Let's whip these stragglers o'er the seas again;
Lash hence these over-weening rags of France,
These famish'd beggars, weary of their lives;
Who, but for dreaming on this fond exploit,
For want of means, poor rats, had hang'd them-
selves :

If we be conquer'd, let men conquer us,

And not these bastard Bretagnes, whom our fathers
Have in their own land beaten, bobb'd, and thump'd,
And, on record, left them the heirs of shame.
Shall these enjoy our lands? lie with our wives?
Ravish our daughters ?-Hark, I hear their drum.
[Drum afar off.

Fight, gentlemen of England! fight, bold yeomen!
Draw, archers, draw your arrows to the head!
Spur your proud horses hard, and ride in blood;
Amaze the welkin with your broken staves* !

Enter a Messenger.

What says lord Stanley? will he bring his power? Mess. My lord, he doth deny to come.

K. Rich. Off instantly with his son George's head. Nor. My lord, the enemy is passed the marsh; After the battle let George Stanley die.

K. Rich. A thousand hearts are great within my bosom:

Advance our standards, set upon our foes;
Our ancient word of courage, fair Saint George,
Inspire us with the spleen of fiery dragons!
Upon them! Victory sits on our helms.

SCENE IV.

Another part of the field.

[Exeunt.

Alarum excursions. Enter Norfolk, and forces; to him Catesby.

Cate. Rescue, my lord of Norfolk, rescue, rescue! The king enacts more wonders than a man,

* Fright the skies with the shivers of your lances.

Daring an opposite to every danger ;
His horse is slain, and all on foot he fights,
Seeking for Richmond in the throat of death:
Rescue, fair lord, or else the day is lost!

Alarum. Enter King Richard.

K. Rich. A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!

Cate. Withdraw, my lord, I'll help you to a horse. K. Rich. Slave, I have set my life upon a cast, And I will stand the hazard of the die: I think, there be six Richmonds in the field; Five have I slain to-day, instead of him :A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!

[Exeunt. Alarum. Enter King Richard and Richmond; and exeunt, fighting. Retreat, and flourish. Then

enter Richmond, Stanley, bearing the crown, with divers other Lords, and forces.

Richm. God, and your arms, be prais'd, victorious friends;

The day is ours, the bloody dog is dead.

Stan. Courageous Richmond, well hast thou acquit thee!

Lo, here, this long-usurped royalty,

From the dead temples of this bloody wretch
Have I pluck'd off, to grace thy brows withal;
Wear it, enjoy it, and make much of it.

Richm. Great God of heaven, say, Amen, to

all:

But, tell me first, is young George Stanley living? Stan. He is, my lord, and safe in Leicester town; Whither, if it please you, we may now withdraw us. Richm. What men of name are slain on either side? Stan. John duke of Norfolk, Walter lord Ferrers, Sir Robert Brakenbury, and sir William Brandon. Richm. Inter their bodies as becomes their births. Proclaim a pardon to the soldiers fled,

That in submission will return to us;

And then, as we have ta'en the sacrament,
We will unite the white rose with the red :—
Smile heaven upon this fair conjunction,
That long hath frown'd upon their enmity !—
What traitor hears me, and says not,-Amen?
England hath long been mad, and scarr'd herself;
The brother blindly shed the brother's blood,
The father rashly slaughter'd his own son,
The son, compell'd, been butcher to the sire;
All this divided York and Lancaster,
Divided, in their dire division.-

O, now let Richmond and Elizabeth,
The true succeeders of each royal house,
By God's fair ordinance conjoin together!
And let their heirs (God, if thy will be so,)
Enrich the time to come with smooth-fac'd peace,
With smiling plenty, and fair prosperous days!
Abate the edge of traitors, gracious Lord,
That would reduce these bloody days again,
And make poor England weep in streams of blood!
Let them not live to taste this land's increase,
That would with treason wound this fair land's

peace!

Now civil wounds are stopp'd, peace lives again; That she may long live here, God say-Amen! [Exeunt.

This is one of the most celebrated of our author's performances; yet I know not whether it has not happened to him as to others, to be praised most, when praise is not most deserved. That this play has scenes noble in themselves, and very well contrived to strike in the exhibition, cannot be denied. But some parts are trifling, others shocking, and some improbable.

JOHNSON.

KING HENRY VIII.

VOL. VII.

M

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

King Henry the Eighth.

Cardinal Wolsey. Cardinal Campeius.

Capucius, ambassador from the emperor Charles V.
Cranmer, archbishop of Canterbury.

Duke of Norfolk. Duke of Buckingham.

Duke of Suffolk. Earl of Surrey.

Lord Chamberlain. Lord Chancellor.

Gardiner, bishop of Winchester.

Bishop of Lincoln. Lord Abergavenny. Lord Sands.
Sir Henry Guildford. Sir Thomas Lovell.

Sir Anthony Denny. Sir Nicholas Vaux.
Secretaries to Wolsey.

Cromwell, servant to Wolsey.

Griffith, gentlenan-usher to queen Katharine.

Three other Gentlemen.

Doctor Butts, physician to the king.

Garter, king at arms.

Surveyor to the duke of Buckingham.

Brandon, and a Serjeant at arms.

Door-keeper of the council-chamber. Porter, and his Man.
Page to Gardiner. A Crier.

Queen Katharine, wife to king Henry, afterwards divorced.
Anne Bullen, her maid of honour; afterwards queen.

An old lady, friend to Anne Bullen.

Patience, woman to queen Katharine.

Several Lords and Ladies in the dumb shows; Women attending upon the queen; Spirits which appear to her; Scribes, Officers, Guards, and other Attendants.

Scene, chiefly in London and Westininster; once at Kimbolton.