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SCEN E II.

Opens to the Prefence.

Enter King Henry, Gloucefter, Bedford, Clarence, Warwick, Weftmorland, and Exeter.

K. Henry. WHERE is my gracious lord of Can

terbury?

Exe. Not here in presence.

K. Henry. Send for him, good uncle.

Weft. 4 Shall we call in th' ambaffador, my Liege? K. Henry. Not yet, my coufin; we would be refolv'd,

Before we hear him, of fome things of weight,
5 That task our thoughts, concerning us and France.
Enter the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Bishop of Ely.
Cant. God and his angels guard your facred throne,
And make you long become it!

K. Henry. Sure, we thank you.

My learned lord, we pray you to proceed;
And justly and religiously unfold,

Why the law Salike, that they have in France,
Or fhould, or should not, bar us in our claim.
And, God forbid, my dear and faithful lord,
That you should fashion, wreft, or bow your reading;
Or nicely charge your understanding foul
With opening titles mifcreate, whose right
Sutes not in native colours with the truth.

For, God doth know, how many now in health
Shall drop their blood, in approbation

Of what your reverence shall incite us to.

Therefore take heed, how you impawn our person;

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4 Shall we call in, &c.] Here began the old play. Mr. Pope. That task our thoughts, Task, for employ fimply. 6 -how you impawn our perfon; ] Impawn, for engage fimply.

Y 3

How

How you awake our fleeping fword of war:
We charge you in the name of God, take heed.
For never two fuch kingdoms did contend
Without much fall of blood; whofe guiltless drops
Are every one a woe, a fore complaint,

'Gainst him, whofe wrong gives edge unto the fwords,
That make fuch wafte in brief mortality.
Under this conjuration, fpeak, my lord;

For we will hear, note, and believe in heart,
That what you speak is in your conscience washt,
As pure as fin with baptifm.

Cant. Then hear me, gracious Sovereign, and you
Peers,

That owe your lives, your faith, and services,
To this imperial throne. 7 There is no bar
To make against your Highness' claim to France,
But this which they produce from Pharamond;
In terram Salicam Mulieres nè fuccedant;
No Woman fball fucceed in Salike land:
Which Salike land the French unjustly gloze
To be the realm of France, and Pharamond
The founder of this law and female bar.
Yet their own authors faithfully affirm,
That the land Salike lies in Germany,
Between the floods of Sala and of Elve:

Where Charles the great, having fubdu'd the Saxons,
There left behind and fettled certain French:
Who, holding in difdain the German women,
For fome difhoneft manners of their life,
Establisht then this law; to wit, no female
Should be inheritrix in Salike land:

Which Salike, as I faid, 'twixt Elve and Sala,

7 There is no bar, &c.] This whole fpeech is copied (in a manner verbatim) from Hall's Chronicle, Henry V, year the fecond, folio 4. xx, xxx, xl, &c. In the first edition it is very imperfect, and the whole history and names of the princes are confounded; but this was afterwards fet right, and corrected from his original, Hall's Chronicle. Mr. Pope.

Is at this day in Germany call'd Meifen,

Thus doth it well appear, the Salike law
Was not devised for the realm of France;
Nor did the French poffefs the Salike land,
Until four hundred one and twenty years
After defunction of King Pharamond,
(Idly fuppos'd, the founder of this law ;)
Who died within the year of our redemption
Four hundred twenty fix; and Charles the great,
Subdu'd the Saxons, and did feat the French
Beyond the river Sala in the year

Eight hundred five. Befides, their writers fay,
King Pepin, which depofed Childerick,
Did as heir general (being defcended

Of Blitbild, which was daughter to King Clothair)
Make claim and title to the Crown of France.
Hugh Capet alfo, who ufurp'd the Crown
Of Charles the Duke of Lorain, fole heir male
Of the true line and ftock of Charles the great,
To fine his title with fome fhews of truth,
(Though, in pure truth, it was corrupt and naught)
Convey'd himself as heir to th' lady Lingare,
Daughter to Charlemain, who was the fon
To Lewis th' Emperor, which was the fon
Of Charles the great. Alfo King Lewis the ninth,
Who was fole heir to the ufurper Capet,
Could not keep quiet in his confcience,
Wearing the Crown of France, 'till fatisfy'd
That fair Queen Ifabel, his grandmother,
Was lineal of the lady Ermengere,

Daughter to Charles the forefaid Duke of Lorain:
By the which match the line of Charles the great
Was re-united to the Crown of France.

So that, as clear as is the fummer's fun,

8 To fine his title i. e. refine, purify.

9

Lewis the ninth,] tenth. See Hall, loc. cit.

Mr. Pope.

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King Pepin's title, and Hugh Capet's claim,
King Lewis his Poffeffion, all appear

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To hold in right and title of the female.
So do the Kings of France until this day :
Howbeit they would hold up this Salike law,
To bar your Highness claiming from the female;
And rather chufe to hide them in a net,

2 Than amply to imbare their crooked titles,
Ufurpt from you and your progenitors.

K. Henry. May I with right and confcience make this claim?

Cant. The fin upon my head, dread Sovereign! For in the book of Numbers it is writ,

3 When the fon dies, let the inheritance
Descend unto the daughter. Gracious lord,
Stand for your own, unwind your bloody flag:
Look back into your mighty ancestors;

Go, my dread lord, to your great grandfire's tomb,
From whom you claim; invoke his warlike fpirit,
And your great uncle Edward the black Prince;
Who on the French ground play'd a Tragedy,
Making defeat on the full pow'r of France;
While his moft mighty Father, on a hill,
Stood fmiling, to behold his Lion's whelp
Forage in blood of French Nobility.
O noble English, that could entertain

With half their forces the full pow'r of France;
And let another half stand laughing by,

All out of work, 4 and cold for action!

1 King Lewis his Poffeffion loc. cit.

1 Satisfaction. See Hall, Mr. Pope.

2 Than openly to imbrace-] The two old Folios read, Than amply to imbarre. Hence it appears we fhould read, Than amply to IMBARE, i. e. lay open, make naked, expofe to view.

3 When the fon dies,] Man. See Hall, loc. cit. Mr. Pope. 4 and cold for action!] Not indifferent to the work, but cold for want of being employed in it.

Ely,

Ely. Awake remembrance of these valiant dead,
And with your puiffant arm renew their feats!
You are their heir, you fit upon their throne ;
The blood and courage, that renowned them,
Runs in your veins; and my thrice puiffant Liege
Is in the very May-morn of his youth,

Ripe for exploits and mighty enterprises.

Exe. Your brother Kings and Monarchs of the earth

Do all expect that you should rouze your self;
As did the former Lions of your blood.

Weft. 5 They know, your Race had cause, and means, and might:

So hath your Highnefs; never King of England
Had Nobles richer, and more loyal Subjects;
Whose hearts have left their bodies here in England,
And lie pavilion'd in the field of France.

"O let their bodies follow, my dear Liege,
With blood and fword, and fire, to win your right.
Cant. In aid whereof, we of the Spiritualty
Will raife your Highness fuch a mighty fum,
As never did the Clergy at one time

Bring in to any of your ancestors.

K. Henry. We must not only arm t'invade the French, But lay down our proportions to defend

Against the Scot, who will make road upon us
With all advantages,

5 They know your GRACE HATH caufe, and means, and might, So hath your Highness] We fhould read,

your RACE HAD cause,

which is carrying on the fenfe of the concluding words of Exeter. As did the former Lions of your blood. meaning Edward III, and the Black Prince.

6 O, let their bodies follow, &c.] Thefe two lines, with a high indecorum, are given to the Archbishop: but they belong to Westmorland; and Canterbury begins,

In aid whereof, we of the Spiritualty, &c.

Cant.

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