Pift. A noble fhalt thou have and prefent pay;
And liquor likewife will I give to thee;
And friendship fhall combine and brotherhood.
I'll live by Nim, and Nim fhall live by me.
Is not this juft? for I fhall Suttler be
Unto the camp, and profits will accrue.
Give me thy hand.

Nim. I fhall have my noble?

Pift. In cash most justly paid.

Nim. Well then, that's the humour of't.
Re-enter Quickly.

Quick. As ever you came of women, come in quickly to Sir John: ah, poor heart, he is fo fhak'd of a burning quotidian tertian, that it is most lamentable to behold. Sweet men, come to him.

Nim. The King hath run bad humours on the Knight, that's the even of it.

Pift. Nim, thou hast spoken the right, his heart is fracted and corroborate.

Nim. The King is a good King, but it must be as it may; he paffes fome humours and careers.

Pift. Let us condole the Knight; for, lambkins! we will live. [Exeunt.

'ACT II.

Chorus:

SCENE I.

Enter CHOR US.

NOW

WOW all the youth of England are on fire, And filken dalliance in the wardrobe lies : Now thrive the armourers, and honour's thought

Reigns

I ACT II. SCENE I.] I have divided the acts of this play differently from all the editions, by beginning here the second act, whereby each throughout the play begins with a chorus regularly; whereas before, this chorus was stuck into a place where it inter rupted the continuance of the scene, and for want of this divifion,

they

Reigns folely in the breast of every man.
They fell the pasture now, to buy the horse;
Following the mirror of all Chriftian Kings,
With winged heels, as English Mercuries.
"For now fits Expectation in the air,
"And hides a fword from hilts unto the point
"With Crowns imperial; Crowns, and Coronets,
Promis'd to Harry and his followers.
The French, advis'd by good intelligence
Of this most dreadful preparation,
Shake in their fear; and with pale policy
Seek to divert the English purposes.
O England! model to thy inward greatness,
Like little body with a mighty heart;

What might'ft thou do, that honour would thee do,
Were all thy children kind and natural!

But fee, thy fault France hath in thee found out;
A neft of hollow bofoms, which he fills
With treach'rous crowns; and three corrupted men,
One, Richard Earl of Cambridge, and the fecond,
Henry Lord Scroop of Mafham, and the third,
Sir Thomas Grey Knight of Northumberland,
Have for the gilt of France (O guilt, indeed!)
Confirm'd Confpiracy with fearful France:

And by their hands, this grace of Kings must die,
If hell and treafon hold their promises,

they were forced to fplit the one day's battle at Agincourt into two acts, namely the third and fourth. See the note on Act IV. Scene 13. Mr. Pope.

2 For now fits Expectation in the air,

And hides a fword from bilts unto the point

With Crowns imperial; &c.] The imagery is wonderfully fine, and the thought exquifite. Expectation fitting in the air defigns the height of their ambition; and the Sword bid from the hilt to the point with Crowns and Coronets, that all fentiments of danger were loft in the thoughts of glory.

3 -this grace of Kings -] i.e. he who does greatest honour to the title. By the fame kind of phrafeology the ufurper in Hamlet is call'd the Vice of Kings, i. e. the opprobrium of them.

Ere He take fhip for France; and in Southampton.
Linger your patience on, and well digeft
Th' abuse of diftance, while we force a play.
The fum is paid, the traitors are agreed,
The King is fet from London, and the scene
Is now transported, gentles, to Southampton:
There is the play-house now, there muft you
fit
And thence to France fhall we convey you safe,
And bring you back; charming the narrow feas
To give you gentle pass: for if we may,
We'll not offend one stomach with our play.
But, till the King come forth, and not till then,
Unto Southampton do we fhift our scene.

S CE

NE E II.

SOUTHAMPTON.

Enter Exeter, Bedford, and Weftmorland.

;

[Exit.

Bed. CORE God, his Grace is bold to trust these

FOR traitors.

Exe. They fhall be apprehended by and by. Weft. How smooth and even they do bear themselves, As if allegiance in their bofoms fate,

Crowned with faith and conftant loyalty!

Bed. The King hath note of all that they intend, By interception which they dream not of.

Exe. Nay, but the man that was his bedfellow, Whom he hath lull'd and cloy'd with gracious favours;

4-while we FORCE a play.] This may be right; but I rather believe Shakespear wrote, FARCE a play, i. e. ftuff it, fwell it out; as the word farce from fartum, forced-meat (now applied to theatrical reprefentations) then fignified; and the metaphor agrees to what went before, of well digefling th' abuse of distance. Perhaps it may here mean ftuff, a great deal in a little compafs, fomething like the apology he makes in the prologue, and in the chorus to the fifth act. He ufes this word in the fame fenfe, A& IV. Scene V. The farfed title running 'fore the King.

That

That he should for a foreign purse so fell
His Sovereign's life to death and treachery!

[Trumpets found.

Enter the King, Scroop, Cambridge, Grey, and Attendants.

K. Henry. Now fits the wind fair, and we will aboard. My lord of Cambridge, and my lord of Masham, And you, my gentle Knight, give me your thoughts: Think you not, that the Pow'rs, we bear with us, Will cut their paffage through the force of France; Doing the execution and the act

5 For which we have in aid affembled them? Scroop. No doubt, my Liege; if each man do his best. K. Henry. I doubt not that; fince we are well

fuaded,

We carry not a heart with us from hence,
That grows not in a fair consent with ours:
Nor leave not one behind, that doth not wish

Succefs and conqueft to attend on us.

per

Cam. Never was monarch better fear'd, and lov'd, Than is your Majefty; there's not a subject, That fits in heart-grief and uneafinefs Under the sweet shade of your government.

Grey. True; thofe, that were your father's enemies, Have steept their gauls in honey, and do ferve you With hearts create of duty and of zeal.

K. Henry. We therefore have great cause of thankfulness;

And fhall forget the office of our hand,

Sooner than quittance of defert and merit, According to the weight and worthiness.

5

For which we have IN HEAD affembled them?] This is not an English phrafeology. I am perfuaded Shakespear wrote, For which we have IN AID assembled them?

alluding to the tenures of those times.

6 Sooner than quittance-] . . requital.

Z 4

Scroop.

Scroop. "So fervice fhall with fteeled finews toil; "And labour fhall refresh it felf with hope, To do your Grace inceffant fervices.

K. Henry. We judge no lefs. Uncle of Exeter,
Inlarge the man committed yesterday,

That rail'd against our perfon: we confider,
It was excess of wine that fet him on,
And on his more advice we pardon him.

Scroop. That's mercy, but too much security:
Let him be punish'd, Sovereign, left example
Breed (by his fuff'rance) more of fuch a kind.
K. Henry. O, let us yet be merciful.

Cam. So may your Highness, and yet punish too. Grey. You fhew great mercy, if you give him life, After the taste of much correction.

K. Henry. Alas, your too much love and care of me Are heavy orifons 'gainst this poor wretch.

7

If little faults, proceeding on diftemper,

Shall not be wink'd at, how shall we stretch our eye, When capital crimes, chew'd, swallow'd and digefted, Appear before us? we'll yet enlarge that man, Though Cambridge, Scroop, and Grey, in their dear care And tender preservation of our person,

Would have him punifh'd. Now to our French causes; Who are the late Commiffioners?

Cam. I one, my lord.

Your Highness bad me ask for it to day.

Scroop. So did you me, my Liege.

Grey. And I, my Sovereign.

K. Henry. Then Richard, Earl of Cambridge, there is yours:

There yours, lord Scroop of Mafham; and Sir Knight,
Grey of Northumberland, this fame is yours;

Read them, and know, I know your worthiness.
My lord of Westmorland and uncle Exeter,

7-proceeding on diftemper,] i. e. fudden paffions.

We