Stockdale's edition of Shakespeare, with explanatory notes

Lards, Captains, Soldiers, Messengers, and several Attendants both on the English and French.

The SCENE is partly in Englard, and partly in France.

A CT. I.

SCENE I.
Wefminfer-Abbey.

Brandith your crystal treffes in the sky; And with them fcourge the bad revolting stars, Dead March. Enter the Fune al of King Henry the That have confented unto Henry's death! Fifib, attended on by the Duke of Bedford, Re-Henry the fifth, too famous to live long! England ne'er loft a king of fo much worth. gent of France; the Duke of Glofter, Protector; the Duke of Exeter, and the Earl of Warwick the Bishop of Winchester, and the Duke of So

merfet, &c.

Bed. Hie

UNG be the heavens with black,
yield day to night!

Comets, importing change of times and states,

Virtue he had, deferving to command:
His brandifh'd fword did blind men with his beams;
His arms fpread wider than a dragon's wings;
His fparkling eyes, replete with wrathful fire,
More dazzled and drove back his enemies,
Than mid-day fun, fierce bent against their faces.

Glo. England ne'er had a king, until his time.

I Mr. Theobald obferves, that "the historical tranfactions contained in this play, take in the compass of above thirty years. I muft obferve, however, that our author, in the three parts of Henry VI. has not been very precife to the date and difpofition of his facts; but shuffled them, backwards and forwards, out of time. For inftance; the lord Talbot is kill'd at the end of the fourth act of this play, who in reality did not fall till the 13th of July 1453; and The Second Part of Henry VI opens with the marriage of the king, which was folemnized eight years before Talbot's death, in the year 1445. Again, in the fecond part, dame Eleanor Cobham is introduced to infult queen Margaret; though her penance and banishment for forcery happened three years before that princefs came over to England. I could point out many other tranfgreffions against history, as far as the order of time is concerned. Indeed, though there are several matter-ftrokes in thefe three plays, which inconteftably betray the workmanship of Shakspeare; yet I am almoft doubtful, whether they were entirely of his writing. And unlefs they were wrote by him very early, I fhould rather imagine them to have been brought to him as a director of the stage; and fo have received fome finishing beauties at his hand. An accurate obferver will eafly fee, the diction of them is more obfolete, and the nuinpers more mean and profaical, than in the generality of his genuine compofitions.”

What

What should I fay? his deeds exceed all speech:
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 fhall revive:
Upon a wooden coffin we attend ;
And death's difhonourable victory
We with our ftately prefence glorify,
Like captives bound to a triumphant car.
What? fhall we curfe the planets of mishap,
That plotted thus our glory's overthrow
Or fhall we think the fubtle-witted French
Conjurers and forcerers, that, afraid of him,
By magic verfes have 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 battles of the Lord of Hofts he fought :
The church's prayers made him fo profperous.

Glo. 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 effèminate prince,
Whom, like a school-boy, you may over-awe.
Win. Glofter, whate'er we like, thou art pro-
tector;

And lookest to command the prince, and realm.
Thy wife is proud; the holdeth thee in awe,
More than God, or religious church-men, may.

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

Bed. Ceafe, ceafe thefe jars, and rest 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 habes fhall fuck;
Our ifle be made a nourish of falt tears,
And none but women left to wail the dead.--
Henry the fifth! thy ghost I invocate;
Proiper this reahm, keep it from civil broils!
Combat with adverse planets in the heavens !
A far more glorious ftar thy foul will make,
Than Julius Cæfar, or bright-

Enter a Meflenger.

Meff. My honourable lords, health to you all! Sad tidings bring I to you out of France, Of lofs, of flaughter, and difcomfiture: Guienne, Champaigne, Rheims, Orleans, Paris, Guyfors, Poictiers, are all quite loft.

Bed. What fay it thou, man, before dead Henry's corfe?

Speak foftly; or the lofs of thofe great towns
Will make him burft his lead, and rife from death.
Glo. Is Paris loft? is Roan yielded up?
If Henry were recall'd to life again, [ghoft.
Thefe news would cause him once more yield the
Exc. How were they loft? what treachery was
us'd?
[money.
Melf. No treachery; but want of men and

Among the foldiers this is muttered,→→
That here you maintain feveral factions;
And, whilst a field should be dispatch'd and fought,
You are difputing of your generals.

One would have ling ring 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:
Cropp'd are the flower-de-luces in your arms;
Of England's coat one half is cut away.

Fre. Were our tears wanting to this funeral, Thefe tidings would call forth their 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, inttead of eyes, To weep their intermiffive 2 miteries.

Enter to them another Messenger.

2 Meff. Lords, view these 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;
The baftard of Orleans with him is join'd;
Reignier, duke of Anjou, doth take his part;
The duke of Alencon flieth to his fide.

[Exit. Exe. The Dauphin crowned king! all fly to O, whither fhall we fly from this reproach? [him! Glo.We will not fly,but to our enemies' throats:Bedford, if thou be flack, I'll fight it out.

Bed. Glofter, why doubt'it thou of my forwardness?

An army have 1 mufter'd in my thoughts,
Wherewith already France is over-run.
Enter a third Messenger.

3 Mell. My gracious lords,-to add to your laments, Wherewith you now bedew king Henry's hearfe,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 Meff. O, no; wherein lord Talbot was o'erthrown:

The circumstance I'll tell you more at large.
The tenth of August laft, this dreadful lord,
Retiring from the fiege of Orleans,
Having full fcarce 3 fix thoufand in his troop,
By three and twenty thousand of the French
Was round encompaffed and fet upon :
No leifure had he to enrank his men ;
He wanted pikes to set before his archers;
Inftead whereof, fharp stakes,pluck'd out of hedges,
They pitched in the ground confufedly,
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 fword and lance.
Hundreds he fent to hell, and none durft stand him;
Here, there, and every where, enrag'd he flew :
The French exclaim'd, The devil was in arms;

Nourish here fignifies a nurse. i. c. their miseries, which have had only a fhort intermiffion

from Henry the Fittir's death to my coming amongit them.

3 i. c.

fcareely.

All

All the whole army stood agaz'd on him:
His foldiers, fpying his undaunted fpirit,
A Talbot! a Talbot! cried out amain,
And ruth'd into the bowels of the battle.
Here had the conqueft fully been feal'd up,
If Sir John Faftoife had not play'd the coward:
He being in the vaward (plac'd behind,
With purpofe to relieve and follow them)
Cowardly fled, not having itruck one stroke.
Hence grew the general wreck and malfacre ;
Enclofed were they with their enemies:
A bafe Walloon, to win the Dauphin's grace,
Thrust Talbot with a fpear into the back;
Whom all France, with her chief affembled strength,
Durft not prefume to look once in the face.

Bed. Is Talbot flain? then I will flay myself,
For living idly here, in pomp and ease,
Whilft fuch a worthy leader, wanting aid,
Uato his daftard foe-men is betray'd.

3 Meff. O no, he lives; but is took prifoner, And lord Scales with him, and lord Hungerford: Moft of the rest flaughter'd, or took, likewife.

Bed. His ranfom there is none but I fhall pay : I'll hale the Dauphin headlong from his throne, His crown fhall be the ranfom of my friend; Four of their lords I'il change for one of ours.Farewel, my mafters; to my task will I; Bonfires in France forthwith I am to make, To keep our great Saint George's feast withal: Ten thousand foldiers with me I will take, Whofe bloody deeds thall make all Europe quake. 3 Me. So you had need; for Orleans is befieg'd; The English army is grown weak and faint: The earl of Salisbury craveth fupply; And hardly keeps his men from mutiny, Since they, fo few, watch fuch a multitude.

Exe. Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry
fworn;

Either to quell the Dauphin utterly,
Or bring him in obedience to your yoke.

Bid. I do remember it; and here take leave,
Το o go about my preparation.

[Exit.

Glo. I'll to the Tower with all the hafte 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 fafety there I'll beft devife.

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 fimiles.
What towns of any moment, but we have?
At pleasure here we lie, near Orleans;
Otherwhiles, the famish'd English, like pale ghosts,
Faintly befiege us one hour in a mouth.

Alen. They want their porridge, and their fat
bull-beeves:

Either they must be dieted, like mules,
And have their provender ty'd to their mouths,
Or piteous they will look, like 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, found alarum; we will rush on
them.

Now for the honour of the forlorn French :-
Him I forgive my death, that killeth me,
When he fees me go back one foot, or fly. [Exeunt.
[Here alarum, they are beaten back by the English,
with great lofs.

Re-enter Charles, Alencon, and Reigrier.

Char. Who ever faw the like? what men have

I-
[fled,
Dogs! cowards! daftards!-I would ne'er have
But that they left me 'midst my enemies.

Reg. Salisbury is a defperate homicide;
He fighteth as one weary of his life.
The other lords, like lions wanting food,
Do ruth upon us as their hungry prey.

Alen. Froifard, a countryman of ours, records,
England all Olivers and Rowlands 2 bred,
During the time Edward the third did reign.
More truly now may this be verified;
For none but Sampfons, and Goliatles,

It fendeth forth to fkirmish. One to ten!
Lean raw-bon'd rafcals! who would e'er fuppofe
They had fuch courage and audacity?

Char. Let's leave this town; for they are hair

brain'd flaves,

And hunger will enforce them to be more eager : Of old I know them; rather with their teeth The walls they'll tear down, than forfake the fiege. Reig. I think, by fome odd gimimals 3 or device, [Exit. Their arms are fet, like clocks, ftill to frike on; Win. Each hath his place and function to attend : Elfe they could ne'er hold out fo, as they do.

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 end, And fit at chiefett ftern of public weal. SCENE 11.

[Exit.

Before Orleans in France. Enter Charles, Alencon, and Reignier, marching with a Drum and Soldiers.

Char. Mars his true moving, even as in the heavens,

By my confent, we'll e'en let them alone.
Alen. Be it fo.

Enter the Baftard of Orleans.

Baft. Where's the prince Dauphin? I have

news for him.

Dau. Baftard of Orleans, thrice welcome to us.
Baft. Methinks, your looks are fad, your chear
appall'd;

Hath the late overthrow wrought this offence?
Be not difmay'd, for fuccour is at hand :

1 i. e. the back part of the van or front. 2 Thefe were two of the most famous in the lift of Charlemagne's twelve peers; and their exploits are render'd fo ridiculously and equally extravagant by the old romancers, that from thence arole that faying amongst our plain and fenfible ancestors, of giving one & Rowland for his Oliver, to fignify the matching one incredible lye with another; or, as in the modern acceptation of the proverb, to give a perfon as good a one as he brings. 3 A gimmal is a piece of jointed work, where one piece moves within another, whence it is taken at large for an engine. It is now vulgarly caled gimcrack. 4 Chear is cour tenance, appearance.

A holy maid hither with me I bring,
Which, by a vifion fent to her from heaven,
Ordained is to raise this tedious fiege,

And drive the English forth the bounds of France.
The spirit of deep prophecy the hath,
Exceeding the nme fibyls of old Rome;
What's patt, and what's to com, she can descry.
Speak, fha'l I call her in? Believe my 2 words,
For they are certain and unfallible.

Dan. Go, call her in: But firit, to try her ikill,
Reignier, ftand thou as Dauphin in my place:
Queftion her proudly, let thy looks be ftern;-
By this means fhall we found what fkill the hath.
Enter Foan la lucele.

Reig. Fair maid, is't thou wilt do thefe wondrous
feats?
[me
Pucel. Reignier, is't thou that thinkeft to beguile]
Where is the Dauphin? come, come from behind;
I know thee well, though never feen before.
Be not amaz'd, there's nothing hid from me:
In private will I talk with thee apart ;---
Stand back, you lords, and give us leave awhile.

Reig. She takes upon her bravely at firft dath.
Patel. Dauphin, I am by birth a shepherd's

daughter,

My wit untrain'd in any kind of art.

Heaven, and our Lady gracious, hath it pleas'd
To fhine on my contemptible eftate:
Io, whilft I waited on my tender lambs,
And to fun's parching heat difplay'd my cheeks,
God's mother deigned to appear to me;
And, in a vifion full of majesty,
Will'd me to leave my bafe vocation,
And free my country from calamity:
Her aid the promis'd, and affur'd fuccefs:
In compleat glory fhe reveal'd herself;

And, whereas I was black and twart before,
With thofe clear rays which the infus'd on me,
That beauty am I bleft with, which you fee.
Afk me what question thou conft polible,
And I will answer unpremeditated:
My courage try by combat, if thou'dar'ft,
And thou shalt find that I exceed my fex.
Refolve on this: Thou shalt be fortunate,
If thou receive me for thy warlike mate.

Dau. Then come o' God's name, I fear no we

man.

Pucel. And, while I live, I'll never fly no man.
[Here they fght, and Joan ta Paelle overcomes.
Dau. Stay, itay thy hands; thou art an Amazon,
And fightest with the sword of Debora.

Pacel. Chrift's mother helps ne, elfe I were too
weak.
[help me ;

Dau. Whoe'er helps thee, 'tis thou that muit
Impatiently I burn with thy defire;

My heart and hands thou haft at once fubdu’d.
Excellent Pucelle, if thy name be fo,
Let me thy fervant, and not fovereign, be;
'Tis the French Dauphin fueth to thee thus.

Pucel. I must not vield to any rites of love,
For my profeilion's facred from above:
When I have chafed all thy foes from hence,
Then will I think upon a recompence.
Dau. Mean time, look gracious on thy proftrate

thrall.

Reig. My lord, methinks, is very long in talk.
Aln. Doubtles, he thrives this woman to her
fmock;

Elfe ne'er could he fo long protract his speech.

Reg. Shall we difturb him, fince he keeps no
mean?

Alen. He may mean more than we poor men do
know:
[tongues.
Thefe women are fhrewd tempters with their
Reig. My lord, where are you? what devile
you on?

Shall we give over Orleans, or no?

Pucel. Why, no, I fay, diftruftful recreants!
Fight 'till the laft gafp; I will be your guard.
Dau. What the fays, I'll confirm; we'll fight

it out.

Pucel. Affign'd I am to be the English scourge.
This night the ficge atfuredly I'll raife:
Expect Saint Martin's fummer 3, halcyon days,
Since 1 have enter'd thus into thefe wars.
Glory is like a circle in the water,
Which never ceaseth to enlarge itself,

Till, by broad spreading, it difperie to nought
With Henry's death the English circle ends;
Difperfed are the glories it included.

Dau. Thou haft aftonith'd me with thy high Now am I like that proud infulting ship,

terms:

Only this proof I'll of thy valour make,--
In fingle combat thou shalt buckle with me;
And, if thou vanquisheft, thy words are true;
Otherwife, I renounce all confidence.

Pucel. I am prepar'd: here is my keen-edg'd
fword,

Deck'd with fine flower-de-luces on each fide; The which, at Torraine in Saint Katharine's churchyard,

Out of a deal of old iron I chose forth.

Which Caefar and his fortune bare at once.

Dau. Was Mahomet infpired with a dove 4 ?
Thou with an eagle art infpired then.
Helen, the mother of great Conftantine,
Nor yet Saint Philip's daughters 5, were like thee.
Bright star of Venus, fall'n down on the earth,
How may I reverently worship thee enough?

Alen. Leave off delays, and let us raise the siege.
Reig. Woman, do what thou canft to fave our
honours;

Drive them from Orleans, and be immortaliz'd.

I There were no nire fibyls of Rome; but our author confounds things, and miftakes this for the nine books of Sibylline oracles, brought to one of the Tarquins. 2 It should be read, believe her words. 3 That is, expe& profperity after misfortune, like fair weather at Martlemas, after winter has begun. 4 Mahomet had a dove, which he uted to feed with wheat out of his ear; which dove, when it was hungry, lighted on Mahomet's fhoulder, and thruft its bill in to find it's breakfaft; Maomet perfuading the rude and fimple Arabians, that it was the Holy Gholl that gave him advice. Meaning, the four daughters of Philip mentioned in the Ads.

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