The SCENE, at the beginning of the Play, lies in England; but afterwards wholly in France. Enter CHORUS. 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! Then should the warlike Harry, like himself, Assume the port of Mars; and, at his heels, Leash'd in like hounds, should famine, sword, and fire, VOL. III. B The flat unraised spirit, that hath dared, Suppose, within the girdle of these walls Think, when we talk of horses, that you see them Who, prologue-like, your humble patience pray, ACT I. SCENE I.-London. An Antichamber in the King's Palace. Enter the Archbishop of CANTERBURY, and Bishop of ELY. Cant. My lord, I'll tell you, that self bill is urged, Which, in the eleventh year o' the last king's reign 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 By testament have given to the church, Would they strip from us; being valued thus,― * An allusion to the circular form of the Globe Theatre. Of indigent faint souls, past corporal toil, A thousand pounds by the year: Thus runs the bill. Cant. "Twould drink the cup and all. Ely. But what prevention ? Cant. The king is full of grace, and fair regard. Cant. The courses of his youth promised it not. And whipp'd the offending Adam out of him ; To envelop and contain celestial spirits. With such a heady current, scouring faults; So soon did lose his seat, and all at once, Ely. We are blessed in the change. Cant. Hear him but reason in divinity, You would desire, the king were made a prelate : You would say,-it hath been all-in-all his study: The Gordian knot of it he will unloose, And the mute wonder lurketh in men's ears, So that the art and practic part of life 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 wholesome berries thrive and ripen best, Neighbour'd by fruit of baser quality: And so the prince obscured his contemplation * Listen to. + Theory and practice. Plebeian intercourse. Under the veil of wildness; which, no doubt, Cant. It must be so: for miracles are ceased: Ely. But, my good lord, How now for mitigation of this bill Urged by the commons? Incline to it, or no? Doth his majesty Cant. 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; Ely. I'll wait upon you; and I long to hear it. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-The same. A Room of State in the same. Enter KING HENRY, GLOSTER, BEDFORD, EXETER, WARWICK, K. Hen. Where is my gracious lord of Canterbury? K. Hen. Send for him, good uncle. West. Shall we call in the ambassador, my liege? * Increasing. |