What should I say? his deeds exceed all speech: Exe. We mourn in black; Why mourn we not in blood? Henry is dead, and never shall revive: Upon a wooden coffin we attend; Win. He was a king bless'd of the King of kings. The church's prayers made him so prosperous. Glo. The church! where is it? had not churchmen pray'd, His thread of life had not so soon decay'd: Win. Gloster, whate'er we like, thou art protector; Glo. Name not religion, for thou lov'st the flesh; And ne'er throughout the year to church thou go'st, Except it be to pray against thy foes. 2 the subtle-witted French, &c.] There was a notion prevalent a long time, that life might be taken away by metrical charms. As superstition grew weaker, these charms were imagined only to have power on irrational animals. In our author's time it was supposed that the Irish could kill rats by a song. Bed. Cease, cease these jars, and rest your minds in peace! Let's to the altar:-Heralds, wait on us: Instead of gold, we'll offer up our arms; Since arms avail not, now that Henry's dead. Posterity, await for wretched years. When at their mothers' moist eyes + babes shall suck; Our isle be made a marish of salt tears, And none but women left to wail the dead.- Enter a Messenger. Mess. My honourable lords, health to you all! Bed. What say'st thou, man, before dead Henry's corse? Speak softly; or the loss of those great towns Will make him burst his lead, and rise from death. If Henry were recall'd to life again, These news would cause him once more yield the ghost. Exe. How were they lost? what treachery was used? Mess. No treachery; but want of men and money. Among the soldiers this is muttered, That here you maintain several factions; And, whilst a field should be despatch'd and fought, + "moisten'd eyes "-MALONE. You are disputing of your generals. Exe. Were our tears wanting to this funeral, Enter another Messenger. 2 Mess. Lords, view these letters, full of bad mischance, France is revolted from the English quite; Except some petty towns of no import: The Dauphin Charles is crowned king in Rheims; Exe. The dauphin crowned king! all fly to him! O, whither shall we fly from this reproach? Glo. We will not fly, but to our enemies' throats:Bedford, if thou be slack, I'll fight it out. Bed. Gloster, why doubt'st thou of my forwardness? + "A third thinks," &c.-MALONE. 4 5 her flowing tides.] i. e. England's flowing tides. their intermissive miseries.] i. e. their miseries which have had only a short intermission from Henry the Fifth's death to my coming amongst them. An army have I muster'd in my thoughts, Enter a third Messenger. 3 Mess. My gracious lords, to add to your laments, Wherewith you now bedew king Henry's hearse,I must inform you of a dismal fight, Betwixt the stout lord Talbot and the French. Win. What! wherein Talbot overcame? is't so? Having full scarce six thousand in his troop, He wanted pikes to set before his archers; To keep the horsemen off from breaking in. If sir John Fastolfe, &c.] For an account of this sir John Fastolfe, see Anstis's Treatise on the Order of the Garter; Parkins's He being in the vaward, (plac'd behind, 3 Mess. O no, he lives; but is took prisoner, And lord Scales with him, and lord Hungerford : Most of the rest slaughter'd, or took, likewise. Bed. His ransome there is none but I shall pay : 3 Mess. So you had need; for Orleans is besieg'd; Exe. Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry sworn; Supplement to Blomfield's History of Norfolk; Tanner's Bibliotheca Britannica; or Capel's notes, vol. ii. p. 221; Sir John Fenn's Collection of the Paston Letters; and Biographia Britannica, vol. v. ; an elaborate article by Mr. Gough, which none of the commentators appear to have consulted. |