Enter CHORUS.

Thus far, with rough, and all unable pen,
Our bending author hath pursu'd the story;
In little room confining mighty men,
Mangling by starts the full course of their
glory.
[liv'd
Small time, but in that small, most greatly
This star of England: fortune made his sword;
By which the world's best gardent he achiev'd,
And of it left his son imperial lord.

Henry the sixth, in infant bands crown'd king Of France and England did this king succeed;

Whose state so many had the managing, That they lost France, and made his England bleed:

Which oft our stage hath shown; and, for their sake,

In your fair minds let this acceptance take.

[Exit.

I. e. Unequal to the weight of the subject. † Franco.

KING HENRY THE SIXTH.
DUKE OF GLOSTER, 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 GAR-

GRAVE.

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.

REIGNIER, Duke of Anjou, and titular King of Naples.

DUKE OF BURGUNDY.-DUKE OF ALENÇON.
GOVERNOR OF PARIS.-BASTARD OF ORLEANS.
MASTER-GUNNER OF ORLEANS, and his Son.
GENERAL OF THE FRENCH FORCES in Bour-
deaux.

A FRENCH SERGEANT.-A PORTER.
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.

ACT I.

SCENE I.-Westminster Abbey. Deud march. Corpse of King HENRY the Fifth discovered, lying in state; 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 times and states, Brandish your crystal tresses in the sky; And with them scourge the bad revolting stars,

That have consented unto Henry's death! Henry the fifth, too famous to live long! England ne'er lost a king of so much worth. Glo. England ne'er had a king, until his Virtue he had, deserving to command: [time. His brandish'd sword did blind men with his beams;

His arms spread wider than a dragon's wings; His sparkling eyes replete with wrathful fire,

* Alluding to our ancient stage-practice when a tragedy was to be acted

More dazzled and drove back his enemies, Than mid-day sun, fierce bent against their faces. [speech: What should I say? his deeds exceed all He ne'er lift up his hand, but conquered.

Exe. We mourn in black; Why mourn we not in blood?

Henry is dead, and never shall revive:
Upon a wooden coffin we attend;
And death's dishonourable victory
We with our stately presence glorify,
Like captives bound to a triumphant car.
What? shall we curse the planets of mishap,
That plotted thus our glory's overthrow?
Or shall we think the subtle-witted French
Conjurers and sorcerers, that, afraid of him,
By magic verses have contriv'd his end?

Win. He was a king bless'd of the King of

kings.

Unto the French the dreadful judgement day
So dreadful will not be, as was his fight.
The battles of the Lord of hosts he fought:
The church's prayers made him so prosperous.

There was a notion long prevalent, that life might be taken away by metrical charms.

churchmen pray'd,

His thread of life had not so soon decay'd:
None do you like but an effeminate prince,
Whom, like a school-boy, you may over-awe.
Win. Gloster, whate'er we like, thou art
protector;

And lookest to command the prince, and realm,
Thy wife is proud; she holdeth thee in awe,
More than God, or religious churchmen, may.
Glo. Name not religion, for thou lov'st the
flesh;
[go'st,
And ne'er throughout the year to church thou
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, [suck;
When at their mothers' moist eyes babes shall
Our isle be made a nourish of salt tears,
And none but women left to wail the dead.-
Henry the fifth! thy ghost I invocate;
Prosper this realm, keep it from civil broils!
Combat with adverse planets in the heavens!
A far more glorious star thy soul will make,
Than Julius Cæsar, or bright-

Glo. Is Paris lost? is Rouen yielded up? If Henry were recall'd to life again, These news would cause him once more yield the ghost.

Exe. 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,

You are disputing of your generals.
One would have ling'ring wars, with little cost;
Another would fly swift but wanteth wings;
A third man thinks, without expense at all,
By guileful fair words peace may be obtain'd.
Awake, awake, English nobility!

Let not sloth dim your honours, new-begot:
Cropp'd are the flower-de-luces in your arms;
Of England's coat one half is cut away.
Exe. Were our tears wanting to this funeral,
These tidings would call forth hert flowing

tides.

Bed. Me they concern; regent I am of

France:

Except some petty towns of no import:
The Dauphin Charles is crowned king in
Rheims;

The bastard of Orleans with him is join'd;
Reignier, duke of Anjou, doth take his part;
The duke of Alençon flieth to his side.

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 slack, I'll fight it out.
Bed. Gloster, why doubt'st thou of my for-

wardness!

An army have I muster'd in my thoughts,
Wherewith already France is over-run.

Enter a third MESSENGER.

3 Mess. My gracious lords,-to add to your laments, [hearse,Wherewith you now bedew King Henry's I must inform you of a dismal fight, Betwixt the stout lord Talbot and the French. Win. What! wherein Talbot overcame? is't

thrown:

The circumstance I'll tell you more at large.
The tenth of August last, this dreadful lord,
Retiring from the siege of Orleans,

Having full scarce six thousand in his troop,
By three and twenty thousand of the French
Was round encompassed and set upon :
No leisure had he to enrank his men;
He wanted pikes to set before his archers;
Instead whereof, sharp stakes, pluck'd out of
hedges,
They pitched in the ground confusedly,
To keep the horsemen off from breaking in.
More than three hours the fight continued;
Where valiant Talbot, above human thought,
Enacted wonders with his sword and lance.
Hundreds he sent to hell, and none durst stand

him;

Here, there, and every where, enrag'd he slew:
The French exclaim'd, The devil was in arms;
All the whole army stood agaz'd on him:
His soldiers, spying his undaunted spirit,
A Talbot! a Talbot! cried out amain,

And rush'd into the bowels of the battle.
Here had the conquest fully been seal'd up,
If Sir John Fastolfe had not play'd the coward;
He being in the vaward, (plac'd behind,
With purpose to relieve and follow them,)
Cowardly fled, not having struck one stroke,
Hence grew the general wreck and massacre;
Enclosed were they with their enemies:

A base Walloon, to win the Dauphin's grace,
Thrust Talbot with a spear into the back;
Whom all France, with their chief assembled
strength,
Durst not presume to look once in the face.

Bed. Is Talbot slain? then I will slay myself, For living idly here, in pomp and ease, Whilst such a worthy leader, wanting aid, Unto his dastard foe-man is betray'd.

3 Mess. O no, he lives; but is took prisoner, And lord Scales with him, and lord Hunger

ford:

Most of the rest slaughter'd, or took, likewise. Bed. His ransom there is none but I shall

Farewell, my masters; to my task will I; Bonfires in France forthwith I am to make, To keep our great Saint George's feast withal: Ten thousand soldiers with me I will take, Whose bloody deeds shall make all Europe quake.

3 Mess. So you had need; for Orleans is besieg'd;

The English army is grown weak and faint:
The earl of Salisbury craveth supply,
And hardly keeps his men from mutiny,
Since they, so few, watch such a multitude.

Exe. Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry
Either to quell the Dauphin utterly, [sworn;
Or bring him in obedience to your yoke.
Bed. I do remember it; and here take leave,
To go about my preparation.
[Exit.
Glo. I'll to the Tower, with all the haste I can,
To view the artillery and munition;
And then I will proclaim young Henry king.
[Exit.
Exe. To Eltham will I, where the young
king is,

Being ordain'd his special governor;
And for his safety there I'll best advise.

[Exit.

Win. Each hath his place and function to attend:

I am left out; for me nothing remains.
But long I will not be Jack-out-of-office;
The king from Eltham I intend to send,
And sit at chiefest stern of public weal.

[Exit. Scene closes.

So in the earth, to this day is not known:
Late did he shine upon the English side;
Now we are victors upon us he smiles.
What towns of any moment, but we have?
At pleasure here we lie, near Orleans;
Otherwhiles, the famish'd English, like pale
ghosts,

Faintly besiege us one hour in a month.

The other lords, like lions wanting food,
Do rush upon us as their hungry prey."
Alen. Froissard, a countryman of ours, re-
cords,

England all Olivers and Rowlands bred,
During the time Edward the third did reign.
More truly now may this be verified;
For none but Samsons, and Goliasses,
It sendeth forth to skirmish. One to ten!
Lean raw-bon'd rascals! who would e'er sup-
They had such courage and audacity? [pose
Char. Let's leave this town; for they are

hair-brain'd slaves,

[ger: And hunger will enforce them to be more eaOf old I know them; rather with their teeth The walls they'll tear down, than forsake the siege.

Reig. I think, by some odd gimmalst or device, {on; Their arms are set, like clocks, still to strike Else ne'er could they hold ont so, as they do. By my consent, we'll e'en let them alone. Alen. Be it so.

Enter the BASTARD of Orleans.

Bast. Where's the prince Dauphin, I have news for him.

Char. Bastard of Orleans, thrice welcome

to us.

Bast. Methinks, your looks are sad, your cheers appall'd;

Hath the late overthrow wrought this offence?
Be not dismay'd, for succour is at hand:
A holy maid hither with me I bring,
Which, by a vision sent to her from heaven,
Ordained is to raise this tedious siege,

And drive the English forth the bounds of
France.

The spirit of deep prophecy she hath, Exceeding the nine sibyls of old Rome; What's past, and what's to come, she can descry.

Speak, shall I call her in? Belieye my words, For they are certain and unfallible.

Char. Go, call her in: [Exit BASTARD.] But, first, to try her skill,

bull-beeves:

Either they must be dieted like mules,
And have their provender tyed to their mouths,
Or piteous they will look, fike drowned mice.
Reig. Let's raise the siege; Why live we
idly here?

Talbot is taken, whom we wont to fear:
Remaineth none but mad-brain'd Salisbury;
And he may well in fretting spend his gall,
Nor men, nor money, hath he to make war.
Char. Sound, sound alarum; we will rush
on them.

Now for the honour of the forlorn French :Him I forgive my death, that killeth me, When he sees me go back one foot, or fly.

[Exeunt. Alarums; Excursions; afterwards a Retreat. Re-enter CHARLES, ALENÇON, REIGNIER, und

others.

Char. Who ever saw the like? what men have

I?

Dogs! cowards! dastards!-I would ne'er bave fled,

But that they left me 'midst my enemies.
Reig. Salisbury is a desperate homicide;
He fighteth as one weary of his life.

hath.

[Retires.