I

Which, like a mighty whiffler 'fore the king,
Seems to prepare his way: fo let him land;
And, folemnly, fee him fet on to London.
So fwift a pace hath thought, that even now
You may imagine him upon Black-heath:
Where that his lords defire him, to have borne
His bruifed helmet, and his bended fword,
Before him, through the city: he forbids it,
Being free from vainnefs and felf-glorious pride;
Giving full trophy, fignal, and oitent,
Quite from himself, to God. But now behold,
In the quick forge and working-house of thought,
How London doth pour out her citizens !
The mayor, and all his brethren, in beft fort,—
Like to the fenators of antique Rome,
With the plebeians (warming at their heels,-
Go forth, and fetch their conquering Cæfar in :
As, by a lower but by loving likelihood 2,
Were now the general of our gracious emprefs
(As, in good time, he may) from Ireland coming,
Bringing rebellion broached 3 on his fword,
How many would the peaceful city quit, [caufe,
To welcome him? Much more, and much more
Did they this Harry. Now in London place him;
(As yet the lamentation of the French

Invites the king of England's stay at home:
The emperor's coming in behalf of France,
To order peace between them) and omit
All the occurrences, whatever chanc'd,
'Till Harry's back-return again to France;
There must we bring him; and myself have play'd
The interim, by remembring you-'tis paft.
Then brook abridgment; and your eyes advance
After your thoughts, ftraight back again to France.
SCENE I

The English Camp in France.

Enter Fluellen, and Gower.

Gow. Nay, that's right; but why wear you your leek to-day? Saint Davy's day is paft.

Flu. 'Tis no matter for his fwellings, nor his turkey-cocks.--Got plefs you, antient Pistol! you fcurvy, lowly knave, Got plefs you!

Pijl. Ha! art thou Bedlam? doft thou thirst,
bafe Trojan,

To have me fold up Parca's fatal web 4 ?
Hence! I am qualmish at the smell of leek.

Flu. I pefeech you heartily, fcurvy, lowfy knave, at my defires, and my requett, and my petitions, to eat, look you, this leek; because, look you, you do not love it, nor your affections, and your appetites, and your digestions, does not agree with it, I would defire you to eat it.

Pift. Not for Cadwallader, and all his goats. Fla. There is one goat for you. Will-[ frikes bine. you be fo goot, fcald knave, as eat it?

Pi. Bafe Trojan, thou shalt die.

Flu. You fay very true, fcald knave, when Got's will is: I will defire you to live in the mean time, and eat your victuals; come, there is fauce for it.[Strikes bim.] You call'd me yesterday, mountain-fquire; but I will make you to-day a fquire of low degree 5. I pray you fall to; if you can mock a leek, you can eat a leek. [him. Gow. Enough, captain; you have astonish'd

Flu. I fay, I will make him eat fome part of my leek, or I will peat his pate four days :-Pite, . I pray you; it is goot for your green wound, and your ploody coxcomb.

Pift. Mult I bite?

Flu. Yes, certainly; and out of doubt, and out of questions too, and ambiguities.

Pift. By this leek, I will most horribly revenge; I eat, and eat, Ifwear.

Flu. Eat, I pray you: will you have fome more fauce to your leek? there is not enough leek to fwear by.

Pift. Quiet thy cudgel; thou doft fee, I eat.

Flu. Much goot do you, fcald knave, heartily. Nay, pray you, throw none away; the fkin is goot for your proken coxcomb. When you take occafions to fee leeks hereafter, I pray you, mock at them; that is all.

Pif. Good.

Flu. Ay, leeks is goot :-Hold you, there is a

Flu. There is occafions and caufes why and wherefore in all things: I will tell you, as my friend, captain Gower; the rafcally, fcald, peggarly, lowly, pragging knave, Pistol,-which you and yourself, and all the 'orld, know to be no petter than a fellow, look you now, of no merits-groat to heal your pate. he is come to me, and prings me pread and falt yesterday, look you, and pid me eat my leek: it was in a place where I could not preed no contentions with him; but I will be fo pold as to wear it in my cap 'till I fee him once again, and then I will tell him a little piece of my defires.

Enter Pistol.

Pift. Me a great !

Flu. Yes, verily, and in truth, you fhall take it; or I have another leek in my pocket, which you shall eat.

Pift. I take thy groat, in earnest of revenge. Flu. If I owe you any thing, I will pay you in cudgels; you fhall be a woodmonger, and buy no

Gow. Why, here he comes, fwelling like a tur-thing of me but cudgels. Got be wi' you, and key-cock.

keep you, and heal your pate.

[Exit. 1 A whiffler is an officer who walks firft in proceffions, or before perfons in high ftations, on occafions of ceremony. The name is ftill retained in London, and there is an officer fo called that walks before their companies on the 9th of November, or what is vulgarly called Lord Mayor's-Dey. 2 Likelihood for fimilitude. The earl of Effex in the reign of queen Elizabeth. fpitted, transfixed. 4 The meaning is, doft thou defire to have me put thee to death? 5 That is, according to Dr. Johnfon, I will bring thee to the ground. Other commentators think it alludes to an old metrical romance, which was very popular among our countrymen in ancient times, initled, The Squire of low Degree. • That is, you have stunned him with the blow.

3 i. c.

Pift. All hell fhall stir for this. Since then my office hath fo far prevail'd, Gow. Go, go; you are a counterfeit cowardly That, face to face, and royal eye to eye, knave. Will you mock at an ancient tradition,-You have congreeted; let it not difgrace me, begun upon an honourable respect, and worn as a If I demand, before this royal view, memorable trophy of predeceas'd valour, and What rub, or what impediment, there is, dare not avouch in your deeds any of your words? I have feen you gleeking and galling at this gentleman twice or thrice. You thought, because he could not fpeak English in the native garb, he could not therefore handle an English cudgel: you find it otherwife; and, henceforth, let a Welsh correction teach you a good English condition. Fare ye well. [Exit. Pift. Doth fortune play the hufwife 2

me now? News have 1, that my Nell is dead i' the spital Of malady of France;

with

And there my rendezvous is quite cut off.
Old I do wax; and from my weary limbs
Honour is cudgell'd. Well, bawd will I turn,
And fomething lean to cut-purfe of quick hand.
To England will I fteal, and there I'll steal:
And patches will I get unto thefe cudgell'd fcars,
And fwear I got them in the Gallia wars.

SCENE II.

[Exit.

Unto our brother France,-and to our fifter,-
Health and fair time of day ;-joy and good withes
To our moft fair and princely coufin Katharine ;-
And (as a branch and member of this royalty,
By whom this great affembly is contriv'd)
We do falute you, duke of Burgundy ;-
And, princes French, and peers, health to you all!
Fr. King. Right joyous are we to behold your face,
Moft worthy brother England; fairly met ;-
So are you, princes English, every one.

Q. Ifa. So happy be the infue, brother England,
Of this good day, and of this gracious meeting,
As we are now glad to behold your eyes;
Your eyes, which hitherto have borne in them
Against the French, that met them in their bent,
The fatal balls of murdering bafilifks:
The venom of fuch looks, we fairly hope,
Have loft their quality; and that this day
Shall change all griefs, and quarrels, into love.
K. Henry. To cry Amen to that, thus we appear.
2. Ifa. You English princes all, I do falute you.
Bur. My duty to you both, on equal love,
Great kings of France and England! That I have

labour'd

With all my wits, my pains, and ftrong endeavours,
To bring your most imperial majefties
Unto this bar 3, and royal interview,

Your mightinefs on both parts best can witness.

Why that the naked, poor, and mangled peace,
Dear nurfe of arts, plenties, and joyful births,
Should not, in this best garden of the world,
Our fertile France, put up her lovely vifage?"
Alas! fhe hath from France too long been chas'd ;
And all her husbandry doth lie in heaps,
Corrupting in its own fertility.
Her vine, the merry chearer of the heart,
Unpruned dies: her hedges even-pleach'd,
Like prifoners wildly over-grown with hair,
Put forth diforder'd twigs: her fallow leas
The darnel, hemlock, and rank fumitory,
Doth root upon; while that the coulter rufts,
Tha tfhould deracinate 4 fuch favag'ry:
The even mead, that erft brought fweetly forth
The freckled cowflip, burnet, and green clover,
Wanting the scythe, all uncorrected, rank,
Conceives by idlenefs; and nothing teems,
But hateful docks, rough thittles, keckfies, burs,
Lofing both beauty and utility.

And as our vineyards, fallows, meads, and hedges,
Defective in their natures, grow to wildness;
Even fo our houfes, and ourselves, and children,
Have loft, or do not learn, for want of time,
The fciences that should become our country;
But grow, like favages,-as foldiers will,
That nothing do but meditate on blood,—
To fwearing, and stern looks, diffus'd 5 attire,
And every thing that feems unnatural.
Which to reduce into our former favour 6,
You are affembled: and
my fpeech intreats,
That I may know the let, why gentle peace
Should not expel thefe inconveniencies,
And blefs us with her former qualities.

K. Henry. If, duke of Burgundy, you would
the peace,

Whofe want gives growth to the imperfections
Which you have cited, you must buy that peace
With full accord to all our just demands;
Whofe tenours and particular effects
You have, enfchedul'd briefly, in your hands.
Bur. The king hath heard them; to the which,
as yet,
There is no answer made.

K. Henry. Well then, the peace,
Which you before fo urg'd, lies in his anfwer.

Fr. King. I have but with a curforary eye
O'er-glanc'd the articles: pleafeth your grace
To appoint fome of your council prefently
To fit with us once more, with better heed
To re-furvey them, we will, fuddenly,
Pafs, or accept, and peremptory answer.

K. Henry. Brother, we fhall.-Go, uncle Ex

eter,

And brother Clarence, and you, brother Gloster,--
Warwick,-and Huntington,―go with the king:

1 i. e. fcoffing, fneering. Gleek was a game at cards. 2 i. e. the jilt. Hufwife is here ufed in 3 i. c. to this barrier; to this place of congrefs. 4 To deracinate is to force up by the roots. si. e. wild, irregular, extravagant,

an ill fenfe.

• i.e. former appearance.

And

And take with you free power, to ratify,
Augment, or alter, as your wifdoms bett
Shall fee advantageable for our dignity,
Any thing in, or out of, our demands;
And we'll confign thereto.-Will you, fair fifter,
Go with the princes, or stay here with us?

2.Ifa. Our gracious brother, I will go with
them;

Haply, a woman's voice may do fome good,
When articles, too nicely urg'd, be ftood on.
K. Henry. Yet leave our coufin Katharine here

with us:

[Exeunt.

She is our capital demand, compris'd
Within the fore-rank of our articles.
2. Ifa. She hath good leave.
Manent King Henry, Katharine, and a Lady.
K. Henry. Fair Katharine, and moft fair!
Will you vouchsafe to teach a foldier terms,
Such as will enter at a lady's ear,

And plead his love-fuit to her gentle heart?
Kath. Your majesty shall mock at me; I can-
not speak your England.

K. Henry. O fair Katharine, if you will love me foundly with your French heart, I will be glad to hear you confefs it brokenly with your English tongue. Do you like me, Kate?

|for my love, or bound my horse for her favours, I could lay on like a butcher, and fit like a jack-anapes, never off: But, before God, Kate, I cannot look greenly, nor gafp out my eloquence, nor I have no cunning in proteftation; only downright oaths, which I never ufe 'till urg'd, nor never break for urging. If thou canft love a fellow of this temper, Kate, whofe face is not worth funburning, that never looks in his glass for love of any thing he fees there, let thine eye be thy cook. I fpeak to thee plain foldier: If thou can'ft love me for this, take me: if not, to fay to thee-that I fhall die, 'tis true;-but for thy love, by the Lord, no; yet I love thee too. And while thou liv'ft, dear Kate, take a fellow of plain and uncoined conftancy 1; for he perforce must do thee right, because he hath not the gift to woo in other places: for these fellows of infinite tongue, that can rhime themfelves into ladies' favours,-they do always reafon themselves out again. What! a fpeaker is but a prater; a rhyme is but a ballad. A good leg will fall; a straight back will stoop; a black beard will turn white; a curl'd pate will grow bald; a fair face will wither; a full eye will wax hollow: but a good heart, Kate, is the fun and the moon; or, rather, the fun, and not the

Kath. Pardonnez moy, I cannot tell vat is moon; for it fhines bright, and never changes,

like me.

K. Henry. An angel is like you, Kate; and you are like an angel.

Kath. Que dit-il? que je fuis femblable à anges?

les Lady. Ouy, vrayment, (fauf voftre grace) ainfi

dit-il.

K. Henry. I faid fo, dear Katharine; and I must not blufh to affirm it.

Kath. O bon Dieu! les langues des hommes font pleines des tromperies.

K. Henry. What fays fhe, fair-one? that the tongues of men are full of deceits?

Lady. Ouy; dat de tongues of de mans is be full of deceits: dat is de princess.

Kath. Is it poffible dat I fhould love the enemy of France ?

K. Hen. No; it is not poffible, that you should love the enemy of France, Kate: but, in loving me, you should love the friend of France; for I love France fo well, that I will not part with a village of it; I will have it all mine: and, Kate, when France is mine, and I am yours, then yours is France, and you are mine.

Kath. I cannot tell vat is dat.

K. Henry. The princefs is the better English- K. Hen. No, Kate? I will tell thee in French; woman. I'faith, Kate, my wooing is fit for thy which, I am fure, will hang upon my tongue like understanding: I am glad, thou canft fpeak no a new-married wife about her husband's neck, better English; for, if thou couldft, thou wouldst hardly to be thook off. Quand j'ay la poffeffion de find me fuch a plain king, that thou wouldst think, France, & quand vous avez la po thon de moi, (let I had fold my farm to buy my crown. I know me fee, what then? Saint Denis be my speed!) no ways to mince it in love, but directly to fay-donc vofire eft France, & vous eftes mienne. I love you: then, if you urge me further than to as eafy for me, Kate, to conquer the kingdom, as fay-Do you in faith? I wear out my fuit. Give to fpeak fo much more French: I shall never me your anfwer; i'faith, do; and fo clap hands, and a bargain: How fay you, lady?

It is

move thee in French, unless it be to laugh at me. Kath. Sauf vore honneur, le Francois que vous parlez, eft meilleur que l' Anglois lequel je parle.

K. Hen. No, faith, is't not, Kate; but thy fpeaking of my tongue, and I thine, moft truly falfely, muft needs be granted to be much at one.

Kath. Sauf votre bonneur, me understand well. K. Henry. Marry, if you would put me to verfes, or to dance for your fake, Kate, why you ́undid me for the one, I have neither words nor meafure; and for the other, have no strength But, Kate, doft thou understand thus much Enin meature, yet a reasonable measure in ftrength.glish? Canft thou love me? If I could win a lady at leap-frog, or by vaulting into my faddle with my armour on my back, under the correction of bragging be it spoken, I fhould quickly leap into a wife. Or, if I might buffet

Kath. I cannot tell.

K. Hen. Can any of your neighbours tell, Kate? I'll ask them. Come, I know, thou lovest me: and at night when you come into your clofet,

1 i. c. real and true conftancy, unrefined and unadorned.

you'll

you'll question this gentlewoman about me; and I know, Kate, you will, to her, difpraife thofe parts in me, that you love with your heart: but, good Kate, mock me mercifully; the rather, gentle princefs, because I love thee cruelly. If ever thou be'ft mine, Kate, (as I have faving faith within me, tells me thou fhalt) I get thee with fcambling, and thou must therefore needs prove a good foldier-breeder: fhall not thou and I, between faint Denis and faint George, compound a boy, half French, half English, that fhall go to Conftantinople 2, and take the Turk by the beard?

foy, je ne veux point que vous abbaissez vofire gran
deur, en baifant la main d'une voftre indigne ferviteure;
excufex moy, je vous fupplie, mon tres puiffant feigneur,
K. Hen. Then I will kifs your lips, Kate.
Kath. Les dames, & damoifelles pour efire baifees
devant leur nopees, il n'eft pas le coûtume de France.
K. Hen. Madam, my interpreter, what fays the?
Lady. Dat is not be de fathion pour de ladies of
France,-I cannot tell what is, baifer, en English.
K. Hen. To kifs.

Lady. Your majefty entendre bettre que moy.

K. Hen. It is not a fashion for the maids in

fhall we not? What say'ft thou," my fair flower-France to kifs before they are married, would the de-luce?

Kath. I do not know dat.

K. Hen. No; 'tis hereafter to know, but now to promife: do but now promife, Kate, you will endeavour for your French part of such a boy; and, for my English moiety, take the word of a king and a batchelor. How anfwer you, la plus belle Katharine du monde, mon tres chere & divine décffe! Kath. Your majele 'ave fauffe French enough to deceive de most fage damoifelle dat is en France.

fay?

Lady. Ouy, vrayment.

Burg. God fave your majefty! my royal coufin, teach you our princess English?

K. Hen. I would have her learn, my fair coufin, how perfectly I love her; and that is good English. Burg. Is the not apt ?

K. Hen. O, Kate, nice customs curt'fy to great kings. Dear Kate, you and I cannot be confin'd within the weak lift of a country's fashion: we are the makers of manners, Kate; and the liberty, that follows our places, ftops the mouth of all find-faults; as I will do yours, for upholding the nice fashion of your country, in denying me a kiís: therefore, patiently, and yielding-[kiffing_ber.] K. Hen. Now, fie upon my falfe French! By You have witchcraft in your lips, Kate: there is mine honour, in true English, I love thee, Kate: more eloquence in a fugar touch of them, than in by which honour I dare not fwear, thou loveft the tongues of the French council; and they should me; yet my blood begins to flatter me that thou fooner perfuade Harry of England, than a general doft, notwithstanding the poor and untempering 3 petition of monarchs. Here comes your father. effect of my vifage. Now befhrew my father's Enter the French King and Queen, with French and ambition! he was thinking of civil wars when he English Lords. got me; therefore was I created with a stubborn outfide, with an aspect of iron, that, when I come to woo ladies, I fright them. But, in faith, Kate, the elder I wax, the better I fhall appear: my comfort is, that old age, that ill layer-up of beauty, can do no more fpoil upon my face; thou haft me, if thou haft me, at the worft; and thou fhalt wear me, if thou wear me, better and better; and therefore tell me, most fair Katharine, will you have me? Put off your maiden blushes; avouch the thoughts of your heart with the looks of an emprefs; take me by the hand, and say-Harry of England, I am thine: which word thou fhalt no fooner blefs mine ear withal, but I will tell thee aloud-England is thine, Ireland is thine, France is thine, and Henry Plantagenet is thine; who, though I fpeak it before his face, if he be not fellow with the beft king, thou fhalt find the best king of good-fellows. Come, your anfwer in broken mufic; for thy voice is mufic, and thy English broken: therefore, queen of all, Katha-is rine, break thy mind to me in broken English, Wilt thou have me?

Kath. Dat is, as it fhall please de roy mon pere. K. Hen. Nay, it will pleate him well, Kate; it fhall pleafe him, Kate.

K. Hen. Our tongue is rough, coz'; and my condition is not smooth; fo that, having neither the voice nor the heart of flattery about me, I cannot fo conjure up the fpirit of love in her, that he will appear in his true likeness.

Burg. Pardon the franknefs of my mirth, if I answer you for that. If you would conjure in her, you must make a circle: if conjure up love in her in his true likeness, he must appear naked, and blind: can you blame her then, being a maid yet rofy'd over with the virgin crimson of modesty, if the deny the appearance of a naked blind boy in her naked feeing felf? It were, my lord, a hard condition for a maid to confign to.

K. Hen. Yet they do wink, and yield; as love blind, and enforces.

Bug. They are then excus'd, my lord, when they fee not what they do.

K. Hen. Then, good my lord, teach your coufin to confent to winking.

Burg. I will wink on her to confent, my lord, Kath. Den it fhall also content me. if you will teach her to know my meaning: for K. Hen. Upon that I kits your hand, and I call maids, well fummer'd and warm kept, are like flies you-my queen.

at Bartholomew-tide, blind, though they have Kath. Laifi, mon in feigneur, laissez, laiffez; ma their eyes: and then they will endure handling,

1 i. e. fcrambling. 2 Shakspeare has here committed an anachronism. The Turks were not paffelled of Conftantinople before the year 1453, when Henry V. had been dead thirty-one years. Meaning, notwithstanding my face has no power to temper, i. e. foften you to my purpose. 4i. c. my temper.

which before would not abide looking on.

K. Hen. This moral ties me over to time, and a hot fummer; and fo I fhall catch the fly, your coufin, in the latter end, and the must be blind too. Burg. As love is, my lord, before it loves. K. Hen. It is fo: and you may, fome of you, thank love for my blindness; who cannot fee many a fair French city, for one fair French maid that ftands in my way.

Fr. King. Yes, my lord, you fee them perspectively, the cities turn'd into a maid; for they are all girdled within maiden walls, that war hath never enter'd.

K. Hen. Shall Kate be my wife?
Fr. King. So please you.

K. Hen. I am content; fo the maiden cities you talk of, may wait on her: fo the maid, that stood in the way for my wish, shall fhew me the way to my will.

Fr. King. We have confented to all terms of reafon.

K. Hen. Is't fo, my lords of England? Weft. The king hath granted every article : His daughter, first; and then in fequel all, According to their firm propofed natures.

Exe. Only, he hath not yet subscribed this :Where your majesty demands,-That the king of France, having any occafion to write for matter of grant, shall name your highness in this form, and with this addition in French:-Notre tres cher filz Henry roy d'Angleterre, beretier de France: and thus in Latin,-Præclariffimus filius nofter Henricus, rex Anglice, bæres Francie.

Fr. King. Yet this I have not, brother, fo deny'd, But your request shall make me let it país.

K. Hen. I pray you then, in love and dear al-
liance,

Let that one article rank with the reft:
And, thereupon, give me your daughter.

F. King. Take her, fair fon; and from her
blood raise up

With envy of each other's happiness,

May cease their hatred; and this dear conjunction
Plant neighbourhood and chriftian-like accord
In their fweet bofoms, that never war advance
His bleeding fword 'twixt England and fair France.
All. Amen.
[witness all,

K. Hen. Now welcome, Kate:-and bear me
That here I kifs her as my fovereign queen.

[Flourish.

2. Ifa. God, the best maker of all marriages,
Combine your hearts in one, your realms in one!
As man and wife, being two, are one in love,
So be there 'twixt your kingdoms such a spoufal,
That never may ill office, or fell jealousy,
Which troubles oft the bed of blessed marriage,
Thrust in between the paction of these kingdoms,
To make divorce of their incorporate league;
That English may as French, French Englishmen,
Receive each other!—God speak this Amen!
All. Amen!

K. Hen. Prepare we for our marriage :-on
which day,

My lord of Burgundy, we'll take your oath
And all the peers', for furety of our leagues.—
Then fhall I fwear to Kate,-and you to me ;-
And may our oaths well kept and profp'rous be!

Enter Chorus.

[Exeunt.

Thus far, with rough, and all unable pen,
Our bending 2 author hath purfu'd the story;
In little room confining mighty men,

Mangling by starts 3 the full course of their glory.
Small time, but, in that fmall, most greatly liv'd

This ftar of England: fortune made his fword;
By which the world's best garden he atchiev'd,
And of it left his fon imperial lord.
Henry the fixth, in infant bands crown'd king
Of France and England, did this king fucceed;
Whose state so many had the managing,

That they loft France, and made his England
bleed :
[iake,

Iffue to me that the contending kingdoms [pale Which oft our ftage hath fhewn; and, for their Of France and England, whofe very fhores look In your fair minds let this acceptance take.

1 That is, the application of this fable, the moral being the application of a fable. 2 i. e. humble.

3 Meaning, by touching only on select parts.