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ther, (apparently printed from it,) dated 1617, printed by Bernard Alsop, (who was printer of the er edition,) and sold by the same person, and at the same place. Alsop appears to have been a printer before the year 1600, and was afterwards one of the twenty appointed by decree of the Star-chamber to print for this kingdom. I believe, however, this piece to have been prior to that of Shakespeare, for several reasons. First, because it is highly probable 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. Oldcastle is the Falstaff of the piece, which is despicable, and full of ribaldry and impiety from the first scene to the last. Secondly, because Shakespeare seems to have taken not a few hints from it; for it comprehends, in some measure, the story of the two Parts of Henry IV. as well as of Henry V. and no ignorance, I think, could debase the gold of Shakespeare into such dross; though no chemistry but that of Shakespeare could exalt such base metal into gold. When the Prince of Wales, in Henry IV. calls Falstaff my old lad of the Castle, it is probably but a sneering allusion to the deserved fate which this performance met with; for there is no proof that our poet was ever obliged to change the name of Oldcastle into that of Falstaff, though there is an absolute certainty that this piece must have been condemned by any audience before whom it was ever represented. Lastly, because it appears (as Dr. Farmer has observed) from the Jests of the famous comedian, Tarleton, 4to. 1611, that he had been particularly celebrated in the part of the Clown,* in Henry V. and though this character does not exist in our play, we find it in the other, which, for the reasons already enumerated, I suppose to have been prior to this.

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This anonymous play of Henry V. is neither divided into Acts or scenes, is uncommonly short, and has all the appearance of having been imperfectly taken down during the representation. As much of it appears to have been

* Mr. Oldys, in a manuscript note in his copy of Langbaine, says, that Tarleton appeared in the character of the Judge who receives the box on the ear. This Judge is likewise a character in the old play. I may add, on the authority of the books at Stationers' Hall, that Tarleton published what he called his Farewell, a ballad, in Sept. 1588. In Oct. 1589, was entered, "Tarleton's Repentance, and his Farewell to his Friends in his Sickness a little before his Death" in 1590," Tarleton's Newes out of Purgatorie;" and in the same year" A pleasaunt Ditty Dialogue·wise, between Tarleton's Ghost and Robyn Good-fellowe." ́ STEEVENS.

omitted, we may suppose that the author did not think it convenient for his reputation to publish a more ample copy.

There is, indeed, a play, called Sir John Oldcastle, published in 1600, with the name of William Shakespeare prefixed to it. The prologue being very short, I shall quote it, as it serves to prove 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
"Unte 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." STEEVENS.

The piece to which Nash alludes is the old anonymous play of King Henry V. which had been exhibited before the year 1589. Tarleton, the comedian, who performed in it both the parts of the Chief Justice and the Clown, having died in that year. It was entered on the Stationers' books in 1594, and, I believe, printed in that year, though I have not met with a copy of that date. An edition of it, printed in 1598, was in the valuable collection of Dr. Wright..

The play before us appears to have been written in the middle of the year 1599. See An Attempt to ascertain the Order of Shakespeare's Plays, Vol. II.

The old King Henry V. may be found among Six old Plays on which Shakespeare founded, &c. printed by S Leacroft, 1778.

MALONE.

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Enter CHORUS.

O, FOR a muse of fire, that would ascend
The brightest heaven of invention !'

A kingdom for a stage, princes to act,
And monarchs to behold the swelling scene!
Then should the warlike Harry, like himself,
Assume the port of Mars; and, at his heels,
Leash'd in, like hounds, should famine, sword, and fire,
Crouch for employment. But pardon, gentles all,
The flat unraised spirit, that hath dar'd,
On this unworthy scaffold, to bring forth
So great an object: Can this cockpit hold
The vasty fields of France? or may we cram
Within this wooden O, the very casques,*
That did affright the air at Agincourt?
O, pardon! since a crooked figure may
Attest, in little place, a million;

And let us, cyphers to this great accompt,
On your imaginary forces work:5
Suppose, within the girdle of these walls
Are now confin'd two mighty monarchies,
Whose high-upreared and abutting fronts
The perilous, narrow ocean parts asunder.
Piece out our imperfections with your thoughts;
Into a thousands parts divide one man,
And make imaginary puissance :

[1] This goes upon the notion of the Peripatetic system, which imagined several heavens one above another; the last and highest of which was one of fire. WARBURTON.

It alludes likewise to the aspiring nature of fire, which, by its levity, at the sepa-. ration of the chaos, took the highest seat of all the elements. JOHNSON.

[2] This image of the warlike Henry very much resembles Montfaucon's description of the Mars discovered at Bresse, who leads a lion and a lioness in couples, and crouching for employment. TOLLET.

[3] Nothing shows more evidently the power of custom over language, than that the frequent use of calling a circle an O could so much hide the meanness of the metaphor from Shakespeare, that he has used it many times where he makes his most eager attempts at dignity of style. JOHNSON.

[4] The helmets. JOHNSON.

[5] Imaginary for imaginative, your powers of fancy. JOHNSON.

Think, when we talk of horses, that you see them
Printing their proud hoofs i' th' receiving earth:
For 'tis your thoughts that now must deck our kings,
Carry them here and there; jumping o'er times;
Turning th' accomplishment of many years

Into an hour-glass; For the which supply,
Admit me Chorus to this history;

Who, prologue-like, your humble patience pray,
Gently to hear, kindly to judge, our play.

King HENRY the Fifth.
Duke of GLOSTER,

Duke of BEDFORD, brothers to the king.

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.

CHARLES the Sixth, king of France.

LEWIS, the Dauphin.

Chorus.

Dukes of BURGUNDY, ORLEANS, and BOURBON.

The Constable of France.

RAMBURES, and GRANDPREE, French lords.

Governor 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.

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