King Henry the Sixth. Duke of Glo'ster, uncle to the king, and Protector. Duke of Bedford, uncle to the king, and Regent of France. Thomas Beaufort, Duke of Exeter, great uncle to the king. Henry Beaufort, great uncle to the king, Bishop of Winchester, and afterwards Cardinal. John Beaufort, Earl of Somerset; afterwards, Duke. Richard Plantagenet, eldest son of Richard late Earl of Cambridge; afterwards Duke of York. Earl of Warwick. Earl of Salisbury. Earl of Suffolk. Lord Talbot, afterwards Earl of Shrewsbury: John Talbot, his son. Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March. Mortimer's Keeper, and a Lawyer. Sir John Fastolfe. Sir William Lucy. Sir William Glansdale. Sir Thomas Gargrave. Mayor of London. Woodville, Lieutenant of the Tower. Vernon, of the White Rose, or York faction. Basset, of the Red Rose, or Lancaster faction. Charles, Dauphin, and afterwards king of France. Governor of Paris. Bastard of Orleans. Master Gunner of Orleans, and his son. An old Shepherd, father to Joan la Pucelle. Margaret, daughter to Reignier; afterwards married to King Henry. Countess of Auvergne. Joan la Pucelle, commonly called, Joan of Arc. 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. FIRST PART OF KING HENRY VI. ACT I. SCENE I. WESTMINSTER ABBEY. Dead march. Corpse of King Henry the Fifth discovered, lying in state; attended on by the Dukes of Bedford, Glo'ster, 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, Than mid-day sun, fierce bent against their faces. B What should I say? his deeds exceed all speech: He ne'er lift up his hand, but conquered. Ere. We mourn in black; Why mourn we not in blood? Henry is dead, and never shall revive: Win. He was a king bless'd of the King of kings. His thread of life had not so soon decay'd:: None do you like but an effeminate prince, Win. Glo'ster, whate'er we like, thou art pro- tector; And lookest to command the prince, and realm. 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' moist eyes babes shall suck; And none but women left to wail the dead.- Enter a Messenger. you Mess. My honourable lords, health to 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. all! Bed. What say'st thou, man, before dead Henry's corse? Speak softly; or the loss of those great towns If Henry were recall'd to life again, These news would cause him once more yield the ghost. Ere. How were they lost? what treachery was us'd? Mess. No treachery; but want of men and money. Among the soldiers this is muttered, That here you maintain several factions; And, whilst a field should be despatch'd and fought, One would have ling'ring wars, with little cost; Exe. Were our tears wanting to this funeral, 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 I will 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; Reignier, duke of Anjou, doth take his part; Exe. The Dauphin crowned king! all fly to him! O, whither shall we fly from this reproach? |