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Creatures, that, 'by a rule in nature, teach
The art of order to a peopled kingdom.
They have a king, and officers of fort:
Where fome, like magiftrates, correct at home;
Others, like merchants, venture trade abroad;
Others, like foldiers, armed in their ftings,
'Make boot upon the fummer's velvet buds;
Which pillage they with merry march bring home
To the tent-royal of their emperor :

Who, bufy'd in his majesty, furveys

The finging masons building roofs of gold;
The civil citizens 'kneading up the honey;
The poor
mechanick porters crowding in
Their heavy burdens at his narrow gate;
The "fad-eyed justice, with his furly hum,
Delivering o'er to "executors pale
The lazy yawning drone. I this infer,-
That many things, having full reference
To one confent, may work contrariously;

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As many arrows, loofed feveral ways,
Fly to one mark;

As many several ways meet in one town;
As many fresh streams run in one felf fea;
As many lines close in the dial's center;
So many a thousand actions, once afoot,
End in one purpose, and be all well borne

by a rule in nature,]-inftinctively.

of fort:]-of rank and quality-forts-of different forts.
venture trade abroad;]-fend out trading ventures.
Make boot upon]-Plunder.

in bis majefty,1-in the execution of his regal office.

1 kneading up-compreffing clofely. fad-ey'd]-grave, gloomy.

a executors]-executioners,

contrarioufly-by different movements.
Once-at once,-together

Without

Without defeat. Therefore to France, my liege;
Divide your happy England into four;
Whereof take you one quarter into France,
And you withal fhall make all Gallia shake.
If we, with thrice that power left at home,
Cannot defend our own door from the dog,
Let us be worried; and our nation lose
The name of hardinefs, and policy.

K. Henry. Call in the meffengers fent from the Dauphin.
Now are we well resolved: and,-by God's help;
And yours, the noble finews of our power,-
France being ours, we'll bend it to our awe,
Or break it all to pieces: Or there we'll fit,
Ruling, in large and ample 'empery,

O'er France, and all her almost kingly dukedoms;
Or lay these bones in an unworthy urn,
Tomblefs, with no remembrance over them:
Either our history fhall, with full mouth,
Speak freely of our acts; or else our grave,
Like Turkish mute, fhall have a 'tongueless mouth,
'Not worship'd with a waxen epitaph.

Enter ambasadors of France.

Now we are well prepared to know the pleasure
Of our fair coufin Dauphin; for, we hear,
Your greeting is from him, not from the king.

Amb. May't please your majesty, to give us leave
Freely to render what we have in charge;

Or fhall we sparingly fhew you far off

defeat.]-clafhing, obftruction.

empery,]-dominion.

tongueless mouth,]-fpeechlefs, being born deaf.

Not worship'd with a waxen epitaph.]-Not honoured even with the flightest infcription, on a table of wax-the moft tranfient memorial.

VOL. IV.

C.

The

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The Dauphin's meaning, and our embassy?

K. Henry. We are no tyrant, but a Christian king; "Unto whofe grace our paffion is as fubject,

As are our wretches fetter'd in our prifons:
Therefore, with frank and with uncurbed plainnefs,
Tell us the Dauphin's mind.

Amb. Thus then, in few.

Your highness, lately fending into France,
Did claim fome certain dukedoms, in the right
Of your great predeceffor, king Edward the third.
In answer of which claim, the prince our master
Says, that you favour too much of your youth;
And bids you be advis'd, there's nought in France,
That can be with a nimble "galliard won;

You cannot revel into dukedoms there:

He therefore fends you, meeter for your spirit,
This tun of treasure; and, in lieu of this,
Defires you, let the dukedoms, that you claim,
Hear no more of you. This the Dauphin speaks.
K. Henry. What treasure, uncle?

Exe. Tennis-balls, my liege.

K. Henry. We are glad, the Dauphin is so pleasant with

us;

His prefent, and your pains, we thank you for:
When we have match'd our rackets to these balls,
We will, in France, by God's grace, play a fet,
Shall ftrike his father's crown into the hazard:
Tell him, he hath made a match with fuch a wrangler,
That all the courts of France will be disturb'd

With 'chaces. And we understand him well,

galliard-dance.

Unto whofe grace]-the grace infufed by his religion-our perfonUnto whofe gracious difpofal. * the hazard:]-a place in the tennis-court, into which the ball is cbaces.]—a term at tennis.

fometimes fruck,

How

How he comes o'er us with our wilder days,
Not measuring what use we made of them.
We never valu'd this poor feat of England;
And therefore, living hence, did give ourself
To barbarous licence; As 'tis ever common,
That men are merrieft when they are from home.
But tell the Dauphin,-I will keep my state;
Be like a king, and fhew my fail of greatness,
When I do rouse me in my throne of France:
For that I have laid by my majesty,

* And plodded like a man for working-days;
But I will rise there with fo full a glory,
That I will dazzle all the eyes of France,
Yea, ftrike the Dauphin blind to look on us.
And tell the pleasant prince,—this mock of his
Hath turn'd his balls to 'gun-ftones; and his foul
Shall stand fore charged for the wafteful vengeance
That fhall fly with them: for many a thousand widows
Shall this his mock mock out of their dear husbands;
Mock mothers from their fons, mock caftles down;
And some are yet ungotten, and unborn,

That fhall have cause to curse the Dauphin's fcorn.
But this lies all within the will of God,

To whom I do appeal; And in whofe name,
Tell

you the Dauphin, I am coming on,

To venge me as I may, and to put forth

My rightful hand in a well-hallow'd caufe.

So, get you hence in peace; and tell the Dauphin,

living bence,]-out of England, as he might well be faid to do, when he bestowed all his attention upon France-withdrawing from the court.

And plodded like a man for working-days ;]-And wrought in a lower fphere, to acquire the arts of life, and thereby qualify myself for this arduous undertaking.

gun-flone: ;]-balls for the ordinance were anciently made of ftone.

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His jeft will favour but of fhallow wit,

When thousands weep, more than did laugh at it.-
Convey them with fafe conduct.-Fare you well.

Exe. This was a merry message.

[Exeunt Ambassadors.

K. Henry. We hope to make the fender blufh at it. Therefore, my lords, omit no happy hour, That may give furtherance to our expedition: For we have now no thought in us, but France; Save those to God, that run before our business. Therefore, let our proportions for these wars Be foon collected; and all things thought upon, That may, with reasonable swiftness, add More feathers to our wings: for, 'God before, We'll chide this Dauphin at his father's door. Therefore, let every man now task his thought, That this fair action may on foot be brought. [Exeunt.

ACT II.

Enter Chorus.

Chor. Now all the youth of England are on fire,
And filken dalliance in the wardrobe lies

Now thrive the armourers, and honour's thought
Reigns folely in the breaft of every man :
They fell the pasture now, to buy the horse;
Following the mirror of all Chriftian kings,
With winged heels, as English Mercuries.

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God before,]-by God's help.

tak bis thought, &c.]-ftudy how to forward this enterprize.

filken dalliance]—the attire of maks, and revelry.

For

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