Than is your majesty: there's not, I think, a subject Under the sweet shade of your government. Grey. (R.) Even those that were your father's enemies Have steep'd their galls in honey, and do serve you With hearts create2 of duty and of zeal. K.Hen.(c.) We therefore have great cause of thankfulness; Enlarge the man committed yesterday, Scroop. (R.) That's mercy, but too much security: Cam. So may your highness, and yet punish too. K. Hen. Alas, your too much love and care of me Are heavy orisons 'gainst this poor wretch ! If little faults, proceeding on distemper,5 Shall not be wink'd at, how shall we stretch our eye Though Cambridge, Scroop, and Grey,-in their dear care 2 and zeal. 3 hearts create] Hearts compounded or made up of duty more advice,] On his return to more coolness of mind. 4 Are heavy orisons'gainst, &c.] i.e., are weighty supplications against this poor wretch. 5 -proceeding on distemper,] Distemper'd in liquor was a common expression. We read in Holinshed, vol. iii., page 626:gave him wine and strong drink in such excessive sort, that he was therewith distempered, and reeled as he went.' 6 " how shall we stretch our eye] If we may not wink at small faults, how wide must we open our eyes at great. Would have him punish'd. And now to our French causes: [All take their places at Council table. Who are the late Commissioners ? Cam. (B. of table.) I one, my lord: Your highness bade me ask for it to-day. Scroop. (R. of table.) So did you me, my liege. K. Hen. Then, Richard earl of Cambridge, there is yours;There yours, lord Scroop of Masham ;-and, sir knight, Grey of Northumberland, this same is yours: Read them; and know, I know your worthiness. My lord of Westmoreland,—and uncle Exeter,-[L. of table. We will aboard to-night. (Conspirators start from their places.) Why, how now, gentlemen! What see you in those papers, that you lose So much complexion?-look ye, how they change! Out of appearance? Cam. I do confess my fault; And do submit me to your highness'mercy.[Falling on his knees. Grey. To which we all appeal. Scroop. [Kneeling. K. Hen. (rising; all the LORDS rise with the KING.) The mercy that was quick3 in us but late, By your own counsel is suppress'd and kill'd: You must not dare, for shame, to talk of mercy. See you, my princes and my noble peers, These English monsters! My lord of Cambridge here, You know how apt our love was to accord To furnish him with all appertinents This knight, no less for bounty bound to us Than Cambridge is,-hath likewise sworn.-But, O, Who are the late commissioners?] That is, who are the persons lately appointed commissioners. What shall I say to thee, lord Scroop? thou cruel, Thou that did'st bear the key of all my counsels, Could out of thee extract one spark of evil [EXETER goes to door U.E.L.H, and calls on the Guard. And Heaven acquit them of their practises! Exe. (comes down, R.C.) I arrest thee of high treason, by the name of Richard earl of Cambridge. I arrest thee of high treason, by the name of Henry lord Scroop of Masham, I arrest thee of high treason, by the name of Thomas Grey, knight, of Northumberland. Scroop. (B., kneeling.) Our purposes Heaven justly hath discover'd; And I repent my fault more than my death. Cam. (R., kneeling.) For me, the gold of France did not seduce; (B) Although I did admit it as a motive The sooner to effect what I intended: 9 as gross] As palpable. 10 though the truth of it stands off as gross 11 As black from white,] Though the truth be as apparent and visible as black and white contiguous to each other. To stand off is être relevé, to be prominent to the eye, as the strong parts of a picture.-JOHNSON. 11 Which I in sufferance heartily will rejoice,] Cambridge means to say, at which prevention, or, which intended scheme that it was prevented, I shall rejoice. Shakespeare has many such elliptica expressions. The intended scheme that he alludes to was the taking off Henry, to make room for his brother-in-law.-MALONE. Grey. (B. kneeling.) Never did faithful subject more rejoice At the discovery of most dangerous treason Than I do at this hour joy o'er myself, Prevented from a damned enterprize: My fault, but not my body, pardon, sovereign. K. Hen. (c.) Heaven quit you in its mercy! Hear your sentence. You have conspir'd against our royal person, Join'd with an enemy proclaim'd, and from his coffers Wherein you would have sold your king to slaughter, Of all your dear offences!13-Bear them hence. [Conspirators rise and exeunt guarded, with EXETER. Now, Lords, for France; the enterprize whereof Shall be to you, as us, like glorious. We doubt not of a fair and lucky war, Since Heaven so graciously hath brought to light Cheerly to sea; the signs of war advance : (D) No king of England, if not king of France. [Exeunt, U.E.L.H. 12 13 our kingdom's safety must so tender,] i.e., must so regard. dear offences!] To dere, in ancient language, was to hurt ; the meaning, therefore, is hurtful-pernicious offences. 14 Our puissance] i.e., our power, our force. SCENE II.-FRANCE. A ROOM IN THE FRENCH KING'S PALACE. Trumpets sound. Enter the FRENCH KING,15 attended; the DAUPHIN, the DUKE OF BURGUNDY, the CONSTABLE, and Others, (E) L.H. . Fr. King(c.)Thus come the English with full power upon us; And more than carefully it us concerns16 To answer royally in our defences. Therefore the Dukes of Berry and of Bretagne, And you, Prince Dauphin,—with all swift despatch, With men of courage and with means defendant. My most redoubted father, It is most meet we arm us 'gainst the foe: And let us do it with no show of fear; No, with no more than if we heard that England Were busied with a Whitsun morris-dance: For, my good liege, she is so idly king'd, Her sceptre so fantastically borne By a vain, giddy, shallow, humorous youth, Con. (L.C.) O peace, prince Dauphin You are too much mistaken in this king: With what great state he heard our embassy, Were but the outside of the Roman Brutus, Covering discretion with a coat of folly. Dau. Well, 'tis not so, my lord high constable; But though we think it so, it is no matter: 15 FRENCH KING,] The costume of Charles VI. is copied from Willemin. Monuments Français. The dresses of the other Lords are selected from Montfaucon Monarchie Françoise. 16 more than carefully it us concerns,] More than carefully is with more than common care; a phrase of the same kind with better than well.-JOHNSON. 17 How modest in exception,] How diffident and decent in making objections. |