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  • Title: Henry VI, Part 1 (Folio 1, 1623)

    • Copyright Internet Shakespeare Editions. This text may be freely used for educational, non-proift purposes; for all other uses contact the Coordinating Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Not Peer Reviewed

    Henry VI, Part 1 (Folio 1, 1623)

    111
    The first Part of Henry the Sixt.
    Bass. Confirme it so, mine honourable Lord.
    Glo. Confirme it so? Confounded be your strife,
    And perish ye with your audacious prate,
    1875Presumptuous vassals, are you not asham'd
    With this immodest clamorous outrage,
    To trouble and disturbe the King, and Vs?
    And you my Lords, me thinkes you do not well
    To beare with their peruerse Obiections:
    1880Much lesse to take occasion from their mouthes,
    To raise a mutiny betwixt your selues.
    Let me perswade you take a better course.
    Exet. It greeues his Highnesse,
    Good my Lords, be Friends.
    1885 King. Come hither you that would be Combatants:
    Henceforth I charge you, as you loue our fauour,
    Quite to forget this Quarrell, and the cause.
    And you my Lords: Remember where we are,
    In France, amongst a fickle wauering Nation:
    1890If they perceyue dissention in our lookes,
    And that within our selues we disagree;
    How will their grudging stomackes be prouok'd
    To wilfull Disobedience, and Rebell?
    Beside, What infamy will there arise,
    1895When Forraigne Princes shall be certified,
    That for a toy, a thing of no regard,
    King Henries Peeres, and cheefe Nobility,
    Destroy'd themselues, and lost the Realme of France?
    Oh thinke vpon the Conquest of my Father,
    1900My tender yeares, and let vs not forgoe
    That for a trifle, that was bought with blood.
    Let me be Vmper in this doubtfull strife:
    I see no reason if I weare this Rose,
    That any one should therefore be suspitious
    1905I more incline to Somerset, than Yorke:
    Both are my kinsmen, and I loue them both.
    As well they may vpbray'd me with my Crowne,
    Because (forsooth) the King of Scots is Crown'd.
    But your discretions better can perswade,
    1910Then I am able to instruct or teach:
    And therefore, as we hither came in peace,
    So let vs still continue peace, and loue.
    Cosin of Yorke, we institute your Grace
    To be our Regent in these parts of France:
    1915And good my Lord of Somerset, vnite
    Your Troopes of horsemen, with his Bands of foote,
    And like true Subiects, sonnes of your Progenitors,
    Go cheerefully together, and digest
    Your angry Choller on your Enemies.
    1920Our Selfe, my Lord Protector, and the rest,
    After some respit, will returne to Calice;
    From thence to England, where I hope ere long
    To be presented by your Victories,
    With Charles, Alanson, and that Traiterous rout.
    1925 Exeunt. Manet Yorke, Warwick, Exeter, Vernon.
    War. My Lord of Yorke, I promise you the King
    Prettily (me thought) did play the Orator.)
    Yorke. And so he did, but yet I like it not,
    In that he weares the badge of Somerset.
    1930 War. Tush, that was but his fancie, blame him not,
    I dare presume (sweet Prince) he thought no harme.
    York. And if I wish he did. But let it rest,
    Other affayres must now be managed. Exeunt.
    Flourish. Manet Exeter.
    1935 Exet. Well didst thou Richard to suppresse thy voice:
    For had the passions of thy heart burst out,
    I feare we should haue seene decipher'd there

    More rancorous spight, more furious raging broyles,
    Then yet can be imagin'd or suppos'd:
    1940But howsoere, no simple man that sees
    This iarring discord of Nobilitie,
    This shouldering of each other in the Court,
    This factious bandying of their Fauourites,
    But that it doth presage some ill euent.
    1945'Tis much, when Scepters are in Childrens hands:
    But more, when Enuy breeds vnkinde deuision,
    There comes the ruine, there begins confusion. Exit.

    Enter Talbot with Trumpe and Drumme,
    before Burdeaux.

    1950 Talb. Go to the Gates of Burdeaux Trumpeter,
    Summon their Generall vnto the Wall. Sounds.
    Enter Generall aloft.
    English Iohn Talbot (Captaines) call you forth,
    Seruant in Armes to Harry King of England,
    1955And thus he would. Open your Citie Gates,
    Be humble to vs, call my Soueraigne yours,
    And do him homage as obedient Subiects,
    And Ile withdraw me, and my bloody power.
    But if you frowne vpon this proffer'd Peace,
    1960You tempt the fury of my three attendants,
    Leane Famine, quartering Steele, and climbing Fire,
    Who in a moment, eeuen with the earth,
    Shall lay your stately, and ayre-brauing Towers,
    If you forsake the offer of their loue.
    1965 Cap. Thou ominous and fearefull Owle of death,
    Our Nations terror, and their bloody scourge,
    The period of thy Tyranny approacheth,
    On vs thou canst not enter but by death:
    For I protest we are well fortified,
    1970And strong enough to issue out and fight.
    If thou retire, the Dolphin well appointed,
    Stands with the snares of Warre to tangle thee.
    On either hand thee, there are squadrons pitcht,
    To wall thee from the liberty of Flight;
    1975And no way canst thou turne thee for redresse,
    But death doth front thee with apparant spoyle,
    And pale destruction meets thee in the face:
    Ten thousand French haue tane the Sacrament,
    To ryue their dangerous Artillerie
    1980Vpon no Christian soule but English Talbot:
    Loe, there thou standst a breathing valiant man
    Of an inuincible vnconquer'd spirit:
    This is the latest Glorie of thy praise,
    That I thy enemy dew thee withall:
    1985For ere the Glasse that now begins to runne,
    Finish the processe of his sandy houre,
    These eyes that see thee now well coloured,
    Shall see thee withered, bloody, pale, and dead.
    Drum a farre off.
    1990Harke, harke, the Dolphins drumme, a warning bell,
    Sings heauy Musicke to thy timorous soule,
    And mine shall ring thy dire departure out. Exit
    Tal. He Fables not, I heare the enemie:
    Out some light Horsemen, and peruse their Wings.
    1995O negligent and heedlesse Discipline,
    How are we park'd and bounded in a pale?
    A little Heard of Englands timorous Deere,
    Maz'd with a yelping kennell of French Curres.
    If we be English Deere, be then in blood,
    2000Not Rascall-like to fall downe with a pinch,
    But rather moodie mad: And desperate Stagges,
    Turne
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