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  • Title: The Famous Victories of Henry the Fifth (Quarto, 1598)
  • Editors: Karen Sawyer Marsalek, Mathew Martin
  • Coordinating editor: Janelle Jenstad

    • Copyright Queen's Men Editions. This text may be freely used for educational, non-profit purposes; for all other uses contact the Editor.
    Author: Anonymous
    Editors: Karen Sawyer Marsalek, Mathew Martin
    Peer Reviewed

    The Famous Victories of Henry the Fifth (Quarto, 1598)

    Enter Henry the fourth, with the Earle of Exeter,
    and the Lord of Oxford.
    240Oxf. And please your Maiestie, heere is my Lord Ma-
    ior and the Sheriffe of London, to speak with your Maie=stie.
    K.Hen.4. Admit them to our presence.
    Enter the Maior and the Sheriffe.
    Now my good Lord Maior of London,
    245The cause of my sending for you at this time, is to tel you
    of a matter which I haue learned of my Councell: Herein
    I vnderstand, that you haue committed my sonne to prison
    without our leaue and license. What althogh he be a rude
    youth, and likely to giue occasion, yet you might haue con-
    250sidered that he is a Prince, and my sonne, and not to be
    halled to prison by euery subiect.
    Maior. May it please your Maiestie to giue vs leaue to
    tell our tale?
    King Hen.4. Or else God forbid, otherwise you might
    255thinke me an vnequall Iudge, hauing more affection to
    my sonne, then to any rightfull iudgement.
    Maior. Then I do not doubt but we shal rather deserue
    commendations at your Maiesties hands, thẽ any anger.
    K.Hen.4. Go too, say on.
    260Maior. Then if it please your Maiestie, this night be=
    twixt two and three of the clocke in the morning, my Lord
    the yong Prince with a very disordred companie, came to
    the old Tauerne in Eastcheape, and whether it was that
    their Musicke liked them not, or whether they were ouer=
    265come with wine, I know not, but they drew their swords,
    and
    of Henry the fifth.
    and into the streete they went, and some tooke my Lord the
    yong Princes part, and some tooke the other, but betwixt
    them there was such a bloodie fray for the space of halfe an
    houre, that neither watchmẽ nor any other could stay thẽ,
    270till my brother the Sheriffe of London & I were sent for,
    and at the last with much adoo we staied them, but it was
    long first, which was a great disquieting to all your louing
    subiects thereabouts: and then my good Lord, we knew not
    whether your grace had sent them to trie vs, whether we
    275would doo iustice, or whether it were of their owne volun=
    tarie will or not, we cannot tell: and therefore in such a
    case we knew not what to do, but for our own safegard we
    sent him to ward, where he wanteth nothing that is fit for
    his grace, and your Maiesties sonne. And thus most hum=
    280bly beseeching your Maiestie to thinke of our answere.
    Hen.4. Stand aside vntill we haue further deliberated
    on your answere.
    Exit Maior.
    Hen.4. Ah Harry, Harry, now thrice accursed Harry,
    285That hath gotten a sonne, which with greefe
    Will end his fathers dayes.
    Oh my sonne, a Prince thou art, I a Prince indeed,
    And to deserue imprisonment,
    And well haue they done, and like faithfull subiects:
    290Discharge them and let them go.
    L.Exe. I beseech your Grace, be good to my Lord the
    yong Prince.
    Hen.4. Nay, nay, tis no matter, let him alone.
    L.Oxf. Perchance the Maior and the Sheriffe haue
    295bene too precise in this matter.
    Hen.4. No: they haue done like faithfull subiects:
    I will go my selfe to discharge them, and let them go.
    Exit omnes.
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