KING Henry VI.

Duke of Gloucester, Uncle to the King, and Protector. Duke of Bedford, Uncle to the King, and Regent of France. Cardinal Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester, and Uncle likewife to the King...

Young Talbot, his Son.

Richard Plantagenet, afterwards Duke of York.
Mortimer, Earl of March.

Woodvile, Lieutenant of the Tower.

Lord Mayor of London.

Vernon, of the White Rofe, or York Faction.
Baffet, of the Red Rofe, or Lancafter Faction.

Charles, Dauphin, and afterwards King of France.
Reignier, Duke of Anjou, and Titular King of Naples.
Duke of Burgundy.

Duke of Alanfon.

Baftard of Orleans.

An old Shepherd, Father to Joan la Pucelle.

Margaret, Daughter to Reignier, and afterwards Queen to King Henry.

Joan la Pucelle, a Maid pretending to be infpir'd from Heaven, and fetting up for the Championess of France. Countess of Auvergne.

Lords, Captains, Soldiers, Meffengers, and several Attendants both on the English and French.

The SCENE is fartly in England, and partly in France.

The

The FIRST PART of

King HENRY VI.

ACT I. SCENE I.

Dead March. Enter the Funeral of King Henry the Fifth, attended on by the Duke of Bedford, Regent of France; the Duke of Gloucefter, Protector; the Duke of Exeter, and the Earl of Warwick, the Bishop of Winchester, and the Duke of Somerset.

H

BEDFORD.

UNG be the heav'ns with black, yield day to night!

Comets, importing change of times and ftates,

Brandifh your cryftal treffes in the sky,
And with them fcourge the bad revolting
ftars

That have confented unto Henry's death:
Henry the Fifth, too famous to live long,
England ne'er loft a King of fo much worth.

A 3

Glou.

Glou. England ne'er had a King until his time:
Virtue he had, deferving to command.

His brandifh'd fword did blind men with its beams;
His arms fpread wider than a Dragon's wings :
His fparkling eyes repleat with awful fire.
More dazled and drove back his enemies
Than mid-day fun fierce bent against their faces.
What fhould I fay? his deeds exceed all speech:
He never lifted up his hand but conquer'd.

Exe. We mourn in black, why mourn we not in blood?

Henry is dead, and never fhall revive:
Upon a wooden coffin we attend;
And death's difhonourable victory.
We with our ftately prefence glorifie,
Like captives bound to a triumphant car.
What? Thall we curfe the planets of mishap,
That plotted thus our glory's overthrow ?
Or fhall we think the fubtle-witted French
Conj'rers and forc'rers, that afraid of him
By magick verfe have thus contriv'd his end?
Win. He was a King, bleft of the King of Kings.
Unto the French, the dreadful judgment day
So dreadful will not be as was his fight.
The battels of the Lord of hofts he fought;

The church's pray'rs made him fo profperous.

Glou. The church? where is it? had not church-men pray'd,

His thread of life had not fo foon decay'd.
None do you like but an effeminate Prince,
Whom like a fchool-boy you may over-awe.

Win. Glofter, whate'er we like, thou art Protector.
And lookeft to command the Prince and realm;
Thy wife is proud, fhe holdeth thee in awe,
More than God or religious church-men may.

Glou. Name not religion, for thou lov'ft the flesh, And ne'er throughout the year to church thou go'ft, Except it be to pray against thy foes.

Bed.

Bed. Ceafe, ceafe these 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.
Pofterity await for wretched years,

When at their mothers moift eyes babes fhall fuck,
Our ifle be made a a marish of falt tears,
And none but women left to 'wail the dead.
Henry the Fifth thy ghoft I invocate;
Profper this realm, keep it from civil broils,
Combat with adverse planets in the heavens ;
A far more glorious ftar thy foul will make
Than Julius Cafar, or bright.

SCENE IL

Enter a Meffenger.

Meff. My honourable lords, health to you all,
Sad tidings bring I to you out of France,
Of lofs, of flaughter, and difcomfiture;
Guienne, Champaign, and Rheims, and Orleans,

Paris, Guyfors, Poitiers, are all quite loft.

Bed. What fay'ft thou man, before dead Henry's

coarfe?

Speak foftly, or the lofs of thofe great towns

Will make him burft his lead, and rife from death.
Glou. Is Paris loft, and Roan yielded up?

a nourish.

+ I can't guess the occafion of the Hemyftic, and imperfect Senfe, in this place; 'tis not impoffible it might have been fill'd up withFrancis Drake- tho that were a terrible Anachronism (as bad as He&tor's quoting Ariftotle in Troil, and Crefs.) yet perhaps, at the time that brave Englishman was in his glory, to an English-bearted audience, and pronounced by fome favourite Actor, the thing might be. popular, tho not judicious; and therefore by fome Critick, in favour of the author, afterwards ftruck out. But this is a mere flight conje&ture.

If Henry were recall'd to life again,

These news would caufe him once more yield the ghoft. Exe. How were they loft? what treachery was us'd ? Meff. No treachery, but want of men and mony.. Amongst the foldiers this is muttered,

That here you maintain fev'ral factions;

And whilst a field should be dispatch'd and fought,
You are difputing of your generals.

One would have lingring wars with little coft;
Another would fly fwift, but wanteth wings:
A third man thinks, without expence at all
By guileful fair words peace may be obtain❜d.
Awake, awake, English nobility,

Let not floth dim your honours, new-begot;
Crop'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,
Thefe tidings would call forth † her flowing tides.
Bed. Me they concern, Regent I am of France;
Give me my fteeled coat, I'll fight for France.
Away with thefe difgraceful, wailing robes
Wounds I will lend the French, instead of eyes,.
To weep their intermiffive miferies.

SCENE III.

Enter to them another Meffenger.

2 Meff. Lords, view thefe letters, full of bad mif chance.

France is revolted from the English quite,

Except fome petty towns of no import.

The Dauphin Charles is crowned King in Rheims,

The baftard Orleans with him is join'd:
Reignier Duke of Anjou doth take his part,
The Duke of Alanfon flies to his fide.

+ England's.

[Exit

Exe..