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HISTORICAL NOTICE

OF

KING HENRY V.

From a passage in the Chorus at the commencement of the fifth act, this drama appears to have been written during the absence of the earl of Essex in Ireland, between April and September 1599, those being the dates of that nobleman's departure and return. It was entered at Stationers' Hall August 14, 1600, and three editions were published before the death of our author; namely, in 1600, 1602, and 1608. In all of these the choruses are omitted, and the play commences with the fourth speech of the second scene. The historical transactions occupy little more than the first six years of the reign of the illustrious monarch, whose exploits are here commemorated, the materials of which have been derived from the Chronicles of Holinshed, and an older play, intitled 'The famous Victories of Henry the Fift, containing the honorable Battle of Agincourt,' which was entered at Stationers' Hall, May 2, 1594.

'This play,' says Dr. Johnson, has many scenes of high dignity, and many of easy merriment. The character of the king is well supported, except in his courtship, where he has neither the vivacity of Hal nor the grandeur of Henry. The humor of Pistol is very happily continued: his character has perhaps

been the model of all the bullies that have yet appeared on the English stage. The lines given to the Chorus have many admirers; but the truth is, that in them a little may be praised, and much must be forgiven: nor can it be easily discovered, why the intelligence given by the Chorus is more necessary in this play than in many others where it is omitted. The great defect of this play is the emptiness and narrowness of the last act, which a very little diligence might have easily avoided.'

ARGUMENT.

Henry is no sooner in possession of the English crown, than he prepares to fulfil the injunctions of his dying father, and to efface from the minds of his subjects the defects in his title by the splendor of foreign conquest; in pursuance of which design, he now revives an antiquated claim to the sceptre of France, which he prepares to advocate by assembling a powerful army. The French court, intimidated at these demonstrations of hostility, basely endeavor to procure the assassination of the English monarch by profusely bribing three powerful noblemen: the conspiracy is brought to light and punished, and Henry safely arrives in France, and takes the town of Harfleur by capitulation. Sickness and want of provisions at length diminish his army, and compel him to retreat in the face of an enemy five times his superior in numbers, who force him to risk a general engagement near the village of Agincourt, where he obtains a complete victory, which renders farther resistance unavailing. The French king is now reduced to the necessity of submitting to the hard terms imposed on him by his conqueror, who is publicly recognised as heir to the crows and united in marriage to the princess Katharine.

286

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

KING HENRY THE FIF.H.

DUKE OF GLOSTER,

DUKE OF BEDFORD, brothers to the king.

DUKE OF EXETER, uncle to the king.

DUKE OF YORK, cousin to the king.

EARLS OF SALISBURY, WESTMORELAND, and WARWICK.
ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY.

BISHOP OF ELY.

EARL OF CAMBRIDGE,

LORD SCROOP,

SIR THOMAS GREY,

conspirators against the king.

SIR THOMAS ERPINGHAM, GOWER, FLUELLEN, MACMORRIS, JAMY, officers in King Henry's army.

BATES, COURT, WILLIAMS, soldiers in the same.

NYM, BARDOLPH, PISTOL, formerly servants to Falstaff, now soldiers in the same.

Boy, servant to them. A HERALD. CHOR JS,

CHARLES THE SIXTH, king of France.

LEWIS, the Dauphin.

DUKES OF BURGUNDY, ORLEANS, and BOURBON.
THE CONSTABLE OF FRANce.

RAMBURES and GRANDPREE, French lords.

GOVERNOR OF HARFLEUR. MONTJOY, a French herald.
AMBASSADORS to the king of England.

ISABEL, queen of France.

KATHARINE, daughter of Charles and Isabel.

ALICE, a lady attending on the princess Katharine.

QUICKLY, Pistol's wife, an hostess.

Lords, Ladies, Officers, French and English Soldiers, Messengers, and Attendants.

The SCENE, at the beginning of the play, iies in England; but afterwards, wholly in France.

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