HE transactions comprised in this play commence about the latter end of the first, and terminate in the eighth year of this king's reign: when he married Katharine, princess of France, and closed up the differences betwixt England and that crown.

This play, in the quarto edition of 1608, is styled The Chronicle History of Henry, &c. which seems to have been the title appropriated to all Shakespeare's historical dramas. Thus in The Antipodes, a comedy by R. Brome:

"These lads can act the emperor's lives all over, And Shakespeare's Chronicled Histories to boot." The players likewise, in the folio of 1623, rank these pieces under the title of Histories.

It is evident that a play on this subject had been performed before the year 1592. Nash, in his Pierce Penniless, dated in that year, says, "What a glorious thing it is to have Henry the Fift represented on the stage, leading the French king prisoner, and forcing both him and the Dolphin to sweare fealtie." Perhaps this same play was thus entered on the books of the Stationers' Company: :-"Thomas Strode] May 2. 1594. A booke entituled The famous Victories of Henry the Fift, containing the honourable Battle of Agincourt." There are two more entries of a play of King Henry V. viz. between 1596 and 1615, and one August 14, 1600. Malone had an edition printed in 1598, and Steevens had two copies of this play, one without date, and the other dated 1617, both printed by Bernard Alsop; from one of these it was reprinted in 1778, among six old plays on which Shakespeare founded, &c. published by Mr. Nichols. It is thought that this piece is prior to Shakespeare's King Henry V. and that it is the very "displeasing play" alluded to in the epilogue to the Second Part of King Henry IV. "for Oldcastle died a martyr," &c. Oldcastle is the Falstaff of the piece, which is despicable, and full of ribaldry and impiety. Shakespeare seems to

have taken not a few hints from it; for it comprehends, in some measure, the story of the two parts of King Henry IV. as well as of King Henry V. and no ignorance could debase the gold of Shakespeare into such dross, though no chemistry, but that of Shakespeare, could exalt such base metal into gold. This piece must have been performed before the year 1588, Tarlton, the comedian, who played both the parts of the Chief Justice and the Clown in it, having died in that year.

This anonymous play of King Henry V. is neither divided into acts nor scenes, is uncommonly short, and has all the appearance of having been imperfectly taken down during the representation.

There is a play called Sir John Oldcastle, published in 1600, with the name of William Shakespeare prefixed to it. The prologue of which serves to show that a former piece, in which the character of Oldcastle was introduced, had given great offence:"The doubtful title (gentlemen) prefixt Upon the argument we have in hand,

May breed suspense, and wrongfully disturbe
The peaceful quiet of your settled thoughts.
To stop which scruple, let this breefe suffice:
It is no pamper'd glutton we present,
Nor aged councellour to youthful sinne;
But one whose vertue shone above the rest,
A valiant martyr and a vertuous peere;
In whose true faith and loyalty exprest
Unto his soveraigne, and his countries weale,
We strive to pay that tribute of our love

Your favours merit: let faire truth be grac'd,
Since forg'd invention former time defac'd."

Shakespeare's play, according to Malone, seems to have been written in the middle of the year 1599. There are three quarto editions in the poet's lifetime, but without his name on the title page, 1600, 1602, and 1608. In all of them the choruses are omitted, and the play commences with the fourth speech of the second scene. They are evidently surreptitious publications, most probably derived from notes taken during the performance of this evidently popular play.

It appears from The Extracts from the Accounts of the Revels, edited by Mr. P. Cunningham, that on the 7th of January, 1605, "the play of Henry the fift" was represented at Court, and this was most probably Shakespeare's drama; whether the choruses were then added or no must remain doubtful, but a passage relating to the expedition of the Earl of Essex to Ireland, in 1599, must have been written during his absence:

"As by a lower but loving likelihood,

Were now the general of our gracious Empress
(As in good time he may) from Ireland coming,
Bringing rebellion broached on his sword,

This, coupled with the omission of all mention of this play by Meres in his Palladis Tamia, 1598, renders it pretty certain that it was composed in the summer of 1599.

Duke of Exeter, Uncle to the King.

Duke of York, Cousin to the King.

Earls of Salisbury, Westmoreland, and Warwick.
Archbishop of Canterbury.

Bishop of Ely.

Earl of Cambridge,

LORD SCROOP,

SIR THOMAS GREY,

}

Conspirators against the King.

SIR THOMAS ERPINGHAM, GOWER, FLUELLEN, MACMORRIS, JAMY, Officers in King Henry's Army. BATES, COURT, WILLIAMS, Soldiers in the same.

NYM, BARDOLPH, PISTOL, formerly Servants to Falstaff, now Soldiers in the same.

Boy, Servant to them. A Herald. Chorus.

CHARLES THE SIXTH, King of France.

LEWIS, the Dauphin.

Dukes of Burgundy, Orleans, and Bourbon.

The Constable of France.

RAMBURES and GRANDPREE, French Lords.

Governour of Harfleur.

MONTJOY, a French Herald.

Ambassadors to the King of England.

ISABEL, Queen of France.

KATHARINE, Daughter of Charles and Isabel.

ALICE, a Lady attending on the Princess Katharine.

QUICKLY, Pistol's Wife, an Hostess.

Lords, Ladies, Officers, French and English Soldiers, Messengers, and Attendants.

The SCENE, at the beginning of the Play, lies in England; but afterwards wholly in France.