I vow'd, base knight, when I did meet thee next,
To tear the garter from thy craven's leg;

[Plucking it off.

Which I have done, because unworthily
Thou wast installed in that high degree.-
Pardon me, princely Henry, and the rest.
This dastard, at the battle of Patay,
When but in all I was six thousand strong,
And that the French were almost ten to one,
Before we met, or that a stroke was given,
Like to a trusty squire, did run away:
In which assault we lost twelve hundred men;
Myself, and divers gentlemen beside,

Were there surpris'd, and taken prisoners.
Then, judge, great lords, if I have done amiss;
Or whether that such cowards ought to wear
This ornament of knighthood, yea, or no?

Glo. To say the truth, his fact was infamous,
And ill beseeming any common man,
Much more a knight, a captain, and a leader.

Tal. When first this order was ordain'd, my lords,
Knights of the garter were of noble birth,
Valiant and virtuous, full of haughty courage,
Such as were grown to credit by the wars;
Not fearing death, nor shrinking for distress,
But always resolute in worst1 extremes.
He, then, that is not furnish'd in this sort,
Doth but usurp the sacred name of knight,
Profaning this most honourable order;
And should (if I were worthy to be judge)
Be quite degraded, like a hedge-born swain
That doth presume to boast of gentle blood.
K. Hen. Stain to thy countrymen! thou hear'st thy
doom:

Be packing therefore, thou that wast a knight.
Henceforth we banish thee on pain of death.-

[Exit FASTOLFE.

And, now. my lord protector, view the letter
Sent from our uncle duke of Burgundy.

Glo. What means his grace, that he hath chang'd his style?

No more but, plain and bluntly,-" To the king!"
Hath he forgot he is his sovereign ?

1 most in f. e.

Or doth this churlish superscription

Portend' some alteration in good will?

What's here? [Reads.] "I have upon especial cause,— "Mov'd with compassion of my country's wreck, "Together with the pitiful complaints

"Of such as your oppression feeds upon,“Forsaken your pernicious faction,

"And join'd with Charles, the rightful king of France."

O, monstrous treachery! Can this be so?
That in alliance, amity, and oaths,

There should be found such false dissembling guile?
K. Hen. What! doth my uncle Burgundy revolt?
Glo. He doth, my lord; and is become thy foe.

K. Hen. Is that the worst this letter doth contain?
Glo. It is the worst, and all, my lord, he writes.
K. Hen. Why then, lord Talbot, there, shall talk
with him,

And give him chastisement for this abuse.-
How say you, my lord? are you not content?

Tal. Content, my liege? Yes, but that I'm prevented,

I should have begg'd I might have been employ'd.
K. Hen. Then gather strength, and march unto him
straight.

Let him perceive how ill we brook his treason;
And what offence it is to flout his friends.

Tal. I go, my lord; in heart desiring still,
You may behold confusion of your foes.

Enter VERNON and BASSET.

[Exit.

Ver. Grant me the combat, gracious sovereign!
Bas. And me, my lord; grant me the combat too!
York. This is my servant: hear him, noble prince.
Som. And this is mine: sweet Henry, favour him.
K. Hen. Be patient, lords, and give them leave to
speak.-

Say, gentlemen, what makes you thus exclaim?
And wherefore crave you combat? or with whom?
Ver. With him, my lord; for he hath done me

wrong.

Bas. And I with him; for he hath done me wrong. K. Hen. What is that wrong whereof you both complain ?

1 pretend in f. e.

First let me know, and then I'll answer you.

Bas. Crossing the sea from England into France,
This fellow, here, with envious carping tongue
Upbraided me about the rose I wear;

Saying, the sanguine colour of the leaves
Did represent my master's blushing cheeks,
When stubbornly he did repugn the truth,
About a certain question in the law,
Argu'd betwixt the duke of York and him;
With other vile and ignominious terms:
In confutation of which rude reproach,
And in defence of my lord's worthiness,
I crave the benefit of law of arms.

Ver. And that is my petition, royal lord:
For though he seem, with forged quaint conceit,
To set a gloss upon his bold intent,

Yet know, my lord, I was provok'd by him,
And he first took exceptions at this badge,
Pronouncing, that the paleness of this flower
Bewray'd the faintness of my master's heart.

York. Will not this malice, Somerset, be left?
Som. Your private grudge, my lord of York, will out,
Though ne'er so cunningly you smother it.

K. Hen. Good Lord! what madness rules in brain

sick men:

When, for so slight and frivolous a cause,

Such factious emulations still' arise.-
Good cousins both, of York and Somerset,
Quiet yourselves, I pray, and be at peace.

York. Let this dissension first be tried by fight,
And then your highness shall command a peace.
Som. The quarrel toucheth none but us alone;
Betwixt ourselves let us decide it, then.

York. There is my pledge; accept it, Somerset. Ver. Nay, let it rest where it began at first. Bas. Confirm it so, mine honourable lord. Glo. Confirm it so? Confounded be your strife, And perish ye, with your audacious prate! Presumptuous vassals! are you not asham'd, With this immodest, clamorous outrage To trouble and disturb the king and us? And you, my lords, methinks, you do not well, To bear with their perverse objections;

1 shall in f. e.

Much less to take occasion from their mouths
To raise a mutiny betwixt yourselves :

Let me persuade you take a better course.

Exe. It grieves his highness: good my lords, be friends.

K. Hen. Come hither, you that would be combatants. Henceforth, I charge you, as you love our favour, Quite to forget this quarrel, and the cause.— And you, my lords, remember where we are; In France, amongst a fickle wavering nation. If they perceive dissension in our looks, And that within ourselves we disagree, How will their grudging stomachs be provok'd To wilful disobedience, and rebel? Beside, what infamy will there arise, When foreign princes shall be certified, That for a toy, a thing of no regard, King Henry's peers, and chief nobility,

Destroy'd themselves, and lost the realm of France ? O! think upon the conquest of my father,

My tender years; and let us not forego

That for a trifle, that was bought with blood.
Let me be umpire in this doubtful strife.

I see no reason, if I wear this rose,

[Putting on a red Rose.
That any one should therefore be suspicious
I more incline to Somerset than York:
Both are my kinsmen, and I love them both.
As well they may upbraid me with my crown,
Because, forsooth, the king of Scots is crown'd.
But your discretions better can persuade,
Than I am able to instruct or teach:
And therefore, as we hither came in peace,
So let us still continue peace and love.-
Cousin of York, we institute your grace
To be our regent in these parts of France:
And, good my lord of Somerset, unite

Your troops of horsemen with his bands of foot;
And, like true subjects, sons of your progenitors,
Go cheerfully together, and digest

Your angry choler on your enemies.

Ourself, my lord protector, and the rest,
After some respite, will return to Calais;

From thence to England; where I hope ere long

To be presented by your victories

With Charles, Alençon, and that traitorous rout. [Flourish. Exeunt King HENRY, GLO., SOM., WIN., SUF., and BASSET.

War. My lord of York, I promise you, the king Prettily, methought, did play the orator.

York. And so he did; but yet I like it not,

In that he wears the badge of Somerset.

War. Tush! that was but his fancy, blame him not; I dare presume, sweet prince, he thought no harm. York. And, if I wist, he did.—But let it rest; Other affairs must now be managed.

[Exeunt YORK, WARWICK, and VERNON. Exe. Well didst thou, Richard, to suppress thy voice; For, had the passions of thy heart burst out,

I fear, we should have seen decipher'd there

More rancorous spite, more furious raging broils,
Than yet can be imagin'd or suppos'd.

But howsoe'r, no simple man that sees

This jarring discord of nobility,

This shouldering of each other in the court,
This factious bandying of their favourites,
But that it doth presage some ill event.

'T is much, when sceptres are in children's hands,
But more, when envy breeds unkind division:
There comes the ruin, there begins confusion.

SCENE II.-France. Before Bourdeaux.
Enter TALBOT, with his Forces.

Tal. Go to the gates of Bourdeaux, trumpeter:
Summon their general unto the wall.

[Exit.

Trumpet sounds a Parley. Enter, on the Walls, the
General of the French Forces, and others.

English John Talbot, captains, calls you forth,
Servant in arms to Harry king of England;
And thus he would.-Open your city gates,
Be humble to us, call my sovereign yours,
And do him homage as obedient subjects,
And I'll withdraw me and my bloody power;
But, if you frown upon this proffer'd peace,
You tempt the fury of my three attendants,
Lean famine, quartering steel, and climbing fire;
Who, in a moment, even with the earth
Shall lay your stately and air-braving towers,