium of them. the title. (If hell and treason hold their promises,) Ere he take ship for France, and in Southampton. The back scene opens and discovers a tableau, representing the three conspirators receiving the bribe from the emissaries of France. Linger your patience on; and well digest The abuse of distance, while we force a play." 6 : [Exit. while we force a play.] To force a play is to produce a play by compelling many circumstances into a narrow compass. "We'll not offend one stomach] That is, you shall pass the sea without the qualms of sea-sickness. The meaning is, But, till the king come forth, and not till then,] "We will not shift our scene unto Southampton till the king makes his appearance on the stage, and the scene will be at Southampton only for the short time while he does appear on the stage; for, soon after his appearance, it will change to France."-MALONE. ACT II. SCENE I.-COUNCIL CHAMBER IN SOUTHAMPTON CASTLE. EXETER, BEDFORD, and WESTMORELAND, discovered. Bed. 'Fore Heaven, his grace is bold, to trust these traitors. Exe. They shall be apprehended by and by. West. How smooth and even they do bear themselves! As if allegiance in their bosoms sat, Crowned with faith and constant loyalty. Bed. The king hath note of all that they intend, By interception which they dream not of. Exe. Nay, but the man that was his bedfellow, (A) Whom he hath cloy'd and grac'd with princely favours,— That he should, for a foreign purse, so sell His sovereign's life to death and treachery! Distant Trumpets sound. Enter King HENRY, SCROOP, CAMBRIDGE, GREY, Lords and Attendants, U.E.L.H. K. Hen. Now sits the wind fair, and we will aboard. My lord of Cambridge, and my kind lord of Masham,— And you, my gentle knight,-give me your thoughts: Think you not, that the powers we bear with us Will cut their passage through the force of France? Scroop. No doubt, my liege, if each man do his best. K. Hen. I doubt not that; since we are well persuaded We carry not a heart with us from hence That grows not in a fair consent with ours, Nor leave not one behind that doth not wish Success and conquest to attend on us. 1 Cam. (R.) Never was monarch better fear'd and lov'd 1-in a fair consent with ours,] i. e., in friendly concord; in unison with ours. |