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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 Theefe.
    Theefe Ah God, I am now much like to a Bird
    770Which hath escaped out of the Cage,
    For so soone as my Lord chiefe stustice heard
    That the old King was dead, he was glad to let me go,
    For feare of my Lord the yong Prince:
    But here comes some of his companions,
    775I wil see and I can get any thing of them,
    For old acquaintance.
    Enter Knights raunging.
    Tom. Gogs wounds, the King is dead.
    Ioc. Dead, then gogs blood, we shall be all kings.
    780Ned. Gogs wounds, I shall be Lord chiefe Iustice
    Of England.
    Tom. Why how, are you broken out of prison?
    Ned. Gogs wounds, how the villaine stinkes.
    Ioc. Why what wil become of thee now?
    785Fie vpon him, how the rascall stinkes.
    Theefe. Marry I wil go and serue my maister againe.
    Tom. Gogs blood, doost think that he wil haue any such
    Scabd knaue as thou art? what man he is a king now.
    D Ned.
    The famous victories
    Ned. Hold thee, heres a couple of Angels for thee,
    790And get thee gone, for the King wil not be long
    Before he come this way:
    And hereafter, I wil tel the king of thee.
    Exit Theefe.
    Ioc. Oh how it did me good, to see the king
    795When he was crowned:
    Me thought his seate was like the figure of heauen,
    And his person like vnto a God.
    Ned. But who would haue thought,
    That the king would haue changde his countenance so?
    800Ioc. Did you not see with what grace
    He sent his embassage into France to tel the French king
    That Harry of England hath sent for the Crowne,
    And Harry of England wil haue it.
    Tom. But twas but a litle to make the people belieue,
    805That he was sorie forhis fathers death.
    The Trumpet sounds.
    Ned. Gogs wounds, the king comes,
    Lets all stand aside.
    Enter the King with the Archbishop, and
    810the Lord of Oxford.
    Ioc. How do you my Lord?
    Ned. How now Harry?
    Tut my Lord, put away these dumpes,
    You are a king, and all the realm is yours:
    815What man, do you not remember the old sayings,
    You know I must be Lord chiefe Iustice of England,
    Trust me my lord, me thinks you are very much changed,
    And tis but with a litle sorrowing, to make folkes beleeue
    The death of your father greeues you,
    820And tis nothing so.
    Hen.5. I prethee Ned, mend thy maners,
    And be more modester in thy tearmes,
    For my vnfeined greefe is not to be ruled by thy flattering
    And
    of Henry the fifth.
    And dissembling talke, thou saist I am changed,
    825So I am indeed, and so must thou be, and that quickly,
    Or else I must cause thee to be channged.
    Ioc. Gogs wounds how like you this?
    Sownds tis not so sweete as Musicke.
    Tom. I trust we haue not offended your grace no way.
    830Hen.5. Ah Tom your former life greeues me,
    And makes me to abandõ & abolish your company for euer
    And therfore not vpõ pain of death to approch my presence
    By ten miles space, then if I heare wel of you,
    It may be I wil do somewhat for you,
    835Otherwise looke for no more fauour at my hands,
    Then at any other mans: And therefore be gone,
    We haue other matters to talke on.
    Exeunt Knights.
    Now my good Lord Archbishop of Canterbury,
    840What say you to our Embassage into France?
    Archb. Your right to the French Crowne of France,
    Came by your great grandmother Izabel,
    Wife to King Edward the third,
    And sister to Charles the French king:
    845Now if the French king deny it, as likely inough he wil,
    Then must you take your sword in hand,
    And conquer the right.
    Let the vsurped Frenchman know,
    Although your predecessors haue let it passe, you wil not:
    850For your Countrymen are willing with purse and men,
    To aide you.
    Then my good Lord, as it hath bene alwaies knowne,
    That Scotland hath bene in league with France,
    By a sort of pensions which yearly come from thence,
    855I thinke it therefore best to conquere Scotland,
    And thẽ I think that you may go more easily into France:
    And this is all that I can say, My good Lord.
    Hen.5. I thanke you, my good lord Archbishop of Can(terbury.
    D2 What
    The famous victories
    What say you my good Lord of Oxford?
    860Oxf. And And please your Maiestie,
    I agree to my Lord Archbishop, sauing in this,
    He that wil Scotland win, must first with France begin:
    According to the old saying.
    Therefore my good Lord, I thinke it best first to inuade (France,
    865For in conquering Scotland, you conquer but one,
    And conquere France and conquere both.
    Enter Lord of Exeter.
    Exe. And please your Maiestie,
    My Lord Embassador is come out of France.
    870Hen.5. Now trust me my Lord,
    He was the last man that we talked of,
    I am glad that he is come to resolue vs of our answere,
    Commit him to our presence.
    Enter Duke of Yorke.
    875York. God saue the life of mysoueraign Lord the king.
    Hen.5. Now my good Lord the Duke of Yorke,
    What newes from our brother the French King?
    York. And please your Maiestie,
    I deliuered him my Embassage,
    880Whereof I tooke some deliberation,
    But for the answere he hath sent,
    My Lord Embassador of Burges, the Duke of Burgony,
    Monsieur le Cole, with two hundred and fiftie horsemen,
    To bring the Embassage.
    885Hen.5. Commit my Lord Archbishop of Burges
    Into our presence,
    Enter Archbishop of Burges.
    Now my Lord Archbishop of Burges,
    We do learne by our Lord Embassador,
    890That you haue our message to do
    From our brother the French King:
    Here my good Lord, according to our accustomed order,
    We giue you free libertie and license to speake,
    With
    of Henry the fifth.
    With good audience.
    895Archb. God saue the mightie King of England,
    My Lord and maister, the most Christian king,
    Charles the seuenth, the great & mightie king of France,
    As a most noble and Christian king,
    Not minding to shed innocent blood, is rather content
    900To yeeld somewhat to your vnreasonable demaunds,
    That if fiftie thousand crownes a yeare with his daughter
    The said Ladie Katheren, in marriage,
    And some crownes which he may wel spare,
    Not hurting of his kingdome,
    905He is content to yeeld so far to your vnreasonable desire.
    Hen.5. Why then belike your Lord and maister,
    Thinks to puffe me vp with fifty thousand crowns a yere,
    No tell thy Lord and maister,
    That all the crownes in France shall not serue me,
    910Except the Crowne and kingdome it selfe:
    And perchance hereafter I wil haue his daughter.
    He deliuereth a Tunne of Tennis balles.
    Archb. And it please your Maiestie,
    My Lord Prince Dolphin greets you well,
    915With this present.
    He deliuereith a Tunne of Tennis Balles.
    Hen.5. What a guilded Tunne?
    I pray you my Lord of Yorke, looke what is in it?
    Yorke. And please your Grace,
    920Here is a Carpet and a Tunne of Tennis balles.
    Hen.5. A Tunne of Tennis balles?
    I pray you good my Lord Archbishop,
    What might the meaning thereof be?
    Archb. And it please you my Lord,
    925A messenger you know, ought to keepe close his message,
    And specially an Embassador.
    Hen.5. But I know that you may declare your message
    To a king, the law of Armes allowes no lesse.
    D3 Archb.
    The famous victories
    Archb. My Lord hearing of your wildnesse before your
    930Fathers death, sent you this my good Lord,
    Meaning that you are more fitter for a Tennis Court
    Then a field, and more fitter for a Carpet then the Camp.
    Hen.5. My Lord prince Dolphin is very pleasant with (me:
    But tel him, that in steed of balles of leather,
    935We wil tosse him balles of brasse and yron,
    Yea such balles as neuer were tost in France,
    The proudest Tennis Court shall rue it.
    I and thou Prince of Burges shall rue it:
    Therfore get thee hence, and tel him thy message quickly,
    940Least I be there before thee: Away priest, be gone.
    Archb. I beseech your grace, to deliuer me your safe
    Conduct vnder your broad seale Emanuel.
    Hen.5. Priest of Burges, know,
    That the hand and seale of a King, and his word is all one,
    945And in stead of my hand and seale,
    I will bring him my hand and sword:
    And tel thy lord & maister, that I Harry of England said it,
    And I Harry of England, wil performe it.
    My Lord of Yorke, deliuer him our safe conduct,
    950Under our broad seale Emanuel.
    Exeunt Archbishop, and the Duke of Yorke.
    Now my Lords, to Armes, to Armes,
    For I vow by heauen and earth, that the proudest
    French man in all France, shall rue the time that euer
    955These Tennis balles were sent into England.
    My Lord, I wil y^e there be prouided a great Nauy of ships,
    With all speed, at South-Hampton,
    For there I meane to ship my men,
    For I would be there before him, it it were possible,
    960Therefore come, but staie,
    I had almost forgot the chiefest thing of all, with chafing
    With this French Embassador.
    Call in my Lord chiefe Iustice of England.
    Enters
    of Henry the fifth.
    Enters Lord Chiefe Iustice of England.
    965Exe. Here is the King my Lord.
    Iustice. God preserue your Maiestie.
    Hen.5. Why how now my Lord, what is the matter?
    Iust. I would it were vnknowne to your Maiestie.
    Hen.5. Why what ayle you?
    970Iust. Your Maiestie knoweth my griefe well.
    Hen.5. Oh my Lord, you remember you sent me to the
    Fleete, did you not?
    Iust. I trust your grace haue forgotten that.
    Hen.5. I truly my Lord, and for reuengement,
    975I haue chosen you to be my Protector ouer my Realme,
    Until it shall please God to giue me speedie returne
    Out of France.
    Iust. And if it please your Maiestie, I am far vnworthie
    Of so high a dignitie.
    980Hen.5. Tut my Lord, you are not vnworthie,
    Because I thinke you worthie.
    For you that would not spare me,
    I thinke wil not spare another.
    It must needs be so, and therefore come,
    985Let vs be gone, and get our men in a readinesse.
    Exeunt omnes.
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