1.1.29Hung be the heavens with black. Yield day to night.

1.1.310Comets, importing change of times and states,

1.1.411Brandish your crystal tresses in the sky,

1.1.512And with them scourge the bad revolting stars

1.1.613That have consented unto Henry's death.

1.1.714King Henry the Fifth, too famous to live long.

1.1.815England ne'er lost a king of so much worth.

England ne'er had a king until his time:

1.1.1017Virtue he had, deserving to command.

1.1.1118His brandished sword did blind men with his beams.

1.1.1219His arms spread wider than a dragon's wings.

1.1.1320His sparkling eyes, replete with wrathful fire,

1.1.1421More dazzled and drove back his enemies

1.1.1522Than midday sun, fierce bent against their faces.

1.1.1623What should I say? His deeds exceed all speech.

1.1.1724He ne'er lift up his hand, but conquerèd.

We mourn in black; why mourn we not in blood?

1.1.1926Henry is dead, and never shall revive.

1.1.2027Upon a wooden coffin we attend,

1.1.2128And death's dishonorable victory,

1.1.2229We with our stately presence glorify

1.1.2330Like captives bound to a triumphant car.

1.1.2431What, shall we curse the planets of mishap,

1.1.2532That plotted thus our glory's overthrow?

1.1.2633Or shall we think the subtle-witted French,

1.1.2734Conjurers and sorcerers, that, afraid of him,

1.1.2835By magic verses have contrived his end?

He was a king, blest of the King of Kings.

1.1.3037Unto the French, the dreadful judgment day

1.1.3138So dreadful will not be as was his sight.

1.1.3239The battles of the Lord of Hosts he fought.

1.1.3340The Church's prayers made him so prosperous.

The Church? Where is it?

1.1.3542Had not churchmen prayed,

1.1.3643His thread of life had not so soon decayed.

1.1.3744None do you like but an effeminate prince,

1.1.3845Whom like a schoolboy you may overawe.

Gloucester, whate'er we like, thou art Protector,

1.1.4047And lookest to command the Prince and realm.

1.1.4148Thy wife is proud: she holdeth thee in awe,

1.1.4249More than God or religious churchmen may.

Name not religion, for thou lov'st the flesh,

1.1.4451And ne'er throughout the year to church thou go'st,

1.1.4552Except it be to pray against thy foes.

Cease, cease these jars, and rest your minds in peace.

1.1.4754Let's to the altar. Heralds wait on us.

1.1.4855Instead of gold, we'll offer up our arms:

1.1.4956Since arms avail not, now that Henry's dead.

1.1.5057Posterity, await for wretched years,

1.1.5158When, at their mother's moistened eyes, babes shall suck,

1.1.5259Our isle be made a nourish of salt tears,

1.1.5360And none but women left to wail the dead.

1.1.5461Henry the Fifth, thy ghost I invocate;

1.1.5562Prosper this realm, keep it from civil broils,

1.1.5663Combat with adverse planets in the heavens.

1.1.5764A far more glorious star thy soul will make

1.1.5865Than Julius Caesar, or bright--

My honorable lords, health to you all.

1.1.6068Sad tidings bring I to you out of France,

1.1.6169Of loss, of slaughter, and discomfiture.

1.1.6270Guyenne, Campiègne, Rouen, Reims, Orléans,

1.1.6371Paris, Gisors, Poitiers, are all quite lost.

What sayst thou, man, before dead Henry's corpse?

1.1.6573Speak softly, or the loss of those great towns

1.1.6674Will make him burst his lead and rise from death.

Is Paris lost? Is Rouen yielded up?

1.1.6876If Henry were recalled to life again,

1.1.6977These news would cause him once more yield the ghost.

How were they lost? What treachery was used?

No treachery, but want of men and money.

1.1.7280Amongst the soldiers this is mutterèd:

1.1.7381That here you maintain several factions,

1.1.7482And whilst a field should be dispatched and fought,

1.1.7583You are disputing of your generals.

1.1.7684One would have ling'ring wars, with little cost;

1.1.7785Another would fly swift, but wanteth wings;

1.1.7886A third thinks, without expense at all,

1.1.7987By guileful fair words peace may be obtained.

1.1.8088Awake, awake, English nobility.

1.1.8189Let not sloth dim your honors new-begot.

1.1.8290Cropped are the flower-de-luces in your arms;

1.1.8391Of England's coat, one half is cut away.

Were our tears wanting to this funeral,

1.1.8593These tidings would call forth her flowing tides.

Me they concern; Regent I am of France.

1.1.8795Give me my steelèd coat. I'll fight for France.

1.1.8896Away with these disgraceful wailing robes.

1.1.8997Wounds will I lend the French, instead of eyes,

1.1.9098To weep their intermissive miseries.

Lords, view these letters, full of bad mischance.

1.1.92101France is revolted from the English quite,

1.1.93102Except some petty towns, of no import.

1.1.94103The Dauphin Charles is crownèd king in Reims;

1.1.95104The Bastard of Orléans with him is joined;

1.1.96105Reignier, Duke of Anjou, doth take his part;

1.1.97106The Duke of Alencon flyeth to his side.

The Dauphin crownèd King? All fly to him?

1.1.99108O whither shall we fly from this reproach?

We will not fly, but to our enemies' throats.

1.1.101110Bedford, if thou be slack, I'll fight it out.

Gloucester, why doubt'st thou of my forwardness?

1.1.103112An army have I mustered in my thoughts,

1.1.104113Wherewith already France is overrun.

My gracious Lords, to add to your laments,

1.1.106116Wherewith you now bedew King Henry's hearse,

1.1.107117I must inform you of a dismal fight

1.1.108118Betwixt the stout Lord Talbot and the French.

What, wherein Talbot overcame, is't so?

O no, wherein Lord Talbot was o'erthrown.

1.1.111121The circumstance I'll tell you more at large.

1.1.112122The tenth of August last, this dreadful lord,

1.1.113123Retiring from the Siege of Orléans,

1.1.114124Having full scarce six thousand in his troop,

1.1.115125By three-and-twenty thousand of the French

1.1.116126Was round encompassèd and set upon.

1.1.117127No leisure had he to enrank his men.

1.1.118128He wanted pikes to set before his archers;

1.1.119129Instead whereof, sharp stakes plucked out of hedges

1.1.120130They pitchèd in the ground confusèdly,

1.1.121131To keep the horsemen off, from breaking in.

1.1.122132More than three hours the fight continuèd:

1.1.123133Where valiant Talbot, above human thought,

1.1.124134Enacted wonders with his sword and lance.

1.1.125135Hundreds he sent to hell, and none durst stand him;

1.1.126136Here, there, and everywhere, enraged he slew.

1.1.127137The French exclaimed the devil was in arms,

1.1.128138All the whole army stood agazed on him.

1.1.129139His soldiers, spying his undaunted spirit,

1.1.130140"A Talbot! A Talbot!" cried out amain,

1.1.131141And rushed into the bowels of the battle.

1.1.132142Here had the conquest fully been sealed up,

1.1.133143If Sir John Falstaff had not played the coward.

1.1.134144He being in the vayward placed behind,

1.1.135145With purpose to relieve and follow them,

1.1.136146Cowardly fled, not having struck one stroke.

1.1.137147Hence grew the general wrack and massacre:

1.1.138148Enclosèd were they with their enemies.

1.1.139149A base Walloon, to win the Dauphin's grace,

1.1.140150Thrust Talbot with a spear into the back,

1.1.141151Whom all France, with their chief assembled strength,

1.1.142152Durst not presume to look once in the face.

Is Talbot slain then? I will slay myself,

1.1.144154For living idly here in pomp and ease

1.1.145155Whilst such a worthy leader, wanting aid,

1.1.146156Unto his dastard foemen is betrayed.

O no, he lives, but is took prisoner,

1.1.148158And Lord Scales with him, and Lord Hungerford;

1.1.149159Most of the rest slaughtered, or took likewise.

His ransom there is none but I shall pay.

1.1.151161I'll hale the Dauphin headlong from his throne;

1.1.152162His crown shall be the ransom of my friend.

1.1.153163Four of their lords I'll change for one of ours.

1.1.154164Farewell my masters; to my task will I.

1.1.155165Bonfires in France forthwith I am to make,

1.1.156166To keep our great Saint George's feast withal.

1.1.157167Ten thousand soldiers with me I will take,

1.1.158168Whose bloody deeds shall make all Europe quake.

So you had need, for Orléans is besieged,

1.1.160170The English army is grown weak and faint.

1.1.161171The Earl of Salisbury craveth supply,

1.1.162172And hardly keeps his men from mutiny,

1.1.163173Since they, so few, watch such a multitude.

Remember, lords, your oaths to Henry sworn:

1.1.165175Either to quell the Dauphin utterly,

1.1.166176Or bring him in obedience to your yoke.

I do remember it, and here take my leave

1.1.168178To go about my preparation.

I'll to the Tower with all the haste I can,

1.1.170180To view th'artillery and munition,

1.1.171181And then I will proclaim young Henry king.

To Eltham will I, where the young King is,

1.1.173184Being ordained his special governor,

1.1.174185And for his safety there I'll best devise.

Each hath his place and function to attend;

1.1.176187I am left out; for me, nothing remains.

1.1.177188But long I will not be Jack-out-of-office.

1.1.178189The King from Eltham I intend to send,

1.1.179190And sit at chiefest stern of public weal.