our steeples was made in form of a cock to ridicule the French for their frequent changes" (Johnson).

66

III. iv. 18. I do remember'; "Henry was but nine months old when his father died, and never even saw him" (Malone). III. iv. 38. 'the law of arms is such'; By the ancient law before the Conquest, fighting in the king's palace, or before the king's judges, was punished with death. And by Statute 33, Henry VIII., malicious striking in the king's palace, whereby blood is drawn, is punishable by perpetual imprisonment and fine at the king's pleasure, and also with the loss of the offender's right hand" (Blackstone).

IV. i. 19. at the battle of Patay'; Capell's emendation (adopted by Malone) of 'Poictiers' of the Folios. The battle of Poictiers was fought 1357; the date of the present scene is 1428.

IV. i. 180. And if I wist he did,' Capell; Folios, ‘And if I wish he did'; Rowe, And if I wish he did.-'; Theobald (in text), 'An if I wis he did.-'; (in note), 'And if I wis, he did.-'; Johnson, ‘And if—I wish—he did—' or ‘And if he did,—I wish—'; Steevens, And, if I wist, he did,—.'

IV. ii. 14. ' their love'; Hanmer, ' our love.'

IV. ii. 22. 'war'; Capell, 'death.'

IV. ii. 26. ' spoil'; Vaughan, ' steel.'

IV. iii. 51. ́ That ever living man of memory,' i.e. that ever man of living memory. Lettsom, man of ever-living.'

IV. iv. 16. 'legions,' Rowe's emendation of Folios 'Regions.' IV. iv. 19. in advantage lingering'; Staunton, ' in disadvantage ling'ring'; Lettsom, 'in disvantage lingering'; Vaughan, 'disadvantage ling'ring.' Johnson explains the phrase, "Protracting his resistance by the advantage of a strong post "; Malone, "Endeavouring by every means, with advantage to himself, to linger out the action."

IV. iv. 31. 'host'; so Folios 3, 4; Folios 1, 2, 'hoast'; Theobald's conjecture (adopted by Hanmer), 'horse.'

IV. iv. 42. rescue: he is'; Folios 1, 2, rescue, he is'; Folios 3, 4, ‘rescue, if he is'; Rowe (ed. 1), ‘rescue, if he's'; (ed. 2), ' rescue, he's'; Pope, ' rescue now, he's.'

IV. v. 39. 'shame'; Walker, 'sham'd.'

IV. vi. 44. On that advantage,' so the Folios; Theobald conjectured 'On that bad vantage,' but subsequently read, 'Out on that vantage'; Hanmer, 'Oh! what advantage'; Vaughan, 'Oh hated vantage!' etc.

IV. vii. 3.

'Triumphant Death, smear'd with captivity,

Young Talbot's valour makes me smile at thee';

the phrase 'smear'd with captivity' has not been clearly explained; at first sight it is difficult to determine its exact force, and whether the words refer to Death or to the speaker (Talbot). Leo explains that ‘Death is supposed to go triumphantly over the battle field, smeared with the terrible aspect of captivity'; but possibly the reference is to the Christian belief that Christ took Death captive. Death the Victor is, from this point of view, Death the Victim; it is, as it were, unconsciously smeared (i.e. smirched) with the wretched (not the terrible) aspect of captivity. IV. vii. 60. But where's'; so Folios; Rowe, 'Where is'; Lettsom proposed 'First, where's.'

IV. vii. 70. 'Henry'; so Folio 1; Folios 2, 3, 4, our King Henry.' The line is probably to be read:

'Great mareshal to Henery the Sixth.

a

V. i. 17. 'Knit,' the reading of the Folios; Pope first suggested 'kin,' which was also adopted by Theobald, Hanmer, Warburton, and Johnson; Capell restored knit,' which was adopted by Steevens and Malone. The Cambridge editions see in 'knit' conceit suggested by the Knot of amity' in the preceding line." V. i. 21. Marriage, uncle! alas, my years are young!' Pope reads, 'Marriage, alas! my years are yet too young'; Capell, 'Marriage, good uncle! alas, my years are young'; Walker, ‘Marriage, uncle, 'las my years are young.'

V. i. 21.

My years are young'; "His majesty was, however, twenty-four years old" (Malone).

6

V. i. 49. where inshipp'd'; the reading of Folio 4; Folios 1, 2, 'wherein ship'd'; Folio 3, wherein shipp'd.

6

V. iii. 10. speedy and quick'; Pope, 'speedy quick'; Walker, 'speed and quick.' argues'; Vaughan, ' urges.'

V. iii. 10. cull'd'; Collier MS., ' call'd.'

V. iii. II. 'regions'; Folios, 'Regions'; Warburton, 'legions.' V. iii. 48, 49. 'I kiss side'; Capell and other cditors side. I kiss . . . [kiss

transpose these lines:- And lay

ing her hand] ... peace.'

V. iii. 57. ‘Keeping them prisoner underneath her wings’; Folios 1, 2, 'prisoner'; Folios 3, 4, prisoners'; Vaughan, 'pris

oned'; her wings,' Folios 3, 4; Folio 1, 'his wings'; Folio 2, "hir wings'; Vaughan, ' its wings.'

V. iii. 63. 'Twinkling another counterfeited beam'; Vaughan, 'Kindling another counterfeited beam'; or 'Twinkling in other counterfeited beams.'

V. iii. 68. 'Hast not a tongue? is she not here?' Anon. conj., Itongue to speak?' 'here?'; Folio 1, 'heere?'; Folios 2, 3, 4, 'heere thy prisoner'; Keightley, 'here alone'; Lettsom, here in place,' or here beside thee'; Vaughan, 'present here.'

6

V. iii. 71. makes the senses rough'; so the Folios; Hanmer, 'makes the senses crouch'; Capell, ' make . . crouch'; Jackson, 'makes the senses touch'; Collier MS., ' mocks the sense of touch.'

V. iii. 78, 79. She's beautiful, and therefore to be woo'd,' etc. These lines were evidently proverbial; cp. Richard III., I. ii. 228, 230, and Titus Andronicus, II. i. 82, 83.

V. iii. 108. Lady'; Capell, 'Nay, hear me, lady'; Collier MS., 'Lady, pray tell me'; Lettsom, 'Lady, sweet lady'; Dyce, ‘I prithee, lady.'

V. iii. 145. And here I will expect thy coming'; Dyce, here, my lord'; Folio 4, ‘coming'; Folios 1, 2, 3, 'comming'; Capell, coming, Reignier'; Collier MS., 'coming down'; Anon. conj., coming, king'; Anon. conj., 'communing.'

V. iii. 154. country'; so the Folios; Theobald, counties'; Capell,' countries'; Malone, 'county.'

V. iii. 179. modestly'; Folio 1, 'modestie.'

V. iii. 192. 'And natural'; Perring, 'Maid-natural'; Capell, 'And'; Folio 1, 'Mad'; Folios 2, 3, 4, Made'; Pope, 'Her'; Collier, ''Mid '; Jackson conj. 'Man'; Barry, 'Made'; Vaughan, 'Mild.'

V. iv. 37. Not me begotten'; Anon. conj., ‘Me, not begotten'; Malone, 'Not one begotten'; Anon conj., 'Not mean-begotten.' V. iv. 49. No, misconceived!' so Steevens; Folios, I, 2, 3, 'No misconceived,' Folio 4, no misconceived Joan'; Capell, ‘No, misconceivers'; Vaughan, 'No, misconceited!'

6

V. iv. 121. 'Poison'd'; Theobald, ‘prison'd.'

"Do you

V. iv. 150. ‘Stand'st thou aloof upon comparison?' stand compare your present state, a state which you have neither right nor power to maintain, with the terms which we offer?" (Johnson).

V. v. 39. 'Yes, my lord'; so Folio 1; Folios 2, 3, 4, 'Yes, my good lord'; Anon. conj., 'Yes, yes, my lord,' or 'Why, yes, my

lord'; Dyce, 'O, yes, my lord'; Vaughan, 'Yes, my lordmore.'

V. v. 55. Marriage'; so Folio 1; Folios 2, 3, 4, read But marriage'; perhaps we should read 'marriage.'

V. v. 64. bringeth,' the reading of Folio 1; Folios 2, 3, 4, 'bringeth forth'; perhaps the difficulty of the line is due to the quadrisyllabic nature of the word 'contrary'=' cónterȧry.' V. v. 90. To cross'; Walker, ' Across.'

Explanatory Notes.

The Explanatory Notes in this edition have been specially selected and adapted, with emendations after the latest and best authorities, from the most eminent Shakespearian scholars and commentators, including Johnson, Malone, Steevens, Singer, Dyce, Hudson, White, Furness, Dowden, and others. This method, here introduced for the first time, provides the best annotation of Shakespeare ever embraced in a single edition.

ACT FIRST.
Scene I.

[1-7] These opening lines-which Coleridge more than intimates that only asinine stupidity could attribute to Shakespeare— might, as well as other passages in the three parts of Henry VI., have provoked from Greene taunts of the author's ability "to bumbast out a blanke verse," and here at the outset we give the well-known literary curiosity left by the great Poet's fellow dramatist :

To those Gentlemen, his Quondam acquaintance, that spend their wits in making Plaies, R. G. wisheth a better exercise,

and wisdom to prevent his extremities.

Thou famous gracer of Tragedians, . . . young Juvenall, that byting Satyrist, . . and thou no less deserving than the other two. . . Base-minded men al three of you, if by my miserie ye be not warned, for unto none of you (like me) sought those burres to cleave those Puppets (I mean) that speake from our mouths, those anticks garnisht in our colours. Is it not strange that I, to whom they all have been beholding; is it not like that you, to whom they all have been beholding, shall (were ye in that case that I am now) be both at once of them forsaken? Yes, trust them not for there is an upstart Crow, beautified with our feathers, that with his Tygers heart wrapt in a Players hide, supposes he is as well able to bumbast out a blanke verse as the best of you; and being an absolute Iohannes fac totum, is in his own conceit the onely Shake-scene in a countrie. O that I might