ACT IV. SCENE I.

PARIS.

Enter King Henry, Gloucester, Winchester, York, Suffolk, Somerfet, Warwick, Talbot, Exeter, and Governor of Paris.

LORD

GLOUCESTER.

ORD Bishop, fet the Crown upon his head.
Win. God fave King Henry, of that name the
Sixth !

Glou. Now, Governor of Paris, take your oath,
That you elect no other King but him;
Esteem none friends, but fuch as are his friends
And none your foes, but fuch as fhall pretend
Malicious practices against his state.

This fhall ye do, fo help you righteous God!
Enter Faftolfe.

Faft. My gracious Sovereign, as I rode from Calais, To hafte unto your Coronation;

A letter was deliver'd to my hands,

Writ to your Grace from th' Duke of Burgundy.
Tal. Shame to the Duke of Burgundy, and thee!
I vow'd, bafe Knight, when I did meet thee next,
To tear the Garter from thy craven leg,
Which I have done; because unworthily
Thou waft inftalled in that high degree.
Pardon, my Princely Henry, and the reft:
This daftard, at the battle of Poitiers,
When but in all I was fix thousand strong,
And that the French were almost ten to one,
Before we met, or that a stroke was given,
Like to a trufty 'fquire, did run away.
In which affault we loft twelve hundred men:

My

My felf and divers gentlemen befide
Were there furpriz'd, and taken prisoners.
Then judge, great lords, if I have done amiss;
Or whether that fuch cowards ought to wear
This ornament of knighthood, yea or no?

;

Glou. To fay the truth, this fact was infamous, And ill befeeming any common man ; Much more a knight, a captain, and a leader. Tal. When firft this Order was ordain'd, my lords, Knights of the Garter were of noble birth Valiant and virtuous, full of haughty courage; Such as were grown to Credit by the wars; Not fearing death, nor fhrinking for distress, But always refolute in moft extremes. He then, that is not furnish'd in this fort, Doth but ufurp the facred name of Knight, Prophåning this most honourable Order; And fhould, if I were worthy to be judge, Be quite degraded, like a hedge-born fwain That doth prefume to boast of gentle blood.

K. Henry. Stain to thy countrymen ! thou hear'st
thy doom:

Be packing therefore, thou that waft a Knight;
Henceforth we banish thee on pain of death. [Exit Faft.
And now, my lord Protector, view the letter
Sent from our uncle Duke of Burgundy.

Glou. What means his Grace, that he hath chang'd
his ftile?

No more but plain and bluntly, To the King. [Reading.
Hath he forgot, he is his Sovereign?
Or doth this churlish fuperfcription
Portend fome alteration in good will?

What's here? I have upon efpecial caufe,

[Reads.

Mov'd with compaffion of my country's wreck,

Together with the pitiful complaints

Of fuch as your oppression feeds upon,

For faken your pernicious faction,

And join'd with Charles, the rightful King of France.

Q

O monftrous treachery! can this be so?
That in alliance, amity, and oaths,

There fhould be found fuch falfe diffembling guile ?
K. Henry. What! doth my uncle Burgundy revolt?
Glou. He doth, my lord, and is become your foe.
K. Henry. Is that the worst this letter doth contain ?
Glou. It is the worst, and all, my lord, he writes.
K. Henry. Why then, lord Talbot there fhall talk
with him,

And give him chaftifement for this abuse.

My lord, how fay you, are you not content?

Tal. Content, my Liege? yes: but that I am prevented,

I should have begg'd I might have been employ'd. K. Henry. Then gather ftrength, and march unto him ftrait :

Let him perceive how ill we brook his treason,

And what offence it is to flout his friends.

Tal. I go, my lord, in heart defiring still behold confufion of your foes. [Exit Talbot.

You may

Ver. Grant me the combat, gracious Sovereign.
Baf. And me, my lord; grant me the combat too.
York. This is my fervant; hear him, noble Prince.
Som. And this is mine; fweet Henry, favour him.
K. Henry. Be patient, lords, and give them leave
to speak.

Say, gentlemen, what makes you thus exclaim?
And wherefore crave you combat? or with whom?
Ver. With him, my lord, for he hath done me wrong.
Baf. And I with him, for he hath done me wrong.
K, Henry. What is the wrong whereon you both
complain?

First let me know, and then I'll answer

you.

Baf

Baf. Croffing the fea from England into France,
This fellow here, with envious, carping tongue,
Upbraided me about the rose I wear;
Saying, the fanguine colour of the leaves
Did reprefent my master's blushing cheeks;
When ftubbornly he did repugn the truth
About a certain queftion in the law,
Argu'd betwixt the Duke of York and him;
With other vile and ignominious terms.
In confutation of which rude reproach,
And in defence of my lord's worthiness,
I crave the benefit of law of arms.

Ver. And that is my petition, noble lord;
For though he seem with forged quaint conceit
To fet a glofs upon his bold intent,

Yet, know, my lord, I was provok'd by him;
And he first took exceptions at this badge,
Pronouncing, that the paleness of this flow'r
Bewray'd the faintnefs of my master's heart.

York. Will not this malice, Somerset, be left?
Som. Your private grudge, my lord of York, will out,
Though ne'er fo cunningly you fmother it.

K. Henry. Good lord! what madness rules in brainfick men !

When, for fo flight and frivolous a caufe,
Such factious emulations fhall arife!
Good coufins both of York and Somerfet,
Quiet your felves, I pray, and be at peace.

York. Let this diffention firft be try'd by fight,
And then your Highness fhall command a peace.
Som. The quarrel toucheth none but us alone;
Betwixt our felves let us decide it then.

York. There is my pledge; accept it, Somerfet. Ver. Nay, let it reft, where it began at first. Baf. Confirm it fo? mine honourable lord. Glou. Confirm it fo? confounded be your ftrife, And perish ye with your audacious prate;

Prefumptuous

Prefumptuous vaffals! are you not asham'd
With this immodeft clamorous outrage

To trouble and disturb the King, and us?
And you, my lords, methinks, you do not well
To bear with their perverfe objections:
Much lefs to take occafion from their mouths
To raise a mutiny betwixt your felves:
Let me perfuade you, take a better course.

[friends.

Exe. It grieves his Highnefs: good my lords, be K.Henry.Come hither you, that would be combatants: Henceforth I charge you, as you love our favour, Quite to forget this quarrel and the caufe. And you, my lords; remember where we are; In France, amongst a fickle wavering nation: If they perceive diffention in our looks, And that within our felves we difagree, How will their grudging ftomachs be provok'd To wilful Difobedience, and Rebel? Befide, what infamy will there arise, When foreign Princes fhall be certify'd, That for a toy, a thing of no regard, King Henry's Peers and chief Nobility

Deftroy'd themselves, and loft the realm of France ? O, think upon the Conqueft of my father,

My tender years, and let us not forego

That for a trifle, which was bought with blood.
Let me be Umpire in this doubtful ftrife:
I fee no reason, if I wear this rofe,
That any one should therefore be fufpicious
I more encline to Somerset, than York.
Both are my kinfinen, and I love them both.
As well they may upbraid me with my Crown,
Because, forfooth, the King of Scots is crown'd.
But your difcretions better can perfuade,
Than I am able to inftruct or teach:
And therefore, as we hither came in peace,
So let us ftill continue peace and love.
Coufin of Fork, we inftitute your Grace

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