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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 the yoong Prince, with Ned and Tom.
    Hen.5. Come away sirs, Gogs wounds Ned,
    485Didstthou not see what a boxe on the eare
    I tooke my Lord chiefe Iustice?
    Tom. By gogs blood it did me good to see it,
    It made his teeth iarre in his head.
    Enter sir Iohn Old-Castle.
    490Hen.5. How now sir Iohn Old-Castle,
    What newes with you?
    Ioh. Old. I am glad to see your grace at libertie,
    I was come I, to visit you in prison.
    Hen.5. To visit me, didst thou not know that I am a
    495Princes son, why tis inough for me to looke into a prison,
    though I come not in my selfe, but heres such adoo now a=
    dayes, heres prisoning, heres hanging, whipping, and the
    diuel and all, but I tel you sirs, when I am King, we will
    haue no such things, but my lads, if the old king my father
    500were dead, we would be all kings.
    Ioh. Old. Hee is a good olde man, God take him to his mercy the sooner.
    Hen.5. But Ned,so soone as I am King, the first thing
    I wil do, shal be to put my Lord chiefe Justice out of office,
    And thou shalt be my Lord chiefe Justice of England.
    505Ned. Shall I be Lord chiefe Justice?
    By gogs wounds, ile be the brauest Lord chiefe Justice
    That euer was in England.
    Hen.5. Then Ned, ile turne all these prisons into fence
    Schooles, and I will endue thee with them, with landes to
    C main=
    The famous victories
    510maintaine them withall: then I wil haue a bout with my
    Lord chiefe Justice, thou shalt hang none but picke purses
    and horse stealers, and such base minded villaines, but that
    fellow that will stand by the high way side couragiously
    with his sword and buckler and take a purse, that fellow
    515giue him commendations, beside that, send him to me and
    I will giue him an anuall pension out of my Exchequer, to
    maintaine him all the dayes of his life.
    Ioh. Nobly spoken Harry, we shall neuer haue a mery
    world til the old king be dead.
    520Ned. But whither are ye going now?
    Hen.5. To the Court, for I heare say, my father lies ve-
    rie sicke.
    Tom. But I doubt he wil not die.
    Hen.5. Yet will I goe thither, for the breath shal be no
    525sooner out of his mouth, but I wil clap the Crowne on my
    head.
    Iockey. Wil you goe to the Court with that cloake so
    full of needles?
    Hen.5. Cloake, ilat-holes, needles, and all was of mine
    530owne deuising, and therefore I wil weare it.
    Tom. I pray you my Lord, what may be the meaning
    thereof?
    Hen.5. Why man, tis a signe that I stand vpon thorns,
    til the Crowne be on my head.
    535Ioc. Or that euery needle might be a prick to their harts
    that repine at your doings.
    Hen.5. Thou saist true Iockey, but thers some wil say,
    the yoong Prince will be a well-toward yoong man and all
    this geare, that I had as leeue they would breake my head
    540with a pot, as to say any such thing, but we stand prating
    here toolong, I must needs speake with my father, therefore
    come away.
    Porter. What a rapping keep you at the Kings Court
    gate?
    Hen.5.
    of Henry the fifth.
    545Hen.5. Heres one that must speake with the King.
    Por. The King is verie sick, and none must speak with
    him.
    Hen.5. No you rascall, do you not know me?
    Por. You are my Lord the yong Prince.
    550Hen.5. Then goe and tell my father, that I mustand
    will speake with him.
    Ned. Shall I cut off his head?
    Hen.5. No, no, though I would helpe you in other pla=
    ces, yet I haue nothing to doo here, what you are in my fa=
    555thers Court.
    Ned. I will write him in my Tables, for so soone as I
    am made Lorde chiefe Iustice, I wil put him out of his Of=
    fice.
    The Trumpet sounds.
    560Hen.5. Gogs wounds sirs, the King comes,
    Lets all stand aside.
    Enter the King, with the Lord of Exeter.
    Hen.4. And is it true my Lord, that my sonne is alrea=
    die sent to the Fleete? now truly that man is more fitter to
    565 rule the Realme then I, for by no meanes could I rule my
    sonne, and he by one word hath caused him to be ruled. Oh
    my sonne, my sonne, no sooner out of one prison, but into an
    other, I had thought once whiles I had liued, to haue seene
    this noble Realme of England flourish by thee my sonne,
    570 but now I see it goes to ruin and decaie.
    He wepeth.
    Enters Lord of Oxford.
    Ox. And please your grace, here is my Lord your sonne,
    That commeth to speake with you,
    575he saith, he must and wil speake with you.
    Hen.4. Who my sonne Harry?
    Oxf. I and please your Maiestie.
    Hen.4. I know wherefore he commeth,
    But looke that none come with him.
    C2 Oxf.
    The famous victories
    580Oxf. A verie disordered company, and such as make
    Uerie ill rule in your Maiesties house.
    Hen.4. Well let him come,
    but looke that none come with him.
    He goeth.
    585Oxf. And please your grace,
    My Lord the King, sends for you.
    Hen.5. Come away sirs, lets go all togither.
    Oxf. And please your grace, none must go with you.
    Hen.5. Why I must needs haue them with me,
    590Otherwise I can do my father no countenance,
    Therefore come away.
    Oxf. The King your father commaunds
    There should none come.
    Hen.5. Well sirs then be gone,
    595And prouide me threeNoyse of Musitians.
    Exeunt knights.
    Enters the Prince with a dagger in his hand.
    Hen.4. Come my sonne, come on a Gods name,
    I know wherefore thy comming is,
    600Oh my sonne, my sonne, what cause hath euer bene,
    That thou shouldst forsake me, and follow this vilde and
    Reprobate company, which abuseth youth so manifestly:
    Oh my sonne, thou knowest that these thy doings
    Wil end thy fathers dayes.
    605He weepes.
    I so, so, my sonne, thou fearest not to approach the presence
    of thy sick father, in that disguised sort, I tel thee my sonne,
    that there is neuer a needle in thy cloke, but it is a prick to
    my heart, & neuer an ilat-hole, but it is a hole to my soule:
    610and wherefore thou bringest that dagger in thy hande I
    know not, but by coniecture.
    He weepes.
    Hen.5. My cõscience accuseth me, most soueraign Lord,
    and welbeloued father, to answere first to the last point,
    That
    of Henry the fifth.
    615That is, whereas you coniecture that this hand and this
    dagger shall be armde against your life: no, know my be=
    loued father, far be the thoughts of your sonne, sonne said
    I, an vnworthie sonne for so good a father: but farre be the
    thoughts of any such pretended mischiefe: and I most hum=
    620bly render it to your Maiesties hand, and liue my Lord and
    soueraigne foreuer: and with your dagger arme show like
    vengeance vpon the bodie of that your sonne, I was about
    say and dare not, ah woe is me therefore, that your wilde
    sl}aue, tis not the Crowne that I come for, sweete father,
    625because I am vnworthie, and those vilde & reprobate com=
    pany I abandon, & vtterly abolish their company for euer.
    Pardon sweete father, pardon: the least thing and most de=
    sire: and this ruffianly cloake, I here teare from my backe,
    and sacrifice it to the diuel, which is maister of al mischiefe:
    630Pardõ me, sweet father, pardon me: good my Lord of Exe-
    ter speak for me: pardon me, pardõ good father, not a word:
    ah he wil not speak one word: A Harry, now thrice vnhap=
    pie Harry. But what shal I do: I wil go take me into some
    solitarie place, and there lament my sinfull life, and when
    635I haue done, I wil laie me down and die.
    Exit.
    Hen.4. Call him again, call my sonne againe.
    Hen.5. And doth my father call me again? now Harry,
    Happie be the time that thy father calleth thee againe.
    640Hen.4. Stand vp my son, and do not think thy father,
    But at the request of thee my sonne, I wil pardon thee,
    And God blesse thee, and make thee his seruant.
    Hen.5. Thanks good my Lord, & no doubt but this day,
    Euen this day, I am borne new againe.
    645Hen.4. Come my son and Lords take me by the hands.
    Exeunt omnes.
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