REV. SAMUEL AY SCOUGH, F. S. A. AND ASSISTANT LIBRARIAN OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM, EMBELLISHED WITH A STRIKING LIKENESS OF SHAKSPEARE, Lords, Captains, Soldiers, Messengers, and several Attendants both on the English and French. SCENE I. Weftminster-Abbey. ACT 5 .I. Brandish your crystal treffes in the sky; Glo. England ne'er had a king, until his time. 'Mr. Theobald obferves, that "the historical transactions contained in this play, take in the compafs of above thirty years. I must observe, however, that our author, in the three parts of Henry VI. has not been very precife to the date and disposition of his facts; but shuffled them, backwards and forwards, out of time. For inftance; the lord Talbot is kill'd at the end of the fourth act of this play, who in reality did not fall till the 13th of July 1453; and The Second Part of Henry VI. opens with the marriage of the king, which was folemniz'd eight years before Talbot's death, in the year 1445. Again, in the fecond part, dame Eleanor Cobham is introduced to infult queen Margaret; though her penance and banishment for forcery happened three years before that princefs came over to England. I could point out many other tranfgressions against history, as far as the order of time is concerned. Indeed, though there are feveral mafter-strokes in these three plays, which incontestably betray the workmanship of Shakspeare; yet I am almost doubtful, whether they were entirely of his writing. And unless they were wrote by him very early, I should rather imagine them to have been brought to him as a director of the stage; and fo have received some finishing beauties at his hand. An accurate obferver will easily fee, the diction of them is more obfolete, and the numbers more mean and profaical, than in the generality of his genuine compositions.” What What should I say? his deeds exceed all speech: He ne'er lift up his hand, but conquered. Exe. We mourn in black; Why mourn we not in blood? Henry is dead, and never fhall revive: Like captives bound to a triumphant car. Win. He was a king bleft of the King of Kings. ¡Among the foldiers this is muttered,— That here you maintain several factions; And, whilft a field should be dispatch'd and fought, 5 One would have ling'ring wars, with little coft: 10 Let not floth dim your honours, new-begot: 15] Glo. The church! where is it? Had not church-20 His thread of life had not fo foon decay'd: Win. Glofter, whate'er we like, thou art pro-25 And lookeft to command the prince, and realm. Glo. Name not religion, for thou lov'ft the flesh; Bed. Ceafe, ceafe thefe jars, and reft your minds in peace! Let's to the altar :-Heralds, wait on us:- When at their mothers' moist eyes babes shall fuck; Enter a Meffenger. Mess. My honourable lords, health to you all! Sad tidings bring I to you out of France, Of lofs, of flaughter, and discomfiture: Guienne, Champaigne, Rheims, Orleans, Paris, Guifors, Poitiers, are all quite loft. Bed. What fay'ft thou, man, before dead Henry's corfe; [ghoft. Exe. Were our tears wanting to this funeral, Thefe tidings would call forth their flowing tides. Bed. Me they concern; regent I am of France :Give me my steeled coat, I'll fight for France.Away with thefe disgraceful wailing robes! Wounds I will lend the French, instead of eyes, To weep their intermiffive 2 miferies. Enter to them another Messenger. 2 Mess. Lords, view these letters, full of bad France is revolted from the English quite; Exe. The Dauphin crowned king! all fly to 30|0, whither fhall we fly from this reproach? [him! Glo. We will not fly, but to our enemies' throats :Bedford, if thou be slack, I'll fight it out. Bed. Glofter, why doubt'ft thou of my forwardness? 35 An army have I muster'd in my thoughts, Wherewith already France is over-run. Enter a third Messenger. 40 45 3 Mej. My gracious lords, to add to your la ments, Wherewith you now bedew king Henry's hearse,— The circumftance I'll tell you more at large. Having full scarce 3 fix thousand in his troop, 50 By three and twenty thousand of the French Was round encompassed and set upon : No leifure had he to enrank his men; He wanted pikes to fet befere his archers; Inftead whereof, sharp stakes, pluck'd out of hedges, 55 They pitched in the ground confufedly, Speak foftly; or the loss of those great towns Me. No treachery; but want of men and To keep the horsemen off from breaking in. 1 Nourish here fignifies a nurse. 2 i. e. their miferies which have had only a short intermiffion from Henry the Fifth's death to my coming amongst them. 3 i. e. fcarcely. All |