K. Hen.
Where is my gracious lord of Canterbury?

Exe.
Not here in presence.

K. Hen.
Send for him, good uncle^{8 note}

West.
Shall we call in the ambassador, my liege^{9 note}?

K. Hen.
Not yet, my cousin; we would be resolv'd,
Before we hear him, of some things of weight,
That task^{1 note} our thoughts, concerning us and France. Enter the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Bishop of Ely.

Cant.
God, and his angels, guard your sacred throne,
And make you long become it!

K. Hen.
Sure, we thank you.
My learned lord, we pray you to proceed:
And justly and religiously unfold,
Why the law Salique, that they have in France,
Or should, or should not, bar us in our claim.
And God forbid, my dear and faithful lord,
That you should fashion, wrest, or bow your reading,
Or nicely charge your understanding soul^{2 note}

With opening titles miscreate^{3 note}, whose right
Suits not in native colours with the truth;
For God doth know, how many, now in health,
Shall drop their blood in approbation^{4 note}

That make such waste in brief mortality^{6 note}
.
Under this conjuration^{7 note}
, speak, my lord:
And we will hear, note, and believe in heart,
That what you speak is in your conscience wash'd
As pure as sin with baptism.

Cant.
Then hear me, gracious sovereign,—and you peers,
That owe your lives, your faith, and services* ^note,
To this imperial throne;—There is no bar^{8 note}

That the land Salique lies in Germany,
Between the floods of Sala and of Elbe:
Where Charles the great, having subdued the Saxons,
There left behind and settled certain French;
Who, holding in disdain the German women,
For some dishonest manners of their life,
Establish'd there this law,—to wit, no female
Should be inheritrix in Salique land;
Which Salique, as I said, 'twixt Elbe and Sala,
Is at this day in Germany call'd—Meisen.
Thus doth it well appear, the Salique law
Was not devised for the realm of France:
Nor did the French possess the Salique land
Until four hundred one and twenty years
After defunction of king Pharamond,
Idly suppos'd the founder of this law;
Who died within the year of our redemption
Four hundred twenty-six; and Charles the great
Subdued the Saxons, and did seat the French
Beyond the river Sala, in the year
Eight hundred five. Besides, their writers say,
King Pepin, which deposed Childerick,
Did, as heir general, being descended
Of Blithild, which was daughter to king Clothair,
Make claim and title to the crown of France.
Hugh Capet also,—that usurp'd the crown
Of Charles the duke of Lorain, sole heir male
Of the true line and stock of Charles the great,—
To fine his title with some show of truth^{1 note}

(Though, in pure truth, it was corrupt and naught,)
Convey'd himself^{2 note} as heir to the lady Lingare,
Daughter to Charlemain, who was the son
To Lewis the emperor, and Lewis the son
Of Charles the great^{3 note}

Who was sole heir to the usurper Capet,
Could not keep quiet in his conscience,
Wearing the crown of France, till satisfied
That fair queen Isabel, his grandmother,
Was lineal of the lady Ermengare,
Daughter to Charles the foresaid duke of Lorain:
By the which marriage, the line of Charles the great
Was-reunited to the crown of France.
So that, as clear as is the summer's sun,
King Pepin's title, and Hugh Capet's claim,
King Lewis his satisfaction^{5 note}, all appear

To hold in right and title of the female:
So do the kings of France unto this day;
Howbeit they would hold up this Salique law,
To bar your highness claiming from the female;
And rather choose to hide them in a net,
Than amply to imbare their crooked titles^{6 note}

Usurp'd from you and your progenitors.

K. Hen.
May I, with right and conscience, make this claim?

Cant.
The sin upon my head, dread sovereign!
For in the book of Numbers is it writ,—
When the son dies, let the inheritance
Descend unto the daughter. Gracious lord,
Stand for your own; unwind your bloody flag;
Look back unto your mighty ancestors:
Go, my dread lord, to your great grandsire's tomb* ^note,
From whom you claim; invoke his warlike spirit,
And your great uncle's, Edward the black prince;
Who on the French ground play'd a tragedy,
Making defeat on the full power of France;
Whiles his most mighty father on a hill
Stood smiling, to behold his lion's whelp
Forage in blood of French nobility^{7 note}
.
O noble English, that could entertain
With half their forces the full pride† ^note of France;

And let another half stand laughing by,
All out of work, and cold for action^{8 note}

Ely.
Awake remembrance of these valiant dead,
And with your puissant arm renew their feats:
You are their heir, you sit upon their throne;
The blood and courage, that renowned them,
Runs in your veins; and my thrice-puissant liege
Is in the very May-morn of his youth,
Ripe for exploits and mighty enterprizes.

Exe.
Your brother kings and monarchs of the earth
Do all expect that you should rouse yourself,
As did the former lions of your blood.

West.
They know, your grace hath cause, and means, and might;
So hath your highness^{9 note}

Had nobles richer, and more loyal subjects;
Whose hearts have left their bodies here in England,
And lie pavilion'd in the fields of France.

Cant.
O, let their bodies follow, my dear liege,
With blood^{1 note}

K. Hen.
We must not only arm to invade the French;
But lay down our proportions to defend
Against the Scot, who will make road upon us
With all advantages.

Cant.
They of those marches^{2 note}
, gracious sovereign,
Shall be a wall sufficient to defend
Our inland from the pilfering borderers.

K. Hen.
We do not mean the coursing snatchers* ^note only,
But fear the main intendment of the Scot^{3 note}

Who hath been still a giddy neighbour^{4 note} to us;
For you shall read, that my great grandfather
Never went with his forces into France^{5 note}

Cant.
She hath been then more fear'd^{6 note}

For hear her but exampled by herself,—
When all her chivalry hath been in France,
And she a mourning widow of her nobles,
She hath herself not only well defended,
But taken, and impounded as a stray,
The king of Scots; whom she did send to France* ^note,
To fill king Edward's fame with prisoner kings;
And make your chronicle as rich with praise^{8 note}

West.
But there's a saying, very old and true^{1 note}

For once the eagle England being in prey,
To her unguarded nest the weasel Scot
Comes sneaking, and so sucks her princely eggs;
Playing the mouse in absence of the cat,
To spoil and havock more than she can eat^{3 note}.

Exe.
It follows then, the cat must stay at home:
Yet that is but a curs'd necessity^{4 note}

Since we have locks to safeguard necessaries,
And pretty traps^{5 note}

Congruing^{8 note}

Cant.
True: therefore doth heaven divide
The state of man in divers functions,
Setting endeavour in continual motion;
To which is fixed, as an aim or butt,
Obedience^{9 note}

: for so work the honey bees;
Creatures, that, by a rule in nature, teach
The act of order^{1 note}

Where some, like magistrates, correct at home;
Others, like merchants, venture trade abroad^{4 note};

Others, like soldiers, armed in their stings,
Make boot upon the summer's velvet buds;
Which pillage they with merry march bring home
To the tent-royal of their emperor:
Who, busied in his majesty, surveys
The singing masons^{5 note} building roofs of gold;
The civil^{6 note} citizens kneading up the honey^{7 note}

The lazy yawning drone. I this infer,—
That many things, having full reference
To one concent, may work contrariously;
As many arrows, loosed several ways,
Fly to one mark;
As many several ways meet in one town;
As many fresh streams run in one self sea;
As many lines close in the dial's center;
So may a thousand actions, once afoot,
End in one purpose, and be all well borne
Without defeat^{9 note}
. Therefore to France, my liege.
Divide your happy England into four;
Whereof take you one quarter into France,
And you withal shall 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 hardiness, and policy.

K. Hen.
Call in the messengers sent from the Dauphin. [Exit an Attendant. The King ascends his Throne.
Now are we well resolv'd: and,—by God's help;
And yours, the noble sinews of our power,—
France being ours, we'll bend it to our awe,
Or break it all to pieces: Or there we'll sit,
Ruling in large and ample empery^{1 note}
,
O'er France, and all her almost kingly dukedoms;
Or lay these bones in an unworthy urn,

Tombless, with no remembrance over them:
Either our history shall, with full mouth,
Speak freely of our acts; or else our grave,
Like Turkish mute, shall have a tongueless mouth,
Not worship'd with a paper epitaph^{2 note}

Enter Ambassadors of France.
Now are we well prepar'd to know the pleasure
Of our fair cousin Dauphin; for, we hear,
Your greeting is from him, not from the king.

Amb.
May it please your majesty, to give us leave

Freely to render what we have in charge;
Or shall we sparingly show you far off,
The Dauphin's meaning* ^note, and our embassy?

K. Hen.
We are no tyrant, but a Christian king;
Unto whose grace our passion is as subject,
As are our wretches fetter'd in our prisons:
Therefore, with frank and with uncurbed plainness,
Tell us the Dauphin's mind.

Amb.
Thus then, in few.
Your highness, lately sending into France,
Did claim some certain dukedoms, in the right
Of your great predecessor, king Edward the third.
In answer of which claim, the prince our master
Says,—that you savour too much of your youth;
And bids you be advis'd, there's nought in France,
That can be with a nimble galliard won^{3 note}

Hear no more of you. This the Dauphin speaks.

K. Hen.
What treasure, uncle?

Exe.
Tennis-balls, my liege^{4 note}.

K. Hen.
We are glad, the Dauphin is so pleasant with us^{5 note}

We never valu'd this poor seat of England^{7 note}

To barbarous license; As 'tis ever common,
That men are merriest when they are from home.
But tell the Dauphin,—I will keep my state;
Be like a king, and show my sail of greatness,
When I do rouse me in my throne of France:
For that I have laid by^{9 note}

My rightful hand in a well-hallow'd cause.
So, get you hence in peace; and tell the Dauphin,
His jest will savour but of shallow wit,
When thousands weep, more than did laugh at it.—
Convey them with safe conduct.—Fare you well. [Exeunt Ambassadors.

Exe.
This was a merry message.

K. Hen.
We hope to make the sender blush at it. [Descends from his Throne.
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 soon collected; and all things thought upon,
That may, with reasonable swiftness, add
More feathers to our wings^{2 note}


; for, God before,
We'll chide this Dauphin at his father's door.
Therefore, let every man now task his thought^{3 note}