Establish'd then this law; to wit, no female
Should be inheritrix in Salique land:
Which Salique, as I said, 'twixt Elbe and Sala,
Is at this day in Germany call'd Meisen.
Then doth it well appear the Salique law
Was not devised for the realm of France;
Nor did the French possess the Salique land
Until four hundred one-and-twenty years
After defunction of King Pharamond,
Idly suppos'd the founder of this law;

53

56

Who died within the year of our redemption

60

Four hundred twenty-six; and Charles the Great
Subdu'd the Saxons, and did seat the French

Beyond the river Sala, in the year

Eight hundred five. Besides, their writers say,
King Pepin, which deposed Childeric,

65

Did, as heir general, being descended

Of Blithild, which was daughter to King Clothair,
Make claim and title to the crown of France.
Hugh Capet also, who usurp'd the crown

68

Of Charles the Duke of Lorraine, sole heir male
Of the true line and stock of Charles the Great,
To find his title with some shows of truth,—
Though in pure truth, it was corrupt and naught,—
Convey'd himself as th' heir to the Lady Lingare,
Daughter to Charlemain, who was the son
To Lewis the emperor, and Lewis the son

72

76

Of Charles the Great. Also King Lewis the Tenth,
Who was sole heir to the usurper Capet,
Could not keep quiet in his conscience,
Wearing the crown of France, till satisfied

80

65 King Pepin; cf. n. 72 find: provide

77 Lewis the Tenth; cf. n.

That fair Queen Isabel, his grandmother,

Was lineal of the Lady Ermengare,

Daughter to Charles the aforesaid Duke of Lorraine: By the which marriage the line of Charles the

Great

84

iwnic

Was re-united to the crown of France.
So that, as clear as is the summer's sun,
King Pepin's title, and Hugh Capet's claim,
King Lewis his satisfaction, all appear
To hold in right and title of the female:
So do the kings of France unto this day;
Howbeit they would hold up this Salique law
To bar your highness claiming from the female;
And rather choose to hide them in a net
Than amply to imbar their crooked titles
Usurp'd from you and your progenitors.

888

93

K. Hen. May I with right and conscience make this claim?

Cant. The sin upon my head, dread sovereign! For in the book of Numbers is it writ:

96

'When the man dies, let the inheritance
Descend unto the daughter.' Gracious lord,
Stand for your own; unwind your bloody flag;
Look back into your mighty ancestors:

100

Go, my dread lord, to your great-grandsire's tomb,
From whom you claim; invoke his warlike spirit, 104
And your great-uncle's, Edward the Black Prince,
Who on the French ground play'd a tragedy,
Making defeat on the full power of France;
Whiles his most mighty father on a hill
Stood smiling to behold his lion's whelp
Forage in blood of French nobility.

82 lineal: direct descendant 93 them: themselves

98 Numbers; cf. Numb. 27. 8.

108

O noble English! that could entertain

With half their forces the full pride of France,
And let another half stand laughing by,
All out of work, and cold for action.

Ely. Awake remembrance of these valiant dead,
And with your puissant arm renew their feats:
You are their heir, you sit upon their throne,
The blood and courage that renowned them
Runs in your veins; and my thrice-puissant liege
Is in the very May-morn of his youth,
Ripe for exploits and mighty enterprises.

113

120

Exe. Your brother kings and monarchs of the earth Do all expect that you should rouse yourself, As did the former lions of your blood.

124

West. They know your Grace hath cause and means and might;

So hath your highness; never King of England
Had nobles richer, and more loyal subjects,

Whose hearts have left their bodies here in England

And lie pavilion'd in the fields of France.

Cant. O let their bodies follow, my dear liege,
With blood and sword and fire to win your right;
In aid whereof we of the spiritualty

Will raise your highness such a mighty sum
As never did the clergy at one time

Bring in to any of your ancestors.

128

132

K. Hen. We must not only arm to invade the French,

But lay down our proportions to defend

Against the Scot, who will make road upon us

114 for: for want of

120 May-morn of his youth; cf. n.

126 So hath your highness; cf. n.

136

116 puissant: powerful

132 spiritualty: clergy

137 lay. proportions: estimate the requisite number of troops

138 road: inroad

With all advantages.

Cant. They of those marches, gracious sovereign,

Shall be a wall sufficient to defend

Our inland from the pilfering borderers.

140

K. Hen. We do not mean the coursing snatchers only,

144

149

But fear the main intendment of the Scot,
Who hath been still a giddy neighbour to us;
For you shall read that my great-grandfather
Never went with his forces into France
But that the Scot on his unfurnish'd kingdom
Came pouring, like the tide into a breach,
With ample and brim fulness of his force,
Galling the gleaned land with hot assays,
Girding with grievous siege castles and towns;
That England, being empty of defence,
Hath shook and trembled at the ill neighbourhood.
Cant. She hath been then more fear'd than harm'd,

my liege;

For hear her but exampled by herself:

153

156

When all her chivalry hath been in France

And she a mourning widow of her nobles,

She hath herself not only well defended,

But taken and impounded as a stray

160

The King of Scots; whom she did send to France,

To fill King Edward's fame with prisoner kings,
And make your chronicle as rich with praise
As is the ooze and bottom of the sea

164

With sunken wrack and sumless treasuries.

West. But there's a saying very old and true;

143 coursing snatchers: marauding pilferers 145 still: always

140 marches: borders
144 intendment: intention
148 unfurnish'd: undefended
155 fear'd: frightened
165 wrack: wreckage

giddy: unstable 151 assays: attacks 160 impounded: imprisoned; cf. n.

'If that you will France win,

Then with Scotland first begin':

For once the eagle England being in prey,

To her unguarded nest the weasel Scot
Comes sneaking and so sucks her princely eggs,
Playing the mouse in absence of the cat,

To tear and havoc more than she can eat.

Exe. It follows then the cat must stay at home:
Yet that is but a crush'd necessity;

Since we have locks to safeguard necessaries
And pretty traps to catch the petty thieves.
While that the armed hand doth fight abroad,
The advised head defends itself at home:
For government, though high and low and lower,
Put into parts, doth keep in one consent,
Congreeing in a full and natural close,

Like music.

Cant.

Therefore doth heaven divide

The state of man in divers functions,
Setting endeavour in continual motion;
To which is fixed, as an aim or butt,
Obedience: for so work the honey-bees,
Creatures that by a rule in nature teach
The act of order to a peopled kingdom.
They have a king and officers of sorts;
Where some, like magistrates, correct at home,
Others, like merchants, venture trade abroad,
Others, like soldiers, armed in their stings,

Make boot upon the summer's velvet buds;

Which pillage they with merry march bring home
To the tent-royal of their emperor:

169 in prey: in search of prey

168

172

176

180

184

188

192

196

175 crush'd: forced

181 parts: used in the musical sense consent: harmony

order

182 Congreeing: agreeing

190 sorts: different ranks

close: cadence

194 Make boot upon: plunder