and made an offer of rich contributions to prevent the passing of a law which would have deprived them of the half of their revenues. His learned bishops are consequently as ready to prove to him his indisputable right to the crown of France, as he is to allow his conscience to be tranquillized by them. They prove that the Salic law is not, and never was applicable to France; and the matter is treated in a more succinct and convincing manner than such subjects usually are in manifestoes. After his renowned battles, Henry wished to secure his conquests by marriage with a French princess; all that has reference to this is intended for irony in the play. The fruit of this union, from which the two nations promised themselves such happiness in future, was the weak and feeble Henry VI., under whom everything was so miserably lost. It must not, therefore, be imagined that it was without the knowledge and will of the poet that a heroic drama turns out a comedy in his hands, and ends, in the manner of comedy, with a marriage of convenience." KING HENRY V. CHORUS. O FOR a muse of fire, that would ascend And let us, ciphers to this great accompt, Suppose within the girdle of these walls (1) Within this wooden O. Allusion is here made to the circular shape of the theatre or of the stage; some critics have ingeniously supposed that the Globe playhouse, which was circular, and of which Shakspeare was one of the proprietors, is here hinted at. Dr. Johnson remarks that Shakspeare was fully sensible of the absurdity of showing battles on the theatre," which," says he, "is never done but tragedy becomes a farce." It was therefore as an apology for this, that this chorus is here introduced. The very inartificial management of time and place in the theatres of this period is thus humorously described by Sir Philip Sidney: "Here," he says, "you shall have Asia of the one side, and Affricke of the other, and so many other under-kingdoms, that the player when he comes in must ever begin with telling where hee is, or else the tale will not be conceived. Now shall you have three ladies walke to gather flowers, and then we must believe the stage to bee a garden. By and by we heare newes of ship wracke in the same place, then we are to blame if we accept it not for a rocke. Upon the back of that comes out a hidious monster with fire and smoke, and then the miserable beholders are bound to take it for a cave, while in the meantime two armies flie in, represented with foure swordes and bucklers, and then what hard hart will not receive it for a pitched field?" The perilous, narrow ocean parts asunder. And make imaginary puissance: Think, when we talk of horses, that you see them Who, prologue-like, your humble patience pray, АСТ І. SCENE I.-London. An Ante-chamber in the King's Palace. Enter the ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY and BISHOP OF ELY. Cant. My lord, I'll tell you,-that self bill is urg'd, Which in the eleventh year of the last king's reign, Was like, and had indeed against us pass'd, But that the scambling and unquiet time Did push it out of further question. Ely. But how, my lord, shall we resist it now? Cant. It must be thought on. If it pass against us, We lose the better half of our possession: For all the temporal lands, which men devout By testament have given to the church, Would they strip from us; being valued thus,— A thousand pounds by the year: Thus runs the bill. Cant. Ely. But what prevention? "Twould drink the cup and all. Cant. The king is full of grace and fair regard. Cant. The courses of his youth promis'd it not. The breath no sooner left his father's body, And whipp'd the offending Adam out of him; To envelop and contain celestial spirits. With such a heady currance, scouring faults; So soon did lose his seat, and all at once, Ely. We are blessed in the change. Cant. Hear him but reason in divinity, You would desire the king were made a prelate : You would say,—It hath been all-in-all his study: The Gordian knot of it he will unloose, And the mute wonder lurketh in men's ears, Which is a wonder how his grace should glean it, His companies unletter'd, rude, and shallow; Any retirement, any sequestration From open haunts and popularity. Ely. The strawberry grows underneath the nettle; And so the prince obscur'd his contemplation (1) The air, &c. Dr. Johnson, who is not very lavish of his praises, remarks that "this line is exquisitely beautiful." (2) So that the art and practic part of life, &c. The meaning of this and the next line is not very plain; but it seems to be this; He discourses with such skill that his theory must surely have been taught by art and practice. |