FIRST PART OF KING HENRY VI. ACT I. SCENE I. Weftminster Abbey. Dead march. Corple of King Henry the Fifth difcovered, lying in ftate; attended on by the Dukes of BEDFORD, GLOSTER, 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 time and states, His brandifh'd fword did blind men with his beams; Than mid-day fun, fierce bent against their faces. [blood? EXE. We mourn in black; Why mourn we not in WIN. He was a king blefs'd of the King of kings. The battles of the Lord of hosts he fought: The church's prayers made him fo profperous. GLO. The church! where is it? Had not churchmen His thread of life had not fo foon decay'd: None do you like but an effeminate prince, [pray'd, WIN. Glofter, whate'er we like, thou art protector; Thy wife is proud; the holdeth thee in awe, GLO. Name not religion, for thou lov'st the flesh; BED. Ceafe, ceafe thefe jars, and reft your minds in peace! Let's to the altar-Heralds, wait on us: Inftead of gold, we'll offer up our arms; Since arms avail not, now that Henry's dead.- When at their mother's moift eyes babes fhall fuck; And none but women left to wail the dead.- Enter a MESSENGER. MESS. My honourable lords, health to you all! BED. What fay'st thou, man, before dead Henry's corfe? Speak foftly; or the lofs of those great towns Will make him burft his lead, and rise from death. If Henry were recall'd to life again, Thefe news would caufe him once more yield the ghost. EXE. How were they loft? what treachery was us'd? MESS. No treachery; but want of men and money. Among the foldiers this is muttered,— That here you maintain several factions; And, whilft a field fhould be defpatch'd and fought, One would have ling'ring wars, with little coft; Let not floth dim your honours, new-begot : EXE. Were our tears wanting to this funeral, BED. Me they concern; regent I am of France :— Enter another MESSENGER. 2 MESS. Lords, view thefe letters, full of bad mifchance, France is revolted from the English quite; Except fome 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? GLO. We will not fly, but to our enemies' throats :Bedford, if thou be flack, I'll fight it out. BED. Glofter, why doubt'ft thou of my An army have I mufter'd in my thoughts, Wherewith already France is over-run. Enter a third MESSENGER. forwardnefs? 3 MESS. My gracious lords,-to add to your laments, Wherewith you now bedew king Henry's hearse,I must inform you of a difmal fight, Betwixt the ftout lord Talbot and the French. WIN. What! wherein Talbot overcame? is't fo? 3 MESS. O, no; wherein lord Talbot was o'erthrown: The circumftance I'll tell you more at large. The tenth of August laft, this dreadful lord, Having full fcarce fix thousand in his troop, No leifure had he to enrank his men ; He wanted pikes to set before his archers ; To keep the horsemen off from breaking in. Hundreds he fent to hell, and none durft ftand him; A bafe Walloon, to win the Dauphin's grace, Whom all France, with their chief affembled ftrength, Durft not presume to look once in the face. BED. Is Talbot flain? then I will flay myself, For living idly here, in pomp and ease, |