THE

LIFE

O F

HEN

Η Ε Ν RY V.

Bardolph,

Pistol,

Boy,

Bates,

Court,

Williams,

Formerly Servants to Falstaff, now Soldiers in the
King's Army.

Soldiers.

Charles, King of France.

The Dauphin.

Duke of Burgundy.

Conftable,

Orleans,

Grandpree,

Governour of Harfleur.

Mountjoy, a Herald.

Ambafadors to the King of England.

label, Queen of France.

Catharine, Daughter to the King of France.

Alice, a Lady attending on the Princess Catharine.
Quickly, Piftol's Wife, an Hoflefs.

CHORUS.

Lords, Meengers, French and English Soldiers,
with other Attendants.

The SCENE, at the beginning of the Play, lies in England; but afterwards, wholly in France.

PRO.

66 1

For a Mufe of fire, that would afcend
"The brightest heaven of invention!

"A kingdom for a ftage, Princes to act,
"And Monarchs to behold the fwelling fcene!
"Then Should the warlike Harry, like himself,
Affume the port of Mars; and, at his heels,

(Leafbt in, like bounds,) fhould famine, sword and fire "Crouch for employment. Pardon, gentles all, The flat unraifed fpirit, that hath dar'd,

On this unworthy fcaffold, to bring forth
So great an object. Can this Cock-pit bold
The vafty field of France? or may we cram,
Within this wooden O," the very caskes
"That did affright the air, at Agincourt?
O, pardon; fince a crooked figure may
Atteft in little place a million;

And let us, cyphers to this great accompt,
On your imaginary forces work.

Suppofe within the girdle of thefe walls
Are now confin'd two mighty monarchies;
་་ ༣
2 Whofe high up-reared, and abutting fronts
"Perillous, the narrow ocean parts afunder.

1 O for a Mufe of fire, &c.] This goes upon the notion of the Peripatetic System, which imagines feveral Heavens one above another; the last and higheft of which was one of fire.

2 Whofe high up-reared, and abutting fronts,

THE PERILLOUS narrow ocean parts afunder.] Without doubt the author wrote,

Whofe high up reared, and abutting fronts

PERILLOUS, THE narrow ocean parts afunder; for his purpose is to fhew, that the highest danger arifes from the fhock of their meeting; and that it is but a little thing which keeps them afunder. This fenfe my emendation gives us, as the common reading gives us a contrary; for thofe whom a perillous ocean parts afunder, are in no danger of meeting.

VOL. IV.

Piece

Piece out our imperfections with your thoughts:
Into a thousand parts divide one man,
And make imaginary puissance:

Think, when we talk of borfes, that you fee them
Printing their proud hoofs i' th' receiving earth.
For 'tis your thoughts that now must deck our Kings,
Carry them here, and there; jumping o'er times;
Turning th' accomplishment of many years

Into an hour-glass: for the which fupply,
Admit me Chorus to this hiftory;

Who, prologue-like, your humble patience pray,
Gently to hear, kindly to judge, our Play.

The

I

The LIFE of

King HENRY V.

ACT I. SCENE I.

An Antechamber in the English Court,
at Kenilworth.

Enter the Arch-bishop of Canterbury, and Bishop

2

of Ely.

Arch-bishop of CANTERBURY.

Y lord, I'll tell you; that felf bill is urg'd,
Which, in th' eleventh year o' th' last
King's reign,

Was like, and had, indeed against us past,

But that the fcambling and unquiet time

Did push it out of further queftion.

1 The life of Henry V.] This play was writ (as appears from a paffage in the chorus to the fifth act) at the time of the Earl of Efex's commanding the forces in Ireland in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and not till after Henry the VIth had been played, as may be seen by the conclufion of this play. Mr. Pope.

2 Archbishop of Canterbury.] This firft fcene was added fince the edition of 1608, which is much short of the prefent editions, wherein the speeches are generally enlarg'd and raised: Several whole fcenes befides, and all the chorus's alfo, were fince added by Shakespear. Mr. Pope.

VOL. IV.

Y

Ely.