: K. HENRY. Heav'n pardon thee. Yet let me wonder, Harry, And dreft myself in much humility, That I did pluck allegiance from mens hearts, Loud Loud shouts and falutations from their mouths, That, being daily swallow'd by mens eyes, Heard, not regarded; seen but with such eyes, Afford no extraordinary gaze;. Such, as is bent on fun-like majesty, Save mine, which hath defir'd to see thee more : Which now doth, what I would not have it do, Make blind itself with foolish tenderness. Our author is so little under the difcipline of Art, that we are apt to ascribe his happiest successes, as well as his most unfortunate failings, to Chance. But I cannot help thinking, there is more of contrivance and care in his execution of this play, than in almost any he has written. It is a more regular drama than his other historical plays, less charged with absurdities, and less involved in confufion. It is indeed liable to those objections, which are made to Tragicomedy. But if the pedantry of learning could ever recede from its dogmatical rules, I think that this play, instead of being condemned for being of that species, would obtain favour for the species itself, though perhaps correct taste may be offended with the transitions from grave and important, to light and ludicrous subjects: and more still with those from great and illustrious, to low and mean persons. Foreigners, unused to these compositions, will bemuch disgusted at them. The vulgar call all animals that are not natives of their own country, monsters, however beautiful they may be in their form, or wisely adapted to their climate, and natural destination. The prejudices of Pride are as violent and unreasonable, as the superstitions of Ignorance. On the French Parnassus, a tragi-comedy of this kind will be deemed a monster fitter to be shewn to the people at a fair, than exhibited to circles of the learned and those relating to the characters in this piece, we may, perhaps, find a fort of apology for the motley mixture thrown into it. We cannot but suppose, that at the time it was written, many stories yet subsisted of the wild adventures of this Prince of Wales, and his idle companions. His subsequent reformation, and his conquests in France, rendered him a very popular character. It was a delicate affair to expose the follies of Henry V. before a people proud of his victories, and tender of his fame, at the same time so informed of the extravagancies, and excesses of his youth, that he could not appear divested of them with any degree of historical probability. Their enormity would have been greatly heightened, if they had appeared in a piece entirely serious, and full of dignity and decorum. How happily therefore was the character of Falstaffe introduced, whose wit and festivity in some measure excuse the Prince for admitting him into his familiarity, and suffering himself to be led by him into some irregularities. There is hardly a young |