KING HENRY VI.

PART I.

VOL. VI.

B

King Henry the Sixth.
Duke of Gloster, uncle to the King, and Protector.
Duke of Bedford, uncle to the King, and Regent of

France.
Thomas Beaufort, Duke of Exeter, great uncle to

the King.
Henry Beaufort, great uncle to the King, Bishop of

Winchester, and afterwards Cardinal.
John Beaufort, Earl of Somerset; afterwards Duke.
Richard Plantagenet, eldest son of Richard, late Earl

of Cambridge; afterwards Duke of York.
Earl of Warwick. Earl of Salisbury. Earl of Suffolk.
Lord Talbot, afterwards Earl of Shrewsbury.
John Talbot, his son.
Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March.
Mortimer's Keeper, and a Lawyer.
Sir John Fastolfe. Sir William Lucy.
Sir William Glansdale: Sir Thomas Gargrave.
Mayor of London. Woodville, Licut. of the Tower.
Vernon, of the White Rose; or York faction.
Basset, of thë Red Rose, or Lancaster faction.
Charles, Daúřhin, indufterwards King of France.
Reignier, Duke of Anjou, and titular King of Naples.
Duke of Burgundy. Duke of Alençon.
Governor of Paris. Bastard of Orleans.
Master-Gunner of Orleans, and his Son.
General of the French forces in Bourdeaux.
A French Sergeant. A Porter.
An old Shepherd, father to Joan la Pucelle.
Margaret, daughter to Reignier; afterwards married

to King Henry.
Countess of Auvergne.
Joan la Pucelle, commonly called Joan of Arc.
Tiends appearing to La Pucelle, Lords, Warders of

the Tower, Heralds, Officers, Soldiers, Messengers,
and several attendants both on the English and French.
SCENE, parily in Englund, and partly in France.

FIRST PART

OF

KING HENRY VI.

ACT I.

SCENE I. Westminster Abbey.

Dead march. Corpse of King Henry the Fifth dis

covered, lying in state; attended on by the Dukes of BedFORD, GLOSTER, and EXETER; the Earl of WARWICK, the Bishop of Winchester, Heralds, &c.

Bedford.
Hung be the heavens with black,' yield day to

night!
Comets, importing change of times and states,
Brandish your crystal tresses in the sky;
And with them scourge the bad revolting stars,
That have consented unto Henry's death!
Henry the fifth, too famous to live long!
England ne'er lost a king of so much worth.

Glo. England ne'er had a king, until his time.
Virtue he had, deserving to command :
His brandish'd sword did blind men with his beams;
His arms spread wider than a dragon's wings; .
His sparkling eyes replete with wrathful fire,

1 Alluding to our antient stage-practice when a tragedy was to be acted.

More dazzled and drove back his enemies,
Than mid-day sun, fierce bent against their faces.
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 shall revive :
Upon a wooden coffin we attend;
And death's dishonourable victory
We with our stately presence glorify,
Like captives bound to a triumphant car.
What? shall we curse the planets of mishap,
That plotted thus our glory's overthrow ?
Or shall we think the subtle-witted French
Conjurers and sorcerers, that, afraid of him,
By magick verses 2 have contriv'd his end ?

Win. He was a king bless'd of the King of kings.
Unto the French the dreadful judgment day
So dreadful will not be, as was his fight.
The battles of the Lord of hosts he fought:
The church's prayers made him so prosperous.
Glo. The church! where is it? Had not church-

men pray'd, His thread of life had not so soon decay'd : None do

you

like but an effeminate prince, Whom, like a school-boy, you may over-awe. Win. Gloster, whate'er we like, thou art pro