The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 174

KING HENRY. I would have her learn, my fair cousin, how perfectly I love her; and that is good English.

BURGUNDY. Is she not apt?

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

BURGUNDY. Pardon the frankness 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 ros'd over with the virgin crimson of modesty, if she deny the appearance of a naked blind boy in her naked seeing self? It were, my lord, a hard condition for a maid to consign to.

KING HENRY. Yet they do wink and yield, as love is blind and enforces.

BURGUNDY. They are then excus'd, my lord, when they see not what they do.

KING HENRY. Then, good my lord, teach your cousin to consent winking.

BURGUNDY. I will wink on her to consent, my lord, if you will teach her to know my meaning; for maids well summer'd and warm kept are like flies at Bartholomew-tide, blind, though they have their eyes; and then they will endure handling, which before would not abide looking on.

KING HENRY. This moral ties me over to time and a hot summer; and so I shall catch the fly, your cousin, in the latter end, and she must be blind too.

BURGUNDY. As love is, my lord, before it loves.

KING HENRY. It is so; and you may, some of you, thank love for my blindness, who cannot see many a fair French city for one fair French maid that stands in my way.

FRENCH KING. Yes, my lord, you see them perspectively, the cities turned into a maid; for they are all girdled with maiden walls that war hath never ent'red.

KING HENRY. Shall Kate be my wife?

FRENCH KING. So please you.

KING HENRY. I am content, so the maiden cities you talk of may wait on her; so the maid that stood in the way for my wish shall show me the way to my will.

FRENCH KING. We have consented to all terms of reason.

KING HENRY. Is't so, my lords of England?

WESTMORELAND. The king hath granted every article: His daughter first; and then in sequel, all, According to their firm proposed natures.

EXETER. Only he hath not yet subscribed this: Where your Majesty demands that the King of France, having any occasion to write for matter of grant, shall name your Highness in this form and with this addition, in French, Notre tres cher fils Henri, Roi d'Angleterre, Heritier de France; and thus in Latin, Praeclarissimus filius noster Henricus, Rex Angliae et Haeres Franciae.

FRENCH KING. Nor this I have not, brother, so denied But our request shall make me let it pa.s.s.

KING HENRY. I pray you, then, in love and dear alliance, Let that one article rank with the rest; And thereupon give me your daughter.

FRENCH KING. Take her, fair son, and from her blood raise up Issue to me; that the contending kingdoms Of France and England, whose very sh.o.r.es look pale With envy of each other's happiness, May cease their hatred; and this dear conjunction Plant neighbourhood and Christian-like accord In their sweet bosoms, that never war advance His bleeding sword 'twixt England and fair France.

LORDS. Amen!

KING HENRY. Now, welcome, Kate; and bear me witness all, That here I kiss her as my sovereign queen. [Floulish]

QUEEN ISABEL. G.o.d, 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 spousal 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. G.o.d speak this Amen!

ALL. Amen!

KING HENRY. Prepare we for our marriage; on which day, My Lord of Burgundy, we'll take your oath, And all the peers', for surety of our leagues.

Then shall I swear to Kate, and you to me, And may our oaths well kept and prosp'rous be!

Sennet. Exeunt

EPILOGUE EPILOGUE.

Enter CHORUS

CHORUS. Thus far, with rough and all-unable pen, Our bending author hath pursu'd the story, In little room confining mighty men, Mangling by starts the full course of their glory.

Small time, but, in that small, most greatly lived This star of England. Fortune made his sword; By which the world's best garden he achieved, And of it left his son imperial lord.

Henry the Sixth, in infant bands crown'd king Of France and England, did this king succeed; Whose state so many had the managing That they lost France and made his England bleed; Which oft our stage hath shown; and, for their sake, In your fair minds let this acceptance take. Exit

THE END

>

1592

THE FIRST PART OF HENRY THE SIXTH

by William Shakespeare

Dramatis Personae

KING HENRY THE SIXTH DUKE OF GLOUCESTER, uncle to the King, and Protector DUKE OF BEDFORD, uncle to the King, and Regent of France THOMAS BEAUFORT, DUKE OF EXETER, great-uncle to the king HENRY BEAUFORT, great-uncle to the King, BISHOP OF WINCHESTER, and afterwards CARDINAL JOHN BEAUFORT, EARL OF SOMERSET, afterwards Duke RICHARD PLANTAGENET, son of Richard late Earl of Cambridge, afterwards DUKE OF YORK EARL OF WARWICK EARL OF SALISBURY EARL OF SUFFOLK LORD TALBOT, afterwards EARL OF SHREWSBURY JOHN TALBOT, his son EDMUND MORTIMER, EARL OF MARCH SIR JOHN FASTOLFE SIR WILLIAM LUCY SIR WILLIAM GLANSDALE SIR THOMAS GARGRAVE MAYOR of LONDON WOODVILLE, Lieutenant of the Tower VERNON, of the White Rose or York faction Ba.s.sET, of the Red Rose or Lancaster faction A LAWYER GAOLERS, to Mortimer CHARLES, Dauphin, and afterwards King of France REIGNIER, DUKE OF ANJOU, and t.i.tular King of Naples DUKE OF BURGUNDY DUKE OF ALENCON b.a.s.t.a.r.d OF ORLEANS GOVERNOR OF PARIS MASTER-GUNNER OF ORLEANS, and his SON GENERAL OF THE FRENCH FORCES in Bordeaux A FRENCH SERGEANT A PORTER AN OLD SHEPHERD, father to Joan la Pucelle MARGARET, daughter to Reignier, afterwards married to King Henry COUNTESS OF AUVERGNE JOAN LA PUCELLE, Commonly called JOAN OF ARC

Lords, Warders of the Tower, Heralds, Officers, Soldiers, Messengers, English and French Attendants. Fiends appearing to La Pucelle

>

SCENE: England and France

The First Part of King Henry the Sixth

ACT I. SCENE 1.

Westminster Abbey

Dead March. Enter the funeral of KING HENRY THE FIFTH, attended on by the DUKE OF BEDFORD, Regent of France, the DUKE OF GLOUCESTER, Protector, the DUKE OF EXETER, the EARL OF WARWICK, the BISHOP OF WINCHESTER

BEDFORD. Hung be the heavens with black, yield day to night! Comets, importing change of times and states, Brandish your crystal tresses in the sky And with them scourge the bad revolting stars That have consented unto Henry's death!

King Henry the Fifth, too famous to live long!

England ne'er lost a king of so much worth.

GLOUCESTER. England ne'er had a king until his time.

Virtue he had, deserving to command; His brandish'd sword did blind men with his beams; His arms spread wider than a dragon's wings; His sparkling eyes, replete with wrathful fire, More dazzled and drove back his enemies Than mid-day sun fierce bent against their faces.

What should I say? His deeds exceed all speech: He ne'er lift up his hand but conquered.

EXETER. We mourn in black; why mourn we not in blood?

Henry is dead and never shall revive.

Upon a wooden coffin we attend; And death's dishonourable victory We with our stately presence glorify, Like captives bound to a triumphant car.

What! shall we curse the planets of mishap That plotted thus our glory's overthrow?

Or shall we think the subtle-witted French Conjurers and sorcerers, that, afraid of him, By magic verses have contriv'd his end?

WINCHESTER. He was a king bless'd of the King of kings; Unto the French the dreadful judgment-day So dreadful will not be as was his sight.

The battles of the Lord of Hosts he fought; The Church's prayers made him so prosperous.

GLOUCESTER. The Church! Where is it? Had not churchmen pray'd, His thread of life had not so soon decay'd.

None do you like but an effeminate prince, Whom like a school-boy you may overawe.

WINCHESTER. Gloucester, whate'er we like, thou art Protector And lookest to command the Prince and realm.

Thy wife is proud; she holdeth thee in awe More than G.o.d or religious churchmen may.